UMass Five College Professor of History Richard Chu has received the 2026 ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award in recognition of his support for his colleagues’ professional development and success. Chu is a historian of Chinese and Chinese mestizos in the Philippines and Chinese diasporic communities in the world, centering on issues of race, ethnicity, gender, empire, and nationalism. An advocate for international faculty for over two decades, he has served as Co-Chair of the International Faculty and Staff Network since 2019.
The UMass ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Awards for each college recognize the invaluable contributions of faculty members in mentoring and supporting their colleagues’ professional development. UMass ADVANCE, an interdisciplinary, faculty-led network that develops and supports research and programming for faculty equity, recognizes the vital role of mentoring colleagues in fostering greater inclusion and equality.
Waded Cruzado, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities recognized the ADVANCE awardees at a luncheon on April 17. Her keynote lecture emphasized the role of leadership in protecting the transformative promise of fair, inclusive and empowering public higher education. “When leaders are at their best,” she remarked, “they do five things: they model the way; they inspire a shared vision; they challenge the process; they allow others to act; and they encourage the heart.”
Reflecting on the award, Richard Chu said, “Mentoring junior faculty—especially those who are international and faculty of color—is something I care deeply about. Having faced many of the challenges that come with being part of a minority group in academia, I feel a strong responsibility to support colleagues navigating similar experiences. I aim to help them succeed in their careers, navigate the institution, and build fulfilling lives while they are here at UMass.”
His nominator emphasized his impact across campus, observing, “I really can’t overstate the warmth and ease that fills the room with Richard Chu hosting–where a hodgepodge of faculty from different parts of camps, at different junctures in their careers, with identifications from around the globe, can let loose, have some fun, ask questions freely, and feel they are not alone.”
In addition to his recognition from ADVANCE, Chu and his team across several other departments were recently awarded an Office of Faculty Development Mutual Mentoring Grant for their project, “Fostering Community, Leadership, and Success: Mutual Mentoring for UMass International Faculty.”