Sam Kim
Sam Kim, EdD has 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in higher education and in his current position at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), he leads and supports work to advance the university’s mission to make education work for all.
Dr. Kim joined CU Denver 14 years ago as the director of Asian American Student Services and has since led several student-facing departments, including New Student Orientation, Lynx Central, TRIO Programs, and Student Life. But it’s his personal experience as a Korean immigrant and first-generation student that he says drives his passion for serving students. Dr. Kim has had several meaningful mentors. Those experiences have informed his leading and providing impactful mentoring for CU Denver students. Dr. Kim gives back to students as a way to pay forward the support he has received in his life and career, all of which support institutional efforts to close the opportunity gaps for students from underserved student populations.
Dr. Kim received his BS in biology and MPH in public health from the University of Northern Colorado. He earned his EdD in leadership and educational equity from CU Denver in 2017. His other accomplishments include being appointed as the lead for CU Denver’s Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Operational Team. His work in that regard involved developing and executing strategies to build equity-focused co-curricular programs to support the university’s efforts to secure federal funds associated with the AANAPISI designation.
Dr. Kim co-authored and secured a five-year, $1.38 million TRIO Student Support Services grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue supporting first-generation, low-income students, and students with disabilities during their undergraduate education at CU Denver. Under Dr. Kim’s leadership, the Office for Access and Campus Engagement, works in partnership with offices and colleagues across the campus to develop innovative ways to engage students, staff, and faculty toward creating educational and workforce senses of belonging for all.
