Angela Chen
Position: Board Member
Angela “Ru” Chen, Ph.D. (she/they) is a nationally recognized leader in undocumented student support and higher education equity. With nearly 20 years of experience across the University of California system and national organizations serving undocumented students, she now serves as Director of Higher Education Strategy and Partnerships at TheDream.US, where she leads strategic partnerships with 80+ colleges nationwide to strengthen support for immigrant students. She previously served as Director of the DREAM Center at UC Irvine, where she led award-winning programs including over $900,000 in annual scholarships, international travel opportunities for DACA students, and research-informed services that drove institutional change.
Ru holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA. Her research spans institutional allyship, transformative resistance, and undocumented student access, and has been cited in national policy discussions, including federal documents related to the U.S. Supreme Court’s DACA deliberations. A published scholar and practitioner, she brings deep expertise and lived experience to her work, transforming systems and expanding educational opportunity.
