What is your name and how long have you been in your current position?
Cleda Wang (clēdä wông), 6.5 years!
What is your current role in University Housing?
I’m an Assistant Director in Residence Life – Inclusion. I support our Center for Cultural Enrichment (CCE) team and our staff in creating inclusive communities in our halls and on campus.
How long have you been with University Housing? Other positions on campus?
6.5 Years! This is the only position I’ve had at UW-Madison.
What do you do on a typical day in your job?
Each day is so different. Every day I check to see if there are any bias incidents and students and staff to reach out to. I meet with campus partners to plan larger programs & events for residents. I support our Center for Cultural Enrichment team in maintaining our space and supporting them through their programs & events. Occasionally, I support the GDEC team during lunch and the Witte Desk in processing packages!
What’s your favorite thing about working with students who are living on campus?
I really enjoy helping students figure out their purpose. I like asking them how they want to change the world. I try to inspire students to think about themselves AND beyond them; think about their community, their peers, their family and chosen family. Who is your biggest supporter and how can you be inspired by them to change the world?
What is a past work accomplishment that you’re proud of?
Co-creating a Social Justice Leadership Retreat with the Multicultural Student Center for our residents and students across campus and a Winter Clothes Shopping Trip for our out-of-state students (outside of the immediate Midwest) and international students who have never experienced a Wisconsin winter before!
What is a secret talent that your co-workers may not know about?
Totally random, but call me a dog/cat whisperer (they all like me).
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Texas in a city/metroplex of 6 million+ people.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
Home: Texas where my immediate family is and Taiwan, where my mom’s family is located.
What are you passionate about?
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (I.D.E.A.) and my family.
What is your favorite TV show, movie, or book?
My TV show is The Blacklist on NBC, movie is Parasite, and book is Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire.
What is your favorite family/home tradition?
Making pork and shrimp dumplings by hand with my family during Lunar New Year.
If you would like to see one of your coworkers featured in a future issue, email marketing@housing.wisc.edu with your coworker’s name and their supervisor’s name.