Tuấn Đặng, a long-time academic leader at multiple community and technical colleges in Washington state, has been named dean of arts and sciences at Yakima Valley College and will assume his duties March 3.
Đặng most recently served at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, which he joined as dean of instruction, high school programs and parent education in 2019 and was then appointed vice president of instruction in 2022. In the latter role, he served as the institution’s chief academic officer and was responsible for all academic and technical programs, services, the library and faculty.
Prior to that, Đặng held a variety of academic leadership positions at Bellevue College and Lower Columbia College over a span of nine years. Before his career in higher education, Đặng spent several years teaching English and other subjects across all grade levels at schools in Thailand and founded a private school in that country.
Đặng earned his Doctor of Education in community college leadership and a master’s degree in adult education at Oregon State University, a master’s degree in bilingual education from Rangsit University, and bachelor’s degrees in zoology and biology from the University of Washington.
“We are excited about the breadth of experience that Dr. Đặng will bring to Yakima Valley College,” said YVC Interim President Teresa Rich, noting that included leading the arts and humanities division at one of the state’s largest community colleges, managing programs for high school students such as Running Start, and leadership of adult basic education and English language acquisition programs.
“On top of that leadership experience in Washington’s community and technical college system is a commitment to advancing equity through the educational programs we offer,” Rich said. “YVC is one of the most diverse colleges in Washington state and three-quarters of our students are first-generation college students. Dr. Đặng has demonstrated success in helping ensure all students, especially historically underserved populations, are able to achieve their educational, career and life goals.”
“Having served in different programs and with different student populations, I wanted to bring my work back to a community as a whole,” said Đặng. “Yakima seems like a place with a need for more but also an opportunity to try new things and I wanted to use what I've learned throughout my career to help this community. Serving in the Arts and Sciences was an exciting opportunity to me as I would get to work with a wide range of faculty and their passions while they pass these forward to students, the community, and their future.”
YVC’s Arts and Sciences Division is one of three academic divisions at the college and serves approximately 3,000 students taking courses in a variety of academic pathways including arts and humanities, social sciences and education, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at campuses in Yakima and Grandview as well as online.