Join AAST for a Lunch and Learn with Charita Castro and Gem Daus in conversation with AAST Director, Janelle Wong. Discover how they launched careers in the public service. Our guests will share insights from their work in health, labor, and other policy areas, offering a unique look at Asian American experiences in the public sector. This event is supported by the Juanita Tamayo Lott Endowment in Asian American Studies.
Speaker Bios:
Charita Castro, PhD, MSW is a Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Labor Affairs, where she leads global efforts on forced labor and human trafficking and oversees trade-related labor issues in Asia. She has 25 years of federal experience advancing the protection of workers’ rights globally. Previously, Dr. Castro served as Chief of Research and Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, leading a 25-person team and overseeing an $80 million global portfolio. She began her federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow, conducted research in the Philippines on a Fulbright fellowship, and served as an IF/THEN Women in STEM Ambassador. She has received distinguished alumna awards from both George Washington University and Washington University in St. Louis.
Gem P. Daus is an award-winning adjunct faculty member of the University of Maryland Asian American Studies Program. His classes are interdisciplinary and emphasize public policy as it intersects with community building and identity. He teaches Filipino American History and Biography and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Studies. Gem has published several book chapters as well as numerous policy papers on Asian American and Pacific Islander health. Gem was a public health analyst in the Office of Health Equity at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HHS/HRSA) for 12 years. His work focused on policies to alleviate health disparities, improve data collection and dissemination, and improve language access, especially for AAPI and LGBTQ populations.
Thursday, April 30
12:30pm - 1:15pm
AAST 3rd Floor Conference Room (Susquehanna Hall 3105)
Lunch will be provided and space is limited.
