Our first-year PhD student, Alyssa Tsukada, has been awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Asian Cultural Ambassador Award at the 2026 annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebration. This honor recognizes Alyssa’s meaningful contributions to promoting Asian culture and heritage, advancing cross-cultural understanding, and fostering a more inclusive campus community. 

Alyssa, the proud daughter of a first-generation Japanese immigrant, is a dedicated advocate for underrepresented students. She brings a strong commitment to equity and access, shaped by her work in both higher education and city planning. She is especially passionate about making resources and opportunities more accessible for minority students. She shares her Japanese American heritage through her small art business, drawing inspiration from traditional Ukiyo-e printmaking, Taoist motifs, and origami. Alyssa also enjoys introducing others to pan-Asian cuisine through her cooking as she believes that art and food are among the most powerful ways to share culture and build connections.

At URI, Alyssa is an active member of GSO Students of Underrepresented Lineages (SoUL), a mentor for the Society for Women in Marine Sciences (SWMS), and a representative on the Northeast Shelf Long-Term Ecological Research (NES-LTER) Teamwork and Opportunities Committee. She also recently  received her certification through the URI Diversity and Inclusion Badge Program (DIBP). Through her involvement across these programs, she hopes to foster a more connected, inclusive, and supportive community both on campus and beyond.