Christopher Nguyen Pheneger currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement for the UC Davis Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In this role, Christopher leads and supports the university’s Employee Resource Group (ERG) and Administrative Advisory Committee (AAC) programs, while overseeing the implementation of the Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE) initiative for the Davis campus. Additionally, Christopher manages the division’s community engagement portfolio, cultivating strategic partnerships with city and county organizations, nonprofits, and other stakeholders to advance DEI goals and initiatives across the university.

Since joining the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2021, Christopher has been instrumental in developing and leading educational and professional development programs on DEI topics across UC Davis and UC Davis Health. His contributions extend to helping shape and implement strategies aligned with the UC Davis Principles of Community and the UC Davis Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision.

Prior to joining UC Davis, Christopher served as a Program Coordinator and First-Year Seminar Lecturer for the Full Circle Project at CSU Sacramento, where he supported Asian American and Pacific Islander students. He also worked as a Student Support Specialist at UNITE at American River College, a center dedicated to critical consciousness, social justice education, and cultural empowerment. Christopher’s leadership in the field is further evidenced by his participation in conference planning committees and his facilitation of sessions at national conferences such as APAHE, NASPA, and NCORE, addressing topics including transracial adoption, sustainable learning communities, mentorship, and the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander students in higher education.

Christopher’s passion for advancing equity is rooted in his lived experiences as a queer, Asian American transracial adoptee from Vietnam. His personal journey has shaped his dedication to transforming organizations and communities into spaces where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. 

Christopher holds a B.A. in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies from the University of California, Davis, and an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of San Francisco. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with loved ones, hiking, cooking, dancing, and indulging in anime or Korean dramas—preferably with a tub of ice cream in hand.

Motto/Hashtag

“The only way to survive is by taking care of one another.” - Grace Lee Boggs

“There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” - Amanda Gorman

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