Northwestern’s Multicultural Center announced the return of its former graduate assistant, Tedd Vanadilok, as the new director of Asian and Asian American Student Affairs.

Vanadilok will replace Dimple Patel, who announced her resignation from the post in October.

Patel plans to work at the admissions office of NU’s Law School.

Vanadilok first joined the NU community when he began as an undergraduate in 1995. He served as the interim coordinator for Asian American Student Services during the 2001-02 school year.

Vanadilok then became the graduate assistant of the MCC, a position that he held for two years.

He currently is the program coordinator for Duke University’s Center for Multicultural Affairs and is scheduled to arrive at NU March 1.

“It was an attractive position because I know it in terms of where it began,” Vanadilok said. “I saw how the office met my own vision in its first three years of existence.”

Weinberg sophomore and MCC Advisory Board member Stephanie Yang said one of the major departmental problems cited by student board members was communication between administrators and students.

“We were looking for someone who could really relate to students and increase communication because lately there’s been a real void there,” Yang said.

In addition to fostering stronger relationships between administrators and students, the advisory board also looked for a director who would make the center a hub for community-building at NU.

“Although I enjoy the work that I do with the Asian-American student body, I’m very interested in opening myself up and being a generalist,” Vanadilok said.

“I want to build a network to bridge gaps naturally with the Greek community, ASG and other groups on campus.”

Weinberg junior David Kim said that as a leader, Vanadilok excels in making the other groups at NU feel at home in the MCC.

“He stresses the true meaning of ‘multicultural’ by working a lot more with outside resources,” Kim said.

On a personal level, Kim said his prior experience with Vanadilok indicates that his re-entry into the department will have a positive affect on the program as a whole.

“Tedd is a phenomenal person,” Kim said. “He’s a great advisor and a great person to

talk to.”

Weinberg senior Sarah Yun, president of the Asian Pacific American Coalition, said that Vanadilok is helpful in encouraging students to make the most of their resources, both within the MCC and among other members of the NU community.

“All of us are comfortable with him, and we’re very excited to have him back,” Yun said.

Reach Kristyn Schiavone at [email protected].