About AUV
– AUV is the first the first US-style university in the country located in the most livable city of Vietnam-Danang, modern campus – AUV has the same courses and degrees found at the best American universities( business, technology, communication…) – AUV classes provide personal attention using the latest technology and methods, taught by US-educated professors. – AUV has scholarship programs for excellent students. – Students can begin in Vietnam and complete their education here or transfer to the US.
About AUV
The American University in Vietnam (AUV) is a four-year degree granting university providing liberal arts education and majors to quality-conscious students. AUV is ideal for those who demand top-notch instruction, a solid foundation for advanced career skills, a supportive learning environment, and the opportunity for direct placement in graduate programs (MA, MS, MBA, PhD) in American universities.
AUV’s curriculum is entirely based on the American model of higher education. Before choosing to major in a specialized area of interest, students must complete a rigorous general studies program. They must demonstrate proficiency in communication and basic academic skills before strengthening their critical thinking and analytical abilities through a comprehensive study of social sciences, arts and humanities, math and natural sciences, technology and global communication.
AUV is home to a vibrant student community that nurtures interaction and involvement. Our students have unique opportunities to experience transnational university life in Vietnam and in the U.S. Students can complete their studies in their preferred field of specialty through 2+2 programs for undergraduate degrees and 2+3, 2+4, 4+1 or 4+2 for master’s degrees at select partner universities in the U.S. Course credits are generally transferable to universities in the U.S. through our U.S. partner institutions or through individual submission to admission offices at other U.S. universities.
AUV is accountable to the universities in the U.S. with whom we partner, an International Advisory Board, governing national laws and regulations, and to our world-class faculty and administrative staff.
AUV is distinctive in many ways. These are reflected in our mission, our values, an academic philosophy based on a liberal arts education, and the curricula of our introductory courses and majors. Through this uniquely American process we educate individual students to become the professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, executives, and leaders of tomorrow.
Mission
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Our mission is to provide a stimulating intellectual community that prepares graduates for the challenges of life, work and leadership in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Such preparation invariably involves equipping future professionals and leaders with cutting-edge knowledge, lifelong skills and higher personal values to function as local actors and global citizens.
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We achieve this mission through the delivery of empowering curricula, programs, scholarship, and face-to-face instruction in ways that develop students’ intellectual capacity, social and global perspectives, and foundations for career success.
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We envision a global community in which individuals are inspired to create and sustain highly productive, fulfilling, and meaningful lives and to elevate the economic, social, and living conditions of their families and others.
Values
As a community of educators, we are committed to:
Learning and Discovery
Advanced curricula backed by outstanding teaching that reinforces intellectual inquiry and exploration, critical thinking and skills, and a deep understanding of self, nature, society, and human relations.
Individual Opportunity and Leadership
Diverse people and diverse ideas in one university while modeling the will to excel with integrity and purpose.
Personal Growth and Responsibility
A learning community that foster independence and empowers students to unleash their creative potential for the benefit of society and to take responsibility for themselves, their communities, and the earth.
Engagement and Motivation
Motivate and engage students in all stages of the learning process, paying individual attention to every student’s unique learning style while noting areas of intellectual strength and areas for improvement.
Community Development
Serve as a regional intellectual resource assisting to solve human, economic, public, and environmental problems, and to serve as a catalyst for positive change in economic lives of people in the local, national, and regional communities of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Empathy
Maintain a supportive learning environment in which students are inspired to develop their unique abilities, talents and intellect with a sense of empathy and a personal responsibility to those around them
Global Mindedness
Make students aware of national, regional, and global social and environmental issues and challenges, so they form well-rounded perspectives on the culture, history, economy, demography, and social institutions of different regions of the world.
Openness
Instead of giving canned instructional material, our faculty helps students explore, experiment, discover, and apply a balanced mix of knowledge and skills, creativity and perspective, insight and wisdom, and personal and professional values.
AUV Story
Over two decades ago
Over two decades ago, Dr. Binh Tran followed her passion to embark on a lifelong project, providing educational opportunities to young people in Vietnam. Out of that passion came the APU International School – a leading K-12 institution with campuses in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. Building on the success of APU, a long process lead to the creation of the first American-style university in Vietnam.
2009
The American University in Vietnam (AUV) received an investment license in 2009 and broke ground for the construction of a large scale campus in Danang City in September 2010. Soon after, AUV entered into relationships with a number of universities in the U.S. with whom we have formed academic relationships.
AUV
Along with an International Advisory Board of US educators, AUV established a curricular focus in liberal arts, business administration, management, and communication studies.
2015
With support from the provincial leaders, the Government of Vietnam, and the community, AUV received approval from the government in 2015 for courses and degrees to begin in fall of 2016.
Currently
AUV is expanding its reach and programs to include business administration, communication studies, broadcast journalism, health sciences, media communications, PR, software engineering, computer science, sustainable tourism, and select other disciplines.
Academic Focus
Our strategy for achieving our mission is to provide an American style education that offers compelling academic programs with the following characteristics.
Our General Studies program focus
Our General Studies program focuses on developing students’ intellectual abilities, personal values, and lifelong skills including oral and written fluency in English and a rich understanding of the natural sciences, the humanities, technology, social institutions, and world cultures. Our General Studies are compatible with the programs of reputable institutions of higher education in the U.S.
Our Major programs focus
Our Major programs focus on imparting in students specialized knowledge, skills and values coupled with ideas that transform knowledge into applications that directly benefit the personal, social, and professional lives of the graduates.
Our courses focus
Our courses focus on creating bridges between theory and practice so students gain insight into the application of knowledge to discover dynamics of the “real world,” how organizations function, how executives think and manage, how industries interact with society, and how institutions and government respond to public expectations. Coursework, exercises. and activities may engage students to do applied research, field work, observe the back-end operation of businesses, conduct face-to-face conversations with change agents, reflect on corporate site visits, research and report on processes and operations, function in professional settings, or gain first-hand experience from cooperative education or internships.
Our classroom instructions focus
Our classroom instructions focus on making use of problem-based, project-based learning, applied research, and diverse instructional methods that motivate and engage students in self learning, discovery, experimentation, focused research, problem solving, decision-making, and developing social skills for a spectrum of individual and group communication.
Our capstone requirements focus
Our capstone requirements focus on a unique process that strengthens interdisciplinary skills with an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge, talents and skills for the benefit of the community through a capstone experience. This may involve interdisciplinary research, service learning at non-profits entities. internships at community-based organizations, practicums at NGOs, corporate residencies, social enterprise consulting, and guided projects for social work institutions, charities, local government, and educational institutions.
Advisory Board
Nhan Tran, M.D.
Vincent Morelli, M.D.
Richard Mackenzie, M.D.
Dr. Karen Haynes
Dr. Henry Nguyen
Dr. Christopher Wolf
Dr. Zorica Pantic
Gary Beer
Dr. Christopher Phillips
Dr. T. Dwayne McCay
Dr. Kevin Truman
Mr. Jeffrey S. Goss
Dr. Emily Cutrer
Dr. Binh Tran
Roger Davidson
Dr. Gail Hackett
Dr. Alan Goodman
Hon. Ahmad Kamal
Faculty
– AUV is the first the first US-style university in the country located in the most livable city of Vietnam-Danang, modern campus – AUV has the same courses and degrees found at the best American universities( business, technology, communication, international business, and software engineering) – AUV classes provide personal attention using the latest technology and methods, taught by US-educated professors.
Dr. John Behzad
Dr. Behzad holds a B.A. in insurance, an M.A. in economics, an M.B.A. in finance, and a Ph.D. in business and economics with specializations in risk management, insurance, and international business.
Dr. Behzad is an emeritus professor of management and finance at California State University (CSUEB). There, he was the Associate Dean of the College of Business and Economics, member of the Board of Director of University Foundation, department chair, and chairman of some university-wide committees, including curriculum, international studies, graduate and undergraduate instruction, the study abroad program, and faculty and student affairs. He has taught business and management courses at M.B.A. and undergraduate programs in the U.S., and in the Global Executive M.B.A. programs in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Prior to working with AUV, Dr. Behzad served as the Executive Director of the Emerging Technology Institute at California State University (CSUEB). He directed several national and regional projects funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, State of California, and telecommunication companies in California. He served as the Managing Director of a California State University System initiative, “Direct Enhancement of Learning Through Technology Assistance,” where he oversaw emerging technology projects, such as remote access control of scientific equipment, network solutions for sharing scanning electron microscopes, and multimedia content for Distributed Learning Technology platforms. Before his career at California State, he was a full-time faculty member at universities of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue.
Dr. Behzad has published a book in corporate finance and a number of articles in academic circles and journals, including Journal of Risk and Insurance. He has presented numerous research papers and scholarly work at the national and international meetings of academic associations in the U.S. and professional circles overseas.
With over 30 years of experience in teaching, research, executive development, and administration at U.S. universities, Dr. Behzad brings to AUV his advanced expertise in management education, insurance and risk management, and international finance. He has traveled extensively in Asia, visiting the Southeast Asian region on a yearly basis for over 20 years. Behzad moved to Vietnam in 2008.
Dr. Marcelo Gonzalez
The director of AUV’s Intensive English Program (IEP), Jeffrey Marcelino (Marcelo) González holds a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from California’s highly-regarded Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), as well as a PhD in Translation Studies from QS-world-ranked Monash University—a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight (Go8). Entitled Metaphor and Agency in the English-Spanish Translation of Texts in the Social Sciences (2015), his doctoral thesis examines process- and product-oriented issues in scholarly translation (for more, click here). His academic interests include exploring the facilitative effects of creative translation on second language acquisition (SLA).
Dr. George Main
George Hamilton Main, Professor of Public Speaking, Business and Law, holds a a J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law, a Certificate in French Language Studies, from the Université Catholique de l’Ouest, and a B.A. in History from the Occidental College.
After working as a private attorney for 27 years for Corporate Clients and Administrative Agencies in the USA, Professor George Hamilton also worked as an Independent Programs Developer and Promotor, an IETLS Speaking Paper Trainer and Professor, Editor and Educational Events Organizer and more recently as a Professor in Public Speaking and Law at Wenzhou University in China.
He teaches public speaking and advocacy skills based on the message, organization and delivery to motivate, persuade and inspire audiences.
Dr. Mirja Holst
Dr Mirja Annalena Holst holds a Magistra Artium in Philosophy from the University of Hamburg and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Leeds. Her areas of specialization and competence are Philosophical Logic, Philosophy of Language and Metaphysics, and Philosophy of Mind.
Dr. Mirja has extensive experience in teaching various courses at Lingnan University, the University of Hamburg and the University of Aachen. Her Administrative experiences include being the Academic Advisor for undergraduate and graduate students at both the University of Hamburg and the University of Aachen.
Prof. Stephen Donald Howell
Mr. Donald Stephen Howell holds a B.S. in Social Sciences and an M.Ed. from Campbell University. He has his Teaching Certification from Campbell University. Mr. Howell’s teaching experience ranges from secondary level classes to University courses on the topic of Social Studies. He has over 16 years of experience in the classroom.
Beyond the classroom, Mr. Howell has a passion for politics. He spent time in Washington D.C. participating actively in politics serving on the legislative staff of two United States Senators as well as for one Member of the United States House of Representatives. He has also worked on a presidential campaign and had the opportunity to meet five, of the last six, US Presidents. His career in politics has strengthened his appreciation for teaching U.S. history.
Mr. Howell moved to Vietnam in 2013 to expand his experiences outside of his home state of North Carolina. He has been a faculty member with APU International School since 2013, holding positions as Acting Principal, Vice Principal, and educator within APU on both campuses in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Mr. Howell continues to contribute to the educational pursuits and passions of our students as the current Vice Principal of HCMC and in teaching history courses for the APU-UMKC College Bridge program.
Prof. Fabrice Boucard
Mr. Boucard has a B.S. and a M.S. in civil engineering from the IUP University in France. He speaks French, German and English and has studied French history, culture, geography, arts, science, music, business, and management in both his personal and professional career.
Boucard worked in France as a manager and a supervisor while leading productive and efficient teams in both industrial and commercial settings. His professional interaction has covered both the public and the private sector. He worked as a supervisor and project development specialist for a company called SOFRER (Lille) in the North and East provinces of France as well as in Paris. He was the financial and technical planner for Bouygues Energies & Services where he managed the company’s pricing and sales. He has applied his knowledge in planning, project management, and teamwork to French companies as well as overseas in French Guyana and in Vietnam.
Boucard has an extensive background in French culture and its influence across the globe attributed to his nature to explore and his passion for learning. He has traveled through Indochina and former French colonies as well as through French-speaking regions such as French Antilles and Tahiti. He’s been through countries in Southeast Asia, the USA, Europe, and New Zealand among others. He currently resides in Danang, Vietnam, with his wife and frequently travels to France.
When finding the time, Boucard is a passionate skier and windsurfer. He is also a talented Saxophone player. He has been playing rugby for over ten years and enjoys long distance running. He ran marathons in Amsterdam, Paris and Mont Saint Michel.
Dr. Maynard F. Yutzy
Dr. Yutzy holds a B.A. from the University of Denver, an M.A. from the University of Northern Colorado, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Supervision from the University of Oregon. He has experience in teaching, administration, research, consulting and public service at both national and international levels.
Dr. Yutzy was a professor at the University of Idaho and the University of Guam after working as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon. His international teaching includes Trenton State College in Spain, Heidelberg College in Japan, and many international schools in Asia and in the U.S. He has presented over thirty papers at national and international conferences on issues of trust, motivation, and anxiety in educational settings, most notably comparing the American and Japanese education system.
Dr. Yutzy has extensive administrative experience. In the U.S. he was the director of early childhood education at the University of Idaho Kindergarten Lab School, a school principal in California, an in-service trainer for North Idaho School Districts, a Head Start Trainer in Idaho and Washington, and a teacher in Colorado. In Guam, he was the chairman of the department of elementary education at the University of Guam. He also served as the director of Early Childhood Education Institute. In East Asia, he was the director, regional supervisor and headmaster of several international schools in Japan, and China. In Southeast Asia, he directed several international schools in Vietnam, where he was also the coordinator of the State University of New York (SUNY) for Quality Schools International (QSI), enabling teachers to take courses towards a Master of Science degree in multidisciplinary studies or to work toward a Certificate in Educational Leadership.
Dr. Yutzy has been a consultant to over 30 national and international educational institutions, including Head Start; Native Americans; and the National Office of Child Development in Washington DC. He has worked as a consultant for both public and private schools. He is an expert in Japanese educational systems operating in Japan for over twelve years. He served as the President of the Japan Council of International Schools and as a President, a board member and a program chairperson of the Japan Association of Supervision and Curriculum.
Dr. John (Jack) W. Rutherford
Dr. Rutherford brings over forty years of leadership spanning higher education, aerospace engineering, and global academic accreditation. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and both a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University. His expertise is further supported by a Global Leadership Certificate from the American Graduate School of International Management.
During his eighteen-year tenure as a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, he served as the Director of Global Aerospace Design. In this role, he pioneered an international curriculum that coordinated virtual, multi-country student teams across the United States, Mexico, India, and Singapore.
Dr. Rutherford is also a recognized authority on academic accreditation. For nearly two decades, he served the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET in various roles, including Program Evaluator, Commissioner, and Commission Chair. Through his consulting firm, Assessment Advantage, LLC, he has provided guidance on curriculum alignment and outcomes assessment to engineering programs worldwide, with significant experience assisting universities throughout Southeast Asia.
His academic work is supported by extensive experience in aerospace program management. At Boeing, he served as an International Program Manager, directing a $415 million production program to deliver AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopters to the Government of Singapore. This project required complex coordination across engineering, logistics, and international diplomacy. earing him the Gruppo Augusta Award from the American Helicopter Society and multiple quality achievement awards from McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems.
An active innovator, Dr. Rutherford is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He holds three U.S. patents in advanced aircraft design and has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications. His career is defined by a commitment to bridging classroom education with real-world industry standards vision that will guide AUV as it continues to develop its next generation of international scholars.
Dr. Sanghyuk Lee
Sanghyuk Lee (M’21-SM’21) received Doctorate degree from Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, in Electrical Engineering in 1998. His main research interests include data evaluation with similarity measure, human signal analysis, high dimensional data analysis, controller design for linear/nonlinear system, and observer design for linear/nonlinear system.
Dr. Lee is currently working as a Professor at School of Computer Science and Engineering of American University in Vietnam, Danang, Vietnam since 2026. He has also been working as a founding director of the Centre for Smart Grid and Information Convergence (CeSGIC) in Xi’an Jiaotog-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China from 2014 to 2023.
He has been serving as a Vice President of Korean Convergence Society (KCS) from 2012 to 2019, and was appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2016. Dr. Lee organized several international conferences with KCS and was awarded multiple honors such as outstanding scholar/best paper award from KCS and Korean Fuzzy Society. Dr. Lee is a senior member of IEEE.
Prof. Benjamin Quick
Ben Quick has a B.S. and an M.A. degree in American Studies from Utah State University. He has an M.F.A. in Nonfiction from the University of Arizona as well as a TEFL certification from the Center for ESL at the University of Arizona.
During graduate school at Utah State University, Quick discovered a passion for teaching composition. Since then, he has spent more than 15 years teaching literature, and writing courses in a variety of learning environments. He taught composition, creative writing, and developmental writing at the University of Arizona for eight years.
Quick first moved to Vietnam in 2008 to conduct a research project funded by a grant from the U.S. and again in 2015 to teach International Studies at university level.
Quick has published dozens of essays and poems in regional, national, and international journals and academic circles. He has been a featured speaker and panelist presenting both scholarly and creative work at numerous academic conferences. His prose has garnered awards from publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, Dzanc Books, and Orion Magazine. His 2010 essay “The Boneyard” was the recipient of the prestigious Pushcart Prize. In November, 2017, his work will be further anthologized in the forthcoming “Inheriting The War,” to be published by W.W. Norton. Ben is still plugging away on a literary memoir that grows longer and longer each month.
In addition to teaching and writing, Quick enjoys learning Vietnamese, interviewing local residents about the history of Da Nang and Vietnam. When he finds time to wind down, he rides his motorbike, rolling between rice paddies and winding through the Central Highlands of Vietnam in search of the best cơm gà quay.
Dr. Monty Vierra
Monty Vierra has a BA in Humanities from Thomas Edison State University and an MA in Humanities from California State University at Dominguez Hills. He earned his Doctorate in Literature and Composition from Idaho State University. He also completed a TESOL certificate while at Idaho State University.
Dr. Vierra has been teaching in the Far East for over 20 years, four here at AUV. During his teaching career, he has taught literature, composition, geography, public speaking, and literary theory—as well as EFL courses in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and grammar.
He has written three novels, one with a historical setting and two set in our current era. However, his main writing interest is science-fiction. He’s written over 50 plays riffing on the theme of alien contact.
For recreation, he likes to ride his bicycle to the beach to go for a swim, and he likes to play ping-pong and badminton.
Dr. Jean L. Briastre
Dr. Briastre holds a Ph.D. degree from Louisiana State University and an MBA degree from the University of Hartford, U.S.A. His transnational graduate work includes a D.E.A. degree (equivalent to Masters and Ph.D. ABD) from the University of Paris and a D.U. degree from the University of Grenoble, France.
Dr. Briastre has done a number of research work and taught courses in management, marketing and communication at highly rate international institutions including INSEAD international business school in Fontainebleau and Ecole de Commerce de la Chambre de Commerce de Paris. Prior to teaching at INSEAD, he taught courses at the University of Florida, Davidson College in North Carolina, and Louisiana State University in the U.S.
Dr. Briastre has eighteen years of business and management experience in the insurance industry with expertise in property/casualty and life/health insurance lines. He was the CEO of an insurance firm operating in the European Union and owner of a financial services brokerage firm specializing in risk and insurance in France
Dr. Briastre has travelled extensive around the world and speaks several languages. He is an expert in Post-WWII French literature, especially the works of Sartre, Levi-Strauss, Lacan and New Novel writers. He currently lives in Danang City and teaches entrepreneurship to business students at AUV.
Dr. Jurgen Simon
Dr. Simon holds an M.A. degree in Economics from Kiel University in Germany as well as M.B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in International Business from Indiana University Kelly School of Business.
Dr. Simon taught courses in international business management at Indiana University, and at the private University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. He conducted numerous executive training programs, seminars and professional workshops for executives at several international banking firms. He was the chancellor of the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.
Dr. Simon has extensive managerial experience in international banking and finance. His industry experience includes positions with international banks in Europe and the U.S, as well as American banks operating overseas. He worked in international financial institutions in Boston, Frankfurt, London, and Munich.
Dr. Phong Phan
In the academic year 2021 – 2022, Dr. Phan Tuan Phong will be a lecturer in Health Sciences at the American University in Vietnam – AUV.
Mr. Phong Phan has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and an M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Iowa State University where he was recipient of several graduate scholarships thanks to his outstanding academic and research achievements. With his talent and hard work, he was invited by the University of Iowa to teach Principle of Biochemistry and Technique in Biochemical Research. In addition, He was also Research Associate at Indiana University School of Medicine and operated a medical laboratory.
During his B.S. studies in Biological Science at Webster University (Missouri), Mr. Phong was on the Dean’s List in all of the academic semesters there. He was also given a High Distinction award in Australian National Chemistry Competition. These are extremely proud achievements that he has achieved during his years of studying abroad.
Mr. Phong has demonstrated a strong interest in scientific research throughout his years of study and work. His research relates to “crRNA sequence-dependent CRISPR activity”, “Molecular Mechanism of Chlorpyrifos” and “Induced Toxicity in N27 Dopaminergic Neuronal Cells” have gotten a lot of attention from the international community. Besides, his work has been published in journals including “Methods in Enzymology” and “Neurobiology of Disease”.
Besides scientific research, Mr. Phong is also a person who is very interested in social activities. In his free time Mr.Phong worked with refugees, international students & scholars, and with soccer teams serving as the captain.
AUV is very pleased to welcome Mr. Phong to the school’s faculty. In the coming academic year, AUV students will have the opportunity to study with Mr. Phong and gain valuable expertise. We wish Mr. Phong will have many hours of work full of energy and inspiration for AUV students
Prof. John Saboe
In this academic year, American University in Vietnam – AUV students who are interested in the media and communication industry will have the opportunity to learn from Prof. John Saboe. With many years of experience working in this industry in Canada and many countries around the world, he will bring to AUV his new knowledge and insights on the media industry that has received a lot of attention from students in recent years.
Prof. John Saboe started his career as a reporter, producer of live sporting events, studio producer, and on-air presenter. He then broadened his skills in M.C. duties at major festivals and events, commercial voice-over artist, and T.V. host, interviewing international stars.
Prof. John Saboe is a broadcaster with over 25 years experience working in radio, television, narration, digital media, social media, training, corporate senior management, and media advertising. With his extensive background and accomplishments, Prof. Saboe has served as a Senior Management in one of Canada’s largest media companies, Corus Entertainment. In his managerial position he was responsible for training and mentoring executives, managing a team of professionals to generate revenue for two radio stations, one radio network, and digital media enterprise.
Not stopping there, he used his skills and experience to advance his career in new fields all over the world, including reporting from international destinations, travel journalism, correspondence, storytelling, publishing digital magazine and app in Apple’s iTunes Store, and producing and hosting podcasts for iHeartMedia, America’s largest audio network. Besides, Prof. John Saboe was a regular contributor for CIRH-FM 98.3 (Vancouver, Canada), a reporter for 360Today (South Korea). He is a live-streamer for Twitter and the U.S. based Tastemade Travel Network, produces films and video clips. He also owns a Youtube channel with more than 30,000 followers where he uploads extremely interesting videos about many places he has visited including Vietnam which has attracted a lot of attention from many people on the internet.
This year, Prof. John Saboe has joined the faculty of the American University in Vietnam – AUV. We believe that AUV students will have very interesting classes with Professor Saboe this year and we are looking forward to being surprised by their upcoming special projects.
Dr. Hoa Nguyen
In the academic year 2021 – 2022, American University in Vietnam is very pleased to welcome Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hoa to join the faculty at AUV as a lecturer in Communication major.
Mr. Hoa Thanh Nguyen has extensive work experience in the field of mass communication with expertise in news media. He began his academic career at the University of Maryland where he earns his Ph.D. degree in Journalism and several honors, including the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship from the U.S. Department of State and an Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award. No stopping there, Mr. Hoa continued his research career at the University of Stirling and has earned his M.S degree in Media and Communications Management. Along with his research work, Mr. Hoa has taugh Data Analysis and Media Literacy at the University of Maryland.
After finishing his research and teaching work, Mr. Hoa’s career in the media industry has been marked by a number of significant achievements includes 6 years as Director of News, 2 years as supervisor of News Bulletin, and 8 years as News Reporter in Vietnam, and was recognized as a Gold Medal News Winner by VN Television.
With his experience and knowledge of the media industry, his articles have received high praise from many prestigious journals including The Social Science Journal, journal of Media and Communication, and Digital Journalism. His upcoming academic manuscripts are about Covid 19 and social media, this is a research project that discusses the current global challenges.
Mr. Hoa has a passion for teaching and inspires his students. Hopefully in the coming school year, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hoa and our students will have exciting classes at AUV’s lecture hall.
Prof. Jason Nanton
Mr. Jason Nanton received his B.S. degree in Economics & Mathematics from Clarkson University in New York, his M.A. Degree in Economics from Michigan State University, and his M.B.A. degree from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. As a Ph.D. Candidate at Michigan State, he taught four courses in Economics. Nanton later served as the lecturer of Micro and Macroeconomics at the Management Development Institute of Singapore. He was also an academic consultant at the International Business School in Uzbekistan.
Mr. Nanton has extensive managerial experience in the financial industry. He held executive positions at large international credit service companies, including MasterCard, Visa and American Express. At MasterCard, he was the Vice President of Business Development & Digital Innovations for eight years. During this time, he worked in Singapore on digital initiatives such as HCE, Digital Wallet, AR/VR, Chatbot, Lean/Agile development, and VirtualCard. In New Zealand, he was managing retail and institutional banking accounts and in Taiwan he managed Citibank Account relationships across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
At Visa International, Mr. Nanton was the Director of Visa Consulting in Singapore, managing consulting projects across six countries with more than fifty different banks. At American Express Travel Related Services, he was the Regional Marketing Manager in Singapore and responsible for the Loyalty Programs of the Asia Pacific region consisting of three million members across ten markets. Prior to this work, he was the Senior Manager of the New Product Development of American Express Travel Related Services in New York, where he managed the launch of more than a dozen card products in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
Dr. Wayne Powel
Wayne D. Powel is the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of the American University of Viet Nam, a position he was appointed to in the summer of 2019. The American University of Viet Nam is the first private university in the country and provides a high quality, American style higher education experience for the people of Viet Nam and the rest of Southeast Asia. As Provost, Dr. Powel is the chief academic officer responsible to the Chancellor of the University for direct supervision of all academic programs and related offices.
During his tenure as Provost at Saint Francis University he was charged by the President to transition Saint Francis from a college to a university and to a four school structure. He has championed the university’s global initiatives; beginning a semester-long study program in Ambialet, France and establishing an office to recruit and support international students. Working with his leadership team, Saint Francis has seen its first-to-second year retention rise to 85% and its six year graduation rate increase to over 70%.
Dr. Powel came to Saint Francis from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington where he served from 1989 to 2006. Beginning as an assistant professor, he served as department chair, Director of Institutional Research and as Associate Academic Vice President. In his last years there he served as Chief Information Officer. In this role he oversaw a multi-million dollar renovation of the university’s network and server infrastructure.
A first-generation college student, Dr. Powel earned an associate of arts degree from Miami Dade Community College. Seeking adventure, he moved to New Mexico and completed a bachelor of arts from New Mexico Highlands University. Dr. Powel earned his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Arizona in 1989. As a faculty member, Dr. Powel has written several articles on children’s cognitive development and as an administrator he has written on the use of technology in higher education.
Dr. Powel is a member of the Jesuit Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu and Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education. He is a matriculant of the Council on Independent College’s Executive Leadership Academy and the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.
Dr. Robert M. MacKay
Dr. MacKay holds an M.S. degree in physics from Portland State University as well as a M.S. and a Ph.D. in atmospheric physics from Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology. He is a professor of Physics at AUV and Emeritus Professor of physics and meteorology at Clark College in Vancouver, WA. His academic interests are in geosciences, calculus-based physics, environmental modeling and systems, meteorology, and Earth’s climate.
Dr. Mackay was co-investigator on NASA’s project “Investigating the Climatic Effects of Solar Irradiance Variations.” Since 2014 Dr. Mackay has been a module developer and author for “Integrate Project” of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and developer of the “Energy Balance and the Atmosphere” curriculum for the national Science Education Resource Center (SERC).
Dr. Mackay has extensive publications in refereed journals and numerous research papers presented at professional meetings, academic research circles, and scientific workshops. His research work spans several fields of science, ranging from climate system modeling to atmospheric chemistry and educational science.
Over his 35 years of work in research, industry and academia, Dr. Mackay has created and developed a large number of interactive learning modules in science for university students. Recently he has been exploring classroom instruction through hybrid courses, using the optimal learning format of face-to-face lab work, online lecture, discussion and research.
Prof. Siben Dasgupta
Professor Siben Dasgupta has a M.S. degree and completed the Ph.D. coursework in Electrical Engineering at Northeastern University. His teaching experience includes engineering courses at University of Massachusetts, Suffolk University, Northeastern University, Boston State College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. He has received grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and was a reviewer of NSF publication on PIC Microcontroller training. His publications and areas of specialty are Linear and Nonlinear Control Systems, Digital Signal Processing, and microcontroller based circuits.
Professor Dasgupta has extensive industrial experience as a nuclear engineering manager of Power and Control System Division of Boston Edison Company, as a senior Control Systems engineer of Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation, and as an Industrial Engineer in Bell and Howell Communications Company. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Massachusetts and has served as District Vice President of International Automation Society (ISA). He is a Senior Member of ISA and an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE).
Dr. Dwayne McCay
Dr. McCay is a highly experienced and respected academic leader. He also has extensive experience as president of prestigious universities over the past decades. He was a former president of Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and had been working here for over 20 years. Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) is ranked among the top U.S. universities. It is located in Melbourne, Florida, and offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computing, aeronautics, business, psychology, and more. FIT particularly offers a variety of aviation programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These programs are designed to prepare students for careers in the aviation industry, including commercial piloting, air traffic control, and aircraft maintenance. The university, with its hands-on, research-driven education, has strong partnerships with industry and government. FIT cooperates with NASA by providing a variety of projects, including the development of new spacecraft propulsion systems, spacesuits, and life support systems. FIT also has a number of state-of-the-art facilities that are used by NASA, including the Florida Space Institute, the National Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies, and the Florida Center for Microsystems and Nanotechnology. This partnership between FIT and NASA is beneficial and has helped to make FIT a leader in the space industry, and it has prepared generations of students for careers in space exploration. Its students have the opportunity to work on real-world projects. During Dr. McCay’s time at FIT, he oversaw significant growth in enrollment, research funding, and fundraising. He also led the university through a period of campus expansion and renovation.
Prior to FIT, Dr. McCay held leadership positions at The University of Tennessee Space Institute, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a member of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.
AUV is honored to welcome Dr. McCay, the former president of a top-ranked university, to our team. We are confident that he will help us continue to grow and expand our educational offerings. In a statement, AUV’s Board of Trustees said that Dr. McCay was the unanimous choice for the presidency. They praised his “deep understanding of higher education, his commitment to academic excellence, and his passion for international education.”
Dr. McCay said that he was excited to join AUV and to help the university continue to grow and thrive. He said that he was “committed to providing AUV students with a world-class education that prepares them for success in the global economy.”
Dr. McCay’s appointment as AUV’s new president is a major step forward for the university. He is a well-respected academic leader with a proven track record of success. His appointment is a sign that AUV is committed to being a world-class university that attracts top talent from around the globe.
Prof. Matthew Kremer
Matthew Kremer serves as director of University English at the American University in Vietnam, where he oversees curriculum development, assessment, and academic support initiatives that help students develop the language and academic literacy skills needed for success in university study. In collaboration with faculty and academic departments across the university, he works to connect language learning with the skills and expectations of university-level study.
Kremer has taught in a variety of educational settings, including universities, secondary schools, and intensive English programs in the United States and abroad. His academic and professional interests include academic writing, second-language writing instruction, curriculum development, creative writing, American literature, and English for Academic Purposes.
Through the University English program at AUV, he works to prepare students for the reading, writing, and communication demands of degree-level study across the university curriculum.
Dr. Patrick McClanahan
Dr. McClanahan is a highly experienced educator in health science with a strong record of research and scholarly activity in bioengineering, biology, and related fields. He holds a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and he has bachelor’s degrees in both Physics and International Studies, with minors in Biology, Mathematics, and Spanish, from the Pennsylvania State University. His degrees from two top universities, his interdisciplinary studies, and his hands-on research experience leading to numerous publications in several top peer-reviewed scientific journals have given him a deep understanding of the principles of health science. In addition, his international research and teaching experience, including classroom experience on four continents, has given him a global perspective on education.
The Chancellor of AUV, Dr. Binh Thy Nguyen Tran, praised Dr. McClanahan’s “deep understanding of the various fields of health sciences” and commended his “passion for global education and his commitment to academic excellence.” In selecting Dr. McClanahan, AUV’s Provost, Dr. John Behzad, noted that “Dr. McClanahan was the most qualified educator and scholar to lead the deanship of our Health Science programs, as he is committed to providing world-class education curricula and expanding AUV’s educational and research footprint in the fields of health sciences.”
At the intersection of science, technology, and human health, the Health Science Program is a significant step in AUV’s push for modern education in Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region. Dr. McClanahan will lead AUV’s majors in Health Science, preparing students for exciting new careers this field. As a well-respected academic leader with a proven track record of scholarship in higher education, Dr. McClanahan’s appointment exemplifies AUV’s commitment to academic excellence and internationalization in the field of health science.
Dr. David Pickus
David Pickus is an Associate Professor of History at AUV. He is from Chicago and grew up in the Midwest region of the USA. From a young age, he was interested in reading and exploring new places. He has three degrees: a BA in history from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin (1987), a MA from the University of Chicago (1989), and a PhD from the University of Chicago (1995). In all cases, his specialty was European history, particularly German history, Jewish history and East European history.
After graduation, Pickus taught at several universities. They include, the Barrett Honors College of Arizona State University (1999-2013), RenMin University in Beijing (2013-17) and Zhejiang University in Hangzhou (2017-19). His subjects went beyond history to include literature and philosophy, as well as social sciences like East Asian studies and international development. No matter the course, Pickus interacts directly with his students and involves them in the most significant and exciting issues.
Pickus is an active scholar. At last count, he has published 36 peer-reviewed academic essays, as well as four scholarly books. In 2023, he published What Literature Teaches in Times of Crisis: Plague Reading, arguing that the Covid pandemic enabled us to deepen our appreciation of great novels and stories. In 2024, Routledge Press has brought his latest book, a co-written study of Yugoslavia and globalism in the Cold War era. He is currently working on a study of middlebrow novels of the 20th-century and hopes to publish his next book in 2025.
Pickus moved to Vietnam in 2022. “I couldn’t be happier,” he says. He looks forward to working with AUV students and developing their skills and talents. “we have many wonderful opportunities ahead of us,” he says.
Dr. James David Barnhart
Dr. James Barnhart (“Jim”) grew up in Pennsylvania and went on to earn a Ph.D. with Honors in History from the University of Chicago in 1999. He has served as a Fulbright Scholar in France, a Princeton-in-Asia teaching intern in Hong Kong, and a Lecturer at Penn State University.
His early research concerned modern French political culture – in particular, the administration of justice in early French colonial Vietnam. While conducting archival research in 1994-95, Dr. Barnhart lived in Hà Nội and Sài Gòn where he taught at Đại Học Tổng Hợp Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh. His later research shifted to a regional focus on classical Southeast Asia. Recently, he has devoted special attention to waterfront life and aquatic motifs in domains such as mythology, political cosmology, monumental architecture, religious ritual, traditional festivity, and folk medicine. Dr. Barnhart has served as a lecturer in a wide variety of universities in mainland China, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam and the United States.
In addition to his primary field (History), he has taught English-as-a-Second-Language and served as an IELTS Examiner for the British Council Beijing. Professor Barnhart is also a keen adventure traveler who has visited 35 countries on 6 continents. His unconventional voyages have included sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with 3 friends on a schooner, traveling alone to the heart of the Borneo rainforest, and hiking across the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan for 36 days. He is a regular practitioner of Chinese Tai Chi and Qi Gong exercises, and also enjoys studying Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.
Dr. Mark A. McGinley
Dr. Mark McGinley holds the role of Vice President and Provost of AUV. As some of you may know, Dr. McGinley has been teaching Environmental Science coursework for two years at AUV. In addition to an extensive career as a professor, he was previously the Assistant Dean of the Honors College at Texas Tech University and Director of Core Curriculum at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. He received a B.S. in Zoology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an M.S. in Behavioral Ecology from Kansas State University, and an Ph.D. in Evolutionary Ecology from the University of Utah.
Prof. Stephanie Lye
Professor Stephanie Lye will be the Acting Dean of Business at AUV. In addition to managing the academic affairs of the business program at AUV, she will be launching the Career Development Center. This center will aim to offer career advising resources and events for our students. Prior to officially joining AUV, Professor Lye worked in banking for over 25 years. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of North Texas and a M.A Business Administration at Texas A&M.
Mr. Tri Tran
Tri Tran serves as Director for APU Educational Development Group, bringing over 15 years of experience in education management, strategic planning, financing, and proactive community engagement. As a founding member of APU’s first campus, he has since spearheaded the organization to encompass five separate schools across multiple locations, from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang. An environmentally-conscious citizen, Tri has also driven the creation of two greenfield projects, reflecting his tireless commitment to promoting equal opportunities for all.
Beyond his passion for education, Tri brings a decade of commercial real estate and capital markets expertise from the United States, having facilitated and managed over $4 billion worth of transactions and project developments. His roster of clients include global institutions such as Blackstone, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and a multitude of diverse institutional investment funds and family offices.
Tri’s three abiding passions are family, education, and community. His daughter motivates him to become his best self; his work motivates him to reach the apogee of educational development; and his community commitments motivate him to create the best possible world for his family, students, and young adults to not just survive, but also thrive.
Tri holds an MBA from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California Los Angeles. Bringing experience from both academia and the corporate and investment world, Tri is determined to enhance the range and reach of his work through AmCham.
- Dr. Russell Freeman
- Prof. Alex Bleecker
- Prof. Matthew Klein
- Prof. Brandon Fink
- Prof. Shannon Ahrndt
- Prof. Ben Thelwell
- Prof. Brandon Mclaughlin
- Prof. Frank Vinh
- Prof. Hien Le
- Dr. Vincent J. Morelli
- Dr. Richard Mack
- Dr. Ryan Preston
- Dr. Quyen Di Bui
- Dr. Hung Le
- Prof. Leigh Cantero
- Dr. Hoang Nguyen
- Dr. Marty F. Fees
- Prof. Phan Anh Dao
- Dr. Angelopule Phaedon Paul
Campus
Campus
The American University of Vietnam campus is in a perfect location for students to enjoy the quiet subtleties of Vietnam’s natural landscape all while being only a short walk to the beach or a bus ride into the city center. The campus is well organized to meet all student needs such as an international library, up to date computer lab, SMART board classrooms and facilities such as an outdoor swimming pool. As Da Nang is the fastest growing city in Southeast Asia, AUV will continue to cater to students from all over the country and the globe giving students the resources and skills to thrive in their futures.
AUV Campus Visits
We welcome visitors to our lush and ever-growing campus south of the Da Nang city center. You can explore the halls of our main building, peeking in on our smart classrooms where you are likely to catch a glimpse of students and faculty engaged in the lively give and take of classroom learning, wander along paths winding around lotus ponds and listen to the sounds of local birds, and sip on a smoothie or traditional Vietnamese milk coffee in our student lounge when you’re finished. Our hours are 8:00AM- 5:00PM M-F, and we do ask that you call or email us before your visit so we can help provide you with the best possible experience.
- Ảnh slide campus
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