Dr. Sunny Lee was announced as the interim vice chancellor for student affairs for a two-year term commencing June 1, 2026.
Sunny Lee serves as interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UC Berkeley, where she provides strategic leadership for the university’s Student Affairs division and works to create a student experience that is meaningful, inclusive, and transformative. She believes that a Berkeley education is measured not only by what students learn, but by who they become. Guided by that philosophy, she is committed to supporting students’ holistic growth and development by fostering well-being, belonging, leadership, civic engagement, career readiness, and opportunities for students to discover their purpose and make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world.
Sunny has dedicated more than three decades to higher education and student affairs. Prior to her appointment as interim Vice Chancellor, Sunny served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students, first in an interim capacity and then permanently beginning in 2020. Before serving as Dean of Students, she held roles as Associate Dean of Students and Assistant Ombudsperson for Students and Postdoctoral Appointees at UC Berkeley. Prior to Berkeley, she served as Director of Student Life and Cultural Centers at Cal Poly Pomona and held leadership roles at UC Irvine’s Cross-Cultural Center and Pomona College’s Asian American Resource Center. Her experience also includes three voyages with the Semester at Sea study abroad program, where she served as Resident Director, Assistant Executive Dean, and Dean of Students.
Sunny earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Claremont Graduate University, an M.Ed. in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in Criminology, Law and Society from UC Irvine. She has taught graduate-level courses in student development theory and multicultural practice through UC Berkeley Extension’s Student Affairs and Higher Education certificate program and has published on college student development, racial identity, and women in higher education leadership.
Sunny is passionate about creating intentional environments where every student feels a sense of belonging, discovers their purpose, and graduates prepared to lead lives of integrity, service, and impact.