WASHINGTON, D.C.—OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), is pleased to announce the honorees for the 2011 OCA Outstanding Citizen Achievement and Pioneer Awards, to be presented at OCA’s National Convention in New York City, August 4-7, 2011.

This year’s Pioneer Award honorees are President of Ursinus College, Dr. Bobby Fong and actor, BD Wong. Honorable L. Tammy Duckworth, will be receiving the OCA Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award.

The 2011 National Convention, Advocacy Through Compassion – A New York State of Mind, will take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The Pioneer Award and Outstanding Citizen Achievement Awards will be presented during the Gala Awards on Saturday, August 6. OCA will also recognize the achievements of its own members with the Chapter of the Year Award and the Unsung Heroes Awards.

“We are proud to honor a diverse and talented group of APAs who have made inspiring contributions to society,” said OCA National President, Ken Lee.  “It is exciting to be able to bring Honorable Duckworth, Dr. Fong, and Mr. Wong together at this OCA event to celebrate our community’s achievements.”

The annual OCA National Convention draws hundreds of APAs from around the country and features three days of workshops, exhibits, youth and college programs, film screenings and notable speakers. For more information and to register for this year’s National Convention, please visit our website at www.ocanational.org.

2011 Pioneer Awards Honorees

Dr. Bobby Fong is the President of Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He attended Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in English and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He later earned a doctorate in English Literature from the University of California-Los Angeles in 1978. His academic career began at Berea College in Kentucky, where he taught from 1978 to1989. In 2001 he became President of Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, one of only 20 Asian-American college presidents in the United States. Active in many higher education associations, Dr. Fong is Vice Chair of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and serves on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the American Council for Education’s National Task Force on Institutional Accreditation, and on the board of the Lingnan University Foundation.

BD Wong is a multi-award winning actor whose work includes theater, television, and film. He is the only actor ever to have received all five major New York Theater awards for his Broadway debut in “M. Butterfly.” He played Dr. George Huang, a forensic psychiatrist and expert on the criminal mind, on the top-rated series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for eleven seasons. Wong also gained notice as a cast regular on HBO’s critically acclaimed series Oz, playing the resilient prison priest Father Ray for five seasons. Wong’s film credits include Jurassic Park, Father of the Bride (1 & 2), and Seven Years in Tibet. He can also be heard as the voice of Shang in the Disney animated films Mulan and Mulan II. Wong’s community work has also been recognized by Asian AIDS Project, GLAAD, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

2011 OCA Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award Honoree

Honorable L. Tammy Duckworth, a Major in the Illinois Army National Guard, served in Iraq as an Assistant Operations Officer and also flew combat missions as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot.  During a mission north of Baghdad in 2004, her aircraft was ambushed and a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter she was co-piloting.  She continued to attempt to pilot the aircraft until passing out from blood loss. As a result of the attack, Duckworth lost both of her legs and partial use of one arm.  For her actions, she received several awards, including the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. Since her recovery at Walter Reed, Duckworth has dedicated her life to public service, advocating on behalf of disability rights and Veterans. In 2008, she was selected by Candidate Obama to deliver the presidential campaign’s key address on Veterans’ rights at the Democratic National Convention. In 2009, she was named as an American Veterans (AMVETS) Silver Helmet award recipient as well as The George Washington University’s Colin Powell Public Service Award Recipient.