MPH Student Cliff Akiyama Acknowledged

March, 2008

MPH student Cliff Akiyama, MA, has been recognized with a citation from State Representative James Roebuck for his work in helping to end youth violence in Philadelphia.  The citation reads, “Mr. Akiyama advocates strongly and works in the City of Philadelphia to prevent youth violence. …Mr. Akiyama is a distinguished constituent worthy of recognition for all his efforts to eradicate youth violence and for fostering youth volunteerism. “

Cliff is a full time Lecturer in the Division of Family and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing where he teaches Victimology, Forensic Science, and Forensic Mental Health.  He received his BA in philosophy from the University of Virginia and an MA in criminology from the University of Pennsylvania.  Prior to coming to Penn, Cliff was a Deputy Sheriff in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  He has over 13 years of first-hand experience working with youth gangs as a researcher, academician, and law enforcement officer.  Aside from lecturing on the collegiate level, Cliff instructs law enforcement, direct service providers, and emergency medical personnel nationwide on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of gang activity.  His main area of research is investigating Asian youth gang violence from a multidisciplinary approach.

Cliff has been recognized nationally and was awarded with the following honors: the American Public Health Association’s 1997 Jay S. Drotman Memorial Award in Public Health, the 1996 D. Ralph Millard Plastic Surgery Society Education Foundation Scholarship Award (for his work in gang related tattoo removals), and the United States Gold Congressional Award (1996).  In 2005, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) awarded Cliff with the Nisaburo Aibara Memorial Award for his tireless work on educating the Asian community on gang activity and ways to prevent it.

Cliff is also very active in the community as he serves on the Board of Directors of Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) and the Japanese America Citizens League (JACL) Philadelphia Chapter.  He was also recently appointed by US House of Representatives Republican Leader John A. Boehner to serve on the Board of Directors of the Congressional Award Foundation in Washington, DC, where he currently serves as Vice President of the Gold Congressional Award Alumni Association.