Khou Yang-Vigil

About

Dr. Khou Yang-Vigil was born in San Pablo, California, and raised in Santa Rosa, California. As the daughter of immigrant refugees from Laos, she has dedicated her career to supporting first-generation, underserved, and underrepresented college students in realizing their college goals. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Center for Academic Access and Student Enrichment (CAASE) at Sonoma State University.

Khou has held various roles at Sonoma State, including Director of Equity and Access Programs, the Educational Opportunity Program Coordinator and Advisor, Undeclared Professional Academic Advisor, Residential Life and Campus Housing Area Coordinator, and Adjunct Faculty Lecturer. She has extensive experience in student orientation and transitional programming, housing and residence life, academic advising, crisis response, grant writing, leadership development, and mental health well-being.

Her vision is to transform the educational landscape into one that is fundamentally inclusive, socially just, and equitable, providing access and opportunity for every student, regardless of their background. She is especially proud of her three children and the success of her students in earning their Bachelor's degree from Sonoma State University.

Education

• Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, CSU Fresno, 2025
• M.S. in Student Affairs and Higher Education, Indiana State University, 2010
• B.A. in American Multicultural Studies, Sonoma State University, 2006