Barry M. Klein Center for Culture and Globalization

Changing Lives Through Philanthropy

Barry M. Klein was a major supporter of Oakland University. He was a devoted alumnus, a steadfast benefactor, and an unwavering advocate for the university. With his passing on January 18, 2020, Oakland University lost a generous and loyal friend. As a final act of support, Klein made a transformative gift through his estate which, in part, has established the Barry M. Klein Center for Culture and Globalization. His legacy and vision will elevate Oakland University's standing in the international academic community and contribute to a more complete understanding of the social and cultural forces that impact contemporary global issues.

In 2003, Klein made an initial bequest gift commitment to Oakland University through his estate. Thanks to his considerable success, the estate was able to make an additional multimillion-dollar gift in 2021 that will further grow the George R. and Helen Klein Memorial Scholarship and support two new initiatives: the Barry M. Klein Scholarship Endowed Fund and the Barry M. Klein Center for Culture and Globalization.

Klein graduated from Oak Park High School in 1964. He was admitted to Oakland University, graduating in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in sociology. As a self-described member of the 1960s counterculture, he said he appreciated the intellectual freedom and diversity he found on OU's campus.

Klein joined the Oakland University Alumni Association shortly after his graduation in 1968 and was a regular presence on the campus thereafter. He served on the OUAA Board and is a former director of the OU Foundation. He received the OUAA Distinguished Alumni Award in 1984 and the OUAA Spirit Award in 2003.

Klein was also a longtime supporter of Oakland University and gave generously to initiatives that advanced the success of students in our community. In an interview with the OU Magazine, Klein explained his decision to give back to his alma mater.

"I really believe that Oakland University is the most important higher education institution in the metro Detroit area. More than 90 percent of our students come from southeastern Michigan and over 90 percent of graduates stay in the area after graduation. Our graduates have an enormous impact on the future of the state's economy. Because of this, I think it's incumbent on anyone with any philanthropic tendencies to consider giving to Oakland," he said.

Klein's generosity is helping to shape the future of Oakland University and the future of the countless faculty members and students who will be touched by his support in the many years to come.

The Barry M. Klein Center Director

Chiaoning Su is an associate professor in Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations at Oakland University. She also serves as the director of the Barry M. Klein Center for Culture and Globalization.

Her research focuses on two distinct yet interconnected research lines: journalism of crisis and journalism in crisis. While the first line examines the representation and production of crisis news, the second focuses on journalism in public life during an era of waning democracy. Her work has been published in Media, Culture and Society, International Journal of Communication, Asian Journal of Communication, Taiwan Journal of Democracy, and Communication Review.

Beyond OU, she served as the President of the Association for Chinese Communication Studies (2018-2020). She is a research fellow of the 2023-25 U.S.-Taiwan Next Generation Working Group, the recipient of the 2023 Global Taiwan Institute research grant, and the senior fellow of the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation. 

Prior to her academic career, she worked as a communication specialist at Ogilvy Public Relations and for several political campaigns in Taiwan. Through these professional experiences, she developed expertise in strategic messaging and crisis management. In recent years, her research on journalism and democracy in Asia attracted international media attention. Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, Radio Free Asia, and Voice of America have interviewed her on U.S.-China-Taiwan relations, press freedom in East Asia, China’s wolf warrior diplomacy, and Taiwan’s nation branding. Additionally, she appeared on several Taiwanese radio programs to discuss strategic narratives to amplify Taiwan’s international visibility.

She received her B.A. in Sociology from National Taiwan University, her M.A. in Organizational Communication from Emerson College, and her Ph.D. in Media and Communication from Temple University.