Kal Penn public service
From 2009 to 2011, Kal took a sabbatical from acting to serve in the Obama/Biden administration as an Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. There, he served as the President’s Liaison to Young Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the Arts community. Kal worked on a range of issues, including with outreach teams focused on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the Affordable Care Act, Pell Grants, arts and culture programs, the DREAM Act, and rapid response to the BP Oil Spill and earthquake in Haiti.
He was a national co-chair for the Obama/Biden re-election campaign in 2012 and served on the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, focusing on arts education and cultural diplomacy. He has taught courses at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Los Angeles, and has guest lectured around the country. Originally from New Jersey, Kal received his undergraduate degree in sociology, theater, film, and television at the University of California, Los Angeles, and received a graduate certificate in international security from Stanford University.