Two individuals falsely claimed Stanford affiliation
University reviews reports last week of woman impersonating student, another claiming official connection with department
Stanford student affairs administrators are conducting a deliberate and comprehensive review of circumstances surrounding the reports made last week that Azia Kim allegedly misrepresented herself as an undergraduate for several months, living in Stanford residences and participating in Santa Clara University's ROTC program.
Meanwhile, university officials are issuing a stay-away letter to another individual, Elizabeth Okazaki, alleged to be improperly claiming to have an official affiliation with an academic department.
Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman has appointed Chris Griffith, associate dean of students, to lead the investigation of allegations that Kim impersonated a Stanford undergraduate.
"Griffith will begin by piecing together a comprehensive overview of the allegations, seeking to discover where there may be gaps in Stanford's system of identifying enrolled students. Those involved in the investigation are expected to make recommendations to solve any problems found," Boardman said.
The university is limited in what it can release regarding the Okazaki case.
"We cannot comment any further on this case, as law enforcement and university officials are delving into the matter and do not wish to jeopardize these investigations," said Jeff Wachtel, senior assistant to President John Hennessy.
"We recognize that this allegation, following earlier reports of an individual falsely impersonating an undergraduate, raises important questions about campus security," Wachtel said.
Prior to these reports, the university already had launched a broad review of campus policies under the auspices of Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer Randy Livingston to assure students, faculty and staff that community safety is of the utmost importance, Wachtel added.
