Former Dean of St. John’s Accused of Embezzling $1 Million

At her arraignment in State Supreme Court in Queens on Wednesday, Ms. Chang stood before Justice James P. Griffin with her hands cuffed behind her back and pleaded not guilty. She was ordered held on $1 million bail and would face up to 25 years in prison if convicted on charges that included grand larceny, forgery and falsification of business records.

As dean of the Institute of Asian Studies at St. John’s University in Queens, she traveled the world soliciting donations, luring potential contributors with sumptuous meals, entertainment and gifts, all of it paid for by the college. Her expenses sometimes reached $50,000 a month. After thirty years on the job, she was summarily fired.