This message was shared with the students, faculty and staff of the 10-campus University of Â鶹´«Ã½ system on January 2, 2025.
Aloha!
I hope your holiday season was relaxing and filled with the joy of time spent with family and friends. I am truly honored today to begin my tenure as your new president. Thanks to all of you who have warmly welcomed my husband and me to the UH ʻohana. I look forward to meeting the members of our community in the days and months ahead.
Stay connected with President Wendy Hensel by following her on , , and
Stepping into this role is both exciting and humbling because of UH¡¯s importance to so many. I share with our community the tremendous responsibility of ensuring that UH continues to serve its vital role in Â鶹´«Ã½ and build on its upward trajectory in many critical areas. We have important work to do together providing affordable, high-quality education, conducting groundbreaking research that matters, fulfilling our kuleana to being a Native Hawaiian place of learning and commitment to being an Indigenous-serving and inspired institution, expanding workforce development in service to our state, and so much more. Fortunately, as we begin 2025, we have a solid foundation of excellence across our 10-campus system, and I thank departing President David Lassner for his devotion and service to UH.
As a new member of this ʻohana, I look forward to getting to know each and every member of our community, building pilina and learning about what is important to you. I will be a regular presence at events across the university and hope to meet you personally as I visit each campus and workforce center in the next ninety days. Details on these visits will be shared in the days ahead. In the meantime, I invite you to learn more about me on the “Meet the President” webpage. My top priority will always be our students. Whether they are starting a two-week workforce training program or completing a PhD, I believe it is our moral obligation to ensure their success and prepare them for our rapidly changing future.
My husband Kenton and I were fortunate to spend the holidays in Â鶹´«Ã½ surrounded by the love of our children and friends, and we are reminded time and again of the warmth of Â鶹´«Ã½ and its people. We are fully committed to this community, its people, and the success of UH. While words are a start, my actions will ultimately define my leadership.
I am excited about the future of UH and confident that, together, we can build upon UH¡¯s proud legacy and continue innovating, inspiring and leading. Mahalo nui loa for your support and Happy New Year!
With Aloha,
Wendy Hensel
UH President