Jonathan Kay Kamakawiwoʻole Osorio has worn many p¨¡pale (hats)—historian, award-winning musician, advocate, kumu (teacher) and dean. After nearly a decade guiding the at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, he is stepping away from administration and back into the classroom, where his career began more than 30 years ago.
“I consider the last eight years maybe the most blessed time of my life. The things I learned, about how a university operates, how to work with people around me that didn¡¯t see eye to eye with what we were trying to do, how to be persuasive, all of those things were really amazing to me,” said Osorio.
The k¨¡naka ʻ¨¾±·É¾± (Native Hawaiian) scholar became dean in 2017 at age 68, following years of service as a professor and director of the . During his tenure, ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±²Ô³Ü¾±¨¡°ì±ð²¹ strengthened its reputation as the nation¡¯s only college of Indigenous knowledge at a Research I university.
In 2024, the school earned a 10-year renewal of accreditation from the , a testament to its role in preserving and revitalizing Hawaiian language, culture and values.
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- Indigenous educators engage in ʻ¨¡¾±²Ô²¹, ʻike at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, October 1, 2024
- UH haum¨¡na explore Kal¨¡kaua and Hawaiian Kingdom¡¯s legacy in Japan, May 27, 2025
Full circle return
While proud of these milestones, Osorio expressed his heart has always been in teaching.
“It¡¯s time to go back to teaching and let a younger, more vigorous and eager person take this job on. And I know it will be a blessing to that person whoever it is.”
Osorio, born and raised in Hilo, Â鶹´«Ã½, began teaching in 1991 as an instructor at . He joined UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ in 1994 and advanced from assistant to full professor of Hawaiian studies. His scholarship has shaped the field of 19th-century Hawaiian political and social history, while his music, recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the Â鶹´«Ã½ Academy of Recording Arts in 2019, remains beloved across the islands.
A search committee has been formed to find Osorio¡¯s successor, and the position is expected to be filled by August 2026. The committee will be chaired by Kap¨¡ Oliveira, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ interim vice provost for , and a former professor at ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±²Ô³Ü¾±¨¡°ì±ð²¹
