University of �鶹��ý at Hilo graduate Pascale Pinner has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) in recognition of her extraordinary dedication to education. Now in her 38th year teaching science at Hilo Intermediate School, Pinner’s journey reflects a lifelong commitment to learning and community—one deeply influenced by UH Hilo’s supportive environment.

“I developed a good handful of friends, and we stuck together and supported each other through everything,” said Pinner. “I keep in touch with many of them to this day. That’s what makes UH Hilo so special . . . small class size, small university feel, rigorous curriculum, but culturally this integration of everybody together, supporting each other to be one big ʻohana (family).”

Her induction into the NTHF was a surprise orchestrated by her school community. Sixty students arrived with lei and honored her one by one, until the stack reached her eyes. It was a celebration of the appreciation and respect earned over the years.

Full circle mentorship

Pinner earned a bachelorʻs degree in from UH Hilo in 1987 and a professional diploma in education in 1991. She credits several UH Hilo faculty members as being influential in her development as an educator—naming Bob Fox, Marlene Hapai, Nina Buchanan and Don Hemmes as mentors who encouraged her to consider teaching.

In addition to teaching at Hilo Intermediate, Pinner also taught in the UH Hilo for four years. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership, and her community ties run deep. Her principal is a former student, and she has also taught four current colleagues.

Joy of teaching

Today, Pinner continues to teach because of the impact science education has on her students.

“The number one thing that makes my day, makes my week, makes my year is when students experience something during a science lesson and you can just see the awe and wonder pop out in their face,” said Pinner. “That kind of energy has allowed me to continue in this position for those 38 years.”

This column by Chancellor Lui Hokoana was published by on August 28, 2025.

Derek Snyder is a very familiar face around our campus. He’s been teaching here for 20 years, most of those in the English Department. He’s taught a full gamut of courses ranging from Introductory Composition to Research Writing. And he is as skilled at all modalities of distance learning as he is at teaching “in person.” As a matter of fact, he is recognized as a thought leader in distance education.

Besides being a faculty member—most recently a full professor—Snyder has served our college as a Student Services Specialist, a short-term Program Coordinator for the Maui Language Institute, a non-credit instructor in the Office of Continuing Education and Training (OCET), and a lecturer for both UH Maui College and the University of �鶹��ý Center, Maui.

“This variety of work experience within our campus community provides me with a deep appreciation and understanding of the important work that our entire campus team performs every day to assist us in achieving our mission to our students and communities,” Snyder says.

Believe it or not, that’s not all. Go below the surface and you will find an academic leader—he has held many different leadership positions at UHMC and the wider UH community—and a community volunteer. “I coached youth sports for years, served on the Board of Directors of Hui Malama Learning Center, and now serve on the Board of Directors of Manaʻo Radio,” says Snyder.

Look deeper still and you will find a lifelong learner who credits his 97-year-old grandmother with teaching him two of life’s most important lessons. “She told me, 1. ‘Everyone knows something you do not.’ and 2. ‘True happiness in life comes through helping others,’” says Snyder.

All of the above made Snyder the perfect candidate to fill the position of our new Dean of Arts and Sciences. There’s also his passion for a field of study that is often maligned these days—Liberal Arts which include all the Arts & Sciences.

“The disciplines in the Arts & Sciences are wonderfully varied at UH Maui College, in the areas of Humanities, STEM, Language Arts, and Social Science,” says Snyder. “The true superpowers of Arts and Sciences programs are that they prepare students to enter the workforce while also preparing them to help positively transform the workforce in creative and innovative ways. Arts and Sciences graduates are equipped to become curious, thoughtful, reflective, empathic, and empirical leaders in their fields and, by extension, in their communities.”

“At the heart of the mission of higher education is to help students become change agents in their communities—high-level problem solvers and critical thinkers. At UH Maui College, it can be said that we are preparing students for jobs that may not even exist yet. In a rapidly and ever-changing world, graduates in the Arts and Sciences possess skills and strategies to process complex information that can allow them to best adapt to constantly changing work environments and technological innovations,” Snyder explains.

“What students learn in the Arts and Sciences builds a well-versed foundation for navigating any work environment and prepares students to be leaders in an incredible variety of careers. To name only a few career pathways, students in the Arts and Sciences become the doctors who care for us, the teachers who inspire us, the social workers and first responders who save us, and the scientists who help us best understand the world around us. In every possible way, the Arts and Sciences serves students powerfully in their career endeavors,” says Snyder.

With his strong teaching expertise, deep understanding of pedagogy, proven leadership skills, and deep passion for higher education, I am confident that Dean Snyder will be a tremendous asset to our leadership team and will help us further strengthen the quality of education and support we provide to Maui Nui.

For complete information about UH Maui College, please visit

Dr. Lui K. Hokoana is Chancellor of the University of �鶹��ý Maui College. Kaʻana Manaʻo, which means “sharing thoughts,” is scheduled to appear on the fourth Thursday of each month. It is prepared with assistance from UH Maui College staff and is intended to provide the community of Maui County with information about opportunities available through the college at its Kahului campus and its education centers.

A new partnership between the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo and the �鶹��ý Police Department (HPD) is giving law enforcement officers across the state a clear path to earning a bachelor’s degree while continuing to serve their communities.

Launching this fall, the cohort offers online classes through UH Hilo’s College of . Officers can work full-time and study alongside a dedicated group of peers.

“It’s the first of what I hope will be many workforce partnerships here on �鶹��ý Island,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin while meeting with law enforcement officers who attended the program’s orientation. “We know that you’re ready, and we’re going to give you at UH Hilo all the support you need to be successful students and then soon graduates of this program.”

The inaugural class includes 10 officers from �鶹��ý County Police, Honolulu Police and the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement or DOCARE division. The program is open to officers statewide. Applications for the fall cohort are due on August 15, while the deadline to join for the spring 2026 program is December 1.

Sharpening skills to serve

HPD officer Ryan Barrett said joining the fall cohort is a step toward answering some of the tough questions that come with his job.

“As a patrol officer right now, sometimes there are questions of, ‘What’s the best way to do this? Or, you know, what does case law say? How can I go about this in the best approach?’ And I think using these next couple of years to get a degree in Administration of Justice will help me better equip myself to better help the community,” Barrett said.

The new degree pathway drew praise from �鶹��ý County Mayor Kimo Alameda, who expressed how the program’s impact stretches far beyond the classroom.

“For every police officer who gets a degree in higher education—that improves their quality of life, their self esteem, and that has ripple effects to their family and ultimately, the community,” said Alameda.

UH Hilo’s Administration of Justice program is the only standalone bachelor’s degree of its kind in the UH system.

“We really want to be there for our law enforcement partners to develop workforce readiness, and we see that as beneficial, not just to our law enforcement partners, but to our administration of justice students and our communities. That educational enrichment is beneficial to everyone involved,” said Professor Katherine Young, department chair for administration of justice.

Application information

To apply or learn more, contact Professor Young at youngkat@hawaii.edu.

The , a year-long professional development initiative, is fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the University of �鶹��ý system. After a successful inaugural cohort in 2024, the program is now recruiting faculty for its 2025 cohort.

Developed in collaboration with the , (PACE) and , the program assists faculty with integrating experiential learning, entrepreneurial frameworks and engineering design thinking into their course curricula.

“The EL3vate Program is equipping UH faculty with the tools, industry connections, and hands-on learning strategies needed to inspire the next generation of innovators,” said PACE Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama. “We’re not only transforming education at UH but also driving real-world impact across �鶹��ý’s communities and industries.”

Apply for the 2025 cohort

. UH faculty looking to enhance their teaching and provide students with hands-on learning experiences are encouraged to learn more and apply by March 28.

Inaugural cohort success

The first cohort has sparked exciting results:

• PACE competitions: EL3vate participants Associate Professor Kacie Ho (UH ����ԴDz� ), Assistant Professor Yasushi Ishida (UH ����ԴDz� ) and Assistant Professor Xiaodan Mao-Clark (UH ����ԴDz� in the ) introduced their students to PACE business and innovation competitions encouraging entrepreneurial thinking and real-world problem-solving. Ho and Ishida’s students were among the awardees in the Innovate 808 competition with their kimchee and marinara flavor chip seasonings and an architectural storefront makeover, respectively.
• Cross-disciplinary collaborations and community engagement: Ishida partnered with Gary Albitz ( business and hospitality) on a Lahaina-focused course initiative, blending design and business perspectives. As part of the project, Ishida utilized the maker spaces at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center to 3D print first terrain models of Lahaina, with support from student PACE Leaders in the Maker program. In a separate collaboration, Kimberly Russell (UH Hilo ) and Mao-Clark worked together on an initiative where their students engaged with the community, strengthening their learning experience through real-world connections.
• Business and esports: UH Esports students are gaining invaluable entrepreneurial skills and industry connections through a dynamic collaboration between Nyle Sky Kauweloa (UH Esports director and UH ����ԴDz� specialist faculty for interdisciplinary studies) and PACE. This ongoing partnership, known as PACE X UH Esports, has recently provided students with two impactful LevelUp workshops and an engaging panel discussion co-hosted with the UH . Industry leaders from top gaming companies shared their expertise, illuminating exciting career opportunities in esports and gaming management. As a testament to the program’s success, three of Kauweloa’s students are now participating in the PACE Entrepreneurs program, where they are developing an innovative pop-up PC cafe concept.
• Course redesign: With guidance and support from the EL3vate program, faculty were able to integrate the 4Cs: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Communication in addition to the other into their course learning objectives.

Researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo collaborated to illuminate the forgotten history of Koreans on �鶹��ý Island. Faculty from the , , and departments contributed to the new exhibition, “One Heart: Korean Art and History Across the Pacific,” which brings together art and new historical research at Wailoa Center in Hilo.

At the helm of UH Hilo’s partnership is Seri Luangphinith, an English professor who has done extensive research into the history of Korean immigrants to �鶹��ý Island. Among the displays, visitors will find gravestone rubbings she collected from field work on �鶹��ý Island. Through Luangphinith’s exemplary research, Korean families on island have been able to reconnect with long-lost generations of their ancestors.

“We need to better understand and appreciate the Asian presence on this island,” said Luangphinith. “Koreans are a forgotten people here, and that’s unfortunate given their contributions to the local community and to Korea.”

Finding history

Luangphinith’s research spans from the arrival of the first Koreans to �鶹��ý Island to the exploration of Korean cemeteries.

• Related UH News story: UH Hilo professor publishes book exploring the history of Korean immigrants, May 1, 2018

The first wave of Korean immigrants arrived from 1905 through the 1920s. The second wave came during the Japanese occupation, followed by another arrival during the Korean War.

“On a hunch, I started looking at Korean cemeteries because I knew that Japanese and Chinese immigrants recorded hometowns and families on their graves and sure enough the Koreans also did the same thing,” Luangphinith said.

Creative showcase

Art fills the second floor of the exhibition, which showcases the diverse voices and visions of Korean artists. From paintings and mixed-media artworks to artifacts and ceramics, the gallery show takes the viewer on a creative, emotional and historical journey. Michael Marshal, an art professor at UH Hilo, curated the exhibit, and artworks were juried or extensively assessed by Mizin Shin, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester. Faculty and students from UH Hilo’s art department helped prepare the works for display.

“Collaboration is a journey, within which everyone who is engaged with the process comes away with a broader understanding of the subjects,” said Marshall.

The exhibition opened on May 3 and will run through June 20. It is supported by the UH Hilo and the UH Mānoa . Major funding comes from the �鶹��ý Council for the Humanities through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Free online event

Talk Story with digital media artist Gary Chong, June 1, 10:30 a.m. Chong, who is Korean and Native Hawaiian, will share thoughts on how his art captures the dark side of �鶹��ý plantation life for Koreans that is far from the local glorified “melting pot.”

To register for Zoom, email: seri@hawaii.edu

—By Susan Enright

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching is awarded by the Board of Regents as tribute to faculty members who exhibit an extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, teaching effectiveness and creativity and personal values that benefit students.

Carina Chernisky

Carina Chernisky is a UH West Oʻahu public services librarian who uses a variety of different methods and formats to foster a collaborative learning environment that ensures student success. She considers the library her “classroom,” which is more dynamic and adaptable than a traditional classroom environment. She cultivates it to be a safe in-person and virtual haven where individuals can go to seek help for research issues, participate in engaging events and learn critical-thinking skills.

Chernisky offers a variety of synchronous and asynchronous information literacy workshops that help students become self-directed learners who can access information, evaluate sources, and engage in lifelong learning in and beyond the confines of the classroom.

“Carina is always so informative and relates the topic of the workshop to relevant news of the week. It’s always a pleasure to attend her workshops,” said a student.In addition to her primary reference and instructional duties, Chernisky has served as the on-site library project manager/co-manager for traveling exhibitions, and is a champion of open educational resources at UH West Oʻahu and throughout the UH System.”

Sothy Eng

Sothy Eng is an associate professor of human development and family studies in the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Eng observed from his required office visits with students how their education fits into their complex lives. From that, he enhanced his course requirements, and gained a heightened sense of empathy toward students and the families and communities from which they came.

The insights of educator Paulo Freire resonate with Eng: “The teacher is no longer merely the one-who-teaches but who is himself taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn while being taught, also teach…jointly responsible for a process in which we all grow.”

A student said, “Professor Eng and the students made it such an amazing class, a welcoming space” and “Little did I know his class would spark my future career goals of increasing the community’s access to food security and sovereignty.”

Colleagues praise him for inspiring students to be collaborative, creative and respectful, and consider him “a role model among his peers, ceaselessly energetic, professionally dynamic, and abundant in his aloha.”

Kerri Inglis

Kerri Inglis is a professor of history in UH Hilo’s College of Arts and Sciences and specializes in research and teaching in the history of health, disease and medicine, especially as it pertains to �鶹��ý and the Pacific, within a global context.

Inglis has devoted her career to studying the history of leprosy in �鶹��ý and has done extensive research on patients’ experiences on the Kalaupapa peninsula. Her award-winning 2013 publication, “Maʻi Lepera: Disease and Displacement in 19th Century �鶹��ý,” stands as a seminal work on the subject.

Affectionately known as “Kumu Kai” to her students, Inglis is celebrated not only for her scholarly contributions but also for her profound impact on education. According to graduate student David Freund, her endeavors have not only advanced her own professional growth but have also enriched the educational journey of her students, who have actively participated in her projects.

Freund said Inglis “goes beyond the rote delivery of information, striving to instill a deep understanding of concepts and principles, enabling students not only to acquire information and skills but also to think critically and apply their knowledge effectively.”

Kristiana Kahakauwila

Kristiana Kahakauwila is an associate professor of English in the UH Mānoa College of Arts, Languages & Letters. For Kahakauwila, a teaching philosophy rooted in choice is one rooted in kuleana—in responsibility, privilege and a sense of ownership.

Her teaching leans into analysis of how a work is shaped, and from where it takes its inspiration in the context of race, gender, sexuality, ability, Indigeneity and other lived experiences. Her students express an experience of being treated not “only as students but as writers and readers. She gives us a chance to grow and progress, first and foremost, as artists.”

Kahakauwila’s innovative pedagogical technique includes asking students to take up the mantle of instructor at least once each term. A former graduate student describes Kahakauwila as a “devoted, kind and brilliant teacher who challenged students in a way that was joyful and meaningful.”

Martina Kamaka

Martina Kamaka is a UH Mānoa associate professor in the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence.

Colleagues credit her with being at the forefront of training medical students in patient-centered care and cultural competency well before these were goals of health care. A colleague speaks of her “dreaming, developing and delivering culturally relevant and sensitive education” for 23 years.

Kamaka recognizes learning as experiential and occurring in diverse settings and unexpected contexts. In her experience, learning is balanced between mind, body and spirit at the micro level, and between communities/families, environment and spiritual sources of strength at the macro level. She said that the “most important point is for students who are future physicians to be able to communicate with patients with our hearts and our naʻau (intuition).”

A student called Kamaka “a big part of my journey in influencing the way I see myself, my relationship to the community and to my profession.”

Jenny Kelly

Jenny Kelly is an associate professor of animal science, and veterinary technician program director at Windward Community College, where she helps students navigate �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s only veterinary technology program. She is also a doctor of veterinary medicine.

Kelly creates meaningful hands-on curricula that encourages student engagement with an innovative teaching method for her anesthesia and surgical assisting classes. One student said, “I loved how she was always frank and honest and very clear about her expectations. She isn’t afraid to ask questions to help you rearrange your thought process or lead you in the right direction….it was my favorite aspect of her teaching style. It has definitely helped me become more confident and efficient.”

Overcoming obstacles is one of her fortes. Kelly has extended support to students affected by the devastating fires on Maui, and has offered veterinary services in Lahaina to injured and burned animals.

A former student who is now an animal science lecturer said, “Dr. Kelly encourages me towards my goals, moving me forward to reach my full potential. Through her support she has equipped me with the strength to overcome any obstacle.”

Emily Moody

Emily G.A. Moody is an assistant professor of graphic design in the new media arts program at Kapiʻolani Community College. She teaches six courses including graphic design, typography, graphic symbolism, corporate identity, interface design studio and design portfolio.

Moody’s deeply rooted passion for design is shared with unabashed enthusiasm. She hopes that expressing her love for design and its applications will inspire the students to see the wonder of design and pave their pathway within the discipline. Each course is designed to provide students with a structured framework for experimentation and the cultivation of their unique approach to visual communication.

“You can tell Emily truly cares about her students and holds them to very high standards,” shared a nominator. “This in turn pushes students to reach their highest potential. She is passionate about design, teaching, and the success of her students. She creates an environment where we feel comfortable to share, fail, learn, and grow. Plus, she’s just a great person with a great sense of humor, which always makes it fun to learn!”

Steven Nakata

Chef Steven Nakata is an assistant professor and chair of the culinary department of Kauaʻi Community College

Nakata puts his students first, and always tries to connect with each of them. He provides his personal cell number so they can reach him when needed, demonstrating a great level of dedication and commitment.

He brings a vast wealth of knowledge and experience from his past appointments as an executive chef and general manager. Service and cuisine are “in his blood.”

He has traveled internationally to parts of Europe, South America and the Caribbean and shares many learnings and adventures with his students. He is solid and accomplished with cooking methods, baking, sanitation and front-of-the-house training. He teaches with an openness and caring, a sense of humor and a strict, strong hand.

Nakata was overwhelmingly nominated by his students and colleagues. There are many successful students who have come out of the culinary program and Nakata was a big part of their growth, skill and confidence.

Michael T. Oishi

Michael T. Oishi is an associate professor of English literature at Leeward Community College. Students respect Oishi for his clear and thoughtful instruction and his ability to make them feel heard and appreciated. Perhaps most notable is Oishi’s ability to get his students to appreciate and excel at what can be complex themes and material, whether it be tackling difficult moral dilemmas such as what it means to be human or an “outsider,” to exploring �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s painful political past.

One student expressed, “He has left a truly remarkable impression on me… through his course I was able to deeply strengthen my connection to Hawaiian roots, cultivate pride where there once was shame, understand the world around me with a greatly altered state of awareness. There are incredible professors here at Leeward CC… Professor Oishi stands apart in distinction.”

Susan Lum, professor of English literature and Arts and Humanities Division chair, at Leeward CC, states, “Michael embodies many of the qualities one hopes to see in a leader: diligence, humility, hard work, attention to detail and an eagerness to embrace challenges for the betterment of others.”

Over the years, Michael’s willingness to take on difficult tasks and his commitment to improving the work of the college and its employees has earned him not only a reputation as someone who is dependable, creative and efficient but also someone who cares deeply about people.

Mitchell Okamura

Mitchell Okamura is an assistant professor of speech at Honolulu Community College.

Through encouraging an active, experiential approach to classroom learning, Okamura embodies the principle of Ma ka hana ka ʻike (in doing, one learns). He penned a quote that he often shares with his students, “To be something you have never been, you have to do things you have never done.” He focuses on getting students to do different things via activity-based learning everyday and building pilina (relationships) with each other, the course content and the instructor.

“After the pandemic, I had no motivation to attend any in-person classes that weren’t specifically related to my major,” said a student. “On my first day of speech class, I was so nervous. However, after experiencing Speech 151 with Mr. Okamura, my outlook changed. I felt motivated for the first time in a long time and actually had faith that I would pass the class and have fun while doing it.”

Okamura earned hisBA in speech and MA in communicology from UH Mānoa. He started his career in education in 2004, and has taught in the UH system as a graduate assistant, lecturer, instructor and assistant professor.

Nicole Reyes

Nicole Reyes is an associate professor of educational administration in the UH Mānoa College of Education. She shares the vision of UH Mānoa’s strategic plan: “the education of students is the core mission of the University; it is the reason we exist.”

To be a faculty at home on Oʻahu means she is serving those who represent the potential and future of what our institutions of higher education could be. Her students respect that her teaching is grounded in social justice, saying that “her deep passion for education has shaped my future research.”

A graduate student said Reyes was not only an “expert on qualitative research, but genuinely invested in fostering a collective and communal learning environment.”

Students said Reyes’ mentoring practices of inviting them into co-presenting and co-authoring with her, provide an experience of “what it means to be a serious faculty mentor and researcher,” inspiring students “to emulate the radical care with their own future students.”

A student said, “She turned my PhD experience from black and white into color.”

Stephanie Teves

Stephanie Teves is an associate professor in the department of women, gender and sexuality studies in the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences. Teves connects with local students through a shared sense of place and welcomes students new to �鶹��ý by applauding their sense of adventure.

“Under her guidance, I became a haumāna (student) who did not simply complete coursework but became enthralled with researching and received a scholarship for a project with Dr. Teves as my project mentor,” said a student.

Teves encourages students to learn from one another and explore who they are in a global sense. Her teaching has included the development of an undergraduate certificate in queer studies.

Another student said, “All of her students were treated with utmost respect and given the space to learn enthusiastically, while being sensitive to the differences that exist among us.”

A colleague said, “A beloved teacher, mentor and kumu, a visionary thinker, Lani has pursued undertakings that have transformed the educational landscape of the university.”

Richard Wallsgrove

Richard Wallsgrove is an associate professor in the William S. Richardson School of Law. An alumnus of the school, he attributes his approaches to teaching to those from whom he learned.

He is described by colleagues as being on the cutting edge of clean energy law. He believes in and aligns his teaching with the mission of UH Mānoa as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, with respect for ʻāina (land) and engaging students in understanding how atmospheric dynamics is explained and rationalized in Hawaiian and other Indigenous cultures.

Students describe him as embodying principles of empathy, rigor, passion and respect, saying “he makes us better.” Colleagues speak to how “In these polarized times where schools, colleges, and law school campuses alike are struggling with polarization, Rich’s thoughtful brilliance stands out.” As a teacher, mentor and colleague, he is, “a teacher’s teacher in every sense,” and respectful and sensitive to the needs of students from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Aubrey Weston

Aubrey Weston is an instructor and coordinator for UH Maui College’s accounting program. Her commitment to teaching is evident in the numerous nominations she received for the award for teaching excellence.

Students praise Weston for her willingness to go above and beyond to support their learning journey. A student said, “Her enthusiasm for teaching shines through as she acts not only as a professor but also as a mentor, guiding students through complex concepts with clarity and patience.”

Weston’s organizational skills and professionalism create a conducive learning environment, where students can easily navigate course materials and assignments. Her creativity makes learning enjoyable and engaging for her students.

A student said, “I can say that I love taking accounting, and this is 100% thanks to Aubrey.”

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for a faculty member and a graduate assistant recognizes dedication and demonstrated excellence as teachers of undergraduate students. It was established as a memorial to the late Frances Davis, who taught mathematics at Leeward Community College and the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa for 19 years.

Bonnie Bittman

Bonnie Bittman is an assistant professor of secondary social studies education at UH West Oʻahu. She also taught secondary social studies at the high school level for 10 years, including economics, civics, advanced placement U.S. government and politics, world history, ethics and more.

She focuses on civic education and the achievement of marginalized populations in social studies education. Her research utilizes quantitative methods, consisting mostly of regression analysis.

A peer commented that “the teaching method of Dr. Bittman models what we want the teacher education students to model in their own classrooms: specifically—collaboration, intentional pairing and explaining why it is intentional, sequencing resources and activities to build on each other, etc.”

Imelda Gasmen

Imelda Gasmen is an instructor in the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages & Literatures in the UH Mānoa College of Arts, Languages & Letters. Known to her students as Tita (Aunt) Imé, Gasmen introduced the concept of a Filipino tradition called bayanihan—the spirit of helping—and transformed that tradition to cooperative learning as a teaching methodology.

She has inspired students to major in Filipino and Philippine literature because of her unique and passionate teaching. They describe her as a “pure soul that is perfect for teaching.”

An outstanding characteristic is her ability to build pride and enjoyment of Filipino culture among students, many of whom have a connection through family ties, but have not learned the language. “I could connect with my family in ways I never imagined, calling my mom to practice my Tagalog with so much excitement. Those calls continue to this day and contribute to my parents feeling more connected to their home country.” Tita Imé is considered by students to be a living legend with exemplary knowledge, wisdom and expertise.

Maximillian Soares Miehlstein

Maximillian Soares Miehlstein is a graduate student in the UH Mānoa Department of Psychology. His research focuses on the influence of having a minoritized identity on social cognition.

As a graduate assistant for Human Development and Family Studies 380L: Research Methodology Lab, Soares Miehlstein has guided students through semester-long research projects, advising them on topic conceptualization, survey development, data analysis and interpretation of their results. Additionally, he has served as a teaching assistant for PSY 225: Statistical Techniques for the past five semesters, where he is dedicated to helping students grasp foundational statistical concepts.

Inspired by seeing students succeed, Soares Miehlstein prioritizes creating engaging and student-centered learning materials. He is committed to incorporating diversity and inclusion into course curriculum whenever possible, ensuring that various perspectives and experiences are represented in the teaching materials and discussions. As he prepares to teach his own courses, Soares Miehlstein is eager to further develop his skills to maximize students’ learning potential while fostering an inclusive learning environment.

Mitchell Okamura

Mitchell Okamura is an assistant professor of speech at Honolulu Community College. He has been teaching speech courses since 2012.

A self-professed introvert by nature, Okamura was able to turn what he calls his greatest weakness—shyness—into an asset in the classroom, and leverage this to help even the most introverted students overcome their fear of public speaking. He often relies on the Lōkahi triangle (balance or harmony of the spiritual, mental and physical) as a core foundation to keep him balanced.

Participation in several programs, such as Hoʻāla Hou (substance use prevention), and Kūkalahale E Hoʻi Nā Wai (Indigenous education frameworks training), has equipped him to use Indigenous place-based learning techniques in the classroom.

“On my first day of class Professor Okamura told a story about how he had a disability as a child and how he overcame it,” said one student. “It made me feel really good to see an adult talk about how he overcame his disabilities and he is inspiring me that I can overcome my disabilities as well.”

Stephen Taylor

Stephen Taylor is a professor of physical sciences at Kauaʻi Community College and teaches climate science, oceanography, astronomy and physics. Students appreciate his genuine interest in their success and how he challenges them to think critically and understand rather than memorize or perform simple tasks.

He involves students in engaging activities; He clearly loves teaching and makes learning fun. His students see purpose and value in lessons. They discover how to learn, how to find credible information, and how to apply knowledge to understand complicated concepts, evaluate ideas and solve problems. Taylor stresses experimental design and physics principles that can be used to credibly explain, understand and predict a variety of natural phenomena.

Colleagues and students also appreciate Taylor’s effective leadership. He is constantly innovating, collaborating with peers, facilitating systemwide change, and advocating on students’ behalf, serving as coordinator of the natural science degree program, leader of National Science Foundation awards, proponent of effective general education curriculum, and technical advisor on climate change and coastal policy.

He has authored or co-authored multiple national conference presentations focused on interactive teaching and assessment. Taylor was awarded the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching in 2011.

Jennifer Turner

Jennifer Turner is an assistant professor of psychology in UH Hilo’s College of Arts and Sciences. Turner’s primary research interests focus on social and emotional factors that influence lifespan health and well-being, such as age differences in nostalgia and potential mechanisms to reduce negative perceptions of aging.

She serves on multiple college and departmental committees and sits on the editorial board for the scientific journal Innovation in Aging. However, it’s the connection she’s made with students that rises above it all.

Professor and Psychology Chair Adam Pack said, “At a time when students often gravitate towards online course offerings, they flock to Dr. Turner’s face-to-face course because her teaching is scholarly, dynamic, engaging and creative.”

Turner is dedicated to providing students with applied learning experiences to advance post-graduate program admission and career opportunities. In the four semesters she has been at UH Hilo, she has redesigned coursework and re-imagined the developmental lab to provide deeper engagement and understanding of content and practices.

Student Mia McGrath said, “It’s rare to find a professor who cares the way she does. She’s brilliant, passionate, kind and an incredible mentor.

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Kris Roney announced the selection of Michael Bitter as the new permanent dean of the (CAS) following the UH Board of Regents meeting on January 19. Bitter previously served as interim dean of CAS.

“I am grateful to him for his long and continuing service to UH Hilo, and extend my thanks to the committee for their deep engagement in making this selection,” Roney said.

In 1999, Bitter came to UH Hilo as an assistant professor and also taught in the history department for more than 17 years. During that time, he served as department chair for seven years, University of �鶹��ý Professional Assembly faculty union representative for social sciences, CAS Faculty Senate Chair and UH Hilo Faculty Congress General Education Committee Chair.

As interim dean, he encouraged a variety of initiatives designed to improve the UH Hilo student experience by supporting student, faculty and staff success. Bitter is actively engaged in promoting the expansion of the programs making up the college and collaborating with the Center for Global Education and Exchange to increase opportunities for UH Hilo students to study at partner universities, both nationally and internationally.

“Dean Bitter’s commitment to the people and mission of UH Hilo are evident in the work he has done over the years in both his faculty and administrative roles,” Roney noted. “His continued leadership of the College and encouragement of their vision for the future will serve our students and community well.”

Bitter began his official duties on January 20.

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo is applauding one of its alumni for his contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic that helped the United Nations (WFP) secure the . UH Hilo graduate Colin Hourihan worked with WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian organization that combats hunger and food security to move critical medical supplies around the world during the early days of the pandemic.

“A team of about 100 of us worked tirelessly to make sure that those most vulnerable didn’t succumb to the virus or the knock on effects the pandemic caused,” Hourihan said. “We are now scaling up our work to feed more people than ever before in what is likely the largest humanitarian crisis since [World War II].”

Hourihan joined the UN in 2008 and heads the WFP’s Humanitarian Military Interaction Unit for the Emergency Operations Division in Rome.

During his time at UH Hilo, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a focus on international relations and affairs. .

“We are extremely honored to share in the applause of Colin’s Nobel Prize winning work with the United Nations World Food Programme,” said UH Hilo Public Law Professor Sarah Marusek.

The awarded WFP the Nobel Prize in October 2020.

In fall 2020, the , a research and technology organization under UH, joined forces with WFP to advance disaster preparedness and emergency response in the Asia and the Pacific region.

• Related UH News story:
  • Hilo native wins coveted Nobel Prize for gene editing tool, October 7, 2020
  • Keck astronomer awarded Nobel Prize for trailblazing black hole research, October 8, 2020

Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin announced the appointment of Karen Kopera-Frye as the new permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences following the UH Board of Regents meeting held virtually on September 17. Kopera-Frye will replace Interim Dean Michael Bitter, effective December 28.

“I am delighted to welcome Karen Kopera-Frye to the UH Hilo team!” said Irwin. “As an experienced professional with interests in campus-community partnerships, she will make great contributions to our university and provide renewed energy to the arts, humanities and social sciences.”

Kopera-Frye is currently a professor in public health sciences at New Mexico State University, a position she has held since fall 2016. For more than 18 years, she has served in a variety of academic leadership positions, including tenured professor, internship and assessment coordinator, numerous director roles and more.

Kopera-Frye has an extensive list of refereed publications, newsletter articles, presentations and published abstracts from 1985 through 2019 with more in progress. She is skilled in community-based participatory research, grant writing and in obtaining external fiscal resources for programs serving those who are rural and/or economically disadvantaged, especially among Indigenous groups.

She has received awards from the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education for outstanding research and teaching. Just this year, Kopera-Frye earned the Friedsam Mentoring Award for her mentoring of faculty and students.

“A celebration of a person’s 100th birthday is not unusual when a person reaches that milestone in life; however for me, though I never expected to reach it, the year 2020 is more important as the 70th anniversary of my moving to �鶹��ý, and even more important as the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the MA degree in Music with concentration in Ethnomusicology. I deeply appreciate the extensive celebration of my 100th birthday.” —Barbara B. Smith

A pioneer for cultural diversity for the and the state, who has championed the music and dance of �鶹��ý, the greater Pacific and Asia, Professor Emerita of Music Barbara Barnard Smith will celebrate her 100th birthday on June 10.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a year-long celebration honoring Smith and her contributions and achievements included a series of concerts, museum exhibitions and an international symposium, The Barbara B. Smith Conference on Ethnomusicology. The conference, which coincided with her 100th birthday, has shifted to webinars on Zoom. All other canceled events may be rescheduled to a later date.

Smith, fondly known as “Miss Smith” to her students, immersed herself in the music of Asia and the Pacific, and advocated for its integration into the music department. She established and developed the internationally-recognized at UH ����ԴDz�, whose graduates also became advocates in culture and the arts throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. Among Smith’s earliest students were Herbert Ohta (Ohta-san) and Eddie Kamae, both recognized artists in the Hawaiian music industry.

In memoriam: Barbara Smith, ethnomusicology program founder
—July 3, 2021

While Smith retired from full-time teaching at UH ����ԴDz� in 1982, she remained engaged with the department and university through her fieldwork, advocacy for research and as a mentor to international graduate students. Her relentless dedication and commitment was evident as she continued to mentor dissertation students, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Barbara Smith is one of the true treasures of �鶹��ý and our university,” said UH President David Lassner. “She is both a highly-recognized academic and an engaged community member with a remarkable generosity of spirit. Her impact throughout �鶹��ý and the Asia Pacific region, and on the thousands of people she has has touched directly and indirectly, cannot be measured.”

Making an early impact

Smith, who had earned her master’s degree in Music Literature at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., came to �鶹��ý in 1949 to help develop the UH ����ԴDz� . The California native was hired to teach piano and music theory for the department in its infancy.

She was immediately interested in her students as people and their ethnic backgrounds, and was also impressed with how eagerly they were learning what she was teaching them. However, Smith came to realize that it was contributing to their problems of self-esteem because what they were learning at the university was limited to Euro-American culture. While they did not criticize her for it, she felt she was contributing to their problem.

That triggered Smith to push for a course that would acknowledge the artistic validity of the music of her students’ heritages. However, she could not find anyone willing to develop such a course. Rather than returning to the continental U.S. to look for other job prospects and “feel guilty for the rest of my life for failing to meet the deeply felt needs of those who had come to trust me, I devoted myself to trying to learn enough to teach an introductory course about their music. I have never regretted my decision to stay,” explained Smith.

She began to learn to perform the music of various ethnicities. Then she introduced classes in hula and Hawaiian chant, Korean dance, Chinese butterfly harp and Japanese gagaku (court music) at the music department. When the (EWC) was established in the 1960s to bring together people of the U.S., Asia and the Pacific to research and study in �鶹��ý, Smith recommended that EWC and UH ����ԴDz� could learn from visiting scholars and performances of world music, dance and theater.

These seeds blossomed into the master’s and doctorate programs in ethnomusicology at UH ����ԴDz� that emphasize learning from “living cultures” in �鶹��ý and the surrounding Asia Pacific region.

Students sing her praises

The program developed through the years with the help of one of Smith’s former students and now a professor emeritus of ethnomusicology and , Ricardo Trimillos.

“Barbara has been a valuable mentor, a wonderful colleague and a good friend,” said Trimillos. “It has been a joy to see a vision of ethnomusicology flourish in �鶹��ý built upon her two ‘pillars’: a commitment to intellectual rigor and a respect for artists and their communities.”

For Terry Liu, the program built a foundation for a successful career in the arts. The former executive director of the �鶹��ý Arts Alliance and administrator for the National Endowment for the Arts, said “The ethnomusicology program at UH ����ԴDz�, a rainbow bridge to mālamalama, lit my path in life.”

Smith was a mentor to many students, including Patricia Dunn. A student at UH ����ԴDz� in the 70s, Dunn accepted an invitation from a friend to take a new Javanese dance and music lecture class, which made her “fall through the looking glass.”

Miss Smith’s gift was more than the pedagogy of learning music and dance but one of opening up the world…
—Patricia Dunn

Dunn, who now serves as an undergraduate student advisor in the Asian studies program, credits Smith for her vision and desire to have her student’s ethnic roots reflected in the curriculum.

“Miss Smith’s gift was more than the pedagogy of learning music and dance but one of opening up the world to a girl born and raised just over the hill in the next valley over,” she said. “She instilled a curiosity and appreciation for the cultures the world could offer and an understanding of what made us unique and yet also the same.”

Another of Smith’s students was Dean R. Anderson Sutton, who pursued his MA in ethnomusicology starting in 1971. With an interest in the music of Asia, he had heard from his undergraduate professors the praises of Barbara Smith and the UH ����ԴDz� program that she founded.

“Knowing I had been introduced to Asian music at Wesleyan, where the emphasis had been primarily on performance, she looked me squarely in the eye, smiling, and said, ‘Here at UH we put more emphasis on the ‘ology’ in ethnomusicology,’“ Sutton said of his first encounter with Smith. “All of the graduate students in the program soon learned that she was a demanding teacher, with high standards: no tolerance for sloppy writing or superficial research, nor for anyone who did not treat with respect the musicians with whom they studied.”

Sutton added, “We learned by her example to prioritize ethics in our encounters and clarity and consistency in our writing. For that guidance I remain very grateful.”

Chiao-Wen Chiang is a PhD student and fellowship recipient in the ethnomusicology program. Chiang recalled Smith recently joined a two-hour thesis defense held via Zoom due to COVID-19. “She sat through the entire session and provided comments,” she said. “I’m very impressed with her energy and enthusiasm for learning, and for continuously showing her support to students, the program and the field. Prof. Smith and her Aloha spirit inspire me profoundly.”

A pioneer of music and cultural diversity

As a woman and an academic, Smith can be credited with a number of firsts. She was the first UH professor to study the music of Asia and the Pacific. She was the first woman and non-Japanese person to drum for local Bon Dance observances as a member of the Iwakuni tradition. She was the only non-Japanese person to be accepted by the Japanese koto (zither) master Michio Miyagi as a student. She produced the first performance instructional film for hula, with kumu hula Eleanor Hiram demonstrating the mele “Ula no Weo.” She released the first long play recording ever of an extended performance of the Korean classical music genre sanjo, performed by kayakeum (zither) virtuoso Hwang Byong-ki. She was the first American and the first woman to undertake field research and the collection of music in the various regions of Micronesia in the 1960s and 70s.

Beyond her contributions to the university, Smith has been a role model for cultural citizenship. At EWC where she maintains an active interest in the arts program, she planned and developed short-term training courses for mid-career cultural workers from Asia and the Pacific in arts development and management. In 1961, she organized court testimony to protect the Hawaiian musical instrument ʻulīʻulī from being exploited by a foreign businessman. She has supported cultural and education projects for the Bishop Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art and the former Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps her most significant contribution to the �鶹��ý cultural community is as editor for the completion of The Queen’s Songbook, an annotated anthology of the compositions by Queen Liliʻuokalani. Smith has continued to be a supporter of projects in ethnomusicology, contemporary music and Asia Pacific cultural performance but humbly takes no credit and insists her generous donations remain anonymous.

Among her many accolades are earning the distinction as a “living treasure” from the UH ����ԴDz� ; being recognized as a “pioneer” by a resolution of the Honolulu City Council; the 2018 �鶹��ý Arts Alliance Alfred Preis Honor; and the Governor’s Award for the preservation of Hawaiian Language, Art and Culture.

Smith has left a lasting impact on those she has taught and touched at UH ����ԴDz� and in the state of �鶹��ý, which she has proudly called her home since arriving some 70 years ago.

Sutton’s sentiments are undoubtedly shared among the many students fortunate to have been under Smith guidance. “(Due to) the ongoing legacy of the program she built and has actively sustained, even long after her official retirement, music at UH and in the wider community would not be what it is today without her efforts. Mahalo nui loa, Professor Emerita Barbara B. Smith!”

Email for more information on the 2020 Barbara B. Smith Webinar Series: A Legacy for Ethnomusicology.

—By Arlene Abiang

The University of �鶹��ý celebrates at spring commencement ceremonies systemwide.

Sunday, April 21

UH Mānoa Department of Art and Art History Awards Ceremony
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Art Auditorium
.

Friday, May 3

UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences, Department of Women’s Studies
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa College Hill

UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
Time: 5 p.m. (check-in begins), 5:30 p.m. (program), 7 p.m. (reception)
Location: UH Mānoa Kennedy Theatre

Saturday, May 4

University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: UH West Oʻahu Courtyard
and

Wednesday, May 8

UH Mānoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, Office of Public Health Studies Honors Ceremony
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Biomedical Sciences Building B–103, Auditorium

Thursday, May 9

College of Social Sciences, Public Administration Program
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: College Hill

University of �鶹��ý Maui College
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: The Great Lawn, Kahului Campus

Friday, May 10

UH Campuses

Windward Community College
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Windward CC The Great Lawn

Leeward Community College
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Leeward CC Tuthill Courtyard

Honolulu Community College
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Waikīkī Shell

Kauaʻi Community College
Time: 6:15 p.m., gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Vidinha Stadium–Līhuʻe

Kapiʻolani Community College
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: �鶹��ý State Convention Center

�鶹��ý Community College
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium

UH Mānoa schools and colleges

UH Mānoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work–BSW Convocation
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom

UH Mānoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene–Dental Hygiene Recognition Ceremony
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: �鶹��ý Convention Center, Liliu Theater

UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business
(By invitation only)
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Shidler Courtyard

UH Mānoa College of Education Convocation
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Andrews Outdoor Theatre

UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences
Time: 5 p.m. (registration opens at 4:30 p.m.)
Location: UH Mānoa �鶹��ý Hall Quad

UH Mānoa College of Engineering Convocation
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, open seating, no tickets needed

UH Mānoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work–MSW Convocation
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom

UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences, Department of Ethnic Studies
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Dean Hall 5, ACCESS Lounge

Saturday, May 11

University of �鶹��ý at Hilo
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium
and

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�

Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Stan Sheriff Center

• College of Arts and Humanities
• Colleges of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
• College of Natural Sciences
• College of Social Sciences
• College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
• �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ���Գܾ����� School of Hawaiian Knowledge
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
• School of Pacific and Asian Studies

Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Stan Sheriff Center

• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• John A. Burns School of Medicine
• Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, including Public Health
• School of Architecture
• School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
• School of Travel Industry Management
• Shidler College of Business
• William S. Richardson School of Law

�鶹��ý Community College–Pālamanui
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Pālamanui, Kailua-Kona

Sunday, May 12

UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine Convocation
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Kennedy Theatre

UH Mānoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene–Nursing Recognition Ceremony
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: �鶹��ý Convention Center Ballrooms

UH Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa Andrews Amphitheater

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (KLFC) has announced that Jennifer Lee, Brianna Leisure and Kai Hong So have won to support their 2018–2019 KLFC Overseas Capstone Program at Korea University in Seoul.

Valued at $20,000 each, the scholarships are an initiative of the National Security Education Program that allows American undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. security.

Jennifer Lee
Jennifer Lee is a former chemistry major who discovered her love for the Korean language. Lee spent the summer of 2017 studying abroad in Korea. That year, North Korea conducted 23 ballistic missile tests, which tremendously impacted Lee. She believes using her language skills for the nation’s security and protection is most important and would like to see more Americans with a high level command of Korean.

Brianna Leisure
Brianna Leisure is a Korean Flagship major who values the opportunity of studying abroad with a goal of achieving native proficiency in Korean. Leisure aspires to work as a language analyst for the federal government.

Kai Hong So
Bilingual in English and Cantonese, Kai Hong So became passionate about the Korean language while participating in a study abroad program in Busan, South Korea. This experience inspired So to continue studies at the KLFC. In summer 2017, he studied abroad again at Korea University. After completing his bachelors, So plans to work using his language skills, while also pursuing a master’s degree in Korean Flagship.

Lee, Leisure and So will travel to Washington, DC to receive their awards in June. They join an auspicious list of previous KLFC Boren scholars from UH ����ԴDz�: Danica Lim (2009), Bowha Kang (2010), Tyler Miyashiro (2013), Ryan Tanaka (2016) and Eloise Morris (2017).

The University of �鶹��ý celebrates at spring commencement ceremonies systemwide.

Wednesday, May 2

Department of Theatre and Dance Awards, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Earle Ernst Lab Theatre

College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Kennedy Theatre

Thursday, May 3

Office of Public Health Studies Honor Ceremony, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: UH ����ԴDz� Biomed Building, Room D207

Saturday, May 5

University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Courtyard, UH West Oʻahu

Thursday, May 10

University of �鶹��ý Maui College
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: The Great Lawn

School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene—Nursing Recognition Ceremony, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: �鶹��ý Convention Center Ballrooms

Friday, May 11

School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene—Dental Hygiene Recognition Ceremony, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: �鶹��ý Convention Center Liliu Theater

School of Social Work—BSW Convocation, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Campus Center Ballroom

College of Social Sciences Aloha Celebration, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: �鶹��ý Hall Quad Lawn, UH ����ԴDz�

College of Education, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Andrews Outdoor Theatre

Leeward Community College
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Tuthill Courtyard

School of Travel Industry Management, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: George Hall 227

Shidler College of Business, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Shidler College of Business Courtyard

College of Engineering Convocation, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Neal S. Blaisdell Arena

�Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ���Գܾ����� School of Hawaiian Knowledge ceremony, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kennedy Theatre

Honolulu Community College
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Waikīkī Shell

School of Social Work—MSW/PhD Convocation, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Campus Center Ballroom

Kauaʻi Community College
Time: 6:15 p.m.
Location: Vidinha Stadium

Kapiʻolani Community College
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: �鶹��ý Convention Center

Windward Community College
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Koʻolau Ballrooms and Conference Center

�鶹��ý Community College East �鶹��ý
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium

Saturday, May 12

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�

Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Stan Sheriff Center
and

• College of Arts and Humanities
• Colleges of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
• College of Natural Sciences
• College of Social Sciences
• College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
• �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ���Գܾ����� School of Hawaiian Knowledge
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
• School of Pacific and Asian Studies

Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Stan Sheriff Center

• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• John A. Burns School of Medicine
• Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, including Public Health
• School of Architecture
• School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
• School of Travel Industry Management
• Shidler College of Business
• William S. Richardson School of Law

University of �鶹��ý at Hilo
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium
and

�鶹��ý Community College–Palamanui
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Palamanui Campus, Kailua-Kona

Sunday, May 13

John A. Burns School of Medicine Ceremony, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Kennedy Theatre

William S. Richardson School of Law Commencement Ceremony, UH ����ԴDz�
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Andrews Amphitheater

Artist will talk about his art and practice as attempts to provide and provoke greater social awareness of toxic situations found in both politics and the environment in the public lecture “Trouble in Mind” on Wednesday, November 15, at the Art Auditorium.

Chin’s sculpture practice bridges natural, political and social ecologies. In 1989, he developed , a project that was a pioneer in the field of “green remediation,” the use of plants to remove toxic, heavy metals from the soil. From 1995 to 1998, Chin formed a collective that produced In the Name of the Place, a conceptual public art project conducted on the popular prime-time TV series, Melrose Place. In , Chin worked with software engineers to create a video game based on rug patterns of nomadic people facing cultural disappearance. His hand-drawn, 24-minute film, 9-11/9-11, won the prestigious Pedro Sienna Award—the “Oscar” of Chile—for best animation in 2007.

His ongoing project, , focuses national awareness and prevention on childhood lead poisoning. A multi-venue exhibition of Chin’s work titled All Over the Place will be presented in New York City in the spring of 2018.

Chin was featured on �ʵ���’ ART 21 series and has received numerous awards and grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council for the Arts, Art Matters, Creative Capital, and the Penny McCall, Pollock/Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Rockefeller and Louis Comfort Tiffany foundations, among others.

The free lecture is presented by the Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Chair in the UH ����ԴDz� .

More about the Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Chair

These events are made possible by the late Dai Ho Chun through his estate gift, which established The Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Chair Endowment in the Colleges of Arts & Sciences. Chun was a distinguished and visionary educator.

Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio was honored with the 2017 , which will support the final year of her dissertation writing and defense. Osorio, a PhD candidate in , is 1 of only 38 individuals to receive the fellowship among the national competitors.

Osorio’s dissertation is titled Aikāne, A Kanaka Maoli Moʻolelo Beyond Queer Theory: Unsettling White Settler Logics and (Re)membering Indigenous Desires.

The Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship provides a $25,000 stipend to individuals working to complete a dissertation leading to a PhD or ScD degree, and valuable networking opportunities.

“I think I’m most excited about collaborating with other fellows who share common goals and whose work I admire,” said Osorio. “I’m grateful to the Ford Foundation for providing resources (both physical and intellectual) that would not otherwise be available to us and that further our academic goals.”

Passion for sharing the spoken and written word

Osorio was judged on scholarly competence and future potential as a scholar, researcher and teacher in higher education. The review panel clearly saw what Osorio has always exhibited from “small kid time”—a passion and gift for sharing the spoken and written word, be it in Hawaiian or English. Teaching is innate in Osorio, having been a student of her kupuna (elders), ancestors and others who have left their indelible mark on her life.

Also among the judges’ considerations is the applicant’s ability to use diversity as a resource to enrich teaching and learning. Osorio currently works as a student support specialist in the at UH ����ԴDz� and will continue to do so throughout the fellowship. Perhaps more profound is her in-depth knowledge and stewardship of Native Hawaiian culture and practices. She shares Hawaiian culture through activism, poetry and music. She is a professional performer and widely published poet who has shared her art throughout Oceania on five continents, and at the White House.

Earning the fellowship has further ignited and reaffirmed Osorio’s desire to return to the classroom in order to help students develop, and develop consciousness for Hawaiian issues.

—By Karin Mackenzie

, a professor of literature and American studies at the , will present a public lecture, “Have We Wrecked Public Universities? If So, How Do We Fix Them?” on February 13. His research in critical university studies links his concern with humanities teaching to the study of how higher education continues to be re-shaped by industry and other economic forces.

Newfield is the Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Chair in the at the

He will speak about his new book on the post-2008 struggles of public universities to rebuild their social missions, . He also authored  ���Ի���.

Newfield also writes about the American intellectual and social history. He blogs on higher education policy and writes for the Huffington Post, Inside Higher Ed and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The will have books available for purchase at the signing.

Event details

• Date: Monday, February 13
• Time: Book signing and reception at 5 p.m. and lecture at 6 p.m.
• Location: UH Mānoa Bamboo Courtyard and Art Auditorium

Other Newfield events

“Governance, Academic Freedom, and Student Rights in the Trump Administration: Notes of a Public-Good University” lecture on February 15, 12–1:15 p.m., at East-West Center’s Burn’s Hall 4005/4009, followed by a master class from 1:30–3 p.m.

The has selected as the winning entry for the 2016 APLA Book Prize competition. Written by University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Associate Professor the book offers a captivating ethnographic account of the complex relationship between the Ipili, an indigenous Papua New Guinea group, and the country’s Porgera Gold Mine, which is the world’s third largest gold mine.

Leviathans at the Gold Mine provides readers with a fascinating look at the daily life, character, struggles and interactions between individuals from the Ipili and Porgera Gold Mine. Touching upon issues of wealth distribution and political capital, the book offers a sensitive analysis of the situation that brings forth broader-based theoretical and political questions about representation, political mobilization, corporations and capital.

“I’m so proud to bring this award home to Mānoa. The is showing the world that Mānoa is a center of excellence not just of Pacific studies, but the study of law and politics more widely. It’s great to be able to be part of that work,” said Golub.

More about Alex Golub

Golub, who holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago, joined the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa anthropology department in 2006. His specialties include Papua New Guinea and Melanesia, World of Warcraft and the internet, kinship and identity, resource development and political anthropology.

His current work combines two different, but connected streams of research—a study of social change and the mining industry in Papua New Guinea with a focus on the Porgera Gold Mine in the Enga province and the study of the online video game World of Warcraft and how players bring the culture of their actual lives into virtual worlds. Both areas of research focus on how the politics of small group interaction are shaped by the cultural expectations of political actors.

Golub is also one of the co-founders of savageminds.org, a popular cultural anthropology blog.

More about Association for Political and Legal Anthropology

The Association for Political and Legal Anthropology is a section of the Anthropological Association. APLA members share interests in issues of contemporary importance in the fields of political and legal anthropology. APLA hold an annual Book Prize competition recognizing books that best exemplifies creativity and rigor in the ethnographic exploration of politics, law and/or their interstices.

—By Lisa Shirota

Nadine Shigezawa, a long-serving board member of the and psychologist with the Veterans Administration (VA), will provide student veterans with a multitude of services through a program called Veterans in Transition to Academic Leadershidp (VITAL). She will also assist staff with veteran issues.

Housed in the Queen Liliuokalani Center for Student Services, Shigezawa’s presence reflects a unique new partnership between the VA and UH Mānoa. Previously, veterans had to go to the VA for help, resulting in fewer of them taking advantage of critical services.

Shigezawa is pleased to take the work she has done for the VA for more than 22 years to her alma mater. She earned her degrees at Mānoa—a BA in psychology/French, MA in psychology and PhD in psychology.

About VITAL

The VITAL program seeks to provide a link between the VA and university campuses in order to better support student veterans’ integration back into the community through their success in educational pursuits.

VITAL program services offered

• On-campus clinical counseling for student veterans with PTSD or other concerns including relationship problems, stress associated with attending college, anger management, depression, insomnia, or general adjustment to civilian life.
• Assistance with enrollment and accessing medical care through the VA.
• Information to help veterans utilize their GI Bill, VA Vocational Rehab and other benefits.
• Consultation with instructors to facilitate understanding of potential difficulties for veterans within the learning environment.

Services offered to faculty and staff

• Consultation/presentations regarding the mental health concerns common to veterans and services offered by the VA.
• Availability to serve as a guest lecturer on topics such as PTSD, the VA’s role as a healthcare provider, or other related military or mental health concerns.
• Collaboration with veterans’ counselors or organizations currently located on campus to promote veterans’ adjustment to the campus environment.
• Possible collaboration with VA on research projects.

For more information, please contact Shigezawa at (808) 594-8039.

, a photographer, cinematographer, geographer and writer who delves into the secret and invisible worlds of government infrastructure and state surveillance—from football field-sized satellite antennas in space to fighter-jet contrails—will present a free public lecture and book signing on Thursday, January 21, 6 p.m. in the Art Building Auditorium at the . He practices “experimental geography” as a means to learn how to see the historical moment we live in and to imagine alternative futures.

In his talk, titled “How to See the Surveillance State,” Paglen will share more than a decade’s worth of images, research and stories. He will also discuss his current project of photographing deep-sea fiber optic telecommunications cables running across the Pacific.

Paglen’s lecture is part of the Dai Ho Chun Endowment for Distinguished Lecturers series. The UH Bookstore will have books available for purchase.

More about Paglen

Paglen is the author of five books, including , and . He was also a cinematographer for Laura Poitras’ documentary on Edward Snowden, , which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2015.

, and have written about Paglen. In 2014, he received the Pioneer Award for his work as a “groundbreaking investigative artist.” Most recently, he was the Clarice Smith Distinguished Lecturer in American Art.

He holds a BA from the , an MFA from the and a PhD in geography from UC Berkeley.

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