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.

Elisabeth “Lis” Gallant

Elisabeth “Lis” Gallant is an assistant professor of geology at the University of �鶹��ý Hilo. She teaches volcanology the way �鶹��ý demands it be taught—with one foot in science and the other firmly planted in the communities that live alongside active volcanoes.

Since joining UH Hilo in 2023, she has revamped UH Hilo’s volcanology course offerings, using everything from M&Ms to knit fabrics to bring magma chambers and rock textures to life. Her students practice translating vog forecasts for civil defense officials, Volcano Village kupuna, and first-time tourists—learning that good science means nothing if people can’t use it.

Drawing on her work co-leading the national GeoSPACE accessible field camp, Gallant has made UH Hilo’s field courses more inclusive, ensuring students of every ability can do real fieldwork. She mentors undergraduates into published research with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and leads community talks during Volcano Awareness Month.

Student Steven Hammes said Gallant is “easily in the highest tier” of the dozens of instructors he has had across multiple colleges and universities, with a special ability to bring students of diverse learning styles, backgrounds and challenges to the same high standards of content mastery.

Ariel Gruenthal-Rankin

Ariel Gruenthal-Rankin is an assistant professor of anthropology in the division of social sciences at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu, and serves as the director of the Applied Forensic Anthropology Certificate. Gruenthal-Rankin is a forensic anthropologist for the state of �鶹��ý, whose research explores how forensics can better account for people often overlooked by medicolegal systems.

She is particularly passionate about the integration of critical social theory and community-facing work in forensic anthropology. Gruenthal-Rankin honed her teaching and mentorship pedagogy over 14 years of teaching in STEM, both in classrooms and in field environments. Her philosophy emphasizes sharing mutual respect, harnessing the excitement of learning, and allowing students to have a say in how classes are shaped.

According to the UH West Oʻahu Teaching Awards Committee, students describe Gruenthal-Rankin as kind, thoughtful and highly engaging, with many highlighting her positive, enjoyable learning environment. Committee members noted that Gruenthal-Rankin’s “qualities reflect a sustained and exceptional commitment to effective, inclusive, and impactful teaching.”

Lolita Pérez-Ayala

Lolita Pérez-Ayala is a PhD candidate in the communication and information sciences interdisciplinary program in the College of Social Sciences at UH Mānoa. Committed to connecting theory to real-world contexts and fostering inclusive participation, she integrates sociotechnical research with organizational and business examples to promote applied learning and student agency.

Her courses examine the design and effects of information technologies and explore organizational and cross-cultural communication through real-world analysis. She gathers student feedback early and engages students in collaborative activities that apply course concepts to organizational cases. These practices encourage problem solving and move students beyond content mastery toward applied, reflective learning.

A nominator said, “Lolita possesses a remarkable ability to translate her expertise into meaningful learning experiences. She demonstrates exceptional skill in engaging students and fostering deep learning. Her courses are well organized and integrate a number of innovative tools to engage students. Lolita fosters critical thinking and bridges the gap between theories and real world experiences.”

Pérez-Ayala emphasizes student agency in selecting organizations or causes aligned with their interests, resulting in engagement with a wide range of local nonprofits, cultural institutions and businesses.

Shawn Sumiki

Shawn Sumiki is the culinary arts coordinator at �鶹��ý Community College. He was born and raised in Hilo, �鶹��ý, and is a 1996 graduate of the �鶹��ý CC culinary arts program. After gaining experience in the culinary industry, he returned to his alma mater in 2006 as a lecturer, bringing a strong commitment to both his craft and his students.

In his current role, he mentors and guides students as they develop the skills and discipline needed for successful careers in the culinary field.

“Chef Shawn is truly in love with what he does, and it shows in every aspect of his work,” said student Amanda Klunk. “His passion for cooking, his dedication to feeding people, and his commitment to taking care of others are truly inspiring.”

Sumiki’s dedication to teaching and service has been recognized with the Outstanding Lecturer Award (2012–13), the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Service (2019), and the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching (2022–23).

Student Casey Chow said he looks forward to the week more than the weekend due to the nurturing environment and Sumiki’s encouragement.

Lisa M. Vallin

Lisa Vallin is an instructor in the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in the College of Social Sciences at UH Mānoa. Her work centers on creating inclusive, engaging and socially relevant learning environments in sexuality studies.

With more than 15 years of teaching experience, she brings a research-informed and intentional approach, emphasizing critical thinking, cultural awareness and student-centered learning. Her classroom fosters a strong sense of community where students feel seen, affirmed and supported in exploring complex and often sensitive topics with curiosity and respect.

Through innovative assignments, community partnerships and guest speakers, students connect theory to practice and engage issues such as reproductive justice and HIV advocacy. Vallin is known for her approachable teaching style and commitment to equity and inclusion, helping students become informed and engaged community members.

“Lisa Vallin is a phenomenal professor. Every day, she had us all in the palm of her hand, completely enveloped in her presentations,” said a student. “I wish I could take a class of hers every semester. I have recommended her classes to everyone I can because everyone can benefit from learning from her and exploring the topics taught in her courses.”

Brian Yamamoto

Brian Yamamoto is a professor of natural sciences at Kauaʻi Community College. For more than 40 years, he has embodied the spirit of Frances Davis, an inspired teacher dedicated to sharing knowledge with undergraduates in natural sciences. Throughout his decades of service at Kauaʻi CC, his passion has never waned—whether in the lab, the field, meeting with a student or teaching at high schools.

His commitment to undergraduate excellence is evidenced by the robust success of the Academic Subject Certificate (ASC) in Hawaiian Botany. Through Yamamoto’s leadership, 46 early college students have successfully earned their ASC in Hawaiian Botany since 2022. He has a unique ability to connect botany to students’ lived experiences, such as helping Native Hawaiian students apply botanical knowledge directly to their own lōʻi (taro patch).

Yamamoto has said, “One must be willing to get dirty, feel the wind at your back, and explore with your senses wide open. Let nature be the teacher. Nature will always present the truth, we just need to interpret it correctly.”

A former student said, “His classes were the highlight of my college experience.” That student now aspires to become a teacher, because Yamamoto made learning so engaging.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� held its 2026 UH ����ԴDz� Awards ceremony on May 5, 2026.

UH President Wendy Hensel, UH ����ԴDz� Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos and Board of Regents Chair Gabe Lee recognized this year’s honorees for their outstanding accomplishments.

A recording of the event will be available on the at a later date. from the event.

Congratulations to all our winners!

2026 UH ����ԴDz� Awards winners

• Cheehyung Harrison Kim, associate professor, history
• Miyoko Teddy Pettit-Toledo, assistant professor, law
• Subhashni Raj, assistant professor, urban and regional planning
• Eirik J. Saethre, professor, anthropology
• Tamara Ticktin, professor, botany
• Kara Noelani Wong Ramsey, associate professor, pediatrics

• Nicolas Gaillard, associate researcher, �鶹��ý Natural Energy Institute
• Joseph Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula, professor, Native Hawaiian health
• Victor M. Lubecke, professor, electrical and computer engineering

• Lisa M. Vallin, instructor, women, gender, and sexuality studies
• Lolita Perez-Ayala, graduate assistant, communication and information sciences

• Yoshimi (Shimi) M. Rii, assistant specialist, �鶹��ý Institute for Marine Biology

• Ethan Caldwell, associate professor, ethnic studies
• Jane Chung-Do, professor, public health
• Jeffrey Drazen, professor, oceanography
• J. Lorenzo Perillo, associate professor, theatre and dance
• Cathi Ho Schar, associate professor, architecture
• N. Haʻalilio Solomon, assistant professor, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language

• Michelle Myrie, deputy chief, Department of Public Safety
• Earl Matsushita, work coordination center manager, Campus Operations and Facilities
• Evelyn Mangadlao, janitor, Campus Operations and Facilities
• Dina Shek, director, Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in �鶹��ý

• Karen Harper, fiscal officer, �鶹��ý Institute of Marine Biology
• Paula MacCutcheon, operations coordinator, Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office
• Roy Suda, IT specialist, Enrollment Management

• Merle R. Kataoka-Yahiro, professor, nursing

• Lauren Prepose-Forsen, director, ����ԴDz� Transfer Coordination Center

• John G. Souza, assistant professor, family and consumer sciences
• Tianlu Wang, assistant professor, mechanical engineering

• Dhvanil Desai, PhD candidate, astronomy
• Sophia Rahnke, PhD candidate, marine biology
• Jannatun Noor Sameera, PhD candidate, electrical and computer engineering

• Kate Sapigao, lead student mentor, GEAR UP ����ԴDz�

University of �鶹��ý faculty received top awards for their excellence in teaching and engagement and groundbreaking research.

Fifteen UH faculty members from across the state have been awarded the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching, and three received the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research.

In addition, five UH teachers have been recognized with the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and a �鶹��ý Community College student has won the Masaki and Momoe Kunimoto Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Vocational Education.

“Our faculty are the heart of the University of �鶹��ý, and their excellence in teaching and research embodies the values that define our institution—including a deep commitment to serving our communities,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “These awardees represent the very best of UH: world-class scholars and educators whose work has local impact and global reach. I am proud to recognize their achievements and deeply grateful for the ways they continue to elevate our university and our state.”

Each campus selects awardees for the Board of Regent’s Medal for Excellence in Teaching and the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. For example, at UH ����ԴDz�, the awardees are selected by prior award winners.

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching recognizes faculty who exhibit an extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, teaching effectiveness and creativity, and personal values beneficial to students. The 2025 winners.

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research recognizes a faculty member’s scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of all in the community, nation and the world. The 2025 winners.

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 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 UH ����ԴDz� for 19 years. The 2025 winners.

The Masaki and Momoe Kunimoto Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Vocational Education rewards outstanding achievement and significant contribution to vocational and technical education by a community college faculty member or student. The award was established by family members to honor the namesakes’ role in development of the food industry in �鶹��ý. The 2025 winner.

In addition, UH ����ԴDz� recognized faculty, staff and students for their exceptional achievements in teaching, research, community service, advising, mentoring and more at the ����ԴDz� Awards ceremony held April 28.

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 ����ԴDz� for 19 years.

Kathleen Hagan

Kathleen Hagan is a professor of nursing at UH Maui College, with almost 18 years of service as an undergraduate educator. She has championed integration of the Kaʻao Framework (UH Maui College’s framework for student success) into the nursing curriculum, and has taught every required course.

An avid lifelong learner and volunteer, Hagan consistently seeks out opportunities for her students to engage in community education and advocacy to advance their learning as well as the health of our island ʻohana.

“She has created an environment where learning goes beyond simply acquiring knowledge; it’s about cultivating our character and discovering the qualities that will make us compassionate, capable healers in our careers,” said a student.

Hagan believes college should be a transformational experience, instilling knowledge skills, and attitudes not only for career advancement, but also for civic engagement and life fulfillment.

Another student said, “Her warmth and professionalism have left a lasting impression on me.”

Nicholas Krueger

Nicholas Krueger is an instructor in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management at UH Hilo. He is known for his dynamic instruction, community-based research and deep investment in student success.

A UH Hilo graduate, Krueger returned to his alma mater to teach and lead research in agronomy, soils and animal science. He involves students in funded research tackling real-world challenges—from fermentation science to methane reduction in livestock—while mentoring them through writing, experimentation and presentation.

“I know for a fact that everyone feels comfortable and welcomed by Nick; to make mistakes, sound silly, or just be flat out wrong,” said a student. “And when it comes to learning, that makes all the difference in differentiating sheer luck and memorization from understanding.”

Krueger’s approachable style, high expectations, and commitment to real-world application have made him a transformative educator shaping the future of �鶹��ý agriculture.

Mark Nartatez

Mark Nartatez is an instructor, the Dental Assisting Program director, and the clinical education coordinator at Kapiʻolani Community College. With more than 18 years of clinical and administrative experience, Nartatez brings industry expertise and a student-centered approach to the Dental Assisting Program.

Nartatez’s instruction integrates textbook knowledge with real-world application, ensuring students meet dental accreditation standards while emphasizing technological integration, critical thinking and compassionate care. His holistic approach encourages students to grow beyond technical skills and see themselves as educators, advocates and changemakers capable of influencing their peers and the broader healthcare community.

“Mark consistently demonstrates an innovative approach to education, creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for his students,” shared one student. “One notable example of his creativity is incorporating case studies based on real-life scenarios students may encounter in the dental field. What sets Mark apart is his commitment to creating a learning environment where students feel heard and valued.”

Colleen Rost-Banik

Colleen Rost-Banik is an instructor in the Department of Sociology in the UH ����ԴDz� College of Social Sciences. She sees the classroom as a reflection of society, shaped by the wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives students bring. Over the course of a semester, she believes students have a valuable opportunity to learn from one another and engage in collective exploration.

Rost-Banik emphasizes the importance of consistent practice in understanding sociological concepts, encouraging students to develop their skills through reading, writing and critical thinking. She acknowledges that meaningful learning takes time, patience, effort—and often involves trial and error.

Her courses also prioritize the values of care and community, which she believes are crucial to both the classroom and broader society. She believes supporting one another is key to success.

Student feedback highlights the impact of her approach. One student shared that her class was “filled with lots of exciting information on different theories and sociological perspectives,” and helped them gain practical skills such as conducting surveys and analyzing visual information.

Sara Maaria Saastamoinen

Sara Maaria Saastamoinen is a PhD student in the Department of Political Science in the UH ����ԴDz� College of Social Sciences. She is also an exhibiting artist, abundant futures consultant and community organizer.

Coming from a long line of Karelian (Northern European region) teachers, she credits her family with inspiring her early passion for political inquiry and creative expression. Her courses explore topics such as the everyday politics of water and the societal sacrifices that sustain American political systems.

Students nominated her for fostering creativity and inclusivity, encouraging expression through formats such as sculptures, short stories, mixtapes and monologues.

“Sara’s commitment to deeper understanding challenged us to think critically about our choices and their broader implications for humans, the environment and other living beings,” one student wrote.

Another shared, “I have never learned as much as I did in Sara’s class—it will positively affect the way I view things and the kind of person I am for the rest of my life.”

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� celebrated the exceptional achievements of its faculty, staff and students at the 2025 , on April 28 at Kennedy Theatre.

UH President Wendy Hensel, UH ����ԴDz� Vice Provost for Academic Excellence Laura Lyons and Board of Regents Vice Chair Laurie Tochiki recognized this year’s honorees for their outstanding accomplishments.

A video recording of the event will be available on the UH Manoa Awards page at a later date.

Congratulations to all our winners!

2025 UH ����ԴDz� Awards winners

• Mapuana C.K. Antonio, associate professor, public health
• Matthew F. Cain, associate professor, chemistry
• Elisabeth Mehana Makaʻinaʻi, instructor, Hawaiian studies
• Hannah Manshel, assistant professor, English
• Masaru Mito, instructor, Japanese language
• Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, associate professor, political science

• Sloan Coats, assistant professor, Earth sciences
• Matthieu Dubarry, associate researcher, �鶹��ý Natural Energy Institute
• Rick Kazman, professor, information technology management

• Margaret Colleen Rost-Banik, instructor, sociology
• Sara Maaria Saastamoinen, PhD student, political science

• Maya Soetoro-Ng, associate specialist, Matsunaga Institute for Peace

• Dean Domingo, instructor, Ilokano language
• Chad Edward Miller, specialist, teacher education
• You-il (Chris) Park, associate professor, accounting
• Melissa Renae Price, associate professor, wildlife management
• Jennifer D.S. Griswold, professor, atmospheric sciences
• Kaori Tamura, associate professor, kinesiology and rehabilitation science

• Seung Yang, assistant director, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
• John Gestrich, carpentry shops manager, Campus Operations and Facilities
• Marla Fergerstrom, farm manager, College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resilience
• Jennifer Frank, physician, University Health Services ����ԴDz�

• Michele Inouchi, administrative officer, Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success
• Roy Tom, machinist, Department of Physics and Astronomy

• Michael Liu, astronomer, Institute for Astronomy

• Kenny Kaʻaiakamanu-Quibilan, assistant faculty specialist, Department of Information & Computer Sciences

• Academic & Student Affairs Office, College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resilience
  (Kayden Iwasaki, Irene Morrow, Maile Sing and Jessica Strenstrom)

• Sladjana Prišić, associate professor, microbiology
• Pei-Ling Kao, associate professor, dance

• Aláine Fiona Lee, undergraduate student, astrophysics
• Kazuumi Fujioka, PhD candidate, chemistry
• Nick Saunders, PhD candidate, astronomy

• Shayla Spotkaeff, undergraduate research assistant, Center for Oral History

Awardees were selected following careful review by the various awards committees, based on nominations and supporting materials across teaching, research, mentoring and service. Mahalo to all who participated in the selection process.

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.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� honored the outstanding contributions of faculty, staff and students at the 2024 . The annual event was held Wednesday, May 8 at 10:30 a.m. at Kennedy Theatre.

UH President David Lassner, UH ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno and Board of Regents Interim Chair Gabriel Lee honored the award recipients for their achievements.

A live video stream of the event will be available for those unable to attend in-person.

2024 UH ����ԴDz� Awards winners

• Sothy Eng, associate professor, family and consumer sciences
• Kristiana Kahakauwila, associate professor, English
• Martina Kamaka, associate professor, Native Hawaiian health
• Nicole Reyes, associate professor, educational administration
• Stephanie Nohelani Teves, associate professor, women, gender and sexuality studies
• Richard Wallsgrove, assistant professor, law

• Benjamin Shappee, associate astronomer, astronomy
• Malte Stuecker, assistant professor, oceanography
• Donald Womack, professor, music

See the 2023 ����ԴDz� Awards winners and the 2022 winners

• Imelda Gasmen, instructor, Filipino language and culture

• Maximillian Soares Miehlstein, MA candidate, psychology

• Manu Kaʻiama, instructor, accounting

• Louis Bousquet, associate professor, French
• Shelece Easterday, assistant professor, linguistics
• Jonathan Fine, assistant professor, philosophy
• Elina Hamilton, assistant professor, music
• Thomas Quattlebaum, assistant professor, family medicine
• Johanna Kapōmaikaʻi Stone, instructor, Hawaiian language

• Cora Chik, janitor, Buildings and Grounds Management
• Matthew Lam, educational specialist, Department of Chemistry
• Nālani Minton, assistant specialist, Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing
• Dana Singer, secretary, Department Urban and Regional Planning

• Aaron Pietruszka, associate specialist, Department of Earth Sciences

• Jonna Eagle, associate professor, American studies

• Eve Millett, academic advisor, ����ԴDz� Advising Center

• ����ԴDz� Advising Center

• Samir Khanal, professor, molecular biosciences and bioengineering
• Pier-Carlo Tommasi, assistant professor, Japanese language

• Cara Tan, Undergraduate student, economics
• Aldo Sepulveda, Master’s student, astronomy
• Louward Zubiri, Doctoral student, linguistics

• Liam Felix, geographic information system assistant, Office of Systems Integration

.

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, for faculty 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 ����ԴDz� for 19 years.

Katherine Aumer

Katherine Aumer is an associate professor of psychology at UH West Oʻahu. She joined the social sciences division in August 2020. Aumer serves as the consulting editor for the Journal of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, on the UH West Oʻahu Budget and Resource Committee, and on the Hawaii State Council on Mental Health.

A student called Aumer a “warm and willing professor.” They said her strengths include her promptness in responding to emails and concerns for students. “I struggled with testing and she took the time through email correspondence to help me find other ways to help me study,” they said.

Aumer has published several books and chapters on emotions and the methods of studying emotions, and numerous articles regarding the application and exploration of emotions science, regulation and care delivery. Prior to joining UH West Oʻahu, Aumer was the chair of the Psychology Department at �鶹��ý Pacific University.

Leanne Day

Leanne Day is an assistant professor of English at UH Hilo. Her areas of specialization and research include settler colonial studies, Asian American literature and cultural studies, �鶹��ý literary and cultural studies, Pacific Island literatures and ethnic studies. She is interested in introducing her students to writers and poets from Oceania who use not only traditional writing but also multimedia posts on social media as a platform for social activism.

“She encourages a highly collaborative classroom, emphasizing open conversation between students as a means to learn,” said a nominator.

“What Dr. Day does so well in her classroom contributes vitally to student retention and success at UH Hilo, and so do her invaluable contributions to strengthen the English program by teaching high-quality courses that empower student learning and critical thinking,” wrote another.

Day was the inaugural Daniel K. Inouye postdoctoral fellow at UH ����ԴDz�, and did her postdoc at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she helped build an Asian American and Pacific Islander studies program. Her latest publication is Plantation Housing Isn’t the Answer to Homelessness in �鶹��ý.

Aaron Hanai

Aaron Hanai is an associate professor of engineering in the STEM Program at Kapiʻolani Community College. He spent eight years as a systems engineer for a small business in Honolulu specializing in autonomous underwater robotics before giving teaching a try in 2011. The personally and professionally rewarding experience was unexpectedly transformative, resulting in a permanent career change.

He is passionate about undergraduate research experiences that provide his students with both the technical and soft skills necessary to succeed in their STEM careers. Hanai constantly looks for ways to integrate sustainability and ʻāina-based learning into the curriculum, always finds a way to incorporate K–12 STEM outreach in project activities, and loves to work across disciplines with his colleagues.

“His passion for teaching is self-evident, and he is a tireless advocate for undergraduate research, which affords underrepresented STEM students opportunities that simply would not exist in his absence,” said a colleague.

Hanai earned a BS in physics and an MS and PhD in mechanical engineering from UH ����ԴDz�.

Kalikoaloha Martin

Kalikoaloha Martin is an instructor in the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the UH ����ԴDz� �鶹��ýnuākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge. He encourages students, including undergraduate and graduate students and faculty colleagues pursuing Hawaiian language proficiency, to get uncomfortable with trying out their ʻōlelo, until they get comfortable.

Through this practice, Martin realized that “unbeknownst to me, collectively stepping outside of their comfort zone, students depend on one another, deepen their friendships with their classmates and foster rapport that is unbreakable.” A student wrote, “As a leader, Kumu Kalikoaloha’s great strength is his ability to empower others to lead.”

A colleague who teaches the next level Hawaiian language shares first-hand knowledge that Martin’s students consistently excel, leaving his class with a well-grounded grasp of the language and culture and a spark of energy to continue further. Another colleague who studies with him reflects, “This course is difficult, and it is also very clear. What makes it rise above the rest is Kalikoaloha himself.”

Orlo Steele

Orlo Steele is an associate professor of science who teaches in the Tropical Forest Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management program at �鶹��ý Community College. Known as a patient, thoughtful and “extremely knowledgeable” instructor, Steele brings a wide diversity of experience to his teaching, from work with rural communities in Guatemala to botanical surveys throughout the Pacific Islands.

With his expertise in �鶹��ý’s native forest ecosystem and knowledge of agroforestry operations, Steele makes science exciting and relevant for a diverse range of students through engaging lectures and extensive field work.

A student said, “He also takes us on many different excursions, and we do a lot of hands-on field work and lab work,” which “helps the knowledge stick.“

Steele has established valuable relationships in the community and with local industry, which allows him to provide students with on-the-job training and networking opportunities with potential employers. He earned his PhD in botany from the UH ����ԴDz�, and has taught at �鶹��ý CC since 2007.

Manca Sustarsic

Manca Sustarsic is a PhD candidate in education with a concentration in educational foundations in the UH ����ԴDz� College of Education. She is a passionate educator with a commitment to cultivating critically minded, culturally sensitive and empathetic members of society.

Sustarsic has teaching experience at the K–12 and college levels. In 2022, she taught an advanced undergraduate course, Education in American Society, in which students explored the historical, political and sociocultural contexts of education. She ensured that her curriculum and lessons drew connections to education history, culture-based learning and current issues in education in �鶹��ý.

After taking Sustarsic’s class, students expressed they felt one step closer to becoming the teachers they wanted to be. They appreciated her passion for education and her ability to make complex topics engaging.

Her teaching philosophy centers around fostering learners’ critical consciousness, collaboration and respect for diversity. She strives to create a classroom environment inclusive of a diverse group of learners who each contribute to our intellectual growth and cultural sensitivity with their unique experiences and perspectives.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� will celebrate 30 of its finest faculty, staff and students with various teaching, research and service awards at the 2023 ����ԴDz� Awards Ceremony.

The annual awards ceremony will be held Monday, May 1 at 3:30 p.m. at Kennedy Theatre.

UH President David Lassner and UH ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno, along with Board of Regents Chair Randy Moore will honor the award recipients and celebrate the accomplishments of these individuals. .

2023 UH ����ԴDz� Awards winners

• Rosanna ʻAnolani Alegado, associate professor, oceanography
• Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker, associate professor, theatre and dance
• Richard Chen, associate professor, law
• Monica LaBriola, assistant professor, history
• Summer Puanani Maunakea, assistant professor, curriculum studies
• Alexander Stokes, assistant professor, cell and molecular biology

• Kenneth Chambers, astronomer, astronomy
• Jeffrey Drazen, professor, oceanography
• Shadia Habbal, astronomer/faculty chair, astronomy

• E. Kalikoaloha Martin Jr., instructor, Hawaiian language

• Manca Sustarsic, PhD candidate, educational foundations

• Chet-Yeng Loong, professor, music

• Mary Shin Kim, associate professor, Korean linguistics
• Hannah-Hanh Nguyen, associate professor, management
• Kevin Nute, professor, architecture
• Jayson Parba, instructor, Filipino language and culture
• Tyler Ray, assistant professor, mechanical engineering
• Jamie Simpson Steele, professor, education

• Maggie McGehee, university scheduler, Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence
• Siausage (Sonny) Ugaitafa, equipment operator, Campus Operations
• Elaine Nakahashi, secretary, Department of Anthropology
• Thomas Tsutsumoto, junior specialist, ����ԴDz� Career Center

• Winona Lee, associate professor/director, John A. Burns School of Medicine

• Kathryn Braun, professor, public health

• Siobhán Ní Dhonacha, faculty specialist/academic advisor, Honors Program

• Wendy Kawabata, professor, art and art history
• Craig Nelson, associate researcher, oceanography

• Jason Hinkle, PhD candidate, astronomy
• Xiaojie (Sherry) Xu, PhD candidate, mechanical engineering

• Binierose Cacho, special programs coordinator, Office of Enrollment Management

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for a faculty 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. Joseph Keola Donaghy, Hoa Le, Brent Kawika Rubio, Tarisi Vunidilo and Justin Walguarnery received the award for 2022.

Joseph Keola Donaghy, UH Maui College

Joseph Keola Donaghy is an assistant professor of music and serves as the faculty coordinator for the at . The institute mentors and trains aspiring musicians in performing, singing, composition, recording techniques and marketing of Hawaiian music. Students are taken from the beginning of their musical training to their career debut.

Donaghy is passionate about Hawaiian music and has worked with students to produce albums, which has earned him a Nā Hōkū Hanohano award as producer of the compilation EP “He Lani Ko Luna, He Honua Ko Lalo.” He is accomplished in the Hawaiian music industry, serving as a member of the Board of Governors of the �鶹��ý Academy of Recording Arts.

He is also linguistically accomplished in Hawaiian, Te Reo Māori and Irish Gaelic. Donaghy is also the developer of the Hawaiian keyboard and recently developed and released Hulihua—a Hawaiian clone of the popular Wordle game.

One of his colleagues wrote, “His work in mentoring the next generation of musicians and giving students a pathway to utilize and embrace their talents as a musician is notable and should be celebrated!”

Hoa Le, UH Mānoa

Hoa Le is a PhD candidate in the second language studies department in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s . During the past two years, she has taught undergraduate classes in the Vietnamese language program where she developed new, innovative syllabi and course material that served the diverse and real-world needs of her students.

She believes education, and language teaching in particular, should aim to contribute to modern society, which is rooted in rounded, open and well-developed educational concepts. Importantly, it should place the learners at the center of education, educating the whole person, and promote mutual aid and cooperation in the classroom.

When teaching online, Le put extra effort to take advantage of technology making her lessons engaging and motivating. Her students have expressed that they really enjoyed and were delighted learning this tonal language and connecting to its culture, while putting what they learned into real-world practice.

Brent Kawika Rubio, Honolulu CC

Brent Kawika Rubio is an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at . He is a proud alumnus of Pearl City High School, UH Mānoa, and the University of California at Santa Cruz, where he earned his PhD in chemistry and biochemistry.

According to his nominators, Rubio is a “tremendous educator who embodies professionalism and inspires the desire to learn and grow.” “Best teacher ever” encapsulates the sentiments received from his students. Students also describe him as “passionate,” “extremely organized” and “able to make chemistry understandable.” One student said that Rubio “genuinely cared about his class and treated us all as equals.”

In addition to teaching, Rubio has held leadership positions such as division chair, STEM Center director, President’s Commission on LGBTQ+ Equality co-chair, and Pamantasan Conference co-chair. Since 1998, Rubio has served in the �鶹��ý Army National Guard. He is currently the first sergeant of the 111th Army Band.

Tarisi Vunidilo, UH Hilo

Tarisi Vunidilo is an assistant professor in anthropology and the coordinator of the at . Her area of specialization includes the cultures of Oceania with an emphasis on her home community of Fiji, and her topics of specialization center on indigenous museum studies. She is currently volunteering as secretary-general for the Pacific Islands Museums Association.

“Dr. Vunidilo embodies and leads by example the ethics set forth by the UH system initiative to indigenize university education, �鶹��ý Papa O Ke Au,” said a nominator. “She brings to the classroom a Fijian-based talanoa (storytelling) teaching style that allows her to effectively convey ideas while listening to students. With the online nature of teaching during the pandemic, Dr. Vunidilo has nurtured this pedagogy farther, integrating indigenous Fijian frameworks that center on the values of respect, reciprocity, and relationship (veiwekani), and conversing, listening and understanding (veivosaki).”

Another nominator said: “One of Dr. Vunidilo’s greatest strengths is her caring attitude toward students and fostering a nurturing learning environment. Several students have shared with us that it was their personal connection to Dr. Vunidilo and her genuine concern that sustained them in their journeys to graduation.”

Justin Walguarnery, UH Mānoa

Justin Walguarnery is an assistant professor of in the at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa. He has rarely had a semester where he felt he could do what had been done before.

“Science by its very nature necessarily entails doing what has never been done and always exceeding your previous understanding, so it’s only ever made sense to me to do the same in my teaching of science,” he said.

To bridge practice to theory, he is acquiring courses in a third graduate degree in educational psychology in areas of cultural influences, cognition and qualitative research methods. He meets his students as equals with full respect of where they’ve come from and where they are going.

In the words of one student, “There was an inherent freedom of thought and the support and implementation to actually make it work.”

Walguarnery’s hands-on lab course taught throughout the pandemic resulted in the highest exam averages ever with half the time in lab under COVID conditions without reducing course content or compromising high standards.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� recognized its finest faculty, staff and students with various teaching, research and service awards at its first in-person ����ԴDz� Awards Ceremony since 2019.

The 2022 UH ����ԴDz� Awards Ceremony was held on Monday, May 2 at 3:30 p.m. at Kennedy Theatre.

President David Lassner and Provost Michael Bruno honored the , and awardees and celebrate the accomplishments of these individuals. .

During the ceremony, there was also be a special recognition of the UH COVID-19 Health and Well-Being Working Group and Reinhold Penner of the UH Cancer Center for their COVID-19 campus efforts.

Read more on UH News about our 2020 and 2021 UH ����ԴDz� Award winners.

2022 UH ����ԴDz� Awards winners

• Troy J.H. Andrade, associate professor, law
• Daniel Harris-McCoy, associate professor, classics
• Peiling Kao, associate professor, theatre and dance
• Kyra Anne Len, associate professor, pediatrics
• Bridget Smith-Konter, professor, Earth sciences
• Wei Zhang, professor, sociology

• Brian Popp, professor, Earth sciences
• Rui Sun, assistant professor, chemistry
• Xudong Sun, assistant astronomer, astronomy

• Justin W. Walguarnery, assistant professor, biology

• Hoa Le, graduate teaching assistant, second languages studies

• Denise Antolini, professor, law

• Jennifer Blackwell, assistant professor, music
• Marguerite A. Butler, professor, biology
• Stephanie Furuta, associate specialist, Institute for Teacher Education
• Scott Lozanoff, professor, anatomy, biochemistry and physiology
• Seungoh Paek, associate professor, learning design and technology
• Philip Williams, professor and chair, chemistry

• Herman Ayers, janitor, Buildings and Grounds Management
• Kenton Harsch, director/BA coordinator, English Language Institute
• Tyler Kitagawa, janitor, Buildings and Grounds Management
• Steven Labrash, assistant specialist, anatomy, biochemistry and physiology

• E. Brooke Chapman de Sousa, associate professor, Institute for Teacher Education

• Henrietta Dulai, professor, Earth sciences

• Jill Nakatsu, director of student services, College of Engineering

• Tyler Ray, assistant professor, mechanical engineering
• Stephanie Teves, assistant professor/undergraduate advisor, Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

• Ashley Chontos, PhD candidate, astronomy
• Samantha Keaulana-Scott, PhD candidate, public health
• Geetika Patwardhan, bachelor’s candidate, molecular and cell biology

• Herman H. Lau, student assistant, General Education Office

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for a faculty 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. Laurie James, Tiffany Kawaguchi, Heewon Kwon, Ruria Namba, A. Zachary Trimble and Lissa Tsutsumi received the award for 2021.

Laurie James, UH West Oʻahu

Laurie James is an assistant professor of math education at the . Since joining the education division in August 2016, she has become a co-facilitator of the Math Teachers’ Circle of �鶹��ý (MaTCH) sessions that promote inquiry-based investigations, intrinsic motivation and hands-on pedagogical approaches. Professional educators participate in the MaTCH meetings multiple times each semester solving mathematical problems so they can anticipate where their students might struggle with mathematical concepts.

James’ students have stated that she is one of the more energetic professors they have ever had. “Dr. James is the math teacher that I wish I could have had while I was in elementary school. She makes learning math fun and embodies the concept of genuinely loving being a teacher with everything she is,” said one student.

Since 2017, James has collaborated with Grant Toyooka, the Leilehua Complex resource manager in various STEM and robotics events. She helps to create student-friendly activities through mathematical challenges, the engineering design process, make-and-take stations and robotic quests.

Tiffany Kawaguchi, Kapiʻolani CC

Tiffany Kawaguchi serves as the program director and academic fieldwork coordinator in the at . Kawaguchi is an occupational therapist with more than 20 years of experience in acute care, inpatient and subacute rehabilitation, mental health, administration and education.

In 2015, Kawaguchi started a federally funded pro bono clinic for the OTA Program. The mission of the clinic is to utilize meaningful experiences and intentional practice opportunities to help students access and then apply critical pieces of information to the occupational therapy process while delivering high quality occupational therapy services to clients living with injury, illness and/or disability. In 2016, Kawaguchi received the Laura N. Dowsett OT of the Year Award from the OT Association of Hawaii.

She was selected to represent Kapiʻolani CC in the inaugural �鶹��ý Association for Career & Technical Education Emerging CTE Leaders Program in 2018. She is also an advisory board member for the �鶹��ý Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Regulated Industries Complaints Office for OT practice, and an education committee member for the OT Association of Hawaii.

Heewon Kwon, UH Mānoa

Heewon Kwon is a social and cultural psychology PhD student in the UH ����ԴDz� . Kwon has extended her passion in statistics to teaching introductory statistics courses in the psychology department. Her teaching starts from understanding the difficulty many students face when they first learn statistics. Therefore, she focuses on clarity in content, expectations and educational goals.

Her class materials are full of illustrations and demonstrations explaining theories and calculation processes. These processes are embedded in larger real-life research questions so that students find themselves thinking about how to use these tools in research. She hopes that students will find statistics is not an obstacle to overcome, but is a useful tool that will help them become researchers.

Kwon is interested in culture and multicultural individuals and plans to extend her research by combining her research interest with advanced statistical techniques. She hopes to continue sharing her excitement about and dedication to research with students through teaching.

Ruria Namba, �鶹��ý CC–Pālamanui

Ruria “Luria” Namba is a biology instructor at the in Kona. A caring, knowledgeable and innovative teacher, Namba is described by a colleague as “the catalyst for the overall success of many of our students” in the science and pre-nursing programs.

She builds a sense of community, and students seek out her classes because of her student-focused teaching. “Taking a class from Dr. Namba generates positive feedback—the more you learn, the more you want to learn,” one student stated.

Namba is devoted to fostering strong scientific knowledge and reasoning in students, with an emphasis on understanding the process of discovery. She uses innovative teaching methods, including place-based science education that builds an awareness and a deep appreciation for Hawaiian culture while teaching cutting-edge science.

An active member of the campus, Namba inspires others with her commitment to students, the college and the community. She has taught at �鶹��ý CC since 2016.

A. Zachary Trimble, UH Mānoa

A. Zachary Trimble is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the UH Mānoa . He is an inspiration to his students to whom he has been an extraordinary mentor and teacher.

A colleague shared, “In truth, I wish we could 3D print a dozen more Zacs. Such is the inspiring effect that he has had on faculty and staff alike.”

A student wrote, “Professor Trimble’s course reminded me why I wanted to be an engineer and raised my own expectations for the quality of my work,” validating a core value in Trimble’s teaching that students discover for themselves a lasting desire to explore a subject on their own.

Trimble behaves as if he were the chief technology officer of an engineering company and treats students as newly hired engineers. Students report on their current progress, which requires them to take ownership of their projects, transitioning to defining their own tasks and really understanding their significance in the context of each project.

Lissa Tsutsumi, UH Hilo

Lissa Tsutsumi is an assistant professor of applied agricultural science and biotechnology at . Since 2019, she has served as the equine program coordinator with the . She is responsible for the care protocols for the animals at the UH Agriculture Farm, and serves as the advisor for animal science students and for the �鶹��ý Island Pre-Vet Club.

Her teaching highlights include developing five animal science courses and an equine certificate, and developing an equine program, which consists of seven horses that are used for riding lessons and course demonstrations and activities.

“I treat my students as adults and future professionals and community members,” Tsutsumi said. “My task is to enable my students to have the necessary skills and knowledge so that they can make informed decisions and take the necessary action to succeed in real life situations.”

Tsutsumi received her BA in kinesiology and exercise sciences from UH Hilo and her PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy.

Each year, the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� honors the leadership and service of its faculty, staff and students committed to enhancing the university’s mission of excellence. The annual in-person ceremony has been transformed for another year due to the ongoing pandemic. UH President David Lassner addressed the 2021 UH ����ԴDz� Awards recipients in a video message. Congratulations to all our awards winners!

2021 ����ԴDz� Awards winners

Board of Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching

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.

• Mark Branner, associate professor,
• Jane J. Chung-Do, associate professor,
• Derrick Higginbotham, associate professor, College of Arts, Languages & Letters
• Wendy K. Meguro, assistant professor,
• Mary Mostafanezhad, associate professor,
• Scott K. Rowland, specialist,

Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research is awarded by the University of �鶹��ý Board of Regents in recognition of scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of students and the community.

• Bruce Houghton, professor, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology
• Fei-Fei Jin, professor, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology
• Angelicque White, associate professor, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for a faculty 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 UH ����ԴDz� for 19 years.

• A Zachary Trimble, associate professor,

Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Graduate Teaching Assistants

• Heewon Kwon, PhD candidate, College of Social Sciences

Robert W. Clopton Award for Distinguished Service to the Community

The Robert W. Clopton Award for Distinguished Community Service recognizes a UH ����ԴDz� faculty member for playing a socially significant role by applying intellectual leadership and academic expertise to the improvement of the community. The award was established as a memorial to longtime UH ����ԴDz� College of Education Professor Robert Clopton and first awarded in 1977.

• Thomas E. Jackson, specialist, College of Arts, Languages & Letters

Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching

The Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching recognizes UH ����ԴDz� faculty members who have made significant contributions to teaching and student learning.

• Kasey Barton, associate professor,
• Sonia Ghumman, associate professor,
• Betsy Gilliland, associate professor, College of Arts, Languages & Letters
• Kristi Govella, assistant professor, College of Arts, Languages & Letters
• Pratibha Nerurkar, associate professor,
• Prisic Sladjana, associate professor, College of Natural Sciences

Presidential Award for Outstanding Service

The Presidential Award for Outstanding Service honors a UH ����ԴDz� staff member who demonstrates outstanding work performance, service and leadership.

• Barbara Bruno, specialist,
• Yosuke Jo, maintenance and repair supervisor,
• Lisa Kam, secretary, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
• Lyn Nakagawa, head athletic trainer,

Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani Faculty Diversity Enhancement Award

The Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani Faculty Diversity Enhancement Award from the UH ����ԴDz� Commission on Inclusion and Diversity recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to enhancing diversity. The award was established to recognize Agbayani’s lifetime commitment to diversity and social justice in �鶹��ý. For more than 40 years, she served as the founder and director of the Office of Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity.

• Jennifer Engels, research affiliate, �鶹��ý Institute of Geophysics and Planetology

Peter V. Garrod Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award

Established by the UH ����ԴDz� Graduate Division in 2005, the Peter V. Garrod Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award allows graduate students to nominate faculty for excellent mentoring, one of the foundations of outstanding graduate education.

• Lois Yamauchi, professor, College of Education and graduate chair,

Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research & Creative Work

The Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research and Creative Work was created in 2020 by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at UH ����ԴDz�. The award recognizes up to two tenured/tenure-track faculty mentors each academic year (one from a STEM discipline, and one from a non-STEM discipline) who have shown dedicated and sustained excellence in faculty mentoring of undergraduate students in their research and creative work endeavors.

• Lisette Marie Flanary, associate professor,
• Megan Porter, associate professor, School of Life Sciences

Outstanding Academic Advisor and Academic Unit of the Year Award

The Pakela and ʻOikela Awards are presented by the Council of Academic Advisors which recognizes an individual or unit who, over the past two years, has demonstrated excellence and/or innovation in advising, and/or has made a significant contribution to the advising community.

Pakela Award—Kēhau Newhouse, Maui program coordinator/transfer specialist,

ʻOikela Award—

Student Excellence in Research Award

The Student Excellence in Research Award is awarded by the UH ����ԴDz� Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research in recognition of outstanding scholarly research endeavors by students while they pursue a degree at the doctoral, master’s or bachelor’s level.

• Travis Berger, PhD candidate,
• Viet Sang Doan, MS candidate, College of Engineering
• Victor Kilonzo, BS candidate, and

Student Employee of the Year Award

The Student Employee of the Year Program was created in 1986 by the ����ԴDz� Career Center to recognize and highlight the achievements and contributions of student employees on the UH ����ԴDz� campus.

• Kaylie Hayashida, university scheduler assistant,

Related UH News story: UH ����ԴDz� student employee critical to campus schedule, April 26, 2021

View President Lassner’s message and read more about the winners on the website.

The recognizes the leadership and service of its finest faculty, staff and students committed to enhancing the university’s mission of excellence.

In a message to the 2020 honorees, UH President David Lassner said, “Words like ‘catastrophic’ and ‘devastating’ are used frequently when describing the pandemic and its impact. But words like ‘amazing,’ ‘committed,’ ‘resilient,’ ‘collaborative,’ ‘innovative’ and ‘compassionate’ are what I use frequently to describe what our faculty, staff and students have accomplished during this crisis.”

“We all have been challenged in this semester like no other, and the future is far from clear. But with your stellar work advancing UH ����ԴDz� every day, I know that we will make it through these trying times stronger and wiser,” he added.

Read on the UH ����ԴDz� Awards website.

2020 ����ԴDz� Awards winners

Board of Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching

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.

Roger Babcock, professor,
Babcock brings his expertise as a licensed professional engineer to the role of educator through his eight-week review course.

Charlotte Frambaugh-Kritzer, professor,
Frambaugh-Kritzer presents a balance of theory, research and practice in engaging and innovative ways.

Alexander Mawyer, associate professor,
Mawyer is described as having a sweeping, intellectual grasp on biocultural diversity that melds science, history, anthropology and linguistics.

Alison Nugent, associate professor,
In Nugent’s classes, students speak of gaining “a sense of community and collaborative learning, instead of competition.”

Kathleen Sands, professor,
A colleague observes that Sands’ teaching: “furthers the potential for respectful public dialogue and a meaningful public life.”

Grieg Steward, professor, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
Steward’s approach towards the presentation of material is a form of theatre that bridges the distance between himself and students.

Read more about the

Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research is awarded by the University of �鶹��ý Board of Regents in recognition of scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of students and the community.

Daniel Huber, assistant astronomer,
Huber combines data from NASA space missions with observations using ground-based telescopes in �鶹��ý.

Qing Li, professor,
Li’s research addresses fundamental issues in agricultural chemistry and has greatly advanced understanding of the field.

Mari Yoshihara, professor and chair, Department of American Studies
Yoshihara examines the politics of cultural encounters between the United States and East Asia.

Read more about the

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for a faculty 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 UH ����ԴDz� for 19 years.

Jason Higa, assistant professor,
Higa augments the lecture and magnifies prerequisite knowledge through strategies of analogy, physical engagement and incorporation of local and Hawaiian terminology.

Read more about the

Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Graduate Teaching Assistants

Sabrina Diemert, PhD candidate, College of Engineering
Diemert’s teaching approach involves the use of active learning techniques, a deep enthusiasm for core concepts and connections to real-life applications and research.

Read more about the

Robert W. Clopton Award for Distinguished Service to the Community

The Robert W. Clopton Award for Distinguished Community Service recognizes a UH ����ԴDz� faculty member for playing a socially significant role by applying intellectual leadership and academic expertise to the improvement of the community. The award was established as a memorial to longtime UH ����ԴDz� College of Education Professor Robert Clopton and first awarded in 1977.

Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie, professor,
MacKenzie leaves a legacy to �鶹��ý as a creative force and expert in the distinct area of Native Hawaiian law by illuminating culture as a living embodiment of how Maoli (native Hawaiian) culture provides the very foundation for �鶹��ý law.

Read more about the

Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching

The Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching recognizes UH ����ԴDz� faculty members who have made significant contributions to teaching and student learning.

Katie Drager, associate professor,
Drager’s pedagogy is grounded in a constructivist method of guiding students towards command of their own learning and a research-based method.

Anna Feuerstein, associate professor, College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
Feuerstein provides students with a deep awareness of literary traditions while analyzing cultural productions—novels, films, paintings—within their social, historical and political contexts.

Howard Shen, instructor,
Shen’s students relish his spirited use of analogies, props, personal anecdotes and jokes.

Karla Sierralta, assistant professor,
Sierralta’s studio teaching frequently expands into community projects, providing her students with opportunities to contribute to their communities.

Noenoe Silva, professor,
Silva offers courses in Hawaiian language, and contributes greatly to the university’s mission as an indigenous-serving institution.

Amber Wright, assistant professor,
Wright is committed to building quantitative literacy and fostering student engagement by creating relevance to real-world situations and to life in the Hawaiian Islands.

Read more about the

Presidential Award for Outstanding Service

The Presidential Award for Outstanding Service honors a UH ����ԴDz� staff member who demonstrates outstanding work performance, service and leadership.

Angel Asuncion, janitor supervisor,
A 30-year employee of the university, Asuncion conducts regular inspections and team trainings, representing building services and leading by example.

James Potemra, specialist,
Potemra has been instrumental in developing programs and addressing key challenges in physical oceanography data application at national and international levels.

Loree Shiroma, janitor,
Shiroma’s high cleaning standards are described like “pristine hospital conditions,” and she anticipates problems and initiates remedies before users notice.

William “Bill” Unruh, physical plant manager, Institute for Astronomy
Unruh’s meticulous attention to facility details support IfA’s expertise, professionalism, innovation and overall success in service to the campus and the state.

Read more about the

Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani Faculty Diversity Enhancement Award

The Dr. Amefil “Amy” Agbayani Faculty Diversity Enhancement Award from the UH ����ԴDz� Commission on Inclusion and Diversity recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to enhancing diversity. The award was established to recognize Agbayani’s lifetime commitment to diversity and social justice in �鶹��ý. For more than 40 years, she served as the founder and director of the Office of Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity.

Deborah Zuercher, professor, College of Education
Zuercher has established effective place-based pedagogies that honor local traditions and has made significant achievements in recruiting and graduating diverse groups of students.

Read more about the

Peter V. Garrod Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award

Established by the UH ����ԴDz� Graduate Division in 2005, the Peter V. Garrod Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award allows graduate students to nominate faculty for excellent mentoring, one of the foundations of outstanding graduate education.

Jairus Victor Grove, director, and graduate chair, Department of Political Science
Grove currently serves on 24 dissertation committees, and is the university representative for dissertations in educational foundations, philosophy and sociology.

Read more about the

Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research & Creative Work

The Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research and Creative Work was created in 2020 by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at UH ����ԴDz�. The award recognizes up to two tenured/tenure-track faculty mentors each academic year (one from a STEM discipline, and one from a non-STEM discipline) who have shown dedicated and sustained excellence in faculty mentoring of undergraduate students in their research and creative work endeavors.

Brittany Biggs, assistant professor,
Biggs creates hands-on, practical mentorship projects that help students excel in their academic studies and prepare them for future careers.

Pratibha Nerurkar, associate professor,
Nerurkar regards undergraduate research and mentoring as a “high impact practice in higher education” and considers it as one of the most rewarding activities of her career.

Read more about the

Outstanding Academic Advisor and Academic Unit of the Year Award

The Council of Academic Advisors recognizes an individual or unit who, over the past two years, has demonstrated excellence and/or innovation in advising, and/or has made a significant contribution to the advising community.

Megumi Makino-Kanehiro, director,
Makino-Kanehiro’s passion is equity and diversity, which is evident in both her advising philosophy and in her work and service as an advisor.

Established in 2014, the center implements and manages the Kaʻieʻie Degree Pathway Program, a dual-admission, dual-enrollment partnership between the UH Community Colleges and UH ����ԴDz� to assist with transfer of students between the campuses.

Read more about the

Student Excellence in Research Award

The Student Excellence in Research Award is awarded by the UH ����ԴDz� Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research in recognition of outstanding scholarly research endeavors by students while they pursue a degree at the doctoral, master’s or bachelor’s level.

Zhoujian (ZJ) Zhan, PhD candidate, Institute for Astronomy
Zhang is using his discoveries to characterize their atmospheres and demographics in order to understand the wide diversity of exoplanetary systems.

Joy Agner, PhD candidate,
Agner’s research focuses on improving health systems and policy for marginalized populations.

Marley Aiu, bachelor’s candidate, and
Aiu uses creative research (choreography, creative writing, film and photography) to both educate and empower local and global communities.

Read more about the

Student Employee of the Year Award

The Student Employee of the Year Program was created in 1986 by the ����ԴDz� Career Center to recognize and highlight the achievements and contributions of student employees on the UH ����ԴDz� campus.

Lindsey Bull, student assistant,
Bull worked with the marine turtle biology and assessment program for more than three years and conducted research on the effects of sea turtle nest incubation temperature upon hatching success.

Read more about the

The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for a faculty 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 UH Mānoa for 19 years.

Sandra Claveria is an assistant professor and coordinator of the human services program at . Claveria uses a dynamic pedagogy to inform, ignite and inspire her students. She instills within her students an awareness of self, sense of place and renewed confidence. She equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with diverse individuals in numerous human services settings.

With nearly 35 years of experience in Hawaiian culture, diversity and values education, Claveria is a mentor and coach, and highly sought-after facilitator and keynote speaker. She advises the Unity with Aloha student organization, and cultivates campus and community servant leaders.

Claveria is a 2010 recipient of the University of �鶹��ý Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching, a Generation X Wo Learning Champion and a Generation II/III Wo Global Learning Champion. She exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding instructor who demonstrates passion, encouragement and aloha.

Gigi Drent is a professor of mathematics at . Her experience extends from teaching a wide range of courses from basic math to calculus at high school and college levels to training teachers on Common Core state standards as well as curriculum development at the UH Community College and the �鶹��ý Department of Education. She is very passionate about engaging learners with mathematics, especially in the areas of problem solving and number sense.

Drent believes in the open-door education—the foundation that made her American Dream come true when her family immigrated from Vietnam in 1990. It is the driving force behind her efforts in Early College, college and career readiness, as well as P–20 alignment projects. She believes that change is inevitable, so she engages in planned changes such as the math redesign and student success initiatives in the UH Community College system. Drent believes and preaches Growth Mindset—the best competition is her own previous self; life is a work-in-progress; and hard work is the key to success.

Karyl Garland, a lecturer in the Department of English, is carrying on a family legacy in her teaching. The concept of storytelling is interwoven throughout her teaching philosophy. In the spirit of place-based education, Garland begins the element of storytelling with a personal narrative asking students to recall a place of significance, to evoke an atmosphere in which “learners become part of a community greater than their own and recognize themselves within that community as individual of extraordinary value.”

Her courses include business writing, introductory and advanced composition and professional editing. Utilizing her expertise with editorial work, she introduces students to the art of professional editing and publishing, and they attribute successes outside the university to the form of professionalism she embodies as a teacher.

“After taking her class, I understand the importance of writing well,” said one student.

Maureen Kearns is a PhD candidate in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Department of Mathematics. She possesses a tremendous passion for education. Her approach to teaching includes the key components of genuine care for students, remaining humble and having a sense of responsibility to her community.

Kearns has sought outside training from Youth Mental Health First Aid USA and Safe Zone Training on LGBTQ+ Safety and Inclusion to help become a well-rounded, effective instructor. She understands her students come from unique backgrounds and have much more going on in their lives than just the math class at hand.

One student echoes the sentiment of many others, saying, “She dedicates a lot of time to out-of-class help and also provides students with an abundance of resources. She is by far the best T.A. I have ever had for any class.”

Matthew Knope joined the in fall 2017 as an assistant professor of biology and quickly became known for putting teaching and his students as his highest priorities. Students in his courses laud him for bridging complex evolution concepts with real-world research. Colleagues praise him for demonstrating his commitment and strong ability to integrate research and teaching and to directly involve students in his research, which involves his high-impact research on global animal extinctions among other topics.

Students are thankful for their first-hand experiences to create research posters and present them to an audience, opportunities many undergraduates say they never had before taking a class from Knope. Students agree that Knope connects well with students, explains complex topics in unique and exciting ways and always uses different approaches to his teaching to ensure student success. He is considered a natural and effective teacher and a rising star in the field of ecology and evolution.

Michele Mahi is an assistant professor of speech at . Her exuberance and dedication to continuous improvement in curriculum, communication and pedagogy are the cornerstones of her approach to teaching.

Mahi created Leeward’s first fully online Speech 151 class and designed the first 5-week accelerated version of that course. She redesigned her standard course syllabus, creating more engaging, visual communication pieces. Creating Visual Syllabi was one of the more than 20 workshops Mahi developed and presented for students and faculty.

Improving student learning is the foundation of everything Mahi does. She enthusiastically stepped up to coordinate the campus wide initiative to explore best practices in retention strategies for faculty in the classroom. The retention and persistence project involved research, hands-on working sessions and sharing results with the campus.

She was selected to co-chair Teaching Squares, one of Leeward’s professional development programs to improve teaching. The program brings faculty together to observe and learn from other teachers.

Kamuela Yong is an assistant professor in the Mathematics, Health and Natural Sciences division at the . He has been at UH West Oʻahu since fall 2015 and has continued to modify his teaching style based on learning from his students.

Yong’s main goal is to prevent students from fearing math. In order to accomplish this, he acknowledges, “I must listen and be patient.” Building on this approach, he embraces and fosters a mathematics community.

Since fall 2018, he has provided tutoring during his lunch break to current and former students, as well as students in other math classes. Additionally, Yong has created 232 online videos constituting more than 49 hours of instructional content.

When a student was asked what grade she would give him, she replied, “An A+. Dr. Yong really took the time to explain to us the material that we needed to know for this course and was really patient with us.” Yong proclaims that “teaching is a learning experience” and readily admits that he is constantly learning as well.

Six University of �鶹��ý teachers have been recognized with the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching—Beau Ewan, Patricia Hensley, Taurie Kinoshita, Emi Murayama, Laura Nagle and Rain Wright.

This award recognizes dedication and demonstrated excellence of teachers of undergraduate students. It was established as a memorial to the late Frances Davis, who taught mathematics at Leeward Community College and UH ����ԴDz� for 19 years.

Beau Ewan
Instructor, languages, linguistics and literature,

Beau Ewan of the Department of Languages, Linguistics and Literature teaches English, and his enjoyment for teaching is readily apparent. He is described as engaging, challenging and therefore empowering in his writing assignments.

Being a prolific and published writer, Ewan insists that his students be clear in their thinking by rising above complex information and ideas in order to depict and discern the nuances between thinking and writing.

Ewan loves the outdoors. When not teaching, he makes time for surfing. He says he relocated to �鶹��ý for the waves, but stayed for the people. Ewan enjoys the diversity found in the islands, and feels especially grateful for the support of his colleagues and the opportunities he has been given to apply his personal and pedagogical investment in writing towards helping students with their own self-discovery.

Patricia Hensley
Assistant Professor, nursing,

Patricia Hensley has earned a reputation with her students as a dedicated nurse, educator and student advocate with a passion for teaching. Her goal is to provide students with a high-quality learning experience that will take them to the top level of professionalism and practice.

Hensley works tirelessly to make complicated subjects easier to grasp by utilizing a variety of teaching methods, including study aids, critical-thinking exercises and hands-on activities. She can often be found during the evening hours in the nursing lab, patiently coaching students through complex procedures while nurturing their confidence and growth as professionals.

She sets high expectations for her students, and they respond by putting in the extra time and effort required to become the best possible nurses they can be. Her hard work and dedication sets an example that makes Hensley the quintessential educator and the epitome of what the education system needs.

Taurie Kinoshita
Lecturer, theatre,

Taurie Kinoshita lectures in theatre at Windward CC. She is a professional theatrical director and teacher with more than 80 critically acclaimed productions in London, New York and Honolulu.

She has worked for the renowned Living Theatre Company in NYC with the legendary Judith Malina and has also taught at the East 15 Acting School, University of Essex and the University of Phoenix. Kinoshita received the Lucie Bentley Award for Excellence in Acting and the Inouye Award for Excellence in Playwriting, and has accepted multiple Poʻokela Awards for directing by the �鶹��ý State Theatre Council.

Most recently, Kinoshita was recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The award recognizes her “valued service to students as an educator and mentor.” She is also a volunteer board member of Kumu Kahua Theatre. Kinoshita holds a master in fine arts in directing (Western theatre) and a bachelor’s degree in theatre from UH ����ԴDz�.

Emi Murayama
Instructor, College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature-East Asian Languages and Literatures,

Emi Murayama is an instructor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature. She sees the classroom as a dynamic space for collaboration in which students are contributors, teachers are learners, and learning is ongoing.

Murayama’s research focuses on business environments, and the practices are easily adaptable to other environments. In this respect, it has had an important impact on the development of the new curriculum in Japanese, in which teaching pragmatics is a key element.

Her colleagues praise her impact on the curriculum as an experienced teacher with an exceptionally wide range of courses. She is a main contributor of unique and innovative new textbooks for the curriculum, which will impact Japanese programs at other universities beyond UH ����ԴDz�. Students credit Murayama for their academic success because she generates in them a transformation from passive to active, inquisitive and engaged learners.

Laura Nagle
Associate Professor, English,

Laura Nagle, an associate professor in English, is deeply passionate about teaching and gives confidence to all of her students by empowering them and creating an atmosphere of enjoyable learning. Nagle believes that all students have strengths and talents and that her role is to provide the guidance in facilitating and accentuating those traits to achieve personal and professional success.

One of her former students who is also a current employee at UH Maui College, Corinne Morton, shared that she had not attended school in 35 years when she was enrolled in Nagle’s writing class, and Nagle was a highly impactful teacher in helping her achieve a successful return to school. She described Nagle as having a “positive energy, aura and attitude” and also shared that Nagle “never gave up on me when I thought about quitting.” Even though she had not written essays in years, Nagle “helped me grasp what she was teaching, focused on my weaknesses, and helped me succeed in the class.”

Nagle exemplifies the qualities of an educator who lives and breathes excitement, intelligence and integrity.

Rain Wright
Graduate Assistant, English,

Rain Wright is a PhD candidate in the Department of English. She practices her belief in writing as discovery to embolden her students to intellectual curiosity. Wright encourages students to question everything; the classroom is a space where students are inspired to respond from various points of view.

She contends that students bring knowledge into the classroom through their lived experiences and stories, which expand class discussions. Wright finds that writing permits students to access a sense of intellectual imagination that emphasizes process-based pedagogies and the significance of re-framing preconceived notions of reading and writing.

Wright makes it a practice to voice the benefits of the creative writing and reading exercises she brings to the classroom. This practice allows students to comprehend her teaching methods, further motivating them and contributing to their intellectual growth as a whole.

Six University of �鶹��ý teachers have been recognized with the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching—John Hamilton, Nyle S. Kauweloa, Monica LaBriola, Denise Nelson-Hurwitz, John Signor and Mark A.J. Wilding.

This award recognizes dedication and demonstrated excellence of teachers of undergraduate students. It was established as a memorial to the late Frances Davis, who taught mathematics at Leeward Community College and UH ����ԴDz� for 19 years.

John Hamilton
Instructor, ,

John Hamilton is an instructor in physics and astronomy at UH Hilo. His students note his genuine love for astronomy and a true passion for sharing it with them.

Hamilton tirelessly excels at helping students gain real-life experiences through his work with various projects, including the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems and the UH Hilo Robotics Team. Students find these experiences, such as volunteering with NASA scientists for live experiments, to be incredibly valuable in advancing their careers by connecting them with scientists from prominent space agencies.

His students say his teaching has shown them that learning is much more than equations and memorizing facts; it is about the work they put in and the skills they develop along the way.

Nyle S. Kauweloa
Graduate assistant, ,

Nyle “Sky” Kauweloa’s approach to academic and intellectual curiosity is matched by his concern and interest in the stories of students. A PhD student in the communication and information sciences program, he is interested in digital communications and gaming.

Kauweloa enjoys challenging students to think about how technologies will shape the future. Students who have taken his course at the School of Communications describe him as open, caring and inquisitive while being intellectually provocative and imaginative.

Colleagues admire his ability to marry diverse topics in the field of information and communication technologies to everyday concerns related to privacy, security and digital surveillance. In the end it’s about crafting knowledge and teaching that becomes meaningful. As one student noted, “When Sky related current events and articles, it gave the subject matter context. This was nice because it showed that the concepts we were learning are important and not just theory.”

Monica LaBriola
Assistant professor, ,

Monica LaBriola is an assistant professor of history at UH West Oʻahu, where she teaches courses in Pacific Islands, world and U.S. history. She completed her PhD in history and MA in Pacific Islands studies at UH Mānoa.

Before coming to �鶹��ý for graduate work, LaBriola spent three years in the Marshall Islands where she developed a passion for Pacific Islands history and culture. She is currently completing a manuscript about land and power on Likiep Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Her students have stated that she is an engaging professor and that she fills her classroom with energy. “She is a passionate professor that successfully teaches and guides her students to see the ‘bigger picture’ of their own lives and the historical context that has laid out the foundations of the life we live now.” Students love that she is willing to work with them in the journey of understanding, through difficult and controversial topics.

Denise Nelson-Hurwitz
Assistant professor, ,

Denise Nelson-Hurwitz’s path to UH ����ԴDz� was a circuitous yet purposeful journey that also led her back to her roots.

As a graduate research assistant mentored by Mānoa faculty, Nelson-Hurwitz discovered her love for teaching. She is described as an excellent teacher with a deep knowledge and compassion for students and their learning. She is credited with the development of the newly instituted undergraduate public health program in 2014 and the capstone series in which students present quality projects on community-based service learning and research.

She seeks innovative approaches that allow her students to experience their education through evidence-based student engagement and team-based experiential learning techniques. The influence and impact of her inspired teaching extends beyond the ����ԴDz� campus and into local and national communities, conferences and institutions. Other universities are seeking to replicate the models she created for introductory and capstone courses in public health studies.

John Signor
Assistant professor, music,

“The instructor was amazing…This is by far the best college course I have ever taken.”

These words are typical of the outstanding student evaluations given John Signor, assistant professor of music at Leeward Community College. Creativity and commitment to the collaborative process are essential elements of Signor’s teaching.

Signor explains, “My profound love for music accompanied by what it has to offer us, is the driving force that compels me to share it with fervor and integrity. My vocation as a musician is deeply connected to my calling as a teacher. I consider myself truly blessed to have the opportunity to study and teach this uniquely beautiful language.”

His music classes effectively foster creativity, self-confidence and shared problem solving. Signor cultivates a community of learners who strive for resourcefulness and cooperation.

Signor’s teaching philosophy is rooted in student engagement and creative collaboration, maintaining a flexible approach and a focus on global perspectives. He generates a wide variety of performance opportunities for his students, in addition to providing his own talents. From the culturally significant Liliʻu Project, celebrating the compositions of Queen Liliʻuokalani, to scoring local films and theatrical productions, Signor’s contributions are always selflessly given and joyously received.

Mark “Maleko” Wilding
Graduate student, Department of Second Language Studies,

Mark Wilding is a PhD student in the Department of Second Language Studies where he has taught a variety of undergraduate courses over the last 5 years.

His achievements as a teacher stem from a real passion for language learning, a genuine empathy for his students, and a vocation for helping others learn in a fun and ʻohana-like environment. His department chair shared, “We are not sure if he is fluent in as many as 12, but he certainly spends time practicing and extending his command of more languages than there are professors in the department.”

Wilding regularly corresponds with other polyglots and takes a new language course every semester at UH Mānoa, which gives him a deeper insight into the many challenges faced by language learners and teachers at different stages. With glowing course feedback every semester, Wilding is considered a role model teacher by many students.

Please contact your campus chancellor’s office for more information about the application process.

Five University of �鶹��ý teachers have been recognized with the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching—Katherine “Sam” Geiling, Will Jonen, Joel A. LeBel, Barbara Meguro and Jamie Simpson Steele.

This award recognizes dedication and demonstrated excellence of teachers of undergraduate students. It was established as a memorial to the late Frances Davis, who taught mathematics at Leeward Community College and UH Mānoa for 19 years.

Frances Davis Award honorees

Instructor, ,

Sam Geiling is the heartbeat of the veterinary technology program at Windward Community College, the only program of its kind in the state. She has taught more than a dozen animal science classes and specializes in teaching clinical laboratory techniques with a passion.

She motivates and helps her students grasp the rigorous material, acquire skills and excel from the certificate of achievement in veterinary assisting to the associate in science in veterinary technology degree. Her impact on students goes beyond the classroom. While challenged at work in a veterinary clinic one student remarked, “I asked myself, ‘What would Sam do?’ and it helped!”

Geiling is committed to preparing students to pass the vet tech national examination for careers in veterinary clinics or labs. To this end, she has forged relationships with more than 30 vet clinics and shelters, designed new courses and helped make the AS degree in veterinary technology a reality at Windward
CC.

Will Jonen
Assistant professor, math and sciences,

Through innovative teaching methods in the field of anatomy and physiology and dedication to his students, Will Jonen has proven himself to be an outstanding educator. He feels that playing even a small role in the positive growth of people gives his work substance and has enhanced his sense of fulfillment in life. While maintaining belief in Kapiʻolani Community College’s motto, “Strive for the highest,” Jonen is constantly searching for ways to best support students in their learning.

One of his students said, “Dr. Jonen stands alone as the single most inspirational teacher I have had. He consistently demonstrates a high level of expectations for students in combination with an equally high level of support and concern for our learning. Dr. Jonen’s mastery of anatomy and physiology, his ability to impart information in a clear and insightful way, his enthusiasm and his high expectations are preparing me for success in the future.”

A colleague said, “In his relatively short tenure at KCC, he has transformed the zoology curriculum to make it more current, dynamic and engaging for students. After finding the previous materials to be outdated and uninspiring, he rewrote the entire course packet single-handedly and made it available to other faculty.”

Joel A. LeBel
Graduate assistant, , College of Arts and Humanities,

Joel LeBel is described as one of the strongest and scholastically knowledgeable PhD candidates in the Department of Philosophy. His mastery of the relevant subject matter is matched only by his creativity in clearly conveying some of the more esoteric concepts and traditions in the discipline.

Wrote one nominator, “Anyone familiar with philosophy knows it is fundamentally driven by questions, and the novel, fun and relevant way LeBel was able to pose these millennia year-old questions was nothing short of imaginative and perceptive.”

He established a learning community, in which he seats his students in a circle, with him in the middle of it, because of his belief that “all are teachers, and all are students.” He has cultivated an academically safe environment that unshackles students from intellectual restraints.

Instructor, ,

Barbara Meguro has been teaching service courses for non-majors at UH Hilo since 2001 and has been teaching the introductory course for majors since 2012. She is a major contributor to most of the course notes used in the computer science service classes, particularly microcomputer applications software, web technology, web server management and graphics and game programming.

She recently participated in an National Science Foundation study about the effect of studio-based learning in computer science courses on learning and students’ confidence in their ability to master the material.

Prior to �鶹��ýHilo, she taught computer application and industry network certification courses for 17 years at Coastline Community College in Fountain Valley, CA. She also supervised the college’s computer laboratories there. Her primary industry experience was programming in basic for the budget department of ITT Cannon Electric. In 1987, she self-published WordStar Explained and DOS for Beginners, both of which were used by several community colleges in California. As technology changed, her textbooks switched to WordPerfect and dBASE.

Assistant professor, , ,

Jamie Simpson Steele has a passion for teaching that is expressed through dynamic instruction, dedicated responsiveness to students, collaboration and co-teaching and a commitment to universal design and culturally relevant pedagogy.

A uniquely potent characteristic of her engaged and creative teaching derives from her background in the performing arts, which generates high-energy student learning through movement and action, thinking and talking. She sees the arts as a “rehearsal for life” and that “an engagement in aesthetic realms provides entries into how the world works in ways that traditional learning does not.”

She has assumed leadership in developing, implementing and assessing a co-teaching program to engage future teachers in blended content involving general elementary and special education through redesigning courses to better meet the needs of diverse learners.

Six University of �鶹��ý teachers have been honored with the . The award 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 UH ����ԴDz� for 19 years.

2015 honorees

• Maria Guerriero, instructor, nursing, School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, UH Mānoa
• Victoria Mathis, assistant professor, nursing, Kauaʻi Community College
• Julie Powers, assistant professor, early childhood education, Department of Social Science, UH Maui College
• Norman Purves, instructor and lab coordinator, physics and astronomy, Natural Sciences Division, UH Hilo
• Chamil Rathnayake, graduate assistant, School of Communications, College of Social Sciences, UH Mānoa
• Rex Troumbley, graduate assistant, political science, College of Social Sciences, UH Mānoa

Fifteen University of �鶹��ý faculty members have been selected as recipients of the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching, and three were selected as recipients of the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research.

“University of �鶹��ý teachers and researchers are world-class, in subjects ranging from automotive technology and justice administration to marine biology and astronomy,” said University of �鶹��ý President David Lassner. “We thank these outstanding teachers and researchers for their service and dedication. They truly make a difference in the lives of our students and in our community.”

Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching recognizes faculty who exhibit an extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, teaching effectiveness and creativity, and personal values beneficial to students.

2014 honorees

• , assistant professor, administration of justice, UH Maui College
• , associate professor, nursing, University of �鶹��ý at Hilo
• , associate professor and counselor, Student Affairs-Counseling and Support Services Center, �鶹��ý CC
• , assistant professor, elementary education, UH West Oʻahu
• , assistant professor, biology, Leeward CC
• , assistant professor, art and art history, University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa
• , associate professor, architecture, UH Mānoa
• , instructor, business, legal and technology education, Kapiʻolani CC
• , associate professor, special education, UH Mānoa
• , professor, communication arts, Honolulu CC
• , assistant professor, law, UH Mānoa
• , instructor, mathematics, Windward CC
• , professor, automotive technology, Kauaʻi CC
• , associate professor, nursing, UH Mānoa
• , assistant professor, Hawaiian, UH Mānoa

Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research recognizes a faculty member’s scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of all in the community, nation and the world.

2014 honorees

• , associate researcher, marine biology, UH Mānoa
• , assistant astronomer, astronomy, UH Mānoa
• , astronomer, astronomy, UH Mānoa