Kaiwipunikauikawēkiu Punihei Lipe, who directs the University of �鶹��ý , is stepping into a new role. A prominent leader in advancing �鶹��ý-grounded initiatives across the 10-campus system for more than two decades, Lipe has been selected as the new poʻo kula (head of school) at Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha ma Kapālama (Kamehameha Schools Kapālama), where she will support and serve students and educators across the K–12 campus.

Her UH service spans key leadership roles having also served as director of the , and director of UH ����ԴDz�’s .

“UH has always held a special place in my life,” said Lipe, a graduate of UH ����ԴDz� and Kamehameha Schools. “This community raised me, and it has been the greatest honor of my professional life to work alongside all of you. UH nurtured my growth and strengthened my commitment to ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge), to ʻāina (land), and to the relationships that guide our work. In many ways, Kamehameha Schools also shaped my early journey, and at this moment, it is deeply meaningful to return and step into this leadership kuleana (responsibility).”

Related UH News stories:

• Punihei Lipe selected to lead systemwide Native Hawaiian initiative, July 23, 2024
• Oli, mele, kuleana guide UH ����ԴDz� annual summit, January 22, 2026
• Rebuilding pilina: 2nd annual summit advocates racial healing, January 23, 2024

Rooted path

At UH, Lipe earned a PhD in and a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian studies. She also earned a master’s in counseling psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu. Lipe’s work at UH has spanned campuses, helping integrate ʻike �鶹��ý (Hawaiian knowledge) across strategic plans, campus culture, programs and initiatives. Her leadership is grounded in building authentic relationships and connections.

“Punihei has made a lasting impact across our UH campuses, helping to center ʻike �鶹��ý in meaningful ways that will continue to shape our university for years to come,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “Her leadership is characterized by humility, deep aloha, and genuine care for our students and communities. In my time working alongside her, she helped deepen my understanding of ʻike kūpuna, our responsibilities to ʻāina, and the importance of connection in all that we do.”

Work continues

The office that Lipe has built will continue the work of advancing UH’s active commitment to becoming grounded and reflective of �鶹��ý. The team she has trained and mentored is well-prepared to support and continue this endeavor as a permanent leader for the office is identified in the coming months.

Lipe will remain in her current role through the end of May to ensure a smooth transition, before stepping into her new role at Kamehameha Schools on June 15.

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Professor has been selected as dean of with his appointment set to take effect on July 1, 2026, following notice at the next Board of Regents’ meeting in April. �鶹��ýnuiākea is the only Indigenous-serving college at a Research I–designated university in the U.S.

“Kamana brings a combination of intellectual rigor, cultural grounding and visionary leadership,” said UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos. “His work shows how ancestral wisdom can guide innovative solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. As a scholar, teacher and convener, he inspires our students while helping position the University of �鶹��ý as a place where Hawaiian knowledge not only thrives, but leads the way in shaping a more sustainable future for our islands and beyond.”

Beamer, the inaugural Dana Naone Hall Endowed Chair in Hawaiian Studies, Literature, & the Environment, is director of within �鶹��ýnuiākea. He also holds a faculty appointment at the William S. Richardson School of Law through the . His research focuses on governance, land tenure and Native Hawaiian resource management.

Beyond scholarship, Beamer has helped shape some of the university’s most visible public conversations around land stewardship and justice. He founded and leads the annual Piʻo Summit, hosted by UH Mānoa, which brings together community leaders, scholars, policymakers and students to explore solutions for ʻāina restoration, stewardship and the return of lands to community care. The summit has become a signature gathering at the university, highlighting how traditional Hawaiian knowledge, policy and contemporary science can work together to address �鶹��ý’s environmental and social challenges.

“�鶹��ýnuiākea has provided me with such an incredible foundation and the tools to advance ancestral knowledge and regenerative values at home and across our world,” Beamer said. “I am profoundly honored to build upon the successes of our school and community to navigate a course toward aloha and abundance for our students and ʻāina, even in these challenging times. I can’t wait to get to work!”

Scholarship, service

Beamer is also a prolific author whose work explores Hawaiian sustainability and governance. His books include Waiwai: Water and the Future of �鶹��ý (2025), Islands & Cultures: How Pacific Islands Provide Paths toward Sustainability (2022), and No Mākou Ka Mana: Liberating the Nation (2014).

From 2022 to 2024, Beamer served as a founding member of the Mauna Kea Stewardship Oversight Authority. He also served two terms on the �鶹��ý State Commission on Water Resource Management, where he helped restore water flow to 45 streams across �鶹��ý and pressed the U.S. Navy to address fuel contamination of the aquifer at Red Hill.

More on Beamer

Beamer has served as director of ʻāina-based education at Kamehameha Schools, which helped prepare him for an ongoing role as director of Stanford University’s First Nations Futures Institute, a development program for Indigenous leaders. He comes from a long line of highly acclaimed educators, composers and musicians in �鶹��ý, including his great-great-grandmother, legendary Hawaiian composer Helen Desha Beamer, and is the only grandchild of Winnona Kapuailohiamanonokalani Desha Beamer. “Aunty Nona” was a revered kumu hula, author, educator and activist. In 2008, the UH Board of Regents awarded her a posthumous Regents’ Medal of Distinction.

Graduate students in the (DPHS) at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� enrolled in are helping tackle some of �鶹��ý’s most pressing health challenges, including issues related to maternal health, cultural responsiveness in data collection and fall prevention. Their community-engaged research was recently highlighted at the department’s annual Hōʻike (exhibit) in December.

Modeled after a professional academic conference, the Hōʻike, now in its 10th year, highlights student projects developed through partnerships with community organizations. Students work in teams to translate health promotion theory into practice—building relationships, conducting interviews, analyzing qualitative data and sharing findings grounded in community perspectives.

Guided by faculty Jane Chung-Do and David Stupplebeen, students collaborate directly with local partners to address pressing public health priorities.

“Student projects like these help connect students with the community, provide meaningful contributions to the work of community-based organizations, and help perpetuate the vision and mission of the Department of Public Health Sciences,” said Stupplebeen.

Partnerships that make an impact

The community partners of the Fall 2025 semester included ,, , and . Student projects examined a wide range of topics from factors related to delayed prenatal care among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women to coalition engagement in fall prevention efforts and expanding training pathways for Native Hawaiian healthcare practitioners.

For many students, the Hōʻike marked their first formal research presentation, strengthening skills in collaboration, analysis and professional dissemination.

“Having the opportunity to work so closely with a community of practice allowed me to uplift their values during this project, all while reflecting on my own position as a researcher,” said Shanda Shamela Delos Reyes, a graduate student in the course. “The hōʻike itself was a practice of reciprocation, allowing us to share the community’s data back to them.”

“This invaluable learning opportunity is made possible by the dedication of our community partners. We are deeply grateful for their tireless service to �鶹��ý and for welcoming our students into their vital work,” said Chung-Do.

“The students approached the project with diligence and professionalism, and delivered valuable data that will guide us in designing and implementing effective interventions for our members and the broader community,” said Lucie Tam, clinical coordinator, Quality & Performance Improvement, Quality Management at HMSA. “We look forward to partnering again on future initiatives!”

The Hōʻike reflects DPHS’ continued commitment to experiential learning, community engagement and advancing health equity statewide.

This article by Assistant Specialist in the College of Education at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Kahea Faria was first published in .

The growth of the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program from its inception to now is a sign that more of our people in �鶹��ý are turning to the language, culture, and history of our land and the education that is meant to embody it and facilitate the transmission of this knowledge to our children. For most families, this is the primary means of accessing this knowledge, and as such, it represents a public necessity, not a discretionary option.

While this growth has been encouraging, it has also revealed gaps in the structural foundation of the program. Most Hawaiian language immersion programs remain housed within predominantly English-medium schools, with a few stand-alone K–12 programs statewide and even fewer P–12 programs.

These environments are essential, as they create at least one sustained domain in which Hawaiian can function as the sole language of instruction. This model is not intended to produce monolingual speakers, but rather to strengthen pathways toward genuine bilingualism. Consequently, parents within Hawaiian Language Immersion Programs are increasingly advocating for the establishment of P–12 programs in each school district.

Recent efforts to expand access to advanced Hawaiian language instruction—such as online coursework offered through UH Maui College – along with financial support for teacher candidates from sources such as Kamehameha Schools’ Hookawowo Scholarship, the �鶹��ý Community Foundation, and the State of �鶹��ý’s Grow Our Own (GOO) Teachers, have helped to address these challenges.

Despite these efforts, the sustained growth of the program depends on continued investment in teacher preparation. For those who are interested, as well as those who are seeking a meaningful way to support our community through Hawaiian language, history, and culture, please contact either of the Hawaiian Language Immersion teacher preparation programs at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo or at the University of �鶹��ý at Manoa.

Finally, the rapid growth of the Hawaiian language immersion program should be addressed in the same manner as those of any thriving public school setting—by being adequately resourced and supported in its expansion, rather than constrained by regulatory frameworks that inhibit development.

The state should take a proactive role in planning for a future that includes P–12 Hawaiian Language Immersion Program schools in every district statewide. Anything less constitutes a disservice to the community and stands in opposition to the program’s purpose and intent to revitalize Hawaiian language, culture and history in �鶹��ý.

Ke ao ia nei ka naauao, auhea mai nei la hoi ke kahua o ka pono?

Challenging the traditional approach to pregnancy care which focuses solely on mothers’ behaviors, new research from the UH ����ԴDz� and international partners highlights the significant and often underrecognized role of fathers’ health and well-being in shaping pregnancy and child outcomes. The study was recently published in .

“The more we look, the more we find important contributions from fathers, including many factors traditionally believed to be solely the responsibility of the pregnant person, such as weight status, substance use or being an older parent,” said Jonathan Huang, lead author of the study and assistant professor at the in the . “In some cases, paternal contributions are even larger than their maternal counterparts and several are related intergenerationally to the fathers’ own upbringing.”

A framework for preconception health

This transdisciplinary review uses evidence from biological, behavioral and social sciences to create a framework for men’s role in preconception health. The findings show that a man’s early life experiences—including stress, physical and mental health, environment and education—influence his health during reproductive years. These factors can, in turn, affect his partner’s health and health behaviors (such as prenatal care) before and during pregnancy, as well as having direct biological effects on the developing infant.

The research addresses ethical concerns, noting that placing all responsibility for a child’s future health on the birthing parent reinforces gender biases. Furthermore, the researchers emphasize that racism and colonialism have disrupted family and community roles for many Black and brown men, creating barriers to addressing their health needs. This disruption underscores the need for culturally grounded approaches, which are particularly effective for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander men.

“Policies and programs are needed to strengthen family and community bonds while centering the health and well-being of ����Ա� [men] within their cultural roles. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander men are less likely to engage in Western-based health interventions than their female counterparts, but are more responsive to culturally grounded approaches,” said Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula, co-author and chair of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health in the .

Improving the health of Hawaiian ����Ա�

Kaholokula stated that the traditional concept of Hale Mua—a cultural space for men—offers a blueprint for improving the health of Hawaiian ����Ա� by creating safe spaces for mentorship, life instruction, emotional regulation and the transmission of cultural values, which reinforces their kuleana (responsibility) to family and community.

The researchers emphasize that policymakers, public health agencies, clinicians, researchers and men themselves all have a role in improving preconception health. Investing in the wellbeing of boys and young men is key to reducing health disparities and improving outcomes for future generations.

Huang added, “Raising awareness about the importance of men’s health does not diminish the critical importance of women and pregnant persons’ well-being. Rather it serves as a collective call-in to ensure that men and partners are equipped to be supportive partners, allies and caretakers before, during, and long after pregnancy.”

The research team includes collaborators from the continental U.S., the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Singapore. A companion study highlights the work of the international Core Indicators for Preconception Health and Equity (iCIPHE) Alliance in improving how preconception health is measured and monitored.

Following a competitive proposal process initiated in October 2025, the (�鶹��ý Sea Grant) announced five organizations to establish the first–of–its–kind Community Funding Hubs for Resilience and ʻĀina Stewardship. The five regional hubs are across the moku/hui moku (districts) of West Kauaʻi, Waiʻanae (Oʻahu), Molokaʻi, Central Maui and Kohala (�鶹��ý Island).

Each hub will receive up to $300,000 over three years to strengthen its administrative, financial and relationship–building capacities needed to support future community–led projects. Aligned with the cooperative vision of the project, these hubs will serve as central resources for managing and distributing funding on behalf of community–based organizations, effectively lowering the barriers to local stewardship.

“In �鶹��ý, we know the health of our families and our communities is inextricably tied to the health of our lands and our waters, and we benefit from ʻIke �鶹��ý (Hawaiian Knowledge) that teaches us how humans and nature can thrive together in our island systems,” said Kawika Winter, associate professor at and director of the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve. “The Moku System provides us a framework to not only address the problems we face today, but to do so while honoring our ancestors and ensuring that our descendants will be better off than we are today.”

The 5 organizations and their projects

• Kauaʻi Economic Development Board—Strengthening West Kauaʻi: A Funding Hub for Community–Led ʻĀina Restoration & Climate Resilience
• ‘Elepaio Social Services—The Waiʻanae Kaiāulu Funding Hub
• Molokai Heritage Trust—Ka Lāhui Hoʻolako
• Living Pono Project—Central Maui Resilience Funding Hub: Expanding Access, Equity, and Administrative Support
• Vibrant �鶹��ý—Kākoʻo Kohala

Empowering community-led stewardship

The hubs act as trusted intermediaries, forging direct partnerships between funders and local communities. By providing guidance with proposal development and budget management, these hubs help local organizations overcome technical barriers that often prevent small, grassroots groups from accessing vital funding for ʻāina (land) stewardship.

“These hubs are critical for a number of reasons,” said Eric Co, chief executive officer of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. “During COVID, we learned how difficult it was to get support to where trust was greatest and activities were most meaningful—at the grassroots level. These hubs build the equitable capacity needed to do so efficiently across the islands.”

Later this year, �鶹��ý Sea Grant will launch a separate round of adaptation and resilience project funding. These future opportunities will allow smaller community–based organizations to collaborate with their local Community Funding Hub to develop and manage projects.

This effort was made possible through funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management awarded in 2024.

As �鶹��ý faces rising sea levels, housing pressures and growing calls for the return of to community stewardship, the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� will host a day of bold conversations focused on solutions. On March 4, the annual at 8 a.m. at East West Center will gather leaders, scholars and community advocates to examine how land, law and justice intersect and what that means for �鶹��ý’s future.

Now in its fifth year, the summit carries the theme ʻĀinahoʻi: Land, Law and Justice. ʻĀinahoʻi means “indeed that which feeds us.” The phrase is both reminder and call to action that the future of �鶹��ý is tied to how we care for the ʻ�徱�Բ� that sustains us.

“We established the Piʻo Summits to advance ancestral knowledge and courageous leadership to address the cascading challenges of our times,” said Kamanamaikalani Beamer, professor at UH ����ԴDz� and the . “�鶹��ý deserves the best and the Piʻo Summits bring critical issues to the head of our table and we sit with the community to find ways to carve out a better future.”

Voices for ʻ�徱�Բ�

This year’s summit begins with music from two-time Grammy nominee Raiatea Helm and a keynote from Justice Joe Williams of Aotearoa, a respected Māori jurist known for advancing Indigenous rights within modern legal systems.

Throughout the day, panels will feature leaders from �鶹��ý’s largest landholders serving Native Hawaiian communities, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) advocates will join scholars and professors from UH ����ԴDz�’s and departments, as well as the William S. Richardson School of Law, to explore the future of ʻ�徱�Բ� stewardship and justice in �鶹��ý.

“This year’s summit will highlight the collective effort for ʻĀinahoʻi across the ,” Beamer said. “We will be exploring how communities are navigating and challenging existing systems through legal methods, land trusts, and grassroots action to restore , strengthen relationships to ʻ�徱�Բ�, and advance self-determined governance grounded in ancestral innovation and courageousness.”

Ancestral innovation

The summit is organized by Pōʻai Ke Aloha ʻĀina, a UH-based lab that works to solve modern challenges using ʻike �鶹��ý (ancestral Hawaiian knowledge). The lab is helping build a new center focused on an ancestral circular economy, a model rooted in regeneration and long-term stewardship.

After touring three University of �鶹��ý community colleges last fall, —interactive exhibits exploring sovereignty and life force—are expanding across UH libraries statewide this spring. Developed by , a network of Hawaiian language, culture and ʻ�徱�Բ�-based education organizations, the exhibits will rotate through , , , and from January through early April.

The exhibits center on Hawaiian history, while inviting communities to actively engage with ea (life, air, breath, sovereignty, rural, independence). This semester marks the first time the activations will rotate simultaneously across multiple islands, amplifying messages of ea and aloha ʻ�徱�Բ� (love of the land) while uplifting Hawaiian history, culture and language.

The initiative began during a Kūkalahale E Hoʻi Nā Wai culture-based professional development training, where Windward CC librarians explored ways to indigenize library spaces. The idea quickly spread across the UH system, evolving into a coordinated, multi-campus effort.

“I was so inspired by the campus libraries tour last semester that I wanted to make sure that every UH library had an opportunity to showcase the beautiful activations and educate our communities that the ea of this ʻ�徱�Բ� still exists through our history, culture and language,” said Kawena Komeiji, Hawaiian initiatives librarian at UH ����ԴDz�’s Hamilton Library.

The exhibit, which toured , and in the fall, is made possible through partnerships with and Kanaeokana.

Exhibit dates and locations

Ka Lā Kealaiwikuamoʻo Ea and Ka Lā ��ūʻ�ǰ��ʻ�� – A journey centered on Kamehameha III and his vision of an independent lāhui (group):

• January 12 – February 6: UH ����ԴDz� Hamilton Library, UH West Oʻahu Campbell Library
• February 9 – March 6: Kauaʻi CC Library, UH Maui College, UH Hilo Moʻokini Library

Ka Malu ʻUlu o Lele – Explores Lahaina’s sacred history and cultural resilience:

• February 9 – March 6: UH ����ԴDz� Hamilton Library, UH West Oʻahu Campbell Library
• March 9 – April 3: Kauaʻi CC Library, UH Maui College

Ruth ����ʻ�������ō�����Ծ� – Honors Princess Ruth Keanolani Kanāhoahoa ����ʻ�������ō�����Ծ� and her commitment to ʻō������� �鶹��ý (the Hawaiian language), tradition and her people:

• January 12 – February 6: Kauaʻi CC Library, UH Maui College
• February 6 – March 6: UH Hilo Moʻokini Library
• March 9 – April 3: UH ����ԴDz� Hamilton Library, UH West Oʻahu Campbell Library

Students, faculty, staff and community members gathered at University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� on ʻIanuali (January) 20–22 for the fourth annual (HKHA) Summit, a gathering centered on culture, place and shared kuleana (responsibility) to �鶹��ý and its future.

Hosted by the , the summit opened with circles that drew participation from classes across campus. Participants shared stories, listened deeply and built meaningful connections, creating spaces many described as grounding and affirming.

“This summit is designed to deepen our connections—pilina—to oneself, others, and , or our relationships with the natural environments around us,” said Kaiwipunikauikawēkiu Punihei Lipe, director of �鶹��ý Papa o ke Ao. “We’re just really always grateful for the folks who show up because when you come, that’s when we can really interact and feel the magic that happens in these spaces and then you can take that with you wherever you go.”

Lipe also led a visioning workshop that invited participants to express themselves through writing or drawing as they imagined a future they hope to create for their children and grandchildren. The session encouraged reflection, creativity and forward-looking dialogue grounded in care and responsibility.

Honor and healing

A deeply moving ceremony honoring Queen Liliʻuokalani and Martin Luther King Jr. marked the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the National Day of Racial Healing. Moments of reflection, oli (chant) and lei offerings filled the space with emotion, remembrance and collective healing.

Participants also joined a �鶹��ý �ʴDzԴ�ʻī workshop guided by Pele Harman, Native Hawaiian engagement director at UH Hilo. Harman helped attendees explore all three verses of the state’s national anthem composed by King David Kalākaua, offering deeper context beyond the commonly sung first verse.

����������� ʻ�徱�Բ� workshops provided hands-on opportunities to care for campus mea kanu (plants), reinforcing kuleana through action.

major Rene Lucero said the message and symbolism of the event left a lasting impression on him.

“It truly drives me to be more interested in the land and the culture and just respect it more. And to not only appreciate nature but also the people,” Lucero said.

Raised in Ecuador, Lucero shared that the experience helped deepen his appreciation for �鶹��ý and strengthened his connection to the university.

Each ʻIanuali (January), University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� pauses to reflect on �鶹��ý’s history while creating space for learning, dialogue and community gathering. This year, students, faculty and staff are once again invited to come together on campus for three days of events centered on culture, place and shared responsibility to �鶹��ý and its future.

Now in its fourth year, the annual (HKHA) summit will take place January 20–22, featuring a series of free events designed to center �鶹��ý, our beloved home.

“This summit is designed to deepen our connections——to oneself, others, and , or our relationships with the natural environments around us,” said Kaiwipunikauikawēkiu Punihei Lipe, director of �鶹��ý Papa o ke Ao. “We hope that participants will have a clearer vision of �鶹��ý’s past, present and future through bringing people together and cultivating such connections.”

Honor and healing

Hosted by the , the summit is intentionally timed to mark the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the National Day of Racial Healing, which coincides with the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s programming includes pilina circles and a range of hands-on and reflective workshops centered on culture, care and place. Sessions invite participants to learn the deeper meaning of �鶹��ý’s national anthem �鶹��ý �ʴDzԴ�ʻī, take part in ceremonies honoring Queen Liliʻuokalani and Martin Luther King Jr., care for campus mea kanu (plants), and engage in care-centered practices grounded in well-being and healing.

The summit will conclude with a closing plenary, Mele, Moʻolelo, & Momentum: Gifts from Moananuiākea, moderated by Bruce Kaʻimi Watson and celebrating songs and stories from across Moananuiākea (Pacific Ocean).

Additional offerings include self-guided audio tours that explore the layered histories of the ����ԴDz� campus. Workshops and sessions will be led by Pele Harman (Native Hawaiian engagement director, UH Hilo), Nōweo Kai (campus arboretum curator, UH ����ԴDz�) and Tia Hartsock (State of �鶹��ý Office of Wellness and Resilience).

The free summit emphasizes learning and sharing as pathways to understanding �鶹��ý’s past and present while shaping a more just and thriving future. UH ����ԴDz� is a designated , and the summit reflects the campus’s ongoing commitment to healing, belonging and collective responsibility.

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