{"id":227349,"date":"2025-12-30T07:45:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T17:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=227349"},"modified":"2026-02-23T13:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T23:10:22","slug":"top-uh-leadership-stories-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/12\/30\/top-uh-leadership-stories-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Top UH<\/abbr> leadership stories 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\"Collage<\/p>\n

UHNews.org<\/a> posted more than 1,600 stories in the very challenging 2025. Here are the 10 top UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> stories on leadership updates and systemwide initiatives:<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"WendyMeet Wendy Hensel: A life shaped by resilience, learning and love<\/strong><\/a>
\nFrom her beginnings as a lawyer-turned-educator to her rise through academic leadership roles at Georgia State University and the City University of New York, Hensel has consistently prioritized collaboration and the power of education to uplift diverse communities.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"HenselUH<\/abbr> President Wendy Hensel visits Moloka\u02bbi<\/span> in final stop of statewide tour<\/strong><\/a>
\nHensel met with Moloka\u02bbi<\/span> High School early college students, Moloka\u02bbi<\/span> Education Center administrators, graduates and current students. She spent the first months as UH<\/abbr> president visiting all 10 UH<\/abbr> campuses and education centers. Read more about her visits<\/a>.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"MattMatt Elliott selected as the next UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa athletics director<\/strong><\/a>
\nElliott brings 13 years of experience at UCLA, where he led the department\u2019s transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten Conference. Prior to that, his work included sport oversight, legal affairs, NIL policy, government relations, head coach searches, compliance and supervision of athletic performance and sports medicine.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"GabrielVassilis Syrmos appointed interim provost of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa<\/strong><\/a>
\nSyrmos brings more than three decades of experience in higher education leadership, including roles as associate vice chancellor for research at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and, for the past 12 years, vice president for research and innovation for the UH<\/abbr> System.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"gradsNew technology platforms approved for systemwide student support<\/strong><\/a>
\nThe platforms proactively alert faculty, advisors and support staff at the earliest signs of student risk. The goal is to provide support the moment it is needed, and not months later when it is likely to be too late to be effective. Most of the interventions will occur even before students are aware they may need help.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"studentsUH<\/abbr> Hilo, Honolulu CC<\/abbr> join UH<\/abbr>\u2019s renewed push to improve student outcomes<\/strong><\/a>
\nThe campuses are the first to partner with the National Institute for Student Success (NISS<\/abbr>) to examine its policies and practices to spot issues that may unintentionally hold students back. NISS<\/abbr> will help each campus identify those barriers and create a clear plan to better support students from enrollment through graduation.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"CarlosPe\u00f1aloza to serve as interim chancellor of UH<\/abbr> West O\u02bbahu<\/span>, lead collaboration with Leeward CC<\/abbr><\/strong><\/a>
\nPe\u00f1aloza\u2019s initial charge will be to work closely with the faculty and staff of both UH<\/abbr> West O\u02bbahu<\/span> and Leeward CC<\/abbr>\u2014including Wai\u02bbanae Moku<\/span>\u2014to consider the potential for operating as a more integrated regional campus, prioritizing innovation, efficiency and student success.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"students\"UH<\/abbr> enrollment tops 51,000, highest in eight years<\/strong><\/a>
\nEnrollment across the 10 UH<\/abbr> campuses reached 51,411 students in fall 2025, a 2% increase from last fall and the highest enrollment since 2017. This marks the third consecutive year of growth and a 5.1% increase since fall 2023, reversing earlier declines and building momentum across both four-year and two-year campuses.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"peopleDirect2UH<\/abbr> streamlines admission to UH<\/abbr> for Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> public high school seniors<\/strong><\/a>
\nDirect2UH<\/abbr> provides free, direct admission to nine UH<\/abbr> campuses based on students\u2019 grade point averages, allowing them to secure a place at a UH<\/abbr> campus without completing a traditional application. Once students complete a short online form, their admission is confirmed contingent upon graduation in May.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"LuisUH<\/abbr> names Luis Salaveria as next VP<\/abbr> for Budget and Finance\/CFO<\/abbr><\/strong><\/a>
\nSalaveria has 35 years of professional executive experience in the public and private sectors, most recently serving as the state\u2019s director of finance from 2022 to 2025 in the administration of Gov. Josh Green. He will replace Kalbert Young, who is departing at the end of 2025 after 10 years in the position to become the executive director of the Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> State Employees\u2019 Retirement System.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

More UH<\/abbr> System stories<\/h2>\n

UH<\/abbr> sets extramural funding record for 4th consecutive year, $734M in FY<\/abbr> 2025<\/a>
\nUH<\/abbr> shatters fundraising record with $171M for students, faculty and research<\/a>
\nUH<\/abbr> names Luis Salaveria as next VP<\/abbr> for Budget and Finance\/CFO<\/abbr><\/a>
\nÂ鶹´«Ã½CFO<\/abbr> Kalbert Young to depart to lead ERS<\/abbr><\/a>
\nFriendly AI<\/abbr> chatbots guide students, boost engagement, provide support<\/a>
\nNew transfer website promotes academic mobility across UH<\/abbr> campuses<\/a>
\nTop national rankings for the UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]\n

UH<\/abbr> News 2025 recap<\/h2>\n

10 top UH<\/abbr> News stories 2025<\/a>
\n10 top UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa stories 2025<\/a>
\nTop stories from each UH<\/abbr> campus 2025<\/a>
\n10 top UH<\/abbr> leadership stories 2025<\/a>
\nUH<\/abbr> News \u02bb\u014clelo of the Week 2025<\/a>
\nUH<\/abbr> Images of the Week 2025<\/a>
\nIn Memoriam 2025<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UHNews.org posted more than 1,600 stories in the very challenging 2025. Here are the 10 top UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> stories on leadership updates and systemwide initiatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":227550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1193],"tags":[61,62,63,64,65,71,14,9,60,947,59,66],"class_list":["post-227349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-administrative","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-kauai-community-college","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-manoa","tag-maui-college","tag-uh-system","tag-uh-west-oahu","tag-windward-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/leadership-stories-2025.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227349"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229836,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227349\/revisions\/229836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}