{"id":230821,"date":"2026-03-17T13:55:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T23:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=230821"},"modified":"2026-03-17T13:55:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T23:55:02","slug":"more-than-a-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/17\/more-than-a-class\/","title":{"rendered":"More than a class: Where students find knowledge—and themselves"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Lisa Vallin in her Saunders Hall office with photos of her mentors and role models.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March is Women\u2019s History Month. But for Lisa M. Vallin, every month is Women\u2019s History Month. That\u2019s because the full-time instructor and academic advisor in the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Mānoa<\/span> College of Social Sciences<\/a>\u2019 Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies<\/a> (WGSS<\/abbr>) teaches one of the most in-demand courses at UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span>, regularly drawing more than 700 registrants every semester.<\/p>\n

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Lisa Vallin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vallin leads WGSS<\/abbr> 350 Sex Differences in the Life Cycle, which is cross-listed as BIOL<\/abbr> 350. She credits a small but effective army of learning assistants, dedicated guest speakers, multiple internships and volunteer opportunities, and the ability to study sexuality in evidence-based, nuanced conversations that move beyond myths and binaries.<\/p>\n

The course\u2019s popularity is partly because it fulfills a general education requirement; is listed as a DB<\/abbr> (diversification of biological sciences) course for aspiring doctors and science majors; and has earned an E (ethics) focus. But that\u2019s not the only reason seats are snapped up as soon as registration opens. WGSS<\/abbr> Chair Lani Teves said one of the department\u2019s oldest courses is among its most popular because of the teaching ability, energy and enthusiasm of Vallin herself.<\/p>\n

“Lisa is an invaluable member of our WGSS<\/abbr> faculty and community. Students—both in person and online—regularly note that she is the best professor they\u2019ve ever had, describing her as open minded, knowledgeable and inspiring,” said Teves.<\/p>\n

Global perspectives, human geography<\/h2>\n

Vallin was born and raised in Sweden and, as a youngster, dreamed of working for the United Nations. Driven by a deep interest in global cultures and social justice, she pursued higher education in the U.S., earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in geography with an emphasis on the human environment.<\/p>\n

After earning a master\u2019s in the field at San Francisco State University and with the intent of earning a PhD<\/abbr>, Vallin moved to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> to study with Michael Salzman, a UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> educational psychology professor whose specialty was cultural trauma. She became particularly interested in how cultural trauma and structural inequality helped shape sexual identities and lived experiences.<\/p>\n

Then Vallin learned about a lecturer opening in WGSS<\/abbr>, and successfully applied in 2011. Her first course, WGSS<\/abbr>\/BIOL<\/abbr> 350, enrolled 45 students in a standard-size classroom. Over the years, student demand grew dramatically. In spring 2026, she is teaching two sections that meet twice a week, serving 533 students online and 201 students in person. Vallin estimates that, over the past 15 years, she has taught more than 10,000 students in a single course.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m incredibly proud of that large number,” said Vallin. “The fact that so many students have shown a shared interest in learning about the body and its diversity is deeply encouraging. It reminds me that these conversations matter.”<\/p>\n

For the entire story, visit the College of Social Sciences website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vallin estimates that, over the past 15 years, she has taught more than 10,000 students in a single course.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":230822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[301,1466,1026,9,1540,1626],"class_list":["post-230821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-college-of-social-sciences","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-social-science","tag-uh-manoa","tag-women-gender-and-sexuality-studies","tag-women-of-uh","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t