{"id":235106,"date":"2026-05-28T07:59:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T17:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=235106"},"modified":"2026-06-15T11:30:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:30:51","slug":"syrmos-chancellor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/28\/syrmos-chancellor\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime UH<\/abbr> leader Vassilis Syrmos recommended as UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa chancellor"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"Syrmos<\/p>\n

Vassilis Syrmos has been recommended by University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> President Wendy Hensel to serve as the next chancellor of UH<\/abbr> Mānoa,<\/span> the flagship campus of the state\u2019s 10-campus public higher education system. His appointment will go before the UH<\/abbr> Board of Regents (BOR<\/abbr>) for final approval on Thursday, June 4. If approved, he will begin serving on July 1, 2026. (Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong> Syrmos\u2019 appointment was approved by the BOR<\/abbr> on June 4.)<\/p>\n

A faculty member in the UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> College of Engineering for 35 years, Syrmos brings more than two decades of higher education leadership experience. He has served as interim provost of UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> since July 2025. Before that, he served for 12 years as UH<\/abbr> vice president for research and innovation and eight years as associate vice chancellor for research at UH<\/abbr> Mānoa.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Vassilis
Vassilis Syrmos supporting the Giving Day Spring 2026 campaign.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Vassilis has done an exceptional job as interim provost, building on decades of leadership across the UH<\/abbr> System and at UH<\/abbr> Mānoa,”<\/span> said Hensel. “He brings a deep understanding of UH<\/abbr> Mānoa\u2019s<\/span> budget, operations and role within the broader UH<\/abbr> System, as well as strong relationships at the state and congressional levels. I am confident he will be an effective partner as we strengthen leadership for our flagship campus.”<\/p>\n

As interim provost, Syrmos helped secure legislative support to sustain the UH<\/abbr> Cancer Center\u2019s research and strengthen its National Cancer Institute designation through the doubling of Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> cigarette tax. He also advanced efforts to improve UH<\/abbr> Mānoa\u2019s<\/span> financial transparency, modernize budgeting, strengthen student success initiatives and better align campus operations with institutional priorities.<\/p>\n

As vice president for research and innovation, Syrmos led long-range strategic planning efforts that contributed to record growth in extramural funding, including a high of $734 million in fiscal year 2025, the fourth consecutive year UH<\/abbr> exceeded $500 million in research funding. He strengthened partnerships with Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> congressional delegation, federal agencies and state leaders to advance strategic university priorities and expand research opportunities. Syrmos also established the Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation, making UH<\/abbr> the only R1<\/abbr> university in the nation to embed Indigenous knowledge and innovation within its research enterprise.<\/p>\n

“I am deeply honored to be recommended as the next chancellor of UH<\/abbr> Mānoa”<\/span>, said Syrmos. “Having served the university for more than three decades, I consider Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and this campus my home. I look forward to working with President Hensel in strengthening student success, advancing research and innovation and working closely with our faculty, students, staff and community partners as we continue to move UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> forward as Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> flagship university.”<\/p>\n

Nationwide search<\/h2>\n

Syrmos was selected from a finalist pool that also included the provost and vice president for academic affairs at San Francisco State University and the president of National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. The search attracted 32 applicants and nine nominations or inquiries.<\/p>\n

The BOR<\/abbr> voted to re-establish the UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> chancellor position in December 2025, following a recommendation from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to separate the roles of UH<\/abbr> president and UH<\/abbr> Mānoa<\/span> chancellor. The faculty senate unanimously endorsed an immediate launch to the search in spring semester to provide stability for the campus and dedicated Manoa leadership in discussions regarding the separation of hybrid positions and offices shared between Manoa and the system.<\/p>\n

The search included a representative advisory committee, open nominations and applications, campus visits by finalists, public forums and stakeholder meetings. All three finalists participated in two-day campus visits that included more than 20 meetings with stakeholder groups and a public presentation and Q&A<\/abbr> session, each of which was viewed by more than 500 people. Community feedback generated more than 650 comments across all finalists, in addition to input from shared governance groups.<\/p>\n

Chancellor responsibilities<\/h2>\n

As chancellor, Syrmos will serve as the chief executive officer of UH<\/abbr> Mānoa,<\/span> reporting to the UH<\/abbr> president and serving on the president\u2019s senior leadership team. He will oversee a budget exceeding $800 million and more than 5,000 employees, providing leadership across academic affairs, research, student success, enrollment and administrative operations in partnership with the provost and executive team.<\/p>\n

Syrmos is expected to advance UH<\/abbr> Mānoa\u2019s<\/span> mission as Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> flagship research university while strengthening connections across Â鶹´«Ã½,<\/span> the Pacific and Asia and upholding the university\u2019s responsibility to the Native Hawaiian community, language and culture.<\/p>\n

Related UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> stories:<\/strong><\/p>\n