About UH Hilo

Chancellor’s Message

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo prides itself on the wide diversity of ethnic and cultural origins of our students. Indeed, U.S. News & World Report has ranked us as the most ethnically diverse national four-year university in the country.

Yet there is still one over-arching thing all these students have in common: the desire to better themselves and to provide a bright future for themselves and their families. And that is the magic of UH Hilo; we open the door to opportunity for individuals, families, and communities. We’ve been hard at work both on recruiting students and keeping them here. We have bold goals for student success, and I am pleased to see many new initiatives underway.

Newest Vulcans are warmly welcomed with workshops, fairs, tours, shuttles, various socials, and a beautiful convocation ceremony, introducing them to our university and our community. We have created more organized and intentional opportunities for community service and community-based research projects for all undergraduate and graduate students. We have expanded employment opportunities for students on campus, so you can hone your job skills and build your resumes while helping your peers thrive.

Not all the learning takes place in classrooms and labs. We are also focused on expanding research experiences, internships, community service, and study abroad. All of these provide valuable opportunities for students to apply what they learn class to real world situations. We are continuously providing more of these opportunities for more students, so that they are competitive for good jobs and good graduate schools. At UH Hilo, students get the one-on-one attention that really enhances learning, something larger schools cannot compete with.

Woven into all of this activity is a feeling of ‘ohana: our campus is relationship driven. We create lasting bonds and friendships among our students and between our students and members of the entire campus community, including faculty and staff, relationships that take them forward into life with the full support they need to succeed. Our broader community supports us and, in turn, we give back to our island home.

I am looking forward to you joining us for the coming year.

Bonnie D. Irwin
Chancellor, UH Hilo