Announcement: UH Hilo appoints three new administrators

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo announces three new administrative appointments—Farrah-Marie Gomes as the vice chancellor for student affairs; Bruce Mathews as dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management; and Drew Martin as interim dean of the College of Business and Education.

Vice chancellor for student affairs

Farrah-Marie Gomes
Farrah-Marie Gomes

Farrah-Marie Gomes currently serves as UH System interim associate vice president for student affairs, a position she has held since April 1, 2016. Prior to that, she served as founding director of the North Hawaiʻi Education and Research Center and also served as interim dean of the College of Continuing Education and Community Service. She is active in numerous university and community committees.

Gomes received her bachelor of arts in psychology and sociology from UH Hilo in 1998, master of arts in counseling psychology from Chaminade University in Honolulu in 2000 and a doctor of philosophy in educational studies with a specialization in educational leadership and higher education from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 2016.

“Farrah is a dynamic leader who has effectively served our students and community in numerous administrative roles,” says UH Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney. “She also possesses tremendous energy, vision and a special capacity to connect with various constituencies, which will help the Division of Student Affairs serve the needs of our students.”

For more, read the media release.

Dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management

Bruce Mathews
Bruce Mathews

Bruce Mathews has been appointed permanent dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management. He previously served as acting dean from January to July 2012, then interim dean.

A 1986 graduate of UH Hilo, Mathews joined the university in 1993 as a temporary assistant professor of soils and agronomy and became a tenure-track assistant professor two years later. His areas of research include plant nutrient cycling and soil fertility as affected by environmental conditions and crop management, assessment of the impact of agricultural and forestry production practices on soil, coastal wetlands, and surface waters, and the development of environmentally sound and economically viable nutrient management practices for pastures, forests and field crops in the tropics.

Mathews received an master of arts in agronomy from Louisiana State University and a doctor of philosophy in agronomy and soils from the University of Florida.

“As a graduate, faculty member and most recently interim dean, Bruce has unrivaled knowledge of this college, its mission and its potential,” says Straney. “I can think of no one else who better understands our responsibility to the community and the entire state of Hawaiʻi than Bruce Mathews.”

Interim dean of the College of Business and Economics

Drew Martin
Drew Martin

Drew Martin will serve as interim dean of the College of Business and Economics. He joined UH Hilo in August 2004 and most recently served as professor of marketing. He has more than 25 years of higher education teaching experience that spans three countries. Currently, he is also an affiliate faculty member of Daito Bunka University’s (Japan) Business Research Institute and UH Mānoa’s Center for Japanese Studies.

Martin received a bachelor of arts and master of business administration from Pacific Lutheran University, and a master of arts and doctor of philosophy in political science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

“Drew is an intellectual heavyweight with an extensive professional background in business, government and academia,” says UH Hilo Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Matthew Platz. “His extensive research and publications have earned him international acclaim and numerous invitations to speak with emerging scholars on how to get their research published in leading academic journals.”

 

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