2023 Awards and Recognition Celebration: Top UH Hilo faculty, staff, and student employees honored
Honorees are those who won awards given out annually for extraordinary contributions to campus.
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin on May 5 hosted the annual Awards and Recognition Celebration, an event to honor the accomplishments of the university’s faculty and staff.
Honorees are those who won awards given out annually for extraordinary contributions to the campus, faculty and staff who retired during the previous year (before Dec. 31, 2022), and those who have worked at UH Hilo for milestone decades. One student award is also bestowed each year, and this year also included one student team award.
Read the descriptions of the UH System and UH Hilo faculty awards. This year’s honorees are as follows. (Photos by Cooper Lund, click to enlarge.)
Student Awards
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- Student Employee of the Year: Lillian Lewis, First Year Experience.
- Student Employment Team of the Year: Financial Aid Office, students Seth Bello, Minura Dawid, Brianne-Emale Saltiban, and Zachary Wilson.
UH System Awards
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- Board of Regents’ Award for Excellence in Teaching: Lincoln A. Gotshalk, Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Science.
- Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching: Leanne Day, Assistant Professor of English.
UH Hilo Awards
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- Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching: Nicholas Krueger, Instructor of Agriculture.
- Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities: Adam Pack, Professor of Psychology.
- Outstanding Advisor/Mentor: Lissa Tsutsumi, Assistant Professor of Applied Agricultural Sciences.
- Outstanding University Support Employee Award: Dori Yamada, Assistant Theatre Manager, Performing Arts Center.
- Professional Staff Award: Christina Method, Clinical Education Support Specialist of Pharmacy Practice.
- Outstanding RCUH Employee: Paula Gealon, Fiscal/Post Award Administrator, Research Administration and Project Development (RAPD), Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i.
Retirees
(From last year up to Dec. 31, 2022)

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- James Beets, Department of Marine Science, 18 years.
- Marilyn Brown, Department of Sociology, 19 years.
- Emmeline De Pillis, College of Business and Economics, 25 years.
- Samuelyn Gaison-Evangelista, Educational Assistance Center, 31 years.
- Catherine Gourd, Admissions, 29 years.
- Kenneth Kubojiri, Housing,15 years.
- Deneen Ongais Louie, Office of University Relations, 30 years.
- Carolyn Ma, Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, 14 years.
- Gail Makuakāne-Lundin, Educational Assistance Center, notably as Director of Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center and several years as Interim Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, for a total of 37 years.
- Levi Mangiboyat, Auxiliary Services, 34 years.
- Jon-Pierre Michaud, Department of Chemistry, 26 years.
- Douglas Mikkelson, Department of History, 28 years.
- Dean Miyose, Housing, 35 years.
- Marsha Oshiro, College of Agriculture, Forest & Natural Resource Management, 30 years.
- Lynn Shirai Tanimoto, Edwin H. Mookini Library, 47 years.
- Cathy Ann Wiltse, Hawai‘i Small Business Center, 10 years.
Years of Service
10 Years
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- Alison Akamine, Human Resources Specialist, Human Resources, Administrative Affairs.
- Jennifer Atkins, Groundskeeper I, Auxiliary Services, Administrative Affairs.
- Celia Bardwell-Jones, Professor of Philosophy, Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences.
- Glenn Fernandez, IT Specialist, Technology Services, Library Services.
- Timothy Freeman, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences.
- Jason Ganigan, Janitor II, Auxiliary Services, Administrative Affairs.
- Joseph Genz, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences.
- Kensei Gibbs, Intercollegiate Athletics, Certified Athletic Trainer.
- Darren Higa, Administrative and Fiscal Support Specialist, School of Nursing, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
- Patsy Iwasaki, Instructor of English, Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences.
- Rodney Jubilado, Associate Professor of Asian Pacific Languages, Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences.
- Tanya Kobashigawa, Educational Specialist, Hale Kuamo‘o Center, Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, Academic Affairs.
- René Pierre Martin, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
- Alexander Nagurney, Associate Professor of Psychology, Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences.
- Annie Nakatsu, Fiscal Specialist, Financial Aid Office, Student Affairs.
- Andrew Polloi, Jr. Specialist, Student Counseling, Student Affairs.
- James Uina, Sr., Groundskeeper I, Auxiliary Services, Administrative Affairs.
- Kelcie Valbuena, Administrative and Fiscal Support Specialist, Web and Graphic Services, Administrative Affairs.
- Catherine Voorhis, Janitor II, Auxiliary Services, Administrative Affairs.
20 Years
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- Dave Baptiste, IT Specialist, Computing Center, Administrative Affairs.
- Michele Ebersole, Professor of Education, Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences.
- Ramon Manuel Figueroa-Centeno, Associate Professor of Mathematics, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
- Raina Ivanova, Professor of Mathematics, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
- Kristi Nakamura, Administrative Officer, Academic Affairs.
- Dorianne Yamada, Administrative and Fiscal Support Specialist, Performing Arts Center, Administrative Affairs.
30 Years
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- Karla Hayashi, Jr. Specialist, Kilohana Academic Success Center, Academic Affairs.
- Keiki Kawai‘a‘ea, Associate Professor of Hawaiian Language, Mokuna Papahana Kālaiʻike, Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, Academic Affairs.
- James Mellon, Assistant Specialist, Intercultural and Global Education, Student Affairs.
- Deneen Ongais Louie, Secretary III, Office of University Relations.
- Marsha Oshiro, Secretary III, College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management.
40 Years
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- Ronald Gordon, Professor of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences.
Photographer Cooper Lund is a marine science major.