UH Hilo alumna’s community work earns her honorary law degree
Alumna Janice Ikeda was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree from Gonzaga University where she received her master’s and doctoral degrees.
Janice Ikeda, a University of Hawai‘i at Hilo alumna (2012) who went on to receive her master of arts in organizational leadership and doctor of philosophy in leadership studies from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wa., returned to Gonzaga in May to deliver the keynote address at graduate school commencement. She also was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree recognizing her community work on Hawai‘i Island.
Ikeda is executive director at Vibrant Hawai‘i, a local non-profit that convenes resilience hubs, supports digital literacy, distributes grants and micro-investments, and more.
She graduated from UH Hilo with a bachelor of arts in communication. She also holds a degree in information technology from Hawai‘i Community College, which was supported through a scholarship from Alu Like, a local nonprofit that distributes scholarships for Native Hawaiian students to attend college.
After graduating from Gonzaga, Ikeda returned to Hawai‘i and built a career working at Hawai‘i Island nonprofits, most notably Vibrant Hawai‘i. This year, Ikeda and Vibrant Hawai‘i were given the Mahalo Award by Hawai‘i Community College, which recognizes community organizations that support the college and its students.
Read full story at UH System News.
