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 Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi Island.
Ikeda is executive director at Vibrant Hawaiʻi, 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 Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi and built a career working at Hawaiʻi Island nonprofits, most notably Vibrant Hawaiʻi. This year, Ikeda and Vibrant Hawaiʻi were given the Mahalo Award by Hawaiʻi Community College, which recognizes community organizations that support the college and its students.
Read full story at UH System News.
