Keiki Kawaiʻaeʻa named UH Hilo interim vice chancellor for academic affairs
Keiki Kawai‘ae‘a’s appointment as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs will begin Aug. 14.
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin today announced the appointment of Keiki Kawai‘ae‘a as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs; she was posted to the position at the UH Board of Regents’ July 20, 2023, meeting. Kawaiʻaeʻa’s appointment will begin Aug. 14. She replaces Kris Roney, who has resigned.
“As a senior faculty member with a stellar record and numerous ties to the community, Dr. Kawai‘ae‘a is well prepared to lead academic affairs at this pivotal moment in the history of our campus,” says Irwin. “I look forward to working with her in this new capacity.”
Kawai‘ae‘a, an associate professor of Hawaiian studies and Hawaiian and Indigenous teacher education, is currently director of Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, a position she has held since 2013.
Kawai‘ae‘a joined UH Hilo in 1992 as an educational specialist. From 1998 to 2012, she served as founding director of the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program, and director of Hale Kuamo‘o Hawaiian Language and Culture Center from 1995 to 2008 and 2015 to 2018. She also is a founding partner of Ulukau: The Hawaiian Electronic Library.
The principal investigator or co-investigator of numerous grant awards and contracts, Kawai‘ae‘a is an active participant in state, national, international, and Indigenous professional activities and services, lead author and co-author of research and artistic publications, and the recipient of professional honors, recognitions, and awards.
Kawai‘ae‘a received her bachelor of arts and master of arts in education from UH Mānoa and her doctor of philosophy in interdisciplinary studies with a specialization in Indigenous education from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, Ohio. She also holds a professional diploma in education from Chaminade University, Honolulu.
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