Three from UH Hilo complete UH President’s Emerging Leaders Program, significant projects
Joining the 2025-2026 PELP UH System-wide cohort were UH Hilo’s nursing professor Jeanette Ayers-Kawakami, director of the business college Todd Inouye, and senior advisor Comfort Sumida.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
Three members of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo faculty/staff community took part in the UH System President’s Emerging Leaders Program (PELP) this academic year.
Joining the 2025-2026 PELP cohort of 24 were UH Hilo’s Jeanette Ayers-Kawakami, professor of nursing and director of the School of Nursing (currently on sabbatical); Todd Inouye, associate professor of management and director of the College of Business and Economics; and Comfort Sumida, senior advisor at the Advising Center.
“Learning with other PELPers and learning from other UH system admin was a highlight and opportunity of my career that I won’t ever forget,” says Professor Ayers-Kawakami.
The annual professional development program is for highly motivated faculty and staff chosen from throughout the 10-campus UH System with the goal to develop future campus and system leaders. The program assists participants in furthering their knowledge about higher education; the three UH Hilo members of the cohort conducted significant projects to achieve that aim.
Cohort members worked on their projects in groups of four, with six groups total. Members of each group were chosen based on each participant’s top three choices of what types of projects they’d like to work on. Two UH Hilo participants — Ayers-Kawakami and Sumida — wanted to explore the same topic so they were in the same group.
Enhancing Student Success: Harvesting UH student voices to inform a Common Standard of Care
Professor Ayers-Kawakami and Senior Advisor Sumida worked together on the project, “Enhancing Student Success: Harvesting UH student voices to inform a Common Standard of Care.” Joining them were cohort members from UH System offices Lynsey Bow, program director of counseling and advising, and Merrissa Brechtel, a senior policy and advising program specialist for student affairs.
The group’s project was based on the recognition that in order to improve student success, students’ voices must be heard to fully understand their needs.
“Through surveys of first-year students, transfer students, advisors, and faculty across the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system, (our project) summarizes challenges and strategic opportunities to establish a ‘common standard of care’ that strengthens support systems and improves outcomes systemwide,” summarizes Ayers-Kawakami.
Coaches for the project were Deborah Halbert, UH System vice president for academic strategy, and Bonnie Irwin, chancellor at UH Hilo.
“I was excited to learn about the results of the student voices project,” says Chancellor Irwin. “It aligns well with other things we are doing on campus to capture student input so that we may improve our systems of student support.”
Ayers-Kawakami says that being selected to participate in the the PELP Cohort XI was an honor. She notes the professional development opportunity holds both personal and professional meaning to her because of its impact on the campus where she works.
“Collaborating on this project and with the entire PELP cohort throughout the year reminded me of what my purpose is with this professional journey I’m on, serving as a bridge between leadership theory and practice,” says Professor Ayers-Kawakami. “Additionally, this opportunity provided me with self-reflection of the ‘why’ I do what I do and how I can help make a difference for future college students.”
Conducting Successful Faculty Searches
Associate Professor Inouye’s group project was titled, “Conducting Successful Faculty Searches.”
Inouye worked with PELP cohort members Jamie Simpson Steele, Lori Furoyama, and Xiaoxin Ivy Mu from UH Mānoa. Coaches were Laura Lyons, UH Mānoa interim vice provost for academic excellence, and Brandon Marc Higa, a licensed attorney and lecturer at UH Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law.
The group explored ways to improve hiring success for tenure-line faculty at UH’s four-year institutions. Findings include best outcomes in recruitment and networking, screening procedures, rigor and equal opportunity, addressing the “Hawaiʻi Factor,” and retention through mentorship.
Story by Susan Enright, public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
