Aloha and welina pumehana kākou [Greetings and a warm welcome to all],

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is honored to host the 5th Annual HICELLS Conference, Teaching and Learning English Language and Literature in a Changing World: Global Trends and Transformative Practices. The world is indeed changing quite rapidly, and many of those changes have a direct impact on how we teach and how we communicate.

This yearʻs conference promises to be quite enlightening as we reflect on the numerous ways in which the teaching of English Language and Literature creates connections among us and our colleagues.

The UH Hilo community is excited to welcome you to our campus in person or virtually for these important discussions, and we hope you come away from the conference with new ideas, valuable feedback on your own work, and a deeper appreciation for what we do across our Profession.

With best wishes for a successful conference,

Bonnie Irwin, Ph.D.
Chancellor,
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Welcome Message for HICELLS 2026
E ka anaina nānā, he kamaʻāina, a he malihini,
Welina mai me ke aloha iā ʻoukou a pau — warm greetings to each of you,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 5th Hawaiʻi International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS 2026), hosted here at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo on March 13–14, 2026.

We are honored to gather on Hawaiʻi Island as a global community of educators, researchers, students, and scholars committed to advancing the teaching and study of English language and literature.

This year’s theme, “Teaching and Learning English Language and Literature in a Changing World: Global Trends and Transformative Practices,” calls us to reflect thoughtfully on the shifting educational landscape before us. Across nations and institutions, we are navigating curriculum innovation, evolving assessment practices, digital integration, multilingual education, and the expanding intersections of culture and communication.

These changes are not merely challenges — they are invitations.

They invite us to rethink how we teach, how we engage learners, how we cultivate critical inquiry, and how we prepare students for an interconnected, multilingual world.

HICELLS 2026 provides a platform for sharing research, exchanging ideas, and exploring emerging practices that shape the future of English language and literary studies. More importantly, it offers space for meaningful, cross-cultural, and forward-looking dialogue that strengthens our collective work.

Here in Hawaiʻi — a place shaped by layered languages, histories, and global connections — this gathering holds special resonance. Our location reminds us that language is living and dynamic, deeply tied to identity, place, and community.

I encourage you to engage fully in these next two days — ask bold questions, listen generously, collaborate across disciplines and borders, and build connections that extend beyond this conference.

Mahalo nui loa for joining us. Your scholarship and presence enrich this gathering and strengthen our shared commitment to transformative education.
E nanea ʻoukou i ko mākou ʻāina aloha ʻo Hilo Hanakahi. We hope you will enjoy our beloved home of Hilo, the land of the Kanilehua rain — “the rain that makes the lehua blossoms rustle” — a symbol of Hilo’s refreshing and verdant spirit.

Welcome to HICELLS 2026 — where global perspectives meet island inspiration, and where teaching and learning continue to evolve.

Mahalo, Keiki Kawaiʻaeʻa, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

The presentations and issues you encounter here will, no doubt, influence the course of your research, writing, teaching, and learning going forward. This influence has the potential to shape and benefit not only your teaching and your career, but the field of English Language and Literature Studies as a whole. Thank you for being part of this invigorating intellectual community, and I wish you a very productive and memorable conference!

Sincerely, Dr. Michael Bitter Dean, College of Arts & Sciences

Aloha and welcome to the 5th Hawaiʻi International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS 2026)! With this year’s theme and anchoring on the place-based learning approach, HICELLS 2026 offers a timely and vital opportunity for us to come together as educators, researchers, students, and scholars to explore the evolving landscape of English language education and literary studies in a global context.

With the leadership of the organizers and the Department of English at UH Hilo, this conference is committed to facilitating meaningful dialogue on key issues such as curriculum innovation, digital integration, multilingual education, inclusive pedagogies, and the role of literature in fostering critical thinking and cultural understanding. This conference serves as a platform for exchanging cutting-edge ideas, research findings, pedagogical strategies, and best practices that address the opportunities and challenges inherent in today’s educational environments. I am encouraging you all to take this opportunity in engaging with our distinguished speakers and other conference participants who have contributed to the study of English in the fields of applied linguistics, pedagogy, literature studies, and other allied disciplines.

Mahalo for being with us here at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in the next two days. I also hope that you will take time in exploring the unique natural beauty of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.

Enjoy the place where diverse languages, literatures, cultures, and stories meet, reminding us to connect with fellow human beings across time and space. To which, you will surely discover that our university tagline is wonderfully true: “There’s a place for you; Like no place on Earth!”

Rodney C. Jubilado, Ph.D.,
Chair, Humanities Division
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Aloha, and a warm welcome to the attendees of the Fifth Hawaiʻi International Conference on
English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS)!

As Chair of the English Department at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo, I am delighted to host you
once again for what promises to be a robust and intellectually generative conference.

For the next two days, we gather on Hawaiʻi island in the moku (district) of Hilo and the ahupuaʻa (land division) of Waiākea. I urge us all to remember that we are on the lands and waters of Kānaka ʻŌiwi, the Indigenous peoples of Hawaiʻi. We look forward to connecting with you here in Hilo.

Our theme this year is “Teaching and Learning English Language and Literature in a Changing World: Global Trends and Transformative Practices.” We firmly believe in the crucial value of the humanities, especially English language, literary studies, and pedagogy. This conference provides an essential opportunity to develop transnational networks, engage in meaningful discourse, collaborate across institutions, and sustain relationships. These are vital forms of community building, especially in the current global climate of increasing anti-intellectualism, xenophobia, racism, and fascism.

I hope your conference is filled with enriching discussions and meaningful connections with a diverse group of interlocutors. May you come away with new perspectives and ideas.

Mahalo and enjoy!

Leanne Day, Ph.D.,
Chair, English Department
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Aloha and a warm welcome to the Hawaiʻi International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS). It is our great honor to host you at the 5th HICELLS and to welcome you once again to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, which proudly serves as the host institution for the third time.

HICELLS continues to serve as an important academic platform that brings together scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners in the fields of English language and literature studies. This conference provides an opportunity to share research, exchange ideas, and engage in meaningful academic dialogue in a collaborative and intellectually enriching environment.

The success of HICELLS would not be possible without the invaluable support of the English Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, the continued commitment of the University administration, our partner universities, and most especially, the scholars and participants from various parts of the world whose contributions sustain the vitality and relevance of this conference.

This year’s theme, “Teaching and Learning English Language and Literature in a Changing World: Global Trends and Transformative Practices,” is both timely and significant. As educational landscapes continue to evolve, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence and other technological innovations, it is essential that we explore new perspectives, approaches, and transformative practices that shape the future of English language and literature education globally.

As Chair of HICELLS 2026, it is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to this conference. I hope that your participation will be intellectually rewarding and that our discussions will inspire new collaborations, insights, and directions for research and practice.

Mahalo nui loa, and welcome to HICELLS 2026.

Francis P. Dumanig, Ph.D.,
Chair, HICELLS 2026
Chair, Languages Department & TESOL Coordinator
Associate Professor of English
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo