UH Hilo Committee for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The UH Hilo Committee for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion serves as an advisory committee to the chancellor. This committee works toward the UH Hilo vision to create a campus environment that cultivates, sustains, and reflects a diverse, multicultural university that is rooted in the indigenous culture and history of Hawaiʻi. Committee members are tasked with leading the campus in:
- Creating a climate that eliminates false dichotomies (for example: “culture versus science,” “us versus them”) and increases empathy and understanding;
- Developing a more diverse workforce to ensure our students have role models with whom they can relate;
- Increasing focus on strengths and commonalities as we identify stereotypes and implicit biases;
- Broadening our understanding of diversities and the impact of these diversities on one’s lived experience even as we recognize and unpack the privileges some may be born into;
- Enhancing understanding of our human interconnectedness by increasing opportunities to network and engage in active learning;
- Driving innovative research and collaboration across the university as we break down barriers and partner with others to yield research productivity and excellence;
- Promoting empathy, understanding and healing (historic trauma, inequality); and
- Engaging with the local community to increase opportunities to learn from each other and advance overlapping agendas.
2024-2025 Members
Committee Co-Chairs:
Committee Members:
Celia Bardwell-Jones , College of Arts and SciencesJohn H.R. Burns , College of Natural and Health SciencesHelen “Yolisa” Duley , College of Natural and Health SciencesMichael Marshall , College of Arts and SciencesMargary Martin , College of Arts and SciencesEllen Meiser , College of Arts and SciencesJulie Mowrer , Center for Community-EngagementJennifer Stotter , Institutional Research
Call for Proposals
- See the Call for Proposals page
As an advisory committee to the Chancellor, this committee works toward the UH Hilo vision to create a campus environment that cultivates, sustains, and reflects a diverse, multicultural university that is rooted in the indigenous culture and history of Hawaiʻi.
2022-2024 Biennial Review
The Chancellor's Committee for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, now known as Waiolama, has held events, talks, and experiences over the past two academic years with the goal of engaging in critical conversations around racial disparities and systemic injustices, both past and present, and promoting healing and understanding of shared humanity. Faculty, staff, students, and community members were invited to participate in these events and collectively learn, collaborate, and implement transformative campus and institutional changes.
Please find below brief summaries of key events held by Waiolama and its committee members in the name of expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the UH Hilo ʻohana. We look forward to continuing this effort for and with the UH Hilo community.
2022-2023 Activities
- UH Hilo's Children's Literature Conference symposium, June 2022
- Screening of and talk about the film "Waterman," Oct 2022
- Indigenous Peoples Day celebration, Oct 2022
- National Day of Racial Healing event, Jan 2023
- Community of Hei Workshop, Feb 2023
- "My Name is Pauli Murray" Black History Month film screening, Feb 2023
- "The Woman King" Black History Month
- Naa Waʻa Mauō Marine Stewardship program event, Mar 2023
- Meeting with Council Person Ashley Kierkiewicz and local industry leaders regarding Puna community opportunity and improvements, Mar 2023
- Hawaii International Conference on Language and Literature Studies at UH Hilo, Mar 2023
- Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls talk with Dr. Nikki Cristobal, May 2023
- Domestic Violence talk with Dr. Jodie Roure, May 2023
- Sports and Equity talk with Jonathan Beane Sr., May 2023
- DEI Book Club, entire academic year
2023-2024 Activities
- DEI Committee member attendance of the film screening, Feb 2023 National Truth and Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) conference, June 2023
- "In The Time Of Climate Change" exhibition demonstration with Jared Yazzie, June 2023
- Youth Artivists Hawaii Celebration event, July 2023
- Pacific Insularity: Narrative, Resistance, and Hybridity symposium with Dr. Michael Yates, Sep 2023
- Full day Indigenous Peoples Day celebration themed "Racial Healing Through Culture and the Arts," Oct 2023
- UHM SOEST Research Open House for public members, Oct 2023
- Screening of and talk about the film "Barbie," Dec 2023
- Ke Kiionioni ma ka Mahina ʻOlelo Hawaii (Moana) event, Feb 2024
- My Beautiful Black Hair storytelling event, Feb 2024
- "Figures, Light and Abstraction" exhibition of works by Ashley Cole, Cynthia Hawkins, Debra Priestly, and James Drew Brown, Feb-April, 2024
- Repping Abstraction: Interpreting Freedom talk with Ashley Cole, Feb 2024
- History of Gospel Music Experience, Feb 2024
- Keaukaha Elementary Marine Science Exposure event, Mar 2024
- 'If You Were Dancing With Her': Sonoya Mizuno and the Techno-Orientalist Imagination talk with Dr. Douglas Ishii, April 2024
- #StopAsianHate art workshop with Mizin Shin, May 2024
- DEI Book Club, entire academic year