Davis Award Winner

Garmire
Manoa

David Garmire, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering’s Department of Electrical Engineering at UH Manoa, generates student engagement by teaching with exceptional enthusiasm, clarity and humor.

Rather than sitting in an office behind a closed door, his desk in the lab is located within five feet of his students. Under his mentorship, student strengths and aptitudes surface. His students credit him with having a keen eye for finding their hidden potential, and for motivating them in research projects. As a result, many students are encouraged to find their own professional paths in graduate studies or to work in the local renewable energy industry.

A former student describes Garmire’s impact as making it possible to “navigate between opportunities that will benefit not only me, but my community. I can give back what has been given—innovative creativity.”

Garmire displays a mutual and deep respect for students, for their incredibly diverse backgrounds, flexibility of thought and imagination.