Center for Pacific Island Studies

core faculty

• terence wesley-smith

• tarcisius kabutaulaka

• lola quan bautista

• julie walsh

staff

• managing editor

• outreach director

• administrative asst

• graduate assistants

• affiliate faculty

• graduate students

The center's activities revolve around a dedicated and dynamic group of core and affiliate faculty, staff, and students. Areas of faculty expertise and interest range from the evolution of social complexity in the Pacific to contemporary politics and identity, from early maritime history to contemporary music and dance. Five instructional faculty and the managing editor, the outreach director, and the administrative assistant are housed at the center offices in Moore Hall. Affiliate faculty are housed in their respective UHM departments or in nearby institutions, such as the East-West Center and Bishop Museum. The students’ international backgrounds and cross-disciplinary orientations are reflected in their life histories and in their wide-ranging research interests.

core faculty and staff

Terence Wesley-Smith, PhD, Director, Graduate Chair, Professor, and Editor of The Contemporary Pacific
twsmith@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-6077

Tarcisius Tara Kabutaulaka, PhD, Associate Professor and Editor of the Pacific Islands Monograph Series
tkabutau@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-2659

Lola Quan Bautista, PhD, Assistant Professor
lolab@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-2652

Julie Walsh, PhD, Assistant Specialist
jwalsh@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-2668

Jan Rensel, PhD, Managing Editor
rensel@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-2670

Katherine Higgins, PhD, Outreach Director
khiggins@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-2658

Charlotte Needham, Administrative Assistant
cpis@hawaii.edu, (808) 956-7700

lecturers

Joakim 'Jojo' Peter
joakim@hawaii.edu

Forrest Young
forresty@hawaii.edu

Regina Woodrom Luna, PhD
ReginaL@hawaii.edu