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Windy Keala McElroy environmental portrait
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Women’s Education—Women’s Empowerment is the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month program at Windward Community College. Seven speakers, including UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, will discuss how education creates opportunity and healing for women. The series celebrates the important contributions of women from Hawaiʻi and around the world.

All events are free and open to the public and will take place in Hale ʻAkoakoa 105 on the Windward campus.

For more information, email Kathleen French, or call her at (808) 236-9223.

Speakers and programs

Monday, March 5, 4–5 p.m.

VerlieAnn Malina-Wright

VerlieAnn Malina-Wright has 42 years of education experience in K–20 teaching, administration and global leadership. Her personal platform is the economics of aloha (people, prosperous sustainability, balance through global interconnectedness and collaboration for indigenous self-determination). She is a global leader who has been able to vision the coherence of Native Hawaiian values and traditions as an asset to grow a more peaceful and sharing planet of aloha.

Wednesday, March 7, 1–2 p.m.

Jamie Boyd

Jamie Boyd is the health programs coordinator at Windward Community College. Using her combined experiences of running into major barriers along the path to completing her college education and experiences as a family nurse practitioner working with the ill and poor, she designed the Pathway out of Poverty program to eliminate barriers to completing college while helping students to advance from certified nurse’s aide) to licensed practical nurse and registered nurses to get higher training and have a chance to earn a living wage and live healthy.

Thursday, March 8, 4–5 p.m.

Esther Wilhelm

Esther Wilhelm is a product of rape, was abused, abandoned, is living with post-traumatic stress disorder and most recently, was severely injured in a hit–and–run car accident. While looking for her husband’s class at Honolulu Community College faith had her run into art instructor Rebecca Horne who recognized Wilhelm’s suffering and encouraged her to enroll in art classes. Today, Wilhelm uses her art to share her story with others as a form of healing. Her artwork has been featured at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Visit her website.

Monday, March 12, 4–5 p.m.

M.R.C. Greenwood

M.R.C. Greenwood became the 14th president of the University of Hawaiʻi in August 2009. A national leader on science and technology policy and an expert on higher education policy issues, she served as associate director and consultant to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and chairs the National Academies Policy and Global Affairs Division. As a member of state and national committees and councils, Greenwood has tackled issues from writing in America’s schools and biomedical careers for women to national security and ethics of the information society.

Wednesday, March 14, 1–2 p.m.

Ilima Ho-Lastimosa

Ilima Ho-Lastimosa is a recent graduate of Windward Community College and a current student at UH Mānoa, seeking her BA in Hawaiian studies. She is the executive director of God’s Country Waimānalo, a native Hawaiian youth organization whose mission is to perpetuate all things Hawaiian. She is a gardening facilitator with Growing Pono Schools, where she demonstrates organic gardening techniques and sustainable practices to elementary, intermediate and high school students in the Kailua and Waimānalo communities, utilizing science, math and community service curriculum.

Thursday, March 15, 4–5 p.m.

Windy Keala McElroy

Windy McElroy is the owner and CEO of Keala Pono Archaeological Consulting, a cultural resource management firm with a staff of 15. McElroy received her PhD from UH Mānoa and her dissertation explored the development of irrigated agriculture in the remote Wailau Valley on Oʻahu, and though her work has always focused on Hawaiʻi, she has been part of archaeological research projects that span the globe, from Belize, to the mainland U.S., French Polynesia, Fiji and Okinawa.

Monday, March 19, 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.

Chris Campbell

Chris Campbell was raised in New Orleans and moved to New York City to finish her medical training. Upon completing a fellowship in nuclear medicine at Harvard, she retired from medicine to pursue her true passion—art. After studying painting at the Art Students League in New York City, she had successful shows in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Florida, however it was the move to Honolulu that caused an inspiring change and blossoming of her painting. Her medium is oils and her love of the islands is vividly captured in her works.

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