Micheal Graves
Professor and chair in the Department of Anthropology

Michael Graves is a professor and chair in the Department of Anthropology. Michael Graves is at his best when he teaches in smaller venues—seminars, directed research, in the field or on dissertation committees. He has mentored students in cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, historic preservation, Hawaiian studies, Pacific Islands studies and architecture. Here Graves has an opportunity to share his ideas about humans, contemporary and ancient, and the cultural processes that have shaped their history and position in the world. He models his teaching style on his best teachers who were demanding and unconventional in their ideas and approaches, challenged accepted positions and did not talk down to students. Graves doesn’t expect perfection, but does expect effort and a willingness to challenge one’s limitations. Graves is particularly proud of the fact that the first Native Hawaiian student to earn a doctorate in archaeology was one of his students.

Dianne Ishida
Associate professor in the UH School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene

Dianne Ishida is an associate professor in the UH School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene. Ishida’s interest in Pacific and Asian cultures led her to pursue graduate study in anthropology after her nursing education. She used this expertise to teach a nursing in a multicultural milieu course. Most recently, Ishida served as the course coordinator for complex nursing practice. She has also pioneered the use of preceptors in this capstone course, and transitioned the course to reflect current health trends/needs. Of particular noteworthiness is her development of the cooperative education course that enables students to acquire supervised nursing experience in clinical facilities as paid employees. A colleague wrote, “I have found Ishida to be the consummate professional, modeling inspirational teaching and insightful leadership, continuously managing her own work and striving for excellence with humor, patience and persistence.”

Karen Kennedy
Assistant professor in the Department of Music

Karen Kennedy is an assistant professor in the Department of Music. Karen Kennedy’s chosen area of expertise is the study, performance and perpetuation of choral arts. When she arrived at UH, the choral program had very low enrollment, and now the three choirs she directs are flourishing at capacity. Kennedy challenges her students with her STRIVE theory—sense the surroundings and energy in the room, try to leave inhibitions at the door, receive and open you mind to suggestions, innovate and assimilate suggestions from colleagues, value your contributions and enjoy and find joy in the learning process. While teaching at the university, Kennedy has been exposed to the music styles of Hawai‘i, the Pacific Islands, Asia and beyond. She fosters knowledge of the vocal apparatus and imparts that knowledge to students, many of whom will become vocal music educators. Kennedy serves as an adjudicator and clinician of choral performances and has been invited to conduct in various venues, from Stanford University to Stockholm. She will make her Carnegie Hall debut in the fall 2003.

Janice Smith
Professor in the Department of Chemistry

Janice Smith is a professor in the Department of Chemistry. Students often approach chemistry without enthusiasm or they might be intimidated because their background in math is weak. Smith believes it is a teacher’s job to dispel those fears. She believes that a gifted instructor can create a friendly environment that allows students to concentrate on learning the material rather than worrying about it. She feels that a teacher can be a strong role model in a student’s life. In her own career, students look upon her as a successful female scientist who juggles a busy career with a rich family life. In this way a teacher’s influence can extend well beyond the classroom. A major project Smith is undertaking is to transition the organic chemistry laboratories to safer and less costly microscale experimentation. This involved revising and updating the entire organic chemistry laboratory curriculum, which serves hundreds of students each year. Smith also serves as faculty advisor to the student affiliate chapter of the American Chemical Society.

Sam No‘eau Warner
Assistant professor in the Department of Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures

Sam No‘eau Warner is an assistant professor in the Department of Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures. Warner is a humanistic educator who makes significant contributions to Hawaiian education, particularly in the areas of language revitalization and immersion schooling. He is deeply committed to promoting the survival of Hawaiian through improving teaching of Hawaiian at the university and encouraging our finest students to become Hawaiian immersion teachers. Warner’s work and research in the kula kaiapuni (immersion school) indicates that learning experiences are effective when learners are given the opportunity to figure out language and interpret meaning from meaningful contexts in which they actively participate. Ma ka hana ka ‘ike (knowledge is gained through doing) provides students with opportunities to communicate with each other through various language activities and collaborative experiences. As a Hawaiian educator, Warner is a fine example of a positive role model.

John Yanagida
Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

John Yanagida is a professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. As a student, Yanagida grasped material best by seeing concepts applied to the real world and he has incorporated this into his teaching. He teaches quantitative methods, economic theory and natural resource management. The key to applied learning in his approach is the application of problem solving to business, economic and natural resource problems. Given the negative sentiment towards mathematics, it is a challenging task to make learning enjoyable. Yanagida uses a game show atmosphere and has math challenge questions between different sections of the classroom as a fun way to have students work problems on their own or seek assistance from neighboring students. Yanagida’s integration of lecture, laboratory and Web-based instruction is a creative and effective approach to teaching. In his college he served as a multi-cultural scholar mentor, helping students gain hands-on experience in the field of natural resources and environmental management.