Father’s Day Special: Profile of a Talented UH Father-Son Duo

By Phyllicia N. Tachibana
University Relations student writer

An institution as big and diverse as UH is bound to have employees who are related. Meet Snowden and Michael Hodges, a unique father-son pair who work on different sides of the Ko‘olau mountains and specialize in fields that seem a world apart.

Snowden Hodges is an associate professor at Windward CC in Kane‘ohe. He has taught art for about 20 years, at Honolulu CC and UH Manoa as well as Windward. His son, Michael Hodges, manages the system engineer division of Information and Technology Services (ITS), based at UH Manoa.

Both father and son admire each other’s work. According to Snowden, he was teaching art at Mt. Saint Joseph School in Baltimore, Md., when a colleague of his and Michael’s math teacher pointed out the boy’s extraordinary gift for mathematics. "I supported Michael in his interest in art, but encouraged him to study mathematics," Snowden says. "I have a lot of respect for what he does, and I am in awe of his math skills." Michael had taken art classes from his father in high school and enjoyed it immensely. "He was a good teacher. In class I would be the only one getting his jokes, and the only one laughing," Michael recalls. "I admire my father’s drawing and would trade math skills for drawing skills."

While the pair hasn’t had an opportunity to interact professionally on a formal project, they do help each other. Snowden has asked Michael for his view of art coming from a mathematical perspective, and has tried to incorporate his son’s advice into his art classes. Michael has helped his father set up overseas art exhibitions. Their relationship is strong, long and warm. "We love each other, enjoy each other and have fun together," Snowden says.