The UH System

Who We Are

Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching

Teaching Medal Award Winner

Kenoalani Dela Cruz, headshot

Kenoalani Dela Cruz
Hawai‘i

Kenoalani Dela Cruz is an associate professor and counselor at Hawai‘i Community College.

She has been an active campus leader since joining the college in 2001. Dela Cruz has served as counseling department chair, a President’s Emerging Leader, a Wo Learning Champion, and lead advisor for the Alpha Psi Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, and more. In 2009 she received the Hawai‘i CC Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Service.

Dela Cruz was raised in Hilo and graduated from Waiakea High School. She received her BA in psychology and her MEd in counseling and guidance from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Her colleagues and students agree she is passionate, nurturing, dynamic and solution-focused. She models collaborative and inclusive practices and promotes student learning, scholarly inquiry and confidence building.

She teaches her students to understand one another and especially the person within themselves. She enjoys helping students achieve their educational goals and dreams and is passionate about empowering and equipping student leaders.

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching is awarded by the Board of Regents as tribute to faculty members who exhibit an extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, teaching effectiveness and creativity and personal values that benefit students. The board also awards the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research.

Select a recipient for more about that individual.

Or view previous years’ winners: 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003-1965

2014

Richard Jones, headshot
Richard Jones
West O‘ahu
Helmut Kae, headshot
Helmut Kae
Leeward
Paul Lavy, headshot
Paul Lavy
Manoa
Michael Paulding, headshot
Michael Paulding
Kapi‘olani
Kavita Rao, headshot
Kavita Rao
Manoa
Sandra Sanpei, headshot
Sandra Sanpei
Honolulu
Jody-Lynn Storm, headshot
Jody-Lynn Storm
Windward
Gordon Talbo, headshot
Gordon Talbo
Kaua‘i
Alice Tse, headshot
Alice Tse
Manoa