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J. Uluwehi Hopkins

A Kanaka Maoli (person of Hawaiian ancestry) scholar at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was awarded an American Association of University Women (AAUW) 2021–22 fellowship to pursue academic work and lead innovative community projects to empower women and girls.

J. Uluwehi Hopkins, the recipient of AAUW’s Fellowship, is currently pursuing her PhD in Hawaiian history at UH Mānoa’s Department of History.

“Being awarded a fellowship, especially one as prestigious as AAUW, justifies all that hard work and instills a motivation to want to work harder, to be worthy of being chosen,” said Hopkins. “The thought of this fellowship drives me every day now; it’s that small niggling in the back of my mind that tells me ‘Keep going! Write more! Finish that chapter!’”

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Born and raised on Oʻahu, Hopkins’ lineage on the island dates back several centuries. Her current research focuses on the lands that now make up UH Mānoa’s campus, the water resources that once flowed through that ʻāina (land), and the community that lived there.

“In a way, I was destined to make this my focus: one of my ancestors owned nearly all of the parcels that the Mānoa campus now sits on so, without realizing it, I started researching this area when I started researching my own genealogy,” said Hopkins. “Ultimately, this research isn’t just an academic exploration for me; it’s a passion and a part of my identity.”

“Uluwehi’s work focuses on the lands and waters of the UH Mānoa area and the role of prominent Kanaka Maoli women like Emma Metcalf Beckley Nakuina who served as water commissioner during the kingdom era and the first several years of the Territory of Hawaiʻi,” said John Rosa, an associate professor of history and Hopkins’ advisor. “Thus, Uluwehi’s work definitely relates to the AAUW‘s mission of empowering women in university settings and beyond.”

AAUW is one of the world’s oldest leading supporters of graduate women’s education. For the 2021–22 academic year, AAUW has awarded a total of $5 million through its fellowships and grants programs to 260 scholars, as well as to community projects and programs that promote education and equity for women and girls.

“This fellowship has allowed me to significantly scale back on my teaching hours and focus more completely on writing, and I find that I am much more content with my current situation because of it,” said Hopkins. “I am incredibly thankful to AAUW for this award, and for them believing that I am a woman who has the potential to foster positive growth in this world.”

“I have come to realize that my primary goal is to become someone who is an expert in her field, someone who others can go to for information or help, and someone who can inspire others in our community,” added Hopkins.

This work is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of Enhancing Student Success (PDF) and Becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning (PDF), two of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.

To find out more about this year’s class of awardees, visit the online directory.

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