The University of Hawaiʻi’s new president, Wendy Hensel, steps into her role on January 1, 2025, with a clear vision for the 10-campus system, the state’s sole provider of public higher education.
For Hensel, UH is more than just a renowned university system—it’s a community rich in culture, diversity, and potential. With a leadership style rooted in compassion, collaboration, and innovation, Hensel is poised to tackle key challenges, including her unwavering commitment to improving student success, embracing new technologies, and amplifying UH’s impact on a global scale.
Hensel brings a wealth of experience to her new role at UH. Her tenure at The City University of New York (CUNY), as the Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost for the 25-campus system, serving more than 230,000 students, has equipped her with invaluable insights and strategies. Before CUNY, Hensel held leadership positions at Georgia State University, where she served as the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Dean of the College of Law (Read Hensel’s full CV).
In the second installment of a two-part interview with UH News (read the first installment), Hensel reflects on her journey, her passion for education, and her commitment to sustaining UH as a beacon of excellence and moving it forward for future generations.
What drew you to the University of Hawaiʻi?
First of all, I love Hawaiʻi. I love its people, its beauty, and its spirit. It is critically important to me to be in a place where people care about each other and have a strong sense of community, like UH. This is where I want to lay down roots for the long term.
Throughout my career, I’ve been attracted to opportunities where I could significantly impact places like this that are highly diverse, where I’m surrounded by people with different perspectives and backgrounds who are working for a better future for everyone. That kind of environment inspires me and is something I am excited to be a part of. Diverse backgrounds lead to the very best kind of innovative thinking and spirit of community. By focusing on our connections and navigating through our divisions, we can chart a path forward together that benefits our UH ʻohana and beyond.
What qualities do you possess that will help you lead UH?
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I have a strong, proactive strategic perspective and focus on leading into the future rather than simply reacting to crises as they arise. That is something I’ve done my whole career, and it’s become increasingly critical as the pace of change facing higher education has escalated. To be successful, we must build innovative, strong teams that are capable of solving the highly complex, interdisciplinary problems facing our communities. Leading UH means more than just advancing this university system. We have a fundamental responsibility to the state as a whole — our universities are anchor institutions in our islands and local communities. I am looking forward to working with constituencies in and outside of the university to improve life for our people across the state.
Another strength I bring to the table is an unshakeable belief in this university UH needs to see itself as it truly is: one of the worldʻs best systems of higher education that offers excellence at a low cost. Together, we can change the narrative of being the best-kept secret in our own backyard and highlight the tremendous work taking place on each of our ten campuses.
We have accomplished so much already, but there is still more to do. We must address in new ways all barriers to student success, not just tinkering around the edges, but approaching challenges from a design perspective. Some powerful new technologies and approaches are in play that have not yet been adopted at UH. These advancements could be transformative for our students.
How do you plan to meet UH’s kuleana (responsibility) to Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian knowledge?
I deeply feel the sense of responsibility to Native Hawaiians that lies on my shoulders. I am committed to doing everything that I can to eradicate equity gaps wherever we find them, both within our university and outside of it, and to elevate and celebrate UH’s unique role as a place of Native Hawaiian learning. I recognize that I have a lot to learn, and I will ask throughout my tenure, how can I best serve in this role? I’m here to learn in every way I can through participating in community events, engaging in scholarship, and listening and hearing your truth. I’m ready to embark on this journey together.
How do you see technology shaping the future of UH?
Integrating technology throughout the UH System is key to the future of our 10 campuses and the collective futures of the people and state we serve. We must be Hawaiʻi’s technology leaders, especially with the explosion of artificial intelligence. We are educators, and this is one of the biggest education revolutions in human existence. We have to be at the forefront, leading the way. I’ve heard from many stakeholders, including business leaders and elected officials, that this is an area in which UH urgently needs to take the lead.
One example you cited of using technology to help students is how Georgia State addressed “summer melt”?
Summer melt is the time between when students commit to attend and when they show up for the fall semester. We found that the students who failed to show up were overwhelmingly from our lowest-income zip codes. There was a 30% dropout rate before they even started.
We did a study and realized a couple of things. The information we were providing wasn’t tailored to the individual, and in our attempt to communicate, we actually overwhelmed them. In response, we created a chatbot that answered thousands of the most common questions immediately. If the chatbot couldn’t answer a question, it would notify an advisor to follow up directly with the student within 24 hours.
We were able to tailor individualized responses at scale for somewhere around 10,000 incoming freshmen, answering their questions within three seconds when they were most likely to ask, which turned out to be between midnight and 2 in the morning. In some cases, students were more likely to ask the chatbot a question than an advisor because the question involved embarrassing personal information. As a result, we reduced the dropout melt rate by 30% in the first year and continued to improve over time. The effort had a positive impact on thousands of students who might never have entered the university.
How else can data be used to support students?
Data can be used to flag when a moment of crisis is coming versus the moment it has already arrived. We can monitor and identify historical markers of distress, such as a sudden drop in grades or a missed financial aid payment, and use those markers to trigger an intervention at that moment. The goal is to keep our students on the path to success with immediate real-time interventions even with limited personnel.
What do you hope to accomplish in your first 100 days on the job?
I’m most focused on getting to know people, getting a sense of place and what’s important, and the challenges for people on the ground. That is job number one because I can only represent this community by understanding who this community is and becoming its champion. My goal is to build the trust that will be the foundation for any work we do in the future.
How does it feel to be the next president of the University of Hawaiʻi?
In a word — amazing! If you had told me as a child that this is where I would be at this moment, I would have never believed you. It’s pretty cool when life exceeds your expectations.
