University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno will step down as the campus’s chief academic officer on July 1, 2025, following nearly a decade of leadership. Bruno will return to the faculty as a Professor of Ocean Engineering in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and will continue to support UH through several university-wide initiatives at the request of President Wendy Hensel. He announced his plans to the campus in a message on Monday, May 5, which was followed by a message from Hensel.
Bruno joined UH Mānoa in 2015 as vice chancellor for research and expanded his leadership responsibilities in 2016 when he was also named vice chancellor for academic affairs. He was appointed as the university’s first provost in 2019, following a campus reorganization that established the position.
“This decision comes with both excitement and a sense of reflection,” said Bruno. “I am eager to return to my roots in teaching and research—passions that drew me to academia—but I do so with deep appreciation for the opportunity to have served this extraordinary institution in its academic leadership.”
Hensel praised Bruno for his years of service and commitment to the university.
“UH Mānoa and the entire state owes Michael a huge debt of gratitude for his steady leadership over the last decade,” said Hensel. “Since his arrival, he has taken on increasing responsibility and guided the flagship campus through the COVID-19 pandemic and a period of tremendous growth across multiple areas of student success and research. I look forward to continuing our work together in new capacities.”
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As part of his transition, Bruno will begin a sabbatical year to focus on several special projects. These include developing a plan to optimize the organization and academic programming at the UH Cancer Center and the John A. Burns School of Medicine, as well as advancing the work of the newly established Pacific Engagement Council, which seeks to expand UH‘s research, education and service impact across the Pacific region.
Advancing UH Mānoa
Under Bruno’s leadership, UH Mānoa bucked national enrollment trends by increasing enrollment in five of the last seven years. In fall 2024, the university surpassed 20,000 students for the first time since 2013 and welcomed a record 3,123 first-time freshmen—marking the third consecutive year of 3,000+ freshman enrollment.
Graduation and retention rates have also reached historic highs. The four-year graduation rate climbed nearly 10 percentage points to 41% since 2015, and the six-year graduation rate—the federal standard—rose to a record 64%. Second-year student retention reached 81%.
In research, UH Mānoa saw extramural funding grow from $306 million in 2015 to a record $464 million in 2024. The external investments—from federal agencies, private industry and nonprofits—support critical research and workforce development across disciplines.
“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” said Bruno. “The progress is a direct result of the hard work of our faculty, researchers, deans, directors, academic staff and especially the vice provosts and my leadership team—some of the most dedicated professionals I’ve ever worked with.”
UH Mānoa continues to be ranked in the top 2% of universities nationally and globally and is one of only a handful of U.S. institutions designated as a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant, and sun-grant university. It is also classified as an R1 (very high research activity) institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Leadership transition
Hensel intends to launch a national search to select the next provost within the next academic year. In the interim, she will invite nominations and self-nominations to hold an interim appointment and will prioritize those candidates who are not interested in seeking the permanent role. She hopes to finalize the interim position by the end of May to allow for a smooth transition.
“UH Mānoa is one of the nation’s great universities and plays an essential role in our state,” said Hensel. “We must find a leader who will build upon the progress made and help chart our course for the future. This will be one of the most important decisions I make as president, and we will approach it with the care and rigor it deserves.”
About Bruno
Before joining UH Mānoa, Bruno served as dean of the School of Engineering and Science and professor of ocean engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. His research focuses on ocean observation systems, climate change and community resilience, and he has authored more than 100 technical publications.
Bruno has chaired several national panels and served on advisory boards including the Marine Board of the National Academies, the Ocean Research Advisory Panel, and the Naval Research Advisory Committee. He is a Fulbright Scholar and fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and has received multiple national honors, including the Denny Medal (Institute of Marine Engineering), the ONR Young Investigator Award, and the ASCE Outstanding Service Award.
He holds a BS in civil engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, an MS from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD from the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography and Applied Ocean Science & Engineering.
