Maya Soetoro, distinguished educator and peacebuilder in the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, has been selected as a recipient of the LLAP Tribute Award from the Nimoy Knight Foundation. The honor recognizes her lifetime commitment to conflict transformation, intellectual humility, dialogue across cultural and ideological divides, and advancing peace and human dignity.
As a faculty member in the School of Communication and Information, Soetoro has dedicated her career to advancing peacebuilding and conflict transformation education. Her scholarly work focuses on reconciling differences within oneself and across communities—exploring how individuals and societies navigate dual identities and connect with each other in an increasingly divided world. Her research and teaching emphasize the role of disciplined inquiry and collaborative problem solving in transforming conflict.
“Spock’s commitment to logic was never cold detachment; it was a disciplined devotion to reason over reaction, to dialogue over violence and to collective survival over ego,” Soetoro said. “Leonard Nimoy himself carried that ethos beyond the screen through his art, photography, writing, and advocacy—uplifting marginalized voices, celebrating human dignity and building bridges across difference.”
Soetoro draws inspiration from Spock’s navigation of dual identity, noting that the character’s journey mirrors the lived experience of many who inhabit multiple cultures, nations and world views.
“Our foundation committee unanimously agreed that Dr. Soetoro’s dedication to peace and her commitment to reconciling difference make her a worthy honoree of this award,” said David Knight, co-director of the Nimoy Knight Foundation, alongside Leonard’s daughter Julie Nimoy. “Her work reflects the very ethos that Leonard championed throughout his life-bridging divides and building a more compassionate world.”
‘Live long and prosper’
The LLAP Tribute Award, named after Leonard Nimoy’s famous benediction “Live Long and Prosper,” celebrates individuals whose work embodies the values and ideals the late actor and artist lived and championed.
Previous recipients include Mayim Bialik, Bill Nye, LeVar Burton, Whoopi Goldberg, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Billie Jean King, as well as actor George Takei.
The Nimoy Knight Foundation is dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of Leonard Nimoy through grants, awards and initiatives that promote peace, diversity and human dignity.
