The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa held its 2026 UH Mānoa Awards ceremony on May 5, 2026.
UH President Wendy Hensel, UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos and Board of Regents Chair Gabe Lee recognized this year’s honorees for their outstanding accomplishments.
A recording of the event will be available on the UH Mānoa Awards website at a later date. View photos from the event.
Congratulations to all our winners!
2026 UH Mānoa Awards winners
Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching
- Cheehyung Harrison Kim, associate professor, history
- Miyoko Teddy Pettit-Toledo, assistant professor, law
- Subhashni Raj, assistant professor, urban and regional planning
- Eirik J. Saethre, professor, anthropology
- Tamara Ticktin, professor, botany
- Kara Noelani Wong Ramsey, associate professor, pediatrics
Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Research
- Nicolas Gaillard, associate researcher, Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute
- Joseph Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula, professor, Native Hawaiian health
- Victor M. Lubecke, professor, electrical and computer engineering
Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
- Lisa M. Vallin, instructor, women, gender, and sexuality studies
- Lolita Perez-Ayala, graduate assistant, communication and information sciences
Robert W. Clopton Award for Distinguished Community Service
- Yoshimi (Shimi) M. Rii, assistant specialist, Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology
Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching
- Ethan Caldwell, associate professor, ethnic studies
- Jane Chung-Do, professor, public health
- Jeffrey Drazen, professor, oceanography
- J. Lorenzo Perillo, associate professor, theatre and dance
- Cathi Ho Schar, associate professor, architecture
- N. Haʻalilio Solomon, assistant professor, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language
Presidential Award for Outstanding Service
- Michelle Myrie, deputy chief, Department of Public Safety
- Earl Matsushita, work coordination center manager, Campus Operations and Facilities
- Evelyn Mangadlao, janitor, Campus Operations and Facilities
- Dina Shek, director, Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawaiʻi
Jean Takamura Staff Excellence Award
- Karen Harper, fiscal officer, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology
- Paula MacCutcheon, operations coordinator, Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office
- Roy Suda, IT specialist, Enrollment Management
Peter V. Garrod Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award
- Merle R. Kataoka-Yahiro, professor, nursing
Pakela Award for Outstanding Academic Advisor
- Lauren Prepose-Forsen, director, Mānoa Transfer Coordination Center
OVPRS Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research and Creative Work
- John G. Souza, assistant professor, family and consumer sciences
- Tianlu Wang, assistant professor, mechanical engineering
Student Excellence in Research Award
- Dhvanil Desai, PhD candidate, astronomy
- Sophia Rahnke, PhD candidate, marine biology
- Jannatun Noor Sameera, PhD candidate, electrical and computer engineering
- Kate Sapigao, lead student mentor, GEAR UP Mānoa
See the UH Mānoa Awards page for a complete list of winner biographies.
