UH West O‘ahu assistant professor wins undergraduate teaching award

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 454-4821
Public Relations and Marketing Department
Posted: Jun 4, 2009


UH West Oʻahu Assistant Professor of Business Administration Stefanie Wilson recently won the University of Hawaiʻi Frances Davis Teaching Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. The award recognizes the dedication and demonstrated excellence of teachers of undergraduate students. It was established as a memorial to the late Frances Davis, who taught mathematics at Leeward Community College and UH Mānoa for 19 years. Nominated by UH West Oʻahu faculty and students, Wilson received a $1,000 cash prize and a letter of commendation for her achievement.

A dynamic and passionate teacher, she uses her combination of academic, business, and community service experience to impart knowledge with students from a theoretical and practitioner perspective. Since joining the UH West Oʻahu faculty in 2006, Wilson has taught 18 upper division courses in a variety of ways, including in-class instruction, online, and via interactive television. In addition to seven years of instructional experience, she has over 17 years of corporate experience with Motorola, Inc.

"Stefanie is without a doubt one of our most dynamic and enthusiastic assistant professors," said Gene Awakuni, UH West Oʻahu chancellor. "Her ability to weave theory and practice into her teaching gives our students a much more enriching experience." A similar sentiment was shared by Linda Randall, UH West Oʻahu vice chancellor of academic affairs.

"We are privileged to have Dr. Wilson as a member of our faculty," remarked UH West Oʻahu Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Linda Randall. "Her students and colleagues think highly of her and she brings in to the classroom her expertise in leadership and global business--two critical areas for our business students to understand."

Wilson believes graduates of UH West Oʻahu should have the knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve their professional goals, contribute to the productivity of their organizations, and provide leadership and service to their communities. To that end, she offers instruction that bridges the gap between theory and practice by bringing into the classroom not only advanced scholarly research, but also knowledge from real world experience.

In addition to teaching, Wilson has always been fascinated with human intelligences and leadership. Her research and publication efforts expand on Howard Gardner‘s "Theory of Multiple Intelligences" by providing new ways to think about leadership. Wilson also serves as the 2008-2009 President of the Rotary Club of Kapolei.

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About UH West O'ahu
UH West Oʻahu became a four-year, comprehensive university when it served its first class of freshmen in fall 2007. The University offers quality education, small classes and personalized attention at convenient locations. UH West Oʻahu held a ground blessing ceremony in January in anticipation of the start of construction for a state-of-the-art, new campus in the City of Kapolei. For more information, visit uhwo.hawaii.edu, twitter.com/uhwestoahu or call 454-4700 or toll-free (866) 299-8656.