Chancellor appoints Dean of Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Dec 1, 2011

Dr. Noreen Mokuau
Dr. Noreen Mokuau
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Chancellor Virginia S. Hinshaw is pleased to announce the appointment of Noreen Mokuau, D.S.W., as Dean of the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work.
 
Mokuau is currently Interim Dean of the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work and a tenured Professor in the School. She obtained her doctorate in Social Welfare at the University of California, Los Angeles (1982), and her master’s in Social Work and bachelor’s in Psychology (High Honors) from UH Mānoa.
 
In addition to her current interim dean appointment, Mokuau’s administrative experience includes serving as chair of the undergraduate and doctoral programs, assistant dean, and acting dean of the School. Her extensive community service includes board membership on local organizations such as The Queen’s Health Systems. She is presiding chair of trustees for The Queen’s Medical Center, and co-investigator and director of Hā Kūpuna – National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders, U.S. Administration on Aging. 
 
As a scholar, mentor and teacher, Mokuau’s inquiry centers on social justice issues, including health disparities among Native Hawaiian, Asian and other Pacific Islander populations, and care-giving issues for culturally diverse elders. She is the author of numerous articles and books on these topics, has received the University’s highest awards in the areas of teaching and community service, and is an invited speaker and presenter at national and regional conferences.
 
Said Chancellor Hinshaw, “Dr. Mokuau clearly has impressive expertise, academic and administrative experience and strong recognition and respect in the local, national and regional arena, so we enthusiastically welcome her leadership as Dean.”
 
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Reed Dasenbrock added, “The School of Social Work is a very important part of the way UH Mānoa is helping to address the present and future challenges faced by the state, and I am delighted that Dean Mokuau will continue to lead the school forward.”
 
The Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work is one of the premier schools of social work in the Pacific-Asia region. The School is dedicated to providing an educational experience that is anchored in excellence. Challenges and opportunities abound for social workers in a global community that is increasingly more culturally diverse. The School’s principal responsibility is the creation and transmission of knowledge reflecting the advancement of social work and the achievement of social justice as the “noble cause.”
 
For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/sswork.