Kristi Govella wins Teaching Award

Congratulations Dr. Govella!

Dr. Kristi Govella, Assistant Professor of Asian Studies, is a 2021 recipient of a Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching at UH Mānoa from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. This award “recognizes faculty members who have made significant contributions in teaching and student learning. The award honors an extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, teaching effectiveness and creativity, and personal character.”

Former student Damhee “DeeDee” Hong says of Dr. Govella:

Professor Govella is a true educator who possesses an enormous amount of patience, care, and knowledge for her students… I feel absolutely blessed to have learned from such a brilliant and hardworking professor who genuinely cares about inspiring her students to learn… not only is Dr. Govella an amazing professor in the subject matter of Asian Studies, she is also incredibly efficient and impactful in teaching general research and writing skills. Instead of just assigning topics and expecting the students to somehow figure out how to adapt to a new style of writing, Dr. Govella takes the time to carefully observe the strengths and weaknesses of her students to provide detailed and constructive feedback. Even though it has been over a year since I took her class, and despite the fact that I am now in a new program, I find myself constantly going back to writing and presentation tips that Professor Govella gave to us in class, and actively sharing these tips with others. In short, Professor Kristi Govella teaches her students to write with passion and professionalism so that we can pursue our academic dreams, and that is what makes Dr. Govella a hero to graduate students at University of Hawai’i.  

Congratulations Dr. Govella! The Asian Studies Department is lucky to have you with us!