UH faculty recognized for outstanding service to the community

HONOLULU — University of Hawaiʻi faculty members Cynthia Foreman, Craig Howes, Davianna McGregor and William Puette, were selected as recipients of the Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation Award for Faculty Service to the Community. Established in 1997, the award recognizes significant contributions that strengthen ties between the university and the community. It is presented annually to two faculty members from UH Mānoa and two from the other UH campuses.

Cynthia Foreman is an assistant professor of economics at Maui Community College. She has been committed to a wide-range of community groups and projects that include the Maui Economic Development Board Economic Literacy Program, Ala Lani United Methodist Church and the Boy Scouts of America. Her role as facilitator for Maui County‘s Focus Maui Nui Project helped gain community input for the formulation of a comprehensive vision for Maui County. Foreman was also instrumental in bringing a Natural Resource and Environmental Management degree to the UH Center on Maui.

W. Craig Howes is a professor of English and director of the Center for Biographic Research at UH Mānoa. His dedication to community service has ensured that his academic interests and skills benefit the wider community of Hawaiʻi. Howes‘ service as director of the center and editor of the international journal, Biography, reflects his leadership as a scholar, teacher and individual. Since 1980, he has volunteered with the Hawaiʻi Literary Council and brought humanities programming to public schools statewide.

Davianna McGregor is a professor of ethnic studies at UH Mānoa. She has combined scholarship on native Hawaiian issues with community service and advocacy. McGregor was an active volunteer in the initial planning for Kahoʻolawe after it was turned over to the state and recently coordinated access to the island for college and high school students, community organizations and families. She volunteers her time to the Native Hawaiian Study Group for Sustainable Tourism Study developed by the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

William Puette is the director of the Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR) at UH West Oʻahu. He has provided his expertise in the history, law and policy issues to various local labor organizations, including the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission, Labor Community Services Liaison Program of Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi Injured Workers Alliance. Puette also volunteers his time to speak on labor issues and provide technical expertise at various public presentations. As the director of CLEAR for the past fifteen years, he has developed many labor courses and programs, and is working to establish a labor studies degree program at the university.

Recipients of the Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation Award for Faculty Service to the Community will be recognized for their contributions to the university along with other UH award winners at a system-wide ceremony in September.

About the University of Hawaiʻi

Established in 1907 and fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the University of Hawaiʻi is the state‘s sole public system of higher education. The UH System provides an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and community programs on 10 campuses and through educational, training, and research centers across the state. UH enrolls more than 50,000 students from Hawaiʻi, the U.S. mainland, and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.hawaii.edu.