Our Kuleana
The Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao Office was first established in 2016 to help UH Mānoa and each of its units uniquely and collectively reach the institutional goal of becoming a Native Hawaiian place of learning.
Today, the office serves the UH system in advancing Native Hawaiian places of learning.
Our kuleana guides and inspires us. Our team is comprised of a talented group of people, both humbled and proud to engage in this important work.
Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao Office: Advancing Native Hawaiian places of learning
About Us
Alaka‘i: Our Leader
Dr. Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻōpua
- Hometown: Heʻeia & Kalihi, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Director who oversees strategic implementation of Imperative #1 for UH System; Interim Director of the Institute for Hawaiian Language Research and Translation.
- Email: goodyear@hawaii.edu
Limahana: Our Wonderful Staff
Paula Mac Cutcheon, MBA
- Hometown: Kula, Maui
- Kuleana: Operations coordinator
Dr. Kawehionālani Goto
- Hometown: Papakōlea, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Interim Program Officer UH Mānoa; Co-Director of UH Mānoa’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center
Nick Childs, MPS
- Hometown: ʻEwa, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Program specialist: community engagement; co-director of UH Mānoa’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center
Hope Matsumoto
- Hometown: Honouliuli, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant, story gatherer and writer
- Graduate program: PhD in English
Kekuhikuhipuuoneonaaliiokohala Kanahele
- Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant for NHPoLA office in partnership with HPOKA
- Graduate program: PhD Student, Political Science Program at Mānoa focusing on Indigenous Politics
Kikilia Lani
- Hometown: ‘Ewa Moku, O‘ahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant, Data & Evaluation
- Graduate program: PhD Student, Educational Administration
Austin Jay Alika Keaupuni Davis
- Hometown: Wailuku, Maui
- Kuleana: Data Analysis & Research
- Graduate program: Sociology
Timmy Minh Hiền Trần
- Hometown: Kaimukī, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant for Community Engagement
- Graduate program: Masters of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing
Avis Poai
- Hometown: Hilo, Hawaiʻi
- Kuleana: Program Manager Institute of Hawaiian Language and Research Translation (IHLRT)
Leiana San Agustin Naholowaʻa
- Hometown: Dédidu, Guåhan
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant, Institute of Hawaiian Language Research and Translation
- Graduate program: PhD in English
Kainani Wagner
- Hometown: Heʻeia, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant for the Institute of Hawaiian Language Research and Translation
- Graduate program:Master in Library & Information Science; Master in Pacific Islands Studies
Contact Us
Address
2500 Campus Road Honolulu, HI 96822
Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Team Archive
Dr. Kaiwipunikauikawēkiu Punihei Lipe
- Hometown: He‘eia, O‘ahu
- Kuleana: Director who oversees strategic implementation of Imperative #1 for UH System; Director of UHM’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center; Interim Director of the Institute for Hawaiian Language Research and Translation.
Ethan ʻAnalū Lee
- Hometown: Waimea, Hawaiʻi
- Kuleana: Institute of Hawaiian Language and Research Translation (IHLRT) Student Graduate Assistant
- Graduate program: D. Arch
Dani ʻĀnelaonālani Smith
- Hometown: Waiʻanae, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant for the Pilina Support Team
- Graduate program: Master in Public Health Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health specialization
ʻĀnela Purcell
- Hometown: Waiau, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant, Data & Evaluation
- Graduate program:Ph. D. Student, Political Science (Indigenous Politics specialization)
Kamakani Albano
- Hometown: Kalihilihiolaumiha, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Research Assistant: Campus Climate Committee in transforming Mānoa through centering pilina building
- Graduate program: Ph.D. Student, Political Science (Indigenous Politics specialization)
Makanalani Gomes
- Hometown: Waipiʻo, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Online engagement and outreach during the pandemic
- Graduate program: Master’s Student, Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge
Emily Medeiros
- Hometown: Waikīkī, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: OER (Open Education Resource) Student Specialist
- Graduate program: Master’s Student, Hawaiian Studies
Sofia Luczak
- Hometown: Hālawa, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Graduate Assistant: Support the Campus Climate Committee in its efforts to transform Mānoa
- Graduate program: Master’s Student, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Hoakalei Watanabe
- Hometown: Mililani, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Online engagement
- Graduate program: Undergraduate student, Double Majoring in Environmental Earth Science and Hawaiian Language with a Minor in Dance
Sonya Zabala, MA in Communications
- Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
- Kuleana: Operations Coordinator
ʻElia Akaka
- Hometown: Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu
- Kuleana: Online engagement and outreach during the pandemic
- Undergraduate program: Undergraduate Student- Double Majoring in Hawaiian and Hawaiian Studies with a Minor in Music, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language and Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge
Pua Souza, Master’s in Social Work
- Hometown: Kohala, Hawaiʻi
- Kuleana: Graduate research assistant: Communications, Inter-departmental and Community Engagement Initiatives
- Graduate program: PhD Student, Curriculum Studies, College of Education
