PUBA News
Learn more about our Program, Faculty, students, and activities.
Alumni Spotlight – Roy Takumi Appointed as Chair of the Hawai‘i State Board of Education
Former state representative Roy Takumi, a distinguished MPA graduate of the Public Administration program, has been appointed (and confirmed by the State Senate) as the new Chair of the Hawai‘i State Board of Education by …
2024 American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) Conference
The 2024 American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Conference took place from April 12 to 16 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Helen H. Yu, our Interim Director and Graduate Chair, along with two MPA …
Former PUBA Faculty, Dr. David Lee, Speaks on the Role of Nonprofits in the Refugee Resettlement Process
On February 1, 2024, Dr. David Lee from Ewha Womans University returned to PUBA as part of our Speaker Series to provide students, faculty, and our community a presentation titled, “Let Refugees Learn: The Role …
Recent Highlights from PUBA Faculty, Winter 2024
Dr. Morgen Johansen Dr. Johansen most recently published an article on Advancing Social Equity in East Asia: Education and Health Care Policy in China, Korea, and Singapore in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Public …
Aloha, from the New Interim Program Director, Dr. Helen Yu
Hauʻoli makahiki hou. I hope everyone had a nice winter break and is excited about the Spring 2024 semester. I have been appointed as the Interim Director of PUBA effective January 1 through …
Aloha from the Outgoing Director, Dr. Morgen Johansen
This year marks 40 years of the PUBA program. Established as a certificate program in 1984, it grew to a Masters degree in 1990, which was made permanent by the Board of Regents …
New PUBA Faculty Publication
Publication TitleLGBTQ+ Officers in US Federal Service: An Examination of Workplace Inclusion and Experiencing Sex-Based Discrimination Author(s)Helen H. Yu and David Lee (current and former faculty respectively) Date of publicationOct 13, 2023 AbstractWorkplace …
Student Bio – Chetsada Changmai
Chet is a second year MPA student, and is PASO’s co-Vice President!! Why did you choose PUBA? I chose UHM’s PUBA program because I have heard that it has a strong connection with …
PASO Event Reflection – Speaker Series: Public Policy & Climate Change
Gathering nearly 70 attendees, PASO’s panel was a success! Some highlights from our two panel members came from Matthew Gosner, Chief Resilience Officer & Executive Director at the City and County of Honolulu’s …
PUBA in the Community – Helen Yu, NASPAA
Our Graduate Chair, Dr. Helen H. Yu, was recently selected to serve a 3-year term (Oct 2023-Sep 2026) as a member of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) …
PASO Event Reflection – Maunalua Bay
On September 17th, a handful of PASO’s incoming officers and their faculty advisor, Dr. Chaiko Hung, joined PUBA alumnus Yvonne Yoro to volunteer for Mālama Maunalua. Mālama Maunalua works to restore Hawaiʻi’s marine …
Student Bio – Andrew Phomsouvanh
Andrew is a second-year MPA student and is PASO’s newest communications officer! Why did you choose PUBA? I chose PUBA at UHM to develop expertise in government-public relations and managing the intersectionality of …
Student Bio – Jordyn Ryan
As the fall semester begins, we would like to introduce our new graduate assistant, Jordyn Ryan. Jordyn is a second year MPA student, and this may be a secondary introduction for those who …
Alumni Spotlight – Brendan Kinoshita
Fall ‘17 Alumnus Advances to Prominent Role in the Department of the Attorney General. The Public Administration Department has fantastic news to share. Our PUBA alumnus, Brendan Kinoshita, has been appointed as the …
Insightful Publication from MPA Graduates ‘23
Our Spring 2023 Graduates had their capstone project published for the Center of Excellence Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance through the ARIS Academic Partnership Program.