John Casken

Associate Specialist
School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene

Prior to serving in the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Dr. Casken served in the former School of Public Health at the University of Hawaiʻi where, in addition to a regular instructional program , he also headed up the UHM campus Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) and a very successful program for the recruitment of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the School’s MPH Program. Dr. Casken’s involvement in the health issues of American Indians was developed during the five years he spent on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota after earning his MPH. In the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene Dr. Casken concentrates on rural /community health and the health issues of Native Hawaiians. His research area is the politicalization of health and medical issues. He teaches in the Department of Nursing’s Advanced Public Health Nursing specialization. Nationally Dr. Casken serves on the Board of ETR Associates and on the Board of the Center for American Indian and Indigenous Research and Education. Locally he serves on the boards of the Community Health Outreach Workers (CHOW) Program and also on the Board of the Community Health Education and Evaluation Program (CHEEP). In 2000 Dr. Casken was awarded the UH Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching.