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New Faculty Orientation

August 19–20, 2026

Aloha and welcome to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa!

The NFO events are just the beginning of an ongoing process of discovery and involvement to introduce you as a member of our campus and academic community.

The New Faculty Orientation is devoted to:

Introducing new faculty to the campus
Distributing information about the campus and community
Presenting faculty and student perspectives on teaching and learning at UHM
A brunch or lunch hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi Professional Assembly (UHPA)
Mānoa Reception for new faculty

Related Links

About NFO

Office of Human Resources website

Benefits and Leaves

NFO Schedule

Schedule subject to change—updated 8/19/26.

Wednesday, August 19, 2026—Kuykendall Hall

12:30 pm – 12:45 pm Kuykendall 101 Pavillion	Check-in Hoʻolauna: Coming together, Making Introductions Hazel Gedikli, Interim Director & Faculty Specialist, OFDAS Renee Jorg, Educational Specialist, OFDAS-CTE
12:45 pm – 1:45 pm Kuykendall 101 Pavilion	Welina Mānoa: How Does Mānoa Greet Us, How Can We Greet Mānoa? Dr. Kawehionālani Goto & Hope Matsumoto, Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office
1:45 pm – 2:00 pm Kuykendall 101 Auditorium	Greetings from Academic Excellence Laura E. Lyons, Interim Vice Provost for Academic Excellence
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Kuykendall 101 Auditorium	Starting Out and Staying Balanced! A Panel of Experienced Faculty Perspectives on teaching & learning from various disciplines Keahiahi Long, Library and Information Science John Souza, Family and Consumer Sciences Kaori Tamura, Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science Moderator: Hazel Gedikli, OFDAS
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Kuykendall 106 Events Room	Beverage Break
3:30 pm – 4:15 pm Kuykendall 101 Auditorium	Student Success at UH Mānoa: OVPSS Services and Support Amy Hubbard, Interim Assistant Vice Provost for Student Academic Success
4:15 pm Kuykendall 101 Auditorium	Closing Hazel Gedikli, OFDAS

Thursday, August 20, 2026—Campus Center Executive Dining Room

9:30 am – 10:00 am	Check-in Morning Hui Hazel Gedikli, Interim Director, OFDAS Renee Jorg, OFDAS-CTE
10:00 am – 11:00 am	Academic Freedom: Managing Controversial Topics Laura E. Lyons, Interim Vice Provost for Academic Excellence Teresa Kono, Director of Faculty Excellence, Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence
11:00 am – 12: 15 pm	UHPA Sponsored Luncheon & Presentation on Collective Bargaining & Contract Issues Christian Fern, UHPA Executive Director Arynn Kurihara, Jamie Mow, and Dwight Takeno, UHPA Associate Executive Director Sydney Dayan, UHPA Assistant Executive Director/Organizer Marguerite Butler, Marcus Daniel, and Jing Wu, UHPA Board Director Rovena Varde, UHPA Technical Specialist
12:15 pm – 12:45 pm	Research & Scholarship: Introduction to OVPRS Services & Support Tetine Sentell, Interim Assistant Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship Tarra McNally, Research Program Officer
12:45 pm – 1:30 pm	Contract Renewal, Promotion, and Tenure Paul Mckimmy, Interim Associate Vice Provost for Academic Excellence
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm	Faculty Rights and Benefits Teresa Kono, Director of Faculty Excellence, Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence Sarah S P Moriarty, Executive Program Officer, Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm	Beverage Break
2:15 pm – 2:45 pm	Faculty Senate: Faculty Governance and How You Can Get Involved Birendra Mishra, Senate Executive Committee Chair Daniel Port, Senate Executive Committee Vice Chair John Kinder, Administrative Officer
2:45 pm – 3:30 pm	For Faculty, By Faculty @ OFDAS CTE Professional Development Programs and Innovative Classrooms Renee Jorg & Joseph Peters, Center for Teaching Excellence OFDAS Graphics Design Support Mark Nakamura and Marween Yagin, Graphic Design CTE Teaching Evaluations & Faculty Mentoring Program (FMP) Hazel Gedikli, OFDAS-CTE

About NFO

New Faculty Campus and Community Guide

Acknowledgements
The NFO Planning Committee would like to acknowledge all presenters for sharing their expertise with our new Mānoa colleagues and extend a special mahalo to the Chancellor and the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence for hosting a reception for new faculty that will follow the NFO in August 2026.

2026 Mānoa Chancellor’s Reception for New Faculty

Monday, August 31, 2026
4:30 pm–6:00 pm
Campus Center Ballroom

Meet the Mānoa Chancellor, administrators, deans, department chairs, and other new faculty. A formal e-invitation will be emailed to you just before the Fall semester. Please RSVP via the link provided in your e-invitation.