Summer
Maunakea

Professor Summer Maunakea in the Department of Curriculum Studies grounds her teaching practices in academic rigor, agency, and aloha. A colleague describes observing her as “expertly weaving her expertise of place-based teaching and learning, ‘āina-based education and stewardship, and indigenous epistemology and practice.” She holds herself to high expectations as a teacher, knowing her instruction must have a positive intergenerational impact for students to grow holistically into healthy individuals capable of making pono decisions and contributing to their communities. A graduate student reflects on Professor Maunakea’s encouragement to find intersections across cultures and places that generate powerful forms of research exploration and knowledge creation, stating that: “for me, this is what love looks like in education. The love and community that Professor Maunakea cultivates in the classroom supports immense intellectual experimentation and risk taking. I am immensely grateful for her teaching.” To a senior colleague, her teaching, research and service is considered to be “visionary, meaningfully advocating for Indigenous education, sustainability, eco-justice, inclusive outdoor education and school-community partnerships.”