Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio

Political Science

Jamaica Heoli Osorio’s teaching philosophy is informed by her position as a “Kanaka Maoli wahine scholar educator born and raised in Pālolo Valley.” Professor of Indigenous and Native Hawaiian Politics in the Political Science Department at the UH Mānoa, Osorio practices “an aloha ‘āina pedagogy,” grounded in “a strong ethic of care and trust” emblematic of A’o Aku/ A’o Mai. Inspiring her students to explore Indigenous politics passionately and morally, Osorio also takes mentorship seriously, which is evident in her “mentoring dozens of undergraduate and graduate students in disciplines across the university including American Studies, Women Gender and Sexuality Studies, English, Pacific Island Studies, Hawaiian Studies, Hawaiian Language, Law, Business, Planning.” The impact of her teaching within and beyond her department; her sustained mentorship; and Osorio’s various intellectual, activist, and artistic endeavors as a Native Hawaiian scholar and educator highlight her as an exemplary member of the campus community. As noted by her colleague, “Our students and our university are incredibly fortunate to have her as a tenured associate professor, a Kanaka who represents an incomparable voice of her generation.”