The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law‘s library archives manager was selected as one of 15 fellows nationally for the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Heritage.
Ellen-Rae Cachola was chosen in the inaugural cohort of fellows for a new three-year program that includes Rare Book School coursework, community symposia and multicultural collections and training activities.
Cachola has been in charge of new collections such as the papers of the late Federal Judge Samuel P. King and eminent legal scholar and UH Professor Jon Van Dyke.
“This fellowship will allow me to showcase our collections in the library, and to engage in dialogue and training with rare books and cultural heritage specialists from across the country,” said Cachola. “It’s an honor to represent our law library and the cultures of Hawaiʻi.”
Cachola is the granddaughter of Ilocano plantation workers and a mentee of Hawaiian demilitarization organizers. In addition to her work in the UH law library training and supervising student workers in techniques to process library and archival materials for public access, she is a lecturer in the UH Mānoa Department of Ethnic Studies.
Vicki Szymczak, UH law library director, added that Cachola is highly deserving of this national honor, noting that she has taken a leadership role in preserving rare and irreplaceable papers for the UH law library, and made them available for research.
“We are so fortunate to have Ellen-Rae on our team,” said Szymczak. “Her leadership and devotion to archival work is an inspiration and model for anyone who dares to learn from society’s past mistakes and aspires to greatness based on our successes. Her work is so important for all of us.”
UH law school Dean Avi Soifer said, “Many of us were aware of the terrific work that Ellen does, but this wonderful national recognition underscores her quiet, yet nonetheless extraordinary, achievements.”
Read more on the UH law school’s website.
–By Beverly Creamer
