Gerald (Jerry) K. Santos, Fred Kalani Meinecke and Michael D. Nakasone have each been awarded honorary doctorate of humane letters degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents. The regents voted unanimously to approve the awardees at their meeting on March 21.
Gerald K. Santos
Santos, a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winner as a performer and composer, gained fame as a founding member of Olomana, producing the acclaimed album “Like a Seabird in the Wind” and composing the iconic “Kuʻu Home O Kahaluʻu.” He used his platform to advocate for Hawaiian causes, notably supporting the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and performing the anthem “Mele O Kahoʻolawe” to raise awareness of the island’s sacredness amidst military bombing practice.
Santos has been a guest speaker numerous times at UH Mānoa for courses taught by Professor Keawe Lopes. He has also been a guest speaker and performer at UH West Oʻahu, Windward Community College and Kauaʻi CC. Santos has been interviewed for numerous master’s theses as well as doctoral dissertations that deal with topics of the Hawaiian Renaissance and how musicians can facilitate conscientization and community mobilization.
“It would take many pages of testimony to describe the unique and yet historical nature of their music and even many more pages to describe the way that Jerry’s live performances have been educational as much as entertainment,” said Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge Dean Jonathan Osorio in his letter of support.
Fred Kalani Meinecke
Meinecke has established himself as a distinguished scholar and educator of Hawaiian culture and language throughout his nearly five decades of teaching at Windward CC, following prior stints at UH Hilo and UH Mānoa. Noteworthy achievements include organizing a transformative study abroad course in New Zealand, contributing to the creation of an associate degree in Hawaiian Studies at Windward CC and pioneering a course on Kamehameha the Great. His dedication to teaching earned him the Excellence in Teaching Award from the UH Board of Regents and inspired many students to pursue higher education and become educators themselves.
Beyond academia, Meinecke’s contributions to Hawaiian culture span decades, from serving as a consultant for cultural projects and Hawaiian music labels to supporting film productions. He has also fostered national and international collaborations, facilitating exchanges with Indigenous communities, showcasing Hawaiʻi‘s culture on a global stage.
“Kalani’s scholarly expertise in Hawaiian culture and language was instrumental in formulating a curriculum that accurately blended the traditional methods and heritage of Polynesian exploration and wayfinding with contemporary science and technology,” wrote retired Windward CC Professor Joseph Ciotti, who worked with Meinecke for more than 20 years. “His wealth of knowledge of Austronesian history and migration enriched the program beyond its Polynesian roots.”
Michael D. Nakasone
Nakasone, conductor of the UH West Oʻahu University Band from 2016 to 2022, dedicated his career to band conducting and music education since 1968. His career started at an intermediate school in Wahiawā, before moving to Mililani High School in 1973. He then transferred to Pearl City High School, where he served for 28 years as the director of bands, achieving national and international acclaim.
Nakasone expanded his musical contributions throughout the state as maestro with the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony, director of the Pearl City Performing Arts Learning Center and as the band director during the summers for the Kamehameha School Performing Arts Center. In 2005, he was appointed the 21st bandmaster of the world-renowned Royal Hawaiian Band. In 2017, Nakasone was inducted into the National Band Association Hall of Fame, and has been active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator in the U.S., Canada and Japan.
- Related story: Prestigious national award for UH West Oʻahu University Band co-director Nakasone, May 2023
“His dedication to the band and the University of Hawaiʻi System is apparent in the level of excellence he cultivates in each of the musicians in the 100-member UH West Oʻahu University Band,” wrote Chadwick Kamei, UH West Oʻahu University Band conductor and Pearl City High School director of bands.
