Kathleen “Kathie” Kane, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa director for the Office of Faculty Development and Academic Support (OFDAS), is the 2024 recipient of the UH Board of Regents (BOR) Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service. Kane was presented with the honor by UH President David Lassner and BOR Chair Gabriel Lee at the BOR July 18 meeting. She says she was stunned when she was told that she would be receiving the award.
“I felt very humbled and honored. The second thing I felt was I’m getting credit for the work of a lot of people, and these are the folks that hold up the sky with me,” said Kane after the BOR presentation. “Without the small but mighty team at OFDAS, the work could have never been accomplished. Then there’s the faculty around campus who come in and contribute to the programs for other faculty and the other staff members and the administrators that support what we do.”
Kane, who has worked at UH as a faculty specialist for more than three decades, has served as OFDAS director since 2011. In that role, she oversaw a teaching assistants (TA) professional development program and two faculty development programs—the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Faculty Mentoring Program. She was in charge of New Faculty Orientations, TA Trainings, the Mānoa Excellence in Teaching awards, and the Promotion and Tenure Dossier Library.
Indelible mark on UH
“We believe you would be hard-pressed to find anyone on the Mānoa campus who doesn’t personally know Dr. Kane, or her work, or hasn’t benefited from the many programs and activities she has spearheaded and supported,” stated the OFDAS staff in the award nomination. “Dr. Kane’s work will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on teaching and learning at the University of Hawaiʻi.”
Kane also spearheaded the development of several innovative classroom spaces at UH Mānoa including the award winning Sakamaki Innovation Zone, Webster Collaborative Classroom and the recently completed Dean Hall Culture Lab.
“Kathie goes above and beyond her regular work duties by bettering the academic environment for faculty and students, not only at UH Mānoa but throughout the UH System as a whole,” said Lassner during the presentation. “Kathie is also praised for her invaluable guidance and mentorship to both new and experienced faculty members.”
Kane earned bachelor and masters degrees and a PhD in political science from UH Mānoa in 1994 and has taught in political science and women’s studies as an affiliate faculty.
“You know, I was an undergrad and graduate student here, too, so I’ve been coming to UH for a long time,” said Kane, who is retiring on August 1, 2024. “It’s been a significant part of my life as an adult, and it’s strange to think I’ll no longer continue to return to campus on a daily basis, so I’m adjusting to that slowly.”
The Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service is named in honor of long-time UH administrator and secretary to the Board of Regents, Willard Wilson, who set a standard for service to the university during his 40-year career.
