Former University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH). The award recognizes outstanding leadership and innovative system-level initiatives in public higher education. NASH said Lassner has left a lasting impact on higher education, demonstrating how systemwide collaboration can drive state prosperity.
Lassner is being honored for his exceptional contributions to higher education throughout his 47-year career at UH, particularly his leadership in advancing systemness to make UH a model for Indigenous-serving institutions, bolstering support for Native Hawaiian students statewide. He also prioritized technology and innovation, leveraging UH’s strengths in oceanography, astronomy and climate science to position the university as a global leader in these fields.
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“As the sole provider of public higher education in the state, the University of Hawaiʻi does more than any other institution to advance a thriving and sustainable future for people and communities throughout our islands. UH leaders before me established the vision and I’m grateful to and proud of our team for moving that vision forward to make UH one of the highest-performing higher education systems in the nation,” said Lassner. “NASH and our colleagues there have been invaluable in helping us learn how to do even better than we ever could have alone, so this recognition of what we have all shared back is deeply appreciated.”
Lassner navigated challenges such as state funding constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining the UH’s commitment to excellence and service to the people of Hawaiʻi.
“We will feel the impact of Dr. David Lassner’s leadership at the University of Hawaiʻi for a long time,” said Wendy Hensel, president of the University of Hawaiʻi. “His vision for a more equitable and accessible higher education experience for all, particularly Native Hawaiian students, has left an enduring legacy. This Lifetime Achievement Award is a well-deserved recognition of his remarkable career and the profound difference he has made.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award and 4 other awards will be presented at NASH’s fourth annual member convening in Washington, D.C.
NASH works to advance the role of multi-campus systems and the concept of systemness to create a more vibrant and sustainable higher education sector. NASH systems are comprised of more than 700 campuses and serve more than 8.2 million students in nearly every state in the U.S.
