Gene Awakuni joined University of Hawai'i as chief executive of the West O'ahu campus in March 2005.  He previously served as vice provost for student affairs at Stanford University, where he had joint oversight for a division of 650 staff members. Awakuni also served as Vice President of Student Services at Columbia University, overseeing eight major departments, including dining, health, business and financial services; university bookstores; residence halls; the registrar’s office and student information systems with a budget of $50 million and transactions totaling $500 million.

He also served as vice president for student affairs and university advancement at Cal Poly Pomona, assistant vice chancellor for student academic services at University of California, Santa Barbara and director of the Counseling and Psychological Services Center at University of California, Irvine.

Awakuni earned his doctorate in counseling and consulting psychology at Harvard University. He received a master’s in clinical social work and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.

A counseling psychologist, Awakuni has taught courses relating to the interaction of psychology and ethnicity and recently co-authored a book entitled Resistance to Multiculturalism: Issues and Interventions. He served as president of the national association Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education. While at U.C. Irvine, he won a teaching award called My Last Lecture.

Gene I. Awakuni - Chancellor 

Office of the Chancellor

Gene I. Awakuni, Chancellor
Ryan Mielke, Executive Director of Public Affairs
Julie Funasaki Yuen, Public Information Officer
Tino Valdez, Graphic Artist
Cynthia Vinluan, Secretary to the Chancellor

Contact Information:
96-129 Ala 'Ike, room B-104
Pearl City, HI 96782

Telephone: (808) 454-4750
Fax: (808) 453-6076