Amelia Rachel Hokule‘a Borofsky, PsyD

Dr. Borofsky trained as a clinical psychologist at Argosy University/Hawaii specializing in working with diverse and marginalized populations. She completed an internship at the Center for Multicultural Training, Boston Medical Center and is licensed in the state of Hawaiʻi. She is an American Psychological Association-SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program scholar for her commitment to research and service with diverse and marginalized populations. Her dissertation was a mixed-methods program evaluation of the alumni of Native Hawaiian public charter schools. She co-developed the Native Hawaiian Leadership Scale and is active in cultural, strengths-based evaluations. She has worked in the Cook Islands running a tertiary program for school leavers on the atoll of Pukapuka and developing community education and Pa Enua strategy on the other islands. She has consulted on a wide variety of projects in Hawaiʻi and the Cook Islands. She has particular expertise in culturally based and strengths-based project evaluations, participatory action research, and translational research. She has exceptional writing, editing, and presentation skills. She has written numerous successful grants, including a 2015-2018 million dollar Administration of Native Americans federal indigenous languages revitalization grant. She is fluent in English and Spanish, and speaks elementary Pukapukan. She has taught at the elementary, high school, and university levels. In addition to consulting work, she enjoys writing creative non-fiction, storytelling, surfing, and studying lomilomi massage. She is the co-editor of Regeneration: Telling Stories from Our Twenties (Putnam/Tarcher, 2003).More of her writing available here: The Atlantic and Cook Islands News

Leanne Kealoha Fox, M.A., PhD Candidate

As Ka Pou Kākoʻo Nui of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Kealoha Fox is in charge of supporting the Executive Offices of its CEO as executive manager. She is also responsible for the leadership of OHA’s initiatives for Mauli Ola (Health) and those priority projects and partnerships within its administration that address the social determinants of Kanaka ‘Ōiwi wellbeing. Kealoha worked at Kamehameha Schools Research Division from 2008-2010 as a data analyst and has been an active member of the Hawaiian-language immersion movement. Since 2012, Kealoha has been fulfilling her current role by supporting Kūkulu Hou as a vision and indigenous leadership framework for OHA to fulfill its vision to raise a beloved nation. From 2010 to 2012 Kealoha was a Research Analyst in OHA’s Research Division under the direction of Dr. Crabbe. She holds undergraduate degrees from Hawaiʻi Pacific University and is a graduate of Argosy University of Honolulu with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Clinical Research and Biomedical Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is the author of numerous reports, articles, and presentations. She sits on numerous NGO boards, commissions, and task forces in her professional and personal capacity. She is fluent in English and speaks and understands basic Hawaiian. When Kealoha is not working she enjoys supporting various Native Hawaiian non-profit organizations like ‘Aha Kāne and Hui Mauli Ola, and spending time with her beloved ʻohana.

Holly Kilinahe Coleman, MA

Holly Kilinahe Coleman is currently a Cultural Specialist II in the Hoʻokahua: cultural Vibrancy Division at the Kamehameha Schools. From 2010 to 2015 she served as a Research Analyst in the Land, Culture, and History Section of the Research Division at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  She obtained a Master’s of Arts Degree in Hawaiian History from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2012 and specializes in archival research of Hawaiian language manuscripts and newspapers.  She is fluent in Native Hawaiian. In 2009, she was selected as one of twelve fellows for the inaugural Smithsonian Institute for Museum Anthropology.  From 2010 to 2012 Holly was a Research Analyst in OHA’s Research Division under the direction of Dr. Crabbe. In 2012, she was a fellow in the Kamehameha Schools First Nations Futures Program, where she conducted ethnographic research on Community-Based Marine Resource Management on Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i. Holly was also a cultural consultant for the book Humehume of Kaua‘i: A Boy’s Journey to America, An Ali‘i’s Return Home (Kamehameha Publishing, 2008).

RaeDeen M. Keahiolalo, Ph.D.

RaeDeen is experienced in connecting people and organizations with grassroots causes to help the Native Hawaiian community. Her work and reputation are built upon her unwavering commitment to education, social justice, and support for marginalized and underserved communities. Her professional background spans a range of disciplines, including law and policy, research and consulting, and community education. RaeDeen’s passion to contribute toward the well-being of Hawaiians drives her commitments in both her professional and community work. As the director of Native Hawaiian partnerships at Chaminade University, RaeDeen is charged with connecting the Native Hawaiian community with the university to promote opportunities for Hawaiian students. In addition, she creates and nurtures collaborations between Chaminade University and numerous community groups, educational efforts, and small businesses in the Hawaiian community and community at-large. Previously, RaeDeen was the research and evaluation manager at Kamehameha Schools, overseeing projects that identified areas to be strengthened, provided accountability structures and systems, and created procedures for increased productivity. RaeDeen earned bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her dissertation, “The Colonial Carceral and Prison Politics in Hawaii,” analyzes the historical and contemporary ways that policy, representation, and discourse perpetuate and enable the criminalization and over-incarceration of Hawaiians. In 2012, RaeDeen was named the editor of Hulili, Kamehameha Schools’ journal of multi-disciplinary research on Hawaiian well-being. She currently serves on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' Health Consortium.

Robyn Wakalua Vierra, Ph.D

Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Dr. Vierra left the islands to earn a BA from Claremont McKenna College and to join Teach For America's ’03 LA Corps. During her placement, she taught 8th grade history while also earning an MA in Education from Loyola Marymount University. In 2008, Dr. Vierra earned an Advanced Literacy Certificate from Hamline University and transitioned to the elementary classroom – where she has been teaching for the past 10 years. Working at international schools in both Seoul and Shanghai, she has a deep understanding of cross-cultural issues in education. She has been part of numerous task forces involving strategic planning, teacher evaluation, faculty council, teacher advisory, and WASC accreditation. She received her Doctorate in Education from the University of Minnesota in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. Her dissertation looked at “Critical Thinking Assessment: The relationship with academic achievement and demographic factors.” Her research interests are critical thinking assessment and instruction, service learning, and cross-cultural education. She is an excellent communicator and consults on learning theory, instruction and delivery, data driven instruction, and action research. Dr. Vierra enjoys living in Hawaiʻi with her husband and two children.

Catherine Mariko Black, B.A.

Catherine Mariko Black has over 15 years of experience as a communications strategist, writer/editor, community organizer and organizational leader in Hawaiʻi, San Francisco and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her writing, oral and interpersonal skills have enabled her to successfully head communications departments in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, as well as contribute to various print and online media over the years. As co-founder and director of two multimedia companies in Argentina, she acquired valuable experience building organizations from the ground up, including fundraising, management, public relations and organizational strategy. She has also designed websites and overall campaign and communication strategies for numerous non-profits. She is currently the Director of Campaign Communications at Punahou School, one of the top independent K-12 schools in the U.S. and internationally. She is also a skilled Kung fu student and teacher, founding with her husband the San Bao Center Hawaii.

Ilana Maurice Umansky, Ph.D.

As an Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon, Ilana Umansky’s work focuses on quantitative and longitudinal analysis of the educational opportunities and outcomes of immigrant students, emerging bilingual students, and students classified in school as English learners (ELs). She is currently collaborating with school districts in San Francisco and Salem and the Oregon Department of Education as they work to improve educational opportunities for their ELL students. Prior to getting her Ph.D. at Stanford University in Sociology of Education and Race, Inequality and Language in Education, she worked in educational equity and quality research in Nicaragua, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, and other countries in Latin America. Her work has been awarded by the National Academy of Education, the Spencer Foundation, the Fulbright Foundation, and the American Educational Research Association's Bilingual Education Special Interest Group. Her consulting experience has included work for the World Bank, the Organization of American States, Sesame Workshop, the Academy for Educational Development and the Research Triangle Institute. She lives in Eugene, Oregon and is the mother of two brilliant daughters.

Erica Morrison, INFORMS CAP (Certified Analytics Professional), MSPPM (Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management)

Erica Morrison is a thought leader in the application of quantitative methods to social and policy analysis with over a decade of experience in commercial and government consulting. She believes in the power of technology and advanced analytics to enhance policy insights and inform decision making at all levels of an organization. She brings a gift in communicating complex approaches in everyday language. She works with organizations to identify where quantitative methods are most appropriate, define business questions and hypotheses, acquire accurate data and apply approach analytic methods in specialized and open source software, such as SPSS, SAS and R. She is one of the first 100 Analytic Professionals certified by INFORMS, and a member of the INFORMS national committees active on a local level. She received her Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) from Carnegie Mellon University, where her graduate research was on best practices in simulation and spreadsheet analysis (published in both peer-reviewed and popular venues). She has coauthored papers on quantitative methods in tax and revenue, including health care credit participation in the Affordable Care Act. Prior experience includes grants management, fundraising, strategic planning, and revenue modeling for higher education and local government.