David Lassner

This week marks 20 years since floods ripped through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus, causing millions of dollars in damage and changing the way UH thought about resilience. UH President David Lassner sat down with HPR to reflect on the crisis and his past 11 years of leadership.

After weeks of public forums, the UH Board of Regents will interview the two final candidates behind closed doors. However, public interest attorneys say those meetings should take place in public, citing a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling that barred boards and commissions from holding closed meetings unless they prove they are protecting a privacy interest. HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports.

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents will choose a new president from two finalists named in September — to follow David Lassner and his UH career of four decades. From Pacific Business News, Kelsey Kakaua Medeiros has more.

At a meeting last week, the Board of Regents said there were more than 90 applicants vying for the position. The university is slated to name the next president this fall.

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents has asked students, faculty, alumni, donors and community members to complete a short survey regarding the selection of their next president. The university says the survey is confidential and has eight questions.

The board approved a search process that will begin in January, which includes hiring a search firm with Hawai’i expertise and focus as well as an advisory group of stakeholders.

The campaign "For UH, For Hawaiʻi" is already more than halfway to its goal — with nearly $570 million raised from various donors. The money goes toward supporting current and future students across the university's 10 campuses.

Lāhaināluna High School students impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires are now eligible to receive a full scholarship at the University of Hawai‘i for either two or four years, according to a Monday news release. Prior to the announcement, the university had promised to provide students with a scholarship for up to a year.

University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner joined The Conversation live on Wednesday to discuss his leadership of the 10-campus system and his priorities during this last year at UH.

University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner will retire at the end of 2024. Lassner, 69, has led the state public university system since 2014. He served as interim president for a year before his permanent appointment. He was the 15th president in university history.