The month of March brings the official celebration of spring, a season representing new beginnings and the promise of renewal. That is exactly what’s happening at the College of Social Sciences, which is poised to welcome continued academic progress and exciting research opportunities.
This issue spotlights the Women’s Studies Department, which will undergo an official name change in Fall 2021 to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Its students are benefitting from a new UH Foundation endowed scholarship, gifted by the department’s retired chair and still distinguished feminist scholar, Meda Chesney-Lind, and journalist husband Ian Lind. Also, there’s a question-and-answer session with accomplished junior Sarah Michal Hamid, the inaugural recipient of the Chesney-Lind endowed scholarship, after a national magazine lauded her grassroots organizing efforts.
Also in this newsletter is an update on the Hawai‘i Health Policy Initiative, which is housed in the College’s enterprising research arm known as the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI). In January, a giant step forward occurred when the state’s major health policy players united at a virtual kickoff summit during this significant time of vaccination response. SSRI is proud to take the lead at CSS, as we work with other UH health sciences programs under the UHealthy Initiative led by Aimee Grace.
As we welcome spring, we are hopeful for 2021, and thankful for the continued support of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters, both near and far. These are challenging, demanding times that are blooming with promise.
Denise Eby Konan
Dean, College of Social Sciences, UH Mānoa
