UH Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health

10/02/2026

Congratulations Dean Alex Ortega for being honored by Boston University’s School of Public Health 🌺🥳

🔗 To read more, scan the QR code or visit: https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2026/50-years-countless-champions/

09/29/2026

💚🌺 Learning how to understand creates more supportive communities.

This semester, the Thompson School is offering a new trauma-informed practice course, featured in a new UH News article highlighting what students can expect to learn and how the course can support their future careers.

🔗 To read more, scan the QR code or visit: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2026/09/02/trauma-informed-practice-course/

09/22/2026

Join us for the 2026 Dean’s Speaker Series featuring Dr. Jorge Delva! 🎙️

Come hear Dr. Delva talk about the "Relentless Commitment to Political Social Work and the Scientific Enterprise and Why it Matters."

📅 Friday, October 16, 2026
🕛 12:00pm – 1:00pm
📍 St. John Plant Science Lab Room 11 (located on Maile Way, across Paradise Palms)
🔗 https://forms.gle/DvptaHCD6PT8EcR2A

09/17/2026

Join us for our Public Health Research Forum on Thursday, October 1, 2026 from 4:00-7:00pm in Biomed B-103. We hope to see you there!

09/15/2026

🌺🎉 Congratulations to Christy Nish*ta on being named a 2026 Eisner Prize Fellow!

A new UH News article highlights her new project connecting kūpuna with students across generations. Her project is helping strengthen intergenerational connections and support aging and community resilience in Hawaiʻi. 💚✨

🔗 To read more, scan the QR code or visit: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2026/08/13/christy-nish*ta-eisner-fellowship/

09/10/2026

🌺🔬 Understanding environmental exposures can help protect our future generations.

A new article highlights Thompson School faculty member Dr. Jonathan Huang, who is leading an NIH-funded project examining how PFAS exposure may affect placental function and child development. This work will bring new insight into how environmental factors can shape the health and development of children.💚

🔗 To read more, scan the QR code or visit: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/publichealth/2026/07/30/jonathan-huang-leads-nih-funded-project-on-pfas-and-child-development/

08/28/2026

Hawaiʻi Health Data Warehouse is excited to welcome our new and returning students to the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health for the 2026-2027 Academic Year! Visit our two websites, HHDW.org and HawaiiHealthMatters.org to explore public health data for Hawaiʻi.

08/28/2026

08/27/2026

Vivian Ho Ching, who became the 2026 Miss American Samoa 1st runner-up, completed the MSW distance program while residing in the territory.

08/20/2026

UH Mānoa Social Work connection from American Samoa in Honolulu! 🌺

We were so happy to see UH Mānoa Social Work alum and Adjunct Faculty Dr. Julia Foifua, MSW, connecting with incoming MSW student Liliatupu Asotau, who is beginning her MSW pathway through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa while continuing to live and work in American Samoa.

Moments like this remind us of the importance of building connections across generations of social workers and strengthening opportunities for social work education throughout the Pacific. We are excited to welcome Liliatupu to the UH Mānoa Social Work ʻfamily and grateful to alumni like Dr. Foifua who continue to support and inspire the next generation of social workers!

Welcome to the MSW journey, Liliatupu! 🌊🌺

L to R
Liliatupu Asotau, incoming MSW student, and Dr. Julia Foifua, MSW alum of the UH Manoa MSW program and an adjunct faculty member with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Social Work.