UH Hilo to award first Ph.D. at 2008 fall commencement (fwd link)

[phil cash cash]

UH Hilo to award first Ph.D. at 2008 fall commencement

University of Hawaii at Hilo
Contact: Alyson Kakugawa-Leong, (808) 974-7642
Director Media Relations
Posted: December 16, 2008

A Maori educator from New Zealand will become the first recipient of a doctoral
degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

Katarina Edmonds will receive the Ph.D. in Hawaiian and Indigenous Language and
Culture Revitalization awarded by Ka Haka `Ula O Ke`elikolani College of
Hawaiian Language. Edmonds will receive her degree in absentia during fall
commencement, scheduled for Saturday, December 20, beginning at 9:00 a.m. in
the UH Hilo New Gym.

A member of the Te Whanau a Apanui and Rutaia tribes, Edmonds has an extensive
background in language and cultural education dating back to 1980. She earned
her undergraduate degrees in education and Maori and a master’s in applied
linguistics from the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. After
eight years of teaching in mainstream, English medium schools, Edmonds became
involved in Maori immersion education and discovered the value of teaching
through the Maori language. Subsequently, Edmonds returned to Waikato to earn a
graduate degree in bilingual education and to train Maori immersion teachers in
the University’s teacher education program.

Access full article below:
http://www.hawaii.edu/cgi-bin/uhnews?20081216143052