Dr. Monica LaBriola
University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu Assistant Professor of History Monica LaBriola was recognized with the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
This award recognizes dedication and demonstrated excellence of teachers of undergraduate students. It was established as a memorial to the late Frances Davis, who taught mathematics at Leeward Community College and UH Mānoa for 19 years.
Dr. LaBriola teaches courses in Pacific Islands, world and U.S. history. She completed her PhD in history and MA in Pacific Islands studies at UH Mānoa.
Before coming to Hawaiʻi for graduate work, LaBriola spent three years in the Marshall Islands where she developed a passion for Pacific Islands history and culture. She is currently completing a manuscript about land and power on Likiep Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
Her students have stated that she is an engaging professor and that she fills her classroom with energy. “She is a passionate professor that successfully teaches and guides her students to see the ‘bigger picture’ of their own lives and the historical context that has laid out the foundations of the life we live now.” Students love that she is willing to work with them in the journey of understanding, through difficult and controversial topics.
See the complete UH News story for the list of other award recipients.