Magnussen honored with Board of Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching

Jon Magnussen

UH West Oʻahu Associate Professor of Music Jon Magnussen has been honored with the 2018 Board of Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching. The medal is given to faculty members who are exceptional in their work.

Medal winners demonstrate an extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, are effective teachers, as well as being noteworthy in their creativity and personal values that benefit students.

Magnussen was cited for being a tireless proponent of music on the UH West Oʻahu campus, spending hours overseeing the program in addition to his teaching duties and those with the University Chorus and University Band.  

As one of his students noted, “The most significant factor to teaching is passion: passion for the subject, and passion to help others become better. Dr. Jon’s passion for what he does was obvious from the very first course I’ve taken from him.”

Medal for Excellence in Teaching

Magnussen also contributes to UH West Oʻahu in other ways that go well beyond working with students. He helped design the Humanities Division’s creative media concentration, has served on the campus’ Distance Education Committee and served as the vice chair/recorder for the faculty senate.

Remarked a colleague, “Throughout his teaching, creative achievements, and service, Jon infuses the Humanities Division and UH West Oʻahu as a whole with a wonderful spirit of collegiality.”

Magnussen was one of 15 faculty members from the UH System’s 10 campuses who were recognized by the Board of Regents with Medals for Excellence in Teaching.