Dr. Michael Furuto is Professor of Mathematics in the Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences Division at the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu.  Dr. Furuto was raised on the North Shore of O‘ahu, and completed his Ph.D. at Oregon State University, Master’s degree at the University of California Riverside, and Bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University Hawai‘i.

Dr. Furuto's research interests include examining various mathematical pedagogical strategies to foster student learning, enhancing students’ mathematics self-efficacy, and performing quantitative and statistical analysis on sports. He has been invited to present his research at conferences from Hawai‘i to Boston, Washington DC, Tokyo, and Athens, Greece.  Dr. Furuto's teaching mantra is: “Students don’t care how much teachers know, until they know how much teachers care.” As an educator, he is very passionate about his students, their learning, and how to work together to achieve overarching goals. Someone once said, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”  When Dr. Furuto first heard this quote, he was fresh out of high school trying his best to not fail his undergraduate math class. However, thanks to fantastic professors, he was able to learn so many things. To those professors he will always be grateful. Now, as a professor himself, one of Dr. Furuto's goals is to teach students to fish. He continuously strives to perpetuate knowledge and inspire learning so students can maximize their abilities. Dr. Furuto would like to spend his career instilling the same sense of excitement and discovery to his students at UH West O‘ahu. His research interests and teaching philosophy are intricately intertwined, and he is always happy to perform research opportunities with UH West O‘ahu students. 

In addition to Dr. Furuto's academic endeavors, his hobbies include surfing and enjoying the beach with his wife and children, as well as playing basketball and football.