University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu Chancellor Maenette K. P. Ah Nee-Benham will step down at the end of the year after nearly a decade of anchoring the campus in a culture of engaged scholarship and service rooted in Native Hawaiian values.
As the first Native Hawaiian female chancellor in the UH System, Benham’s legacy is defined by her commitment to pilina, or authentic relationships, and her advocacy for Indigenous knowledge. She began her chancellorship in January 2017, having previously served as the inaugural dean of the Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at UH Mānoa, the first Indigenous college at an R1 university.
“As I prepare for the next chapter of my journey, I reflect on a career shaped by the voices of my ancestors, the wisdom of our kūpuna, and a lifelong commitment to education as a transformative force,” Benham said. “For nearly five decades, I have had the privilege of walking alongside students, teachers, scholars and community leaders — always guided by the belief that learning is not confined to classrooms or lecture halls, but lives within the relationships we build and the communities we serve. My journey has been a weaving of purpose, passion, and place, anchored by the values of pono (justice and balance) and aloha (love and compassion), and driven by the motto ‘Kūlia i ka nu‘u’ — to Strive for the summit.”
“Mahalo to Maenette for her leadership and unwavering commitment to UH West O‘ahu, the UH 10 campus system and higher education,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “Her work has uplifted students from across Hawai‘i and the Pacific and will continue to elevate our communities for many years to come. I particularly admire her work as a role model and mentor to many, especially young women and Native Hawaiians. She has helped build a more inclusive, community-rooted university, and we are deeply grateful for her service.”
Details on the timeline and selection process for the next permanent chancellor will be shared once finalized. See President Hensel’s email to the campus.
Benham’s legacy
Under Benham’s leadership, the university expanded its academic and physical footprint. She oversaw the launch of the campus’s first STEM degree, a bachelor of science in natural science, along with new programs in creative media, cyber operations, and a pre-nursing partnership with UH Mānoa to address workforce and community needs. This academic growth was matched by the addition of two new buildings — the Administration and Allied Health Sciences facility and the Creative Media Facility — the first major construction since the campus opened in 2012.
Benham’s dedication to community-driven education is evidenced by her creation of the Institute for Research and Engaged Scholarship (IRES) at UH West O‘ahu. IRES pursues active collaboration to drive faculty innovation and applied undergraduate and community-engaged research. Partly through the work of IRES, the campus saw significant growth in grant funding, with the university awarded $9.72 million in 2025 — nearly doubling the amount received during her tenure. These community-building efforts also led to a substantial increase in philanthropic gifts.
The creation of ‘Upena Moananuiākea, a grant-funded initiative that established UH West O‘ahu as a hub for Pacific knowledge and innovation, integrates ‘ike kupuna (ancestral wisdom) with emerging technologies, positioning students as both guardians of cultural heritage and pioneers of the future. To share this knowledge with a broader audience, she embraced global engagement that led to new partnerships with institutions in South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
Her leadership was guided by the principle of “Pupukahi I Holomua,” or “moving forward together,“ encouraging a collective and purposeful campus culture. She often called on others to “‘E Eleu mai kākou” — to rise and move forward with courage and purpose.
About Benham
A Kamehameha Schools graduate, Benham began her teaching career in 1978 teaching grades K–12 in California, Texas, and Hawai‘i (Kaiser High School and Kamehameha Schools). She earned her doctoral degree from UH Mānoa in 1992 and joined the College of Education faculty at Michigan State University in 1993. Among her notable accomplishments, Benham was the lead author of the White House Paper on the Tribal Colleges and Universities: A Trust Responsibility (2004) submitted to the U.S. President’s Advisory Board on Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Benham is an internationally recognized expert on leadership and education, with a focus on topics such as program planning, school reform, and building strong school-community partnerships. She has served on numerous boards, including The Queen’s Health Systems, The Hawaiian Legacy Foundation, and the Bishop Museum. More recently, she was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She was named the Claremont Graduate University School of Educational Studies 2024–2025 Distinguished Bowen Lecturer.
Article by Leila Wai Shimokawa originally posted to UH News on Aug. 4, 2025.