UHPA Faculty Heroes Campaign Continues

UHPA is continuing its “Heroes” campaign to promote the role and value of UH faculty. Our core message is a simple but powerful reminder: investing in Hawaii’s future starts with investing in faculty. We shared this message on broadcast television and in social media at the start of the legislative session, and will now continue our campaign with a newly produced spot.

 

Broken Promises

Kevin Bennett, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology at UH-Manoa and a UHPA member, is featured in the new spot. You may recall that UHPA shared last year that Dr. Bennett was recruited from Arizona State University in 2013 with an offer letter promising him a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to carry on his molecular medicine research and to establish an MRI research center in Hawaii.

A Hero with Tenacity

After relocating, however the UH reneged on its promise. UHPA stepped in to defend Dr. Bennett, filing a prohibited practice complaint with the Hawaii Labor Relations Board and was willing to pursue litigation. After months of negotiation with UH administration, justice prevailed and Dr. Bennett finally obtained his promised MRI equipment.

Making Hawaii Healthier

Today, we are proud to showcase Dr. Bennett and his work on diagnostic research for the early detection of kidney disease, which is a major problem because of our prevalence of both diagnosed an undiagnosed diabetes in our islands.

Share This with Others

Please share this story of victory with your friends and family as a reminder that faculty need to be treated with dignity and respect because investing in faculty is truly an investment in Hawaii’s future and a vitally component for us to move forward as a state.