UH Mānoa names first-ever director of Health Sciences Institute

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has appointed Dr. Katey Pelican as the inaugural director of its newly launched Health Sciences Institute, a key initiative aimed at advancing healthcare and improving health outcomes across Hawaiʻi. Pelican will begin her new role on April 1, 2025.

Launched in 2022, the Health Sciences Institute was created to leverage UH Mānoa’s strengths to expand the healthcare workforce, reduce health disparities and address emerging health threats. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for a more integrated approach, and the institute fosters collaboration across health sciences to drive innovation and equity.

As director, Pelican will oversee the coordination of efforts across UH units to advance the health and well being of Hawaiʻi’s communities, ensuring the institute acts as a central hub for information, advocacy and resource development.

UH Mānoa offers more than 50 health sciences-related degrees and certificates across nine colleges and schools, including the John A. Burns School of Medicine, the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, the UH Cancer Center and the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health. Pelican will focus on strengthening community resilience, health systems and the healthcare workforce through establishing strategic partnerships, advancing solutions-based research programs and growing educational pathways and training opportunities.

“I am honored to join UH Mānoa and lead the Health Sciences Institute in its mission to improve health equity and resilience in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific,” Pelican said. “I look forward to collaborating with faculty, students and community partners to drive meaningful, interdisciplinary solutions to today’s most pressing health challenges.”

Pelican has over 25 years of experience in a range of health science disciplines, including infectious disease response, climate resilience and Indigenous community food sovereignty. Pelican has worked in 45 countries, leading initiatives at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health in collaboration with organizations such as the US Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

Pelican joins UH Mānoa from the University of Minnesota, where she led the Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative, helping to secure more than $158 million in grants and contracts to support global health and sustainability projects. She also co-founded the University of Minnesota’s Sustainable Development Goals Initiative and previously led the One Health Division at its College of Veterinary Medicine.

Pelican holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in comparative physiology from a joint program between the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Maryland.

“Dr. Pelican is uniquely qualified for this important and challenging role, with significant leadership experience in interdisciplinary health initiatives and large-scale collaborative research projects,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “Her leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of the Health Sciences Institute and advancing our mission to address pressing health challenges in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region.”