The University of Hawaii Board of Regents voted to appoint Wendy Hensel as the next president of the UH-10 campus system, the state's sole provider of public higher education. The 11 regents voted unanimously in favor of Hensel at the continuation of the October 16 BOR special meeting at UH Mānoa on Thursday, October 17.

“Today’s announcement is the culmination of a comprehensive, comprehensive, nationwide search and hiring process that our stakeholders were able to participate in at every stage,” said BOR Chairman Gabe Lee. “I am confident that Wendy Hensel is the right person to lead UH and lead the state through the major challenges ahead.”

Hensel is currently Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost at the City University of New York and has held this position since 2022. CUNY is a 25-campus system with 235,000 enrolled students.

Prior to CUNY, Hensel held leadership positions at Georgia State University, as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College of Law. She is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and earned a bachelor's degree with honors from Michigan State University, where she was a Harry S. Truman Fellow and an intern at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Board of Regents has developed the following conditions of appointment for Hensel and is awaiting their formal approval:

• $675,000 annual salary
• $7,000 housing allowance per month
• Up to $60,000 for moving expenses
• Permanent substitute position at UH Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law
• Term: three years with an extension of up to two years subject to BOR approval

Hensel will succeed David Lassner, who announced in September 2023 that he would retire at the end of 2024 after more than eleven years as president. The extensive nationwide search for his successor attracted 93 applicants.

The Presidential Search Advisory Group, comprised of volunteer representatives from UH stakeholders and governance groups that developed the position description and leadership profile, identified and interviewed 12 semifinalists. Three finalists were selected and two agreed to continue the process and participate in public events that included question-and-answer sessions and private meetings with stakeholders.

“Mahalo to the search advisory group and to the thousands of people who participated in the process by completing the first public survey and forums about what we need from a UH president,” Lee said in a news release. “And those who participated in the public forums and provided feedback to the regents really helped us make our decision. It was invaluable.”

UH currently has more than 50,000 students enrolled in its 10-campus system. It fulfills its mission through seven community colleges, two regional universities and a globally recognized training research university with nine research centers throughout the state.