The Department of Anthropology proudly congratulates Professor Eirik Saethre on receiving the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching, one of the University of Hawaiʻi system’s highest honors recognizing outstanding faculty achievement.
Awarded by the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents, the medal recognizes faculty members who demonstrate exceptional teaching effectiveness, creativity, scholarship, and commitment to student success. Professor Saethre was recognized for creating intellectually rigorous, discussion-driven classrooms that encourage students to engage deeply with anthropological theory, lived experience, and original research.
A Transformative Approach to Teaching
Known for his thoughtful and innovative teaching approach, Professor Saethre fosters inclusive learning environments where students are encouraged to think critically, take intellectual risks, and connect anthropology to real-world issues. His courses explore topics including health, sexuality, identity, inequality, and culture through conversation, storytelling, and collaborative inquiry.
Students consistently praise Professor Saethre’s ability to make complex theory accessible and meaningful. One student shared that his course was “the first professor to help me understand theory and how I can actually use it in a valuable way.”
Scholarship with Global Impact
In addition to his teaching, Professor Saethre is an internationally recognized scholar whose ethnographic research spans Australia, South Africa, Serbia, and beyond. His work explores themes including health, displacement, race, sexuality, and social inequality within marginalized communities around the world.
The department is honored to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of Professor Saethre’s dedication to teaching, mentorship, and student learning.
Read more about the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching and the 2026 award recipients.
