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VNR: Oli ceremony marks start of tenure for ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa Chancellor Vassilis L. Syrmos
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa Chancellor Vassilis Syrmos
Faculty and staff welcome the new chancellor.
Link to video and sound (details below):
***SUGGESTED VOSOT SCRIPT BELOW***
WHAT: A traditional oli ceremony welcomed Vassilis L. Syrmos as the new chancellor of the University of Hawaiﾊｻi at Mﾄ］oa. Members of the campus community chanted Welina Mﾄ］oa to greet and formally welcome him into the role.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 1, 2026
WHERE: Hawaiﾊｻi Hall, ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa campus
WHY: To officially welcome Chancellor Syrmos on his first day leading ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa following his unanimous approval by the ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Board of Regents on June 4. The ceremony honors his transition into the role of chancellor, where he oversees academic, research, student success and administrative operations for the university’s flagship campus.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
- Syrmos said he plans to spend his first 100 days listening and learning from students, faculty and staff across every school, college and unit.
- His priorities include strengthening student success; supporting faculty, staff and students; and advancing ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa’s research and innovation enterprise.
- He has emphasized ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa’s role as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, focused on place-based solutions rooted in Hawaiﾊｻi’s values and community.
- Syrmos joined ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa more than 35 years ago as a faculty member in the College of Engineering.
- He has served in multiple senior leadership roles, including interim provost of ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa beginning in July 2025.
- Prior to that, Syrmos spent 12 years as vice president for research and innovation for the ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ System. He also served eight years as associate vice chancellor for research at ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHANCELLOR SYRMOS:
- Meet Vassilis L. Syrmos: A life shaped by innovation, mentors and a passion for ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa
- Leading ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa forward: Chancellor Vassilis L. Syrmos
- A New Chapter: Defining Our Future
VIDEO:
BROLL: 1:15
Video of ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa campus community welcoming Chancellor Syrmos with a traditional oli ceremony
SOUNDBITES:
Vassilis L. Syrmos, ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa Chancellor
(:15)
“A lot of staff, faculty and students that live and work here every day, and I want to understand their views. I want to understand their aspirations. And I want to understand how I can be part of fulfilling their dreams going forward.”
(:13)
“It is an extreme honor for being the head of the chancellor of Mﾄ］oa at this time, something that I would never had even imagined when I first came as a young assistant professor in 1991.”
(:11)
“It is the pinnacle of the journey both professionally and personally. My family, my kids grew up here. The state has been my home for 35 years.”
VO/SOT SCRIPT
Possible NATS off top
“5 seconds of oli”
VO:
A traditional oli called “Welina (Veh-leena) Mﾄ］oa” opened a new chapter at the University of Hawaiﾊｻi at Mﾄ］oa today.
The campus community gathered to welcome new Chancellor Vassilis (Vuh-SILL-iss) Syrmos (SEER-mohs).
Syrmos will lead ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ’s flagship campus after more than 35 years with the university.
As chancellor, he says his focus will be on student success; supporting faculty, staff and students; and strengthening research and innovation.
He also plans to spend his first 100 days across campus visiting with every college, school and unit.
SOT:
Vassilis L. Syrmos, ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa Chancellor
“A lot of staff, faculty and students that live and work here every day, and I want to understand their views. I want to understand their aspirations. And I want to understand how I can be part of fulfilling their dreams going forward.”
VO:
Syrmos most recently served as ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa’s interim provost and previously led ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ’s research and innovation efforts for over a decade.