{"id":242857,"date":"2026-10-28T11:29:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T21:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=242857"},"modified":"2026-10-28T11:29:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T21:29:25","slug":"thompson-school-10th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/28\/thompson-school-10th-anniversary\/","title":{"rendered":"Thompson school celebrates 10 years of collaboration, community impact"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Thompson School students, faculty and staff gather to celebrate the school’s 10th anniversary.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health<\/a> is celebrating 10 years of bringing social work, public health and aging together to advance health equity, social justice and community well-being across Hawaiʻi<\/span> and the Pacific.<\/p>\n

Named in 2008 for Native Hawaiian leader Myron B. Thompson<\/a>, the school united the Department of Social Work<\/a>, Department of Public Health Sciences<\/a>, and Center on Aging<\/a> in 2016, adopting its present name in 2020.<\/p>\n

“Each of the units was strong in its own right, but coming together, we\u2019ve seen that they are stronger together than they were apart. Their impact and reach have been magnified,” said Thompson school Dean Alex Ortega. “I see the Thompson school in a much stronger and visible place than it was even three years ago.”<\/p>\n

A decade of growth and innovation<\/h2>\n
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Social work and public health student services teams at a recruitment fair.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the past decade, the school has expanded academic opportunities, strengthened workforce development and launched initiatives addressing the needs of Hawaiʻi<\/span> communities. In the past three years alone, it has hired approximately 20 faculty members across disciplines including environmental health, social and behavioral health and gerontology.<\/p>\n

The school has also established workforce development hubs in social work, public health and aging, while expanding access to education through online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in social work and a master’s degree program in public health.<\/p>\n

More milestones<\/h2>\n
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Master of social work graduates celebrate their achievement.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n