Dr. Kuʻulei Serna is a Professor and Director of the School of Teacher Education, Elementary Education Program. Before working at UH Mānoa, Dr. Serna was a Hawaii DOE classroom and state resource teacher. Dr. Sernaʻs passion is to support the academic success, health, and well-being of school-aged children, especially those who are from socially disparate populations. She emphasizes the importance of educating the “whole” child, not only nurturing their intellect, but their social, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. Dr. Serna’s research interests include Native Hawaiian well-being, education, and advancement, as well as school health initiatives. She continues to integrate her knowledge of cultural contexts for learning in her teaching and scholarly endeavors. Dr. Serna is an experienced teacher educator who has served as a cohort coordinator, methods instructor, and field supervisor for elementary teacher candidates. She also advises Masters and Doctoral students.
COE Affiliation
School of Teacher Education - Elementary