Professor Erin Centeio, Co-Chair of the UH Mānoa College of Education Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science (KRS), is the recipient of a SHAPE America (Society for Health and Physical Education) Research Council Distinguished Service Award. Two KRS students, Andrew Joshua Kaneta and Jennifer Howard, were selected as Hawaiʻi SHAPE America Majors of the Year. Centeio and Kaneta were recognized at the 2025 SHAPE America National Convention & Expo in April in Baltimore, Maryland.
Centeio was selected for the service award for her significant contributions to SHAPE America. Since 2004, she has served in numerous leadership roles, including Western District President and the Professional Preparation Council chair.
“I serve my professional organization because I want to give back to an organization that has given so much to me,” Centeio said. “I have been involved in SHAPE America since I was an undergraduate student and have been blessed with the opportunity to grow as a professional. Giving my time and serving in various capacities is my way to be able to give back to the community and help others get involved in the organization and the profession as a whole.”
Centeio shared that it is important for pre-service and in-service teachers to gain professional development around best practices in health and physical education. Participating in local and national conferences, she added, is an important networking opportunity where they get to know other students and teachers who care about providing quality physical education.
Kaneta, who has completed his Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate in Health and Physical Education, was able to participate in the convention thanks to a Delores M. Curtis Travel Award from the Hawaiʻi Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (HAHPERD).
“The SHAPE America conference was amazing,” Kaneta said. “The passion that everyone there shared created such a surreal environment. It really opened my eyes to what a great community there is for teachers and those involved in Health and Physical Activity. I learned a ton of skills and ideas that I took back home and either applied directly to my own teaching or modified to fit the needs of my students.”
After graduation, Kaneta plans to pursue a master’s degree in adapted physical activity. He attributes his motivation and success in the program to the COE and to his KRS professors, like Dr. Jaimie McMullen, who has had a huge impact on his education.
Howard was unfortunately not able to attend the ceremony in Baltimore to receive her award. She graduates this semester with her Bachelor of Science in KRS (Health and Physical Education) and says she has been passionate about health and physical activity since she was a child. In addition to participating in several sports, she was a dance teaching assistant in high school as well as a gymnastics coach at a local gym.
“I enjoyed helping each student learn new skills and find their own passion, so when I took Introduction to Health and Physical Education, I realized that teaching physical education was the career I wanted to pursue,” Howard said. “Dr. Centeio, Dr. McMullen, and Dr. Allison Tsuchida were integral in teaching me the components of preparing lessons that go beyond the basics and the importance of providing a safe and welcoming space for all students to learn.”
Howard’s passion for teaching led her to start an afterschool enrichment class in acrobatics while attending UH Mānoa. She says the planning and teaching strategies she learned at KRS helped her to develop a class that has grown from four students to 20 students with a waitlist. One of the lesson units she designed, planned, and taught is now being used in two different schools and several classes.
SHAPE America is the premier national organization for PK–16 Health and Physical Education.
