University of Hawai’i President Wendy Hensel Appointed to WICHE Commission

Hensel is a distinguished academic leader and legal scholar

BOULDER, COLORADO — University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel has been selected to represent her state as a Commissioner to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE is a regional interstate compact serving the higher education and workforce needs of 15 Western states and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States.

“Dr. Hensel brings a forward-thinking vision to aligning academic programs and modern technology with evolving workforce needs,” said WICHE President Demarée Michelau. “Her deep experience leading complex higher education systems will add to our work in building effective pathways between education and employment across the West, and I look forward to having her strategic and collaborative approach as the newest member of the WICHE Commission.”

WICHE’s 48 Commissioners are appointed by the state’s governors or, in the case of the freely associated states, the leader of those three sovereign nations. The Commission guides WICHE’s direction and assures that the Western Regional Educational Compact is carried out for the benefit of the West since its establishment in 1953.

Hensel will represent Hawai’i on the WICHE Commission alongside UH President Emeritus David Lassner and Terrence George, CEO and president of the Hawai’i Community Foundation.

“I am honored to represent Hawaiʻi on the WICHE Commission and contribute to the vital work of connecting education with workforce needs across the West and the Pacific,” said Hensel. “I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners to ensure our higher education systems collaborate where possible and effectively serve our students and communities.”

UH is Hawaiʻi’s sole provider of public higher education and includes 10 campuses and dozens of educational, training and research centers across the state. Hensel began serving as UH president on January 1.

Prior to that, she served as executive vice chancellor and university provost at The City University of New York (CUNY), where she led strategic initiatives to improve student success, expand high-quality virtual degree programs, and enhance workforce development by aligning academic programs with emerging job market needs. Before joining CUNY, Hensel spent more than two decades at Georgia State University (GSU). She played a key role in guiding both GSU and CUNY through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring students could continue their education without interruption.

As a legal scholar specializing in disability law, policy, and ethics, Hensel has published widely and presented extensively. A passionate advocate for people with disabilities, she serves on the board of directors for Integrate, an organization promoting employment for professionals with autism. Before her academic career, Hensel practiced law at Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta and served as a judicial clerk for Judge Orinda Evans of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. Inducted as a Fellow of the American Bar Association in 2019, she maintains her professional licensure.

Hensel holds a bachelor’s degree with highest honors in American public affairs from Michigan State University, where she was a Harry S. Truman Scholar and interned at the U.S. Supreme Court. She earned her law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School.

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About the University of Hawai‘i
Established in 1907 and fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the University of Hawai‘i System includes 10 campuses and dozens of educational, training and research centers across the state. As the sole public system of higher education in Hawai‘i, UH offers an array of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees and community programs. UH enrolls more than 50,000 students from Hawai‘i, the U.S. continent and around the world. For more information visit UHNews.org, www.hawaii.edu, Instagram, Facebook or X.