UH regents to consider veteran UH official for next Manoa chancellor

The University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents next week will consider approving UH-Manoa’s interim provost, Vassilis Syrmos, to serve as the new chancellor of UH’s flagship Manoa campus.

Syrmos has been interim provost since July, after serving as UH vice president for research and innovation and for eight years as associate vice chancellor for research at UH-Manoa.

He is a fixture at the state Legislature and regularly testifies on behalf of the 10-campus system.

Syrmos was recommended to become the next Manoa chancellor by UH President Wendy Hensel and would have the responsibility as CEO of UH’s flagship Manoa campus.

UH regents are scheduled to consider whether to approve Hensel’s recommendation at its June 4 meeting.

If approved, Syrmos will serve as chancellor beginning July 1.

The Manoa campus has had its own chancellor during previous UH administrations. But the position was eliminated under former UH President David Lassner, who served in both roles.

After Lassner stepped down as president, the Board of Regents voted in December to reestablish the chancellor position based on a recommendation from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to separate the roles of UH president and Manoa chancellor.

UH today credited Syrmos for helping secure legislative support for the UH Cancer Center that increased the state’s cigarette tax to benefit the center, which had seen its cigarette tax revenue fall as more tobacco users gave up cigarettes in favor of healthier choices.

UH also said today that Syrmos helped improve financial transparency at UH, modernized budgeting and strengthened “student success initiatives and better align campus operations with institutional priorities.”

UH also credited Syrmos’ work as vice president for research and innovation, saying his long-range strategic planning efforts have “contributed to record growth in extramural funding, including a high of $734 million in fiscal year 2025, the fourth consecutive year UH exceeded $500 million in research funding. He strengthened partnerships with Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation, federal agencies and state leaders to advance strategic university priorities and expand research opportunities. Syrmos also established the Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation, making UH the only R1 university in the nation to embed Indigenous knowledge and innovation within its research enterprise.”

In a statement today, Syrmos said, “I am deeply honored to be recommended as the next chancellor of UH Mānoa. Having served the university for more than three decades, I consider Hawaiʻi and this campus my home. I look forward to working with President Hensel in strengthening student success, advancing research and innovation and working closely with our faculty, students, staff and community partners as we continue to move UH Mānoa forward as Hawaiʻi’s flagship university.”

In a statement, Hensel said, “Vassilis has done an exceptional job as interim provost, building on decades of leadership across the UH System and at UH Mānoa. He brings a deep understanding of UH Mānoa’s budget, operations and role within the broader UH System, as well as strong relationships at the state and congressional levels. I am confident he will be an effective partner as we strengthen leadership for our flagship campus.”

Syrmos was selected from finalists that included the provost and vice president for academic affairs at San Francisco State University and the president of National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan.

If approved by regents next week, Syrmos would report to Hensel and oversee a budget exceeding $800 million and more than 5,000 employees.