Kerri A. Inglis

Kerri A. Inglis is a Professor of Hawaiʻi-Pacific & World History at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, affiliated with the History Department and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). She holds a Ph.D. in Hawaiian history from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Her research focuses on the history of disease and medicine, particularly leprosy (Hansen’s disease) in 19th-century Hawaii and its global implications. She also teaches courses in World, Hawaiian, and Pacific history, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to health, colonialism, and indigenous resilience.

• Education: Ph.D. in Hawaiian History (University of Hawaii at Mānoa)
• Research Themes: Leprosy quarantine policies, colonial health systems, indigenous health practices, and the global influence of Hawaiian medical history.

Her work examines how communities like the Molokai leprosy settlement negotiated displacement and disease, revealing complex social dynamics between patients, indigenous residents, and colonial authorities. Recent publications include analyses of the Molokai settlement’s global influence on quarantine models and studies of Hawaiian traditional medicine’s intersections with environmental stewardship.

Dr. Inglis is currently preparing a book manuscript on leprosy’s social history in Hawaii, blending ethnographic methods with archival research. Her articles highlight themes of disease criminalization, colonial legal frameworks, and the legacy of health policies in shaping Pacific communities.