Alexander Mawyer

Dr. Alexander Mawyer serves as Director of the Center for Pacific Islands Studies and Acting Chair of the Department of Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. A Professor of Anthropology with a PhD from the University of Chicago (2006), he leads academic programs focused on the entire Pacific region and received the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching in 2020.

His educational background includes a BA from Amherst College and MAs from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and the University of Chicago. This foundation supports his interdisciplinary scholarship bridging linguistic anthropology, marine social sciences, and biocultural systems.

Mawyer's research examines language and space in Oceanic linguistics, biocultural indicators, conservation sovereignty, and marine governance across the Pacific. His work critically engages with French nuclear testing legacies, indigenous resource management practices like rāhui, and the role of film in Pacific history, emphasizing community-led approaches to sustainability.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a strong interdisciplinary trajectory integrating linguistic anthropology with marine conservation science. Key trends include examining sovereignty in deep-sea mining contexts, developing biocultural indicators for resource management, and recentering marginal Pacific islands like Pitcairn in scholarly discourse through decolonial frameworks.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching (2020)

Mawyer serves on the University of Hawai'i Press Board and scientific committees for the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme du Pacifique and The Rāhui Center. He previously edited The Contemporary Pacific (2016-2021) and leads the 4-Site Pacific Transect Collaborative, which monitors marine ecosystems across Pacific island sites through community-engaged research.