Imelda Fines Gasmen

Imelda Fines Gasmen is an Instructor of Filipino (Tagalog) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She holds a Master of Arts in Communication (focus: Distance Education) from UH Mānoa and a Bachelor of Science in Development Communication (Educational Communication) from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Prior to her role in Hawaiʻi, she taught mass communication at the University of the Philippines College Baguio. Her expertise includes integrating technology into language education, curriculum development, and cultural preservation. She is a certified Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tester for ACTFL and a translator/interpreter in Ilokano and Tagalog.

• Education:
• MA Communication, UH Mānoa
• BS Development Communication, UP Los Baños

Her research interests focus on leveraging educational technology to enhance language teaching, particularly for the Filipino/Tagalog language. She has authored Tagalog for Kids flashcards (two volumes) and edited My Filipino Word Book. Current projects include additional book initiatives.

Awards:

• 2013 Hawaii’s Outstanding Advocates for Children and Youth Award
• 2013 Progress Award in Education (United Filipino Council of Hawaii)
• 2014 Outstanding Narvacañeo Award (Overseas Professional)

Community & Grants:

• Recipient of a 2015 Fulbright-Hays grant for curriculum development at UP Diliman and UC Berkeley
• Founder/Coordinator of Kabataan: Filipino for Kids Summer Program
• Former president of UP Alumni Association-Hawaii
• Co-adviser for Katipunan (Filipino language student group)

Labs/Teams:

• Board member of the Filipino Community Center (Waipahu)
• Key organizer of cultural events like Pasko sa FilCom and Filipino Fiesta