Katinka Hammerich

Katinka Hammerich is an Instructor of German at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she teaches first- and second-year German, Germanic Mythology, and courses on German Fascism and Propaganda. She serves as the Outreach Coordinator for German, coordinates German 101-102 courses, and facilitates language placement exams for German as well as waiver exams for Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish. Additionally, she is the faculty advisor for Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honor Society.

Hammerich holds an M.A. in European Languages and Literatures with an emphasis in German from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and an MSW (Master of Social Work) with a License in Clinical Social Work. She has studied at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Universität zu Köln, and Universität Heidelberg in Germany.

Her research interests span death education, intergenerational trauma, the Holocaust, Germanic mythology and religion, Old Norse literature, trans-languaging practices, discourse analysis, and the intersection of education at the University of Hawai‘i with Hawaiian cultural contexts. She advocates for student-centered pedagogy, emphasizing critical thinking through self-reflection, group discussions, and active engagement with texts and cultural materials. Her teaching philosophy prioritizes interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approaches to foster awareness of social issues and personal values.