Aloha! My name is Mike Spencer and I am a Native Hawaiian of mixed-race ancestry born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. I moved away from Hawaii for graduate school in 1990 and have been living on the continental US ever since. After attending the University of Hawaii (BA Psychology), University of Texas at Austin (MSSW Administration and Planning), and University of Washington (PhD Social Welfare), I worked at the University of Michigan for 22 years last serving as the Fedele F. Fauri Collegiate Professor of Social Work and five years as the School’s Associate Dean of Educational Programs. In June 2018, I returned to University of Washington in Seattle where I serve as the Presidential Term Professor of Social Work and the Director of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Oceanic Affairs at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI). I also have adjunct faculty appointments in the Departments of Global Health and Health Services in the School of Public Health. I teach courses on diversity and social justice, intergroup dialogue, and community practice. My research utilizes community-based participatory research (CBPR) in the area of health equity among populations of color. My current research interest is in designing and evaluating interventions for wellness in Native Hawaiian communities.
Please click the link below for my faculty bio and CV:
Faculty bio for Dr. Mike Spencer
Feel free to contact me at:
Just Living 808 