Megan Donahue to be director of Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology

Dr. Megan Donahue

Megan Donahue has been selected as the new director of the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology in the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). Donahue’s appointment will begin on April 1, 2025, pending UH Board of Regents approval.

“Leading HIMB is no small task—it’s a dynamic and demanding role that requires vision, expertise, and unwavering dedication” said Chip Fletcher, interim Dean of SOEST. “The Director is, in many ways, the mayor of a thriving scientific hub, responsible for driving research excellence, forging strong community partnerships, overseeing small boat and scuba operations, and managing a complex, and vital, infrastructure. We are incredibly fortunate to have Dr. Megan Donahue stepping into this critical leadership position. Her appointment marks an exciting new chapter for HIMB—one of UH Mānoa’s most distinguished and impactful research institutions. With Megan at the helm, HIMB is poised not just to continue its legacy of excellence, but to reach new heights in innovation, discovery, and global leadership in marine biology.”

For the past two years, Donahue served as interim director of HIMB, where she also has a sixteen year history of research and community engagement. With her leadership, the premier marine biology research institute has built on its record of excellence, expanding its faculty, developing a strategic plan for HIMB, implementing new communication strategies, and improving pay equity. Additionally, HIMB invested in a year-long planning process to develop the Mālama ʻĀina plan for Moku o Lo‘e to guide island stewardship and future infrastructure investments in light of sea level rise and as a model for Pacific Island sustainability.

Focused on the needs of communities and students in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands, Donahue spearheaded a cross-campus effort to develop a new graduate program in fisheries. She previously served for seven years as co-director for the Marine Biology Graduate Program, where she led the development of a new curriculum, including a course that introduces all new graduate students to place-based marine research in the context of Hawai’i’s communities. 

“HIMB continues to be at the forefront of marine science, generating new discoveries about organisms and their ecologies, new technologies for coastal resilience, and renewed relationships between people and place,” said Donahue. “Our work is grounded here in Ko’olaupoko, and informs science and sustainability across the Pacific Islands and the world.”

Donahue is an internationally-recognized researcher in the field of marine ecology. With a focus on the Pacific Islands, her research program has been instrumental in understanding reef resilience and directly informs local management strategies and global ecosystem forecasts.  She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers in high profile journals including Proceedings of the National Academy, Proceedings of the Royal Society, and The American Naturalist, as well as notable Society journals including Ecology and Coral Reefs. Her lab has trained a diverse cadre of students and postdocs who have gone on to work in research, teaching, and conservation at academic institutions and government agencies. 

“It’s a privilege to build on the tremendous legacy of leadership at HIMB,” said Donahue. “I look forward to supporting the exceptional faculty, staff, and students who I work with every day and to amplifying their positive impacts on science, ecosystems, and communities in Hawaii and globally.”