Dr. Hirokawa received his B.A. degree (with Honors) from the University of Hawaii, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Washington.
Prior to becoming the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences here at UH Hilo, Dr. Hirokawa served on the faculty at The Pennsylvania State University (1980-84) and the University of Iowa (1984-2004). At the University of Iowa, he held a joint appointment in the departments of Communication Studies and Community and Behavioral Health. He chaired the Department of Communication Studies from 1997-2004.
Dr. Hirokawa is known for his expertise in the area of small group communication and decision-making effectiveness. He has published over 75 journal articles and book chapters in this area. He is co-editor of Communication and Group Decision-making, currently in its 2nd edition, and Small Group Communication: Theory and Research, currently in its 8th edition. Dr. Hirokawa is the former editor of Communication Studies, and has served (or is serving) on the editorial boards of four national or international journals.
Dr. Hirokawa has given numerous national and international lectures, among them the prestigious Van Zelst Lecture at Northwestern University, the Thomas M. Scheidel Annual Faculty Lecture at the University of Washington, and the B. Aubrey Fisher Memorial Lecture at the University of Utah. He is one of six recipients of the University of Iowa’s Collegiate Teaching Award for 2003-2004. In 2006, Dr. Hirokawa was inducted into the University of Washington Alumni Hall of Fame for his contributions to the field of Communication.
Dr. Hirokawa has been an active supporter of intercollegiate athletics. He is currently the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and frequently serves as the public address announcer, and play-by-play broadcaster, for its softball team.