PAU Doctoral Student Wins American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program Award

KAHANAALOHA KUIKAHI-DUNCAN

Palo Alto University (PAU) congratulates Kahanaaloha Kuikahi-Duncan, a student in the Ph.D. Clinical Psychology doctoral program.  PAU is delighted that Kahanaaloha was selected by the Training Advisory Committee of the American Psychological Association (APA) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) for this very prestigious fellowship award under the Minority Fellowship Program Predoctoral Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (MHSAS).  Kahanaaloha also represented Palo Alto University as a recipient of the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program, a service-oriented scholarship program for scholars of Native Hawaiian descent being educated in the health care field.  Congratulations, Kahanaaloha! 

Kahanaaloha was born and raised in Hawai`i, her upbringing within an indigenous community allowed her to observe the unique barriers of access to treatment that underserved groups face, often causing a downward spiral for their health and the health of their young ones.  This APA Fellowship fits into her background and intense interest to work with children and families of culturally diverse populations.  Her past volunteer and work experiences have opened her eyes to the hardship and lack of opportunities that underserved populations face; this coupled with her personal ties to Hawaii propelled her interest to continue to help underserved communities.  Her long term goal is to work with Hawaii’s rural and medically underserved communities and decrease the number of physical and mental health crises in the Native Hawaiian community. 

 “Palo Alto University was one of my top schools to attend because of their focus on minority issues and their advocacy for these groups.  When studying the faculty’s interests and disciplines, their work was attractive to me”, commented Kahanaaloha.

Please join PAU on congratulating fourth year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology, Kahanaaloha Kuikahi-Duncan, for being selected for this APA Fellowship. 

Learn more about academic programs and the Ph.D. Clinical Psychology program at PAU today!