Alumni of Merit Award
The Alumni of Merit Award, the highest honor the Alumni Association bestows on an alumna/us of Whitman College, is given to alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen field, or rendered outstanding service to their community, or rendered outstanding service to, and demonstrated loyal interest in, Whitman College.
The 2025 Alumnus of Merit is Elliot Kalauawa ’75
Raised in the public housing communities of one of Honolulu’s most underserved neighborhoods, Dr. Elliot Kalauawa’s journey from humble beginnings to medical leadership is a powerful testament to resilience, compassion, and dedication. With the support of scholarships, he attended the prestigious ‘Iolani School and later graduated from Whitman College—an academic path driven by the unwavering belief of his single mother that education could be the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.
Today, Dr. Kalauawa serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Waikiki Health, a federally qualified community health center in Honolulu, where he has worked for more than 35 years. Throughout his career, he has championed care for underserved populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness and those without access to adequate health insurance. His medical specialty, developed in the 1980s, focuses on HIV and AIDS treatment—fields in which he has become a trusted provider and advocate.
Dr. Kalauawa’s work has been recognized widely, including being named the Healthcare Association of Hawaii’s Physician of the Year in 2019. In 2024, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his unwavering service in community health. His inspiring story, which bridges cultural, economic, and societal divides, was featured in a PBS Hawaii special, offering a deeper look into the life of a physician who has quietly and humbly shaped healthcare in his community.
In a time before diversity, equity, and inclusion were common vocabulary, Dr. Kalauawa was already embodying those values—integrating with humility, overcoming bias, and dedicating his career to those often left at the margins of care. His legacy is not just in the lives he’s saved, but in the dignity he’s returned to those most often overlooked