The School of Architecture’s Historic Preservation Graduate Certificate Program has a full schedule in early 2026. 

One of the key programs is our annual Experts series, previously Experts and the Palace and Experts at the cathedral. It is no wholly online and spreads over the first six weeks of term. 

Wednesdays, January 14 to February 18, 2026, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Virtual on Zoom, Register here 

Free, registration required 

Now in its 39th year, the series is co-curated and co-sponsored by the UH School of Architecture’s Historic Preservation Graduate Certificate Program and Historic Hawai‘i Foundation. Program director Bill Chapman gave the first lecture and will be moderating the remaining four. The final session will feature a panel discussion. 

This year’s series explores the theme Preserving Hawai‘i’s Parks examining the rich history, cultural significance, and ongoing stewardship of parks across the islands. The series looks at two broad categories of historic parks: those intentionally designed and built as parks that have gained historical significance over time; and those created to commemorate and interpret important places, people, or events. Over six weeks, the webinar series will highlight national, state, and county parks, showcasing both notable preservation successes and the complex challenges involved in caring for these well-loved landscapes.

Together, the lectures highlight park preservation at multiple scales—from long-established iconic spaces to sites undergoing revitalization—addressing themes such as stewardship, community engagement, historic resources, and adaptive approaches to care. The series concludes with a moderated 90-minute Parks Directors’ Forum featuring park leaders from across the state, offering insights into shared challenges, achievements, and the future of preserving Hawai‘i’s parks.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026
12:00 to 1:00 PM HST

History and Preservation of Parks in Hawai‘i (statewide)

Presenter: William Chapman, Professor of Architecture & Director of Historic Preservation Program, School of Architecture, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

This series introduction will provide an overview of the different types of parks (national, state, city), their origin and purpose and some of the preservation successes and challenges. Types of parks include those built to memorialize a site, specific history or historical event and parks that were created as parks and became historic over time.  Honolulu City Parks (Mother Waldon, Ala Moana, Irwin, Kawānanakoa Playground, Hale‘iwa Beach Park) will be highlighted.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026
12:00 to 1:00 PM HST

Preserving Kapi‘olani Park (Waikīkī, O‘ahu)

Presenter:  Alethea Rebman, President, Kapi‘olani Park Preservation Society

Kapi‘olani Regional Park is a 200-acre historic green space in the heart of Waikīkī and one of O‘ahu’s largest and second-oldest public parks. Dedicated in 1877 by King David Kalākaua and named for his beloved wife, Queen Kapi‘olani, the park was envisioned as a free and open gathering place for the public—a purpose it continues to serve more than 149 years later. Once the site of polo fields and royal recreation, the park today encompasses the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikīkī Shell and remains one of the city’s most cherished and heavily used public spaces. The City and County of Honolulu maintains the Park and the nonprofit Kapi‘olani Park Preservation Society is devoted to upholding the unique public charitable trust of the Park, keeping it free and open to the public.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026
12:00 to 1:00 PM HST

Lili’uokalani Gardens (Hilo, Hawai‘i Island)

Presenter: K.T. Eger, President, Friends of Lili‘uokalani Gardens

Located on Banyan Drive in historic downtown Hilo, Lili‘uokalani Gardens, at 24.67 acres, is the largest authentic Edo-style ornamental garden outside of Japan. The Park is named for Queen Lili‘uokalani who donated the original five acres of land to create a public park in 1907. The Gardens was dedicated in 1917 and styled as a tribute to Hawaii’s first Japanese immigrants who helped build its agricultural history starting in 1868. Friends of Lili‘uokalani Gardens, formed in 2012, maintains the park through a special agreement with the County of Hawai‘i Parks and Recreation Department.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026
12:00 to 1:00 PM HST

A‘ala Park Revitalization Project (Chinatown, O‘ahu)

Presenter:  Emily Perry, Parks for People Program Manager, Trust for Public Land

A‘ala Park is a historic urban green space in the heart of downtown Honolulu that is entering an important new chapter. Once a vibrant gathering place for the community, the park is now the focus of a thoughtful revitalization effort aimed at restoring its role as a welcoming, active, and inclusive public space. This project brings together history, culture, design, and community voices to re-imagine how A‘ala Park can better serve residents and visitors alike. Join us for this webinar to get an early look at the vision guiding the park’s transformation—and to learn how this revitalization could shape the future of Honolulu’s urban core.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
12:00 to 1:00 PM HST

Civilian Conservation Corps at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Volcano, Hawai‘i Island)

Presenters:  Summer Roper, Supervisory Archeologist, CRM Program Lead and Section 106 Coordinator and Anekelea Hubner, Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit Cultural Resource Associate, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Join us as we explore Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Hawai‘i Island, a place where cultural resources, history and preservation intersect. The webinar will examine the park’s broader historical and environmental significance and highlight the Civilian Conservation Corps camp and its lasting contributions to the park. Attendees will also preview a newly launched interactive story map that highlights this chapter of the park’s history. Together, these elements offer a layered look at how people, policy, and place have shaped one of Hawai‘i’s most remarkable national parks.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026  
12:00 to 1:30 PM HST

Statewide Parks Directors’ Forum: Preserving Hawaiʻi’s Parks—Challenges, Achievements, and the Way Forward (statewide)

Panel: 

• Alan Carpenter, Acting Administrator, Division of State Parks
  • Clayton Honma, Director, Department of Parks & Recreation, Hawai‘i County
  • Laura Thielen, Director, Department of Parks & Recreation, City and County of Honolulu
  • Patrick McCall, Director, Department of Parks & Recreation, Maui County
  • Patrick T. Porter, Director, Department of Parks & Recreation, Kaua‘i County
  • Moderator: Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation

Join us for an engaging, moderated panel discussion with leadership from Hawaii’s Division of State Parks and each of the four counties. Topics for this special 90-minute panel will include working with stewardship groups, public engagement, historic resources, homelessness and crime, equity and access and development pressures. Preservation needs will be shared and accomplishments highlighted.