Amy Nawatani with her advisor Professor Betsy Brenner
UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School laments the passing of graduate student Amy Nawatani, who passed away recently because of complications due to liver and kidney disease. Throughout her long illness, Nawatani's dream was to finish her dissertation in the Department of Education and then have a professional career helping children and families faced with chronic illness. Her research focused on Marshallese immigrants to the U.S. who had come for medical treatment and educational opportunities. Her master’s research was based in a hospital in Hawaii that serves many children from the Marshall Islands. Her doctoral research was a study of the Marshallese community in Hawaii, with a focus on young adults with physical disabilities and their educational challenges. She spent two years doing an ethnographic study of the Marshallese and wider Micronesian community in Hawaii.
“Amy was a person who always liked to have fun and laugh, although she faced many health challenges throughout her life,” says Senior Associate Dean Betsy Brenner, who also served as Nawatani’s advisor. “She was very brave and determined to reach her goals. Even while sick, she volunteered to help others. Amy had many hobbies, including singing opera and making jewelry.”