Rachel (Inafuku) Kaneshiro

Dr. Rachel (Inafuku) Kaneshiro is an alumna of HBA (class of 2013) and received a bachelor's degree in economics from Loyola Marymount University. After working at a wealth management firm, she went on to pursue a doctoral degree in economics from UH Manoa and graduated with her PhD in 2022, specializing in labor and health economics. She has since contributed to several research reports and academic peer reviewed articles.

Rachel is currently an economist at the UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO). She is passionate about using data, statistics, and research to improve Hawaii's economy and better the quality of life for local residents. Her most recent work has been dedicated towards advocating for more of Hawaii's high school graduates to enroll in college, driven by her research on the value of a college degree in Hawaii. In the near term, she will be actively contributing to research aimed at informing public policy decisions regarding the economic ramifications of the Maui wildfires.