Denise Eby Konan, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Coastal Tourism at the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program. The center promotes respect for the culture, environment, and economy of Hawai‘i and other coastal visitor destinations through research, education, and outreach. Konan received her doctorate from the University of Colorado.

A professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (UHM) since 1993, Konan currently serves as the Dean of the College of Social Sciences. She recently served for two years as the interim Chancellor of UHM. A noted international trade economist, Konan has been a consultant to the World Bank, the Council of Foreign Relations, and various foreign and national governments. She is known for her research on regional economic integration, foreign investment, trade in services, and intellectual property rights. Konan’s current research agenda involves the economics energy and climate change in Hawai‘i.