Travis Mukina provides a welcoming environment to the classes by sitting down with the students at their tables to work on a problem. He only lectures for at max 10 minutes per class, and carries himself with tons of energy by using inclusive activities to draw in the students. The students are locked into the class and not being distracted by their phones. He is well-known at Chaminade University for his engaging, energetic, and fun math classes.
Mukina is in the middle of his seventh year of being part of the Chaminade ohana and is one of the younger professors on campus teaching at the age of 36. In Spring 2023, he won the university’s “Excellence in Teaching Award.”
“I was shocked,” said Mukina when asked about the emotions he felt when winning the award. “I don’t feel like I am a special teacher, professor. I just care about if you understand the math and also care about how you are doing.”
According to Chaminade University’s website, the “Excellence in Teaching Award” is for giving recognition to teaching that has “lasting, positive impacts on students, deepens student learning and demonstrates overall excellence in teaching at the university.”
During his Math for Elementary Teachers II (MA 305), he had an exercise on calculating how many Girl Scout Cookies could fit in the trunk of a specific SUV. The class then broke into two different groups and collaborated with each other to find the solution. While students are working on the problem, Mukina is conversing and helping the students work through the problem, which is unlike most college professors and classes. The traditional style of teaching is listening to a lecture, and if you get time to work on something during the class, the professor normally remains at their desk.
But Mukina’s teaching style has not only made him popular, but he makes students actually enjoy math, a subject that is often loathed.
“He has made me understand math in a completely new light,” said Emma Holder, a sophomore triple majoring in Elementary Education, Behavioral Sciences, and Psychology. “He makes class very fun.”
She is taking his Math for Elementary Teachers II class and had him previously for Math for Elementary Teachers I (MA 105).
Mukina is from Erie, Pennsylvania and fell in love with Hawaii when he earned his master’s program in Education at Hawaii Pacific University due to receiving a full-ride scholarship for cheerleading. Originally, he was unsure about getting his Master of Education, but after receiving a full ride to HPU, he knew he had to take the opportunity.
“I didn’t figure out till my senior year in undergrad that I wanted to teach,” Mukina said. “During my undergraduate year, I realized I was helping my classmates with their homework more than working on my own.”
When he was working at Moanalua High School on Oahu, he was helping teach AP Calculus, and noticed how students were unable to complete basic math problems. Seeing this problem made him want to go get his Ph.D., and teach future teachers how to teach math properly. After getting his masters in education, then attended Oklahoma State to get his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education.
“The last option that I wanted to be was a teacher … tutoring really helped me realize I enjoyed helping others,” Mukina said.
After he graduated and had his Ph.D., Mukina looked into jobs and found one had recently opened up here at Chaminade University. He took this as a sign that he could come back to where he noticed the problem with teachers and he could start making a difference.
Mukina has a different/non-traditional style of teaching, especially for mathematics classes. When teaching math, most professors just lecture for the whole class period. He believes in “mini” lectures and lots of group work during class. He creates such a welcoming and exciting environment for his students. It is common for his previous students to reach out and ask about a specific lesson plan they had gone over in class, and will always make time to help them.
“Give me 5-7 minutes of your undivided attention to go over some big ideas and now lets go talk with other people about what you think you should do,” Mukina said. “I talk very very little because I care more about what the students have to say rather than me just giving you information because no one learns math that way.“
Teaching is just one important part of his life. He also gives tumbling lessons and private lessons at a cheerleading gym here on Oahu, Aloha Cheer Academy. Cheerleading has been a big part of his life since he was in sixth grade, and he has been part of many winning teams. He was part of Team USA in 2015 and won gold, and in 2016 he walked away with a silver medal. Another incredible award he was presented with was the “Last Pass” award, which he received in 2014 at the NCA College Championships when cheering with Oklahoma State University. Winning that award means a great deal to any cheerleader, because it means you are the best tumbler in the country.
Mukina is a proud Chaminade faculty member and is happy to be here working with our students.
“I love the Chaminade’s class sizes and having that connection with my students,” Mukina said. “Getting to know their reason why they want to be a teacher makes teaching more enjoyable.”