About me
Phillippe Rivera Fernandez-Brennan is a scholar-educator advancing culturally sustaining and decolonizing approaches to curriculum, pedagogy, and educational research. Born in Honolulu and raised in Kāneʻohe, he is a product of Hawaiʻi’s public schools and holds a Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, along with advanced training in curriculum studies and mathematics education.
His research centers on Filipino curriculum and pedagogy, ethnomathematics, and decolonizing and qualitative methodologies, with a focus on how education can serve as a site of identity affirmation, resistance, and community empowerment. His scholarship has been presented at leading national and international conferences, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE), and National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). His growing body of work contributes to interdisciplinary conversations on equity, Indigeneity, and culturally grounded education.
Phil has been recognized with numerous competitive honors and fellowships, including the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad award, the Institute for Teachers of Color Committed to Racial Justice (ITOC) Fellowship, and multiple scholarships from the University of Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.
With over 13 years of experience in Hawaiʻi public schools, he brings a strong research-practice orientation to his academic work. As Curriculum and Assessment Specialist and Testing Coordinator at Hālau Kū Māna, he supports the design of culturally grounded curriculum and assessment systems, bridging theory and practice to inform K-12 education. His teaching and mentorship emphasizes to engage critically, ethically, and collaboratively with diverse communities.
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