Malia Lee Akutagawa is a science teacher at Molokaʻi High Schoolʻs Innovative, Business, and Technology Academy. She has taught 23 years in the DOE. Twenty of these years were spent teaching Science at Molokaʻi High School, as well as serving as the technology coordinator for six years. Malia studied Marine Science at UH-Hilo but relocated to Molokaʻi, where her husband was raised, to bring up her two daughters, who eventually boarded at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama (Mahalo Pauahi!).

Malia believes that above all creating and maintaining strong relationship is the most important part of being a teacher. Focusing on relationships allows her to care and connect as she teaches 21st century skills while simultaneously grounding students in their foundation of place, ʻohana, and their special gifts.