Rate My Professor Michael Bitter

Michael Bitter serves as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of History at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He earned a B.A. in 1988 and a Ph.D. in 1999 from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where his doctoral work focused on European history with an emphasis on Russia and Eastern Europe. Bitter joined the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in 1999 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History. Over the next 17 years, he advanced through the ranks to Associate Professor and then full Professor. During his tenure in the department, he chaired the History Department for seven years, served as the faculty representative for social sciences at the UH Professional Assembly, chaired the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Senate, and acted as chair of the general education committee for the UH Hilo Faculty Congress. He also held the position of Social Sciences Division Chair.

In June 2017, Bitter assumed the role of Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, a position he held until his appointment as permanent Dean on January 20, 2023, following confirmation by the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents. In this leadership capacity, he has promoted initiatives to support student, faculty, and staff success, including the expansion of college programs. Bitter collaborates with the Center for Global Education and Exchange to increase study abroad and partner university exchange opportunities for UH Hilo students, both nationally and internationally. His research specialization centers on European history, particularly Russia and Eastern Europe. A key publication is his article "George Forbes’s ‘Account of Russia,’ 1733–1734," published in 2004. Bitter received the Regents' Medal for Excellence in Teaching in 2002, recognizing his effective engagement of students in historical studies. Through his extensive administrative and academic contributions, Bitter advances the mission of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the College of Arts and Sciences.