Dr. Kevin Hayakawa, a member of the Rowland Unified School District Board of Education, is seeking re-election on Nov. 3.
Born and raised in Rowland Heights, Hayakawa is a lifelong product of the Rowland USD. He attended Ybarra Academy, Telesis Academy of Science and Math (formerly Rincon Intermediate School), and John A. Rowland High School, where he completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
After graduating from Rowland High School, he attended UC, Berkeley, earning bachelor’s degrees in physics and astrophysics. He went on to earn both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from UCLA.
He has taught physics and astronomy throughout the state’s public higher education system — including California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California — and currently serves as a physics professor in the CSU system. His teaching and research have focused on helping students develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills while preparing them for careers in science, engineering, healthcare, education, and other fields.
Hayakawa was first elected to public office in 2020 as a director of the Walnut Valley Water District, where he served until joining the Rowland USD Board of Education. He was elected to represent Trustee Area 5 in 2022 and currently serves as the board’s vice president.
“Throughout his public service, he has maintained an active presence in the community by attending school events, student performances, athletic competitions, graduations, PTA functions, and community meetings,” according to his campaign website. “He believes that understanding the experiences of students, families, educators, and staff is an important part of informed decision-making …
“He remains committed to life-long learning and to supporting educational opportunities for future generations.”
“I love RUSD, and I’m so grateful I’ve been able to serve our community as a board member since December 2022,” Hayakawa said in statement. “We’ve introduced legislation to increase public transparency, promote students’ voice, and reduce distractions in the classroom. And we’ve collaborated with community members to reduce student-to-teacher ratios, improve test scores, and fight against data centers near schools.”
Outside of his professional and public service responsibilities, he enjoys volleyball, astronomy, and spending time with family and friends.
Also running to represent Trustee Area 5 is parent and business owner Falynn Love Thompson. Other candidates in the RUSD:
Trustee Area 1: Incumbent Agnes Gonzalez, office administrator Obie Obiacoro
Trustee Area 3: Incumbent Cary Chen, high school teacher Jeanette Alvarado, elementary school aide Brandon Macias
In addition to fellow Board of Education members Chen, Gonzalez, Erik Venegas, and Ellen Park, Hayakawa’s endorsers include former board members David Malkin, Donna Freedman, Angelina Pride, and Lynne Ebenkamp; Dr, Tony Torng, board president, Walnut Valley USD; Andy Yam, board president, Garvey SD; Dr, Jeff Kim, board president, Irvine USD; Ernie Nishii, board member, ABC USD; Andrea Yamasaki, board vice president, Orange USD; Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, board member, Fremont Union HSD.
Other elected officials supporting Hayakawa include Rep. Judy Chu; State Sen. Bob Archuleta; Assemblymembers Lisa Calderon and Mike Fong; Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis; Walnut Mayor Dr. Allen Wu; Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo; Monterey Park City Councilmember Thomas Wong; Diamond Bar City Councilmembers Andrew Chou, Stan Liu and Dr. Chia Yu Teng; Jerry Tang, board president, Walnut Valley Water District.