Skip to main content
Campus Community

New Academic Vice President Appointed at BYU–Hawaii

Brigham Young University–Hawaii is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John David Bell as Vice President of Academics, replacing Dr. Max L. Checketts. The appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees following a widespread search to identify the most qualified candidate to best support the academic and operational needs and opportunities of BYU–Hawaii. His areas of responsibility will include the four academic colleges, the three associate academic vice presidents and the Academic Council, the library, Alumni and Career Services, admissions, and financial aid.

John D. Bell currently serves as Dean of Undergraduate Education at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah), a position he has held since 2008. Previously, he has served as Associate Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Chair of the Department of Zoology, both at BYU.

Dr. Bell began his teaching career with the Department of Zoology at BYU in 1990 and has been on the faculty of the Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology at BYU since 2002. He earned an undergraduate degree in Zoology from BYU in 1982 and a Ph.D. in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of California (La Jolla, CA) in 1987. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) from 1987-1990 prior to joining the faculty at BYU.

 A seasoned academic leader within the LDS Church Educational System, Dr. Bell is well known and widely respected on the BYU campus, both among students and peers. He has been recognized as Teacher of the Year by the Student Alumni Association three times, Outstanding Faculty twice, and is a recipient of the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Teaching Award.

In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Bell is active in church and civic service. He has served as stake president counselor and bishop, and is currently president of the Provo Utah Sunset Stake. He served a mission as a young man in Santiago, Chile, and has been active in Scouting at the local and district levels. He and his wife Rhonda have three adult sons, Thomas, Nathan and Jacob. They also enjoy two daughters-in-law and a three-year-old grandson, Riley. John and Rhonda have traveled extensively throughout the Pacific and are both certified Scuba divers. “We are honored and humbled at this opportunity to serve the students and faculty at BYU–Hawaii,” says Dr. Bell. “I am especially impressed with all that is happening in Laie to fulfill prophetic destiny. I look forward to doing my part to help with this important effort.”

Dr. Checketts has been the Vice President of Academics at BYU–Hawaii since 2008. He will leave the university in late May 2015 to complete preparations for he and his wife Donna to preside over the Australia Sydney North Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beginning July 1, 2015. Dr. Bell will work closely with Dr. Checketts beginning in late April and will take over as Vice President of Academics at BYU-Hawaii during May 2015. 

“Max has been an extremely valuable and capable leader for BYU–Hawaii, and we appreciate very much his and Donna’s wonderful service to the university and its students – we wish them the best as they serve in this new capacity,” says Steven C. Wheelwright, president of BYU–Hawaii. “Now we are thrilled to have the Bells join the university ‘ohana. He is an accomplished educator and academic leader who is dedicated to learning in a gospel-centered environment. They have been prepared to fill this new role in an excellent way.”

John_Bell_600x400w.jpg