Dr. Harjo-Livingston loves to learn and collaborate and has spent their life traveling the world, earning degrees, teaching, writing and making films. They joined KHON2 News in 2022.
Sandy grew up playing music, becoming an award-winning clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. They are a polymath and became an academic scholar early in life.
Sandy’s undergraduate degrees are in Philosophy and Literary Theory. They also earned master’s degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy and Theology.
Dr. Harjo-Livingston holds a Ph.D. in Political Studies and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, U.K. While a professor, they researched the intersectionality of religion and politics. With their interdisciplinary background [political science, psychology, philosophy, theology and history], they developed a theoretical model to understand the deeply symbiotic relationship between religious and political institutions and leadership.
Dr. Harjo-Livingston taught a fairly wide array of courses, from International Political Economy, International Relations and Postcolonialism to Political Theory/Communications, Public Policy and Gender Studies. Most of their academic career was spent in Scotland and Italy with a brief tenure at a university in the U.S.
After leaving academia, Sandy became involved with ‘Ōlelo Community Media and became an award-winning filmmaker. They co-founded the production company Sa’Ke Film Group to work with local filmmakers, writers and actors to get their stories made and distributed. They later joined ‘Ōlelo’s Board of Directors and is currently the Chair. They are also a board member of the Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation where they participate on the Honolulu Pride and the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival committees.
Sandy has always had an affinity for journalism as it is an important component of a thriving democracy. While at the University of Aberdeen, they acted as faculty advisor to the student newspaper, The gAUdie.
