Dean’s Message
Aloha! This spring has been a time of transition. The University has selected a new president. Also, the University, with the assistance of a professional search firm, has been conducting a search for a new dean for the CBA. The search process has included faculty, staff, alumni, and the business community. Each of the candidates has gone through several interviews including an on campus visitation. This process will culminate with the hiring of a new dean. Mr. Cliff Slater, founder of Maui Divers, was our primary speaker in the Pappas Entrepreneurial Leadership Series this spring. In his presentation, Mr. Slater traced both his life story and the opportunities that were presented to him. This was similar to the life story of Maui Divers which took advantage of opportunities that became available. At his presentation, there was standing room only with a gathering of 50-100 guests. The program is underwritten through the generosity of Jim and Marilyn Pappas. We thank Mr. Ken Schoolland, director of the Entrepreneurial Center, and the leaders and members of SIFE, Students in Free Enterprise, for coordinating these events. As you are aware, this summer there was the changing of the HPU presidency. President Chatt G. Wright, founding dean of the College of Business Administration, retired in June. Dr. Geoffrey Bannister has been selected to move HPU to the next level. In fall, the College of Business Administration will be welcoming our new dean. The search began this spring and was concluded right after finals. More information about the new dean will be presented in the fall newsletter. Looking forward to the fall, we will have two visiting lecturers in economics from the Jonkoping International Business School (JIBS) at Jonkoping University in Sweden. Dr. Ghazi Shukur, professor of statistics and econometrics, and Mr. Kristofer Mansson, doctoral candidate in economics, will be visiting in the middle of the term. JIBS is one of our partner schools for the student exchange program. The visitors will be giving several guest lectures to the economics classes. New faculty that will be joining the CBA this fall are Dr. Xin Fang (University of Illinois at Chicago), Assistant Professor of Economics; Dr. Hui Huang (University of Hawaii at Manoa), Assistant Professor of Economics; Dr. Noelia Paez (Texas A & M University), Assistant Professor of Economics; and Dr. Feifei Zhu (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics. Our new faculty will be featured in the fall newsletter. Also, Mel Horikami, former president of Verizon Hawaii, will serve as our Executive in Residence during the fall semester. He is currently the owner and president of Optimum Business Consulting, LLC. Mel will give several guest lectures and will be available for consultation. Thank you to all of you who have assisted me during the semester. Enjoy your summer and return in the fall ready to be an active participant in the transformation of HPU and the CBA to the next level in higher education.
Sincerely, Warren Wee, Ph.D., CPA Interim Dean, College of Business Administration
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