FALL 2012
New Species of Coral Await
Cutting edge research shedding new light Page 8
A Project Learning Initiative
Modeling a consulting group to help companies Page 17
HPU Housing Innovation Plans for our growing ‘ohana
T
his summer marked the completion of my first year as president of Hawai‘i Pacific University. This milestone provides a welcome opportunity for me to share with you, our alumni and friends, some of the highlights. Perhaps the most important effort has been the creation of HPU’s first comprehensive strategic plan, which was approved this summer by the University’s Board of Trustees. It charts an important new vision: For HPU to become consistently recognized as among the nation’s top 10 comprehensive, independent Western universities, “leveraging its geographic position between the Western and Eastern hemispheres and its relationships around the Pacific Rim to deliver an educational experience that is distinct among American campuses.” In support of that vision, it articulates goals, objectives and tactics in three major areas of focus—University Positioning, Academic Culture and Student Success. Moreover, it commits the University to a shared plan of development that will transform HPU over the next five years.
Photo by Gary Hofheimer
President’s Message
Governor Abercrombie and President Bannister at the State Capitol for signing of the bill authorizing up to $120 million in bond capacity for HPU.
Just as important as the plan itself is the University-wide effort that led to its creation, with more than 200 faculty members, administrators, staff members and students taking part. Their participation in task forces, work groups and self-studies produced findings that served as the critical foundation of the strategic plan. The significance of focusing the intellectual resources of our community on this is that we will implement a plan that not only reflects our best thinking, but also has the support from the very individuals who will be responsible for fulfilling these essential endeavors. In support of the new student housing, enhanced classrooms, IT capabilities and research capacity outlined in the plan, we sought and received approval by the State of Hawai‘i for up to $120 million in bonding authority. Thanks to the leadership and vision of Governor Neil Abercrombie and members of the State Legislature, this partnership between public and private entities will help to create the strong private university that Hawai‘i so richly deserves.
In the midst of all of this, I was humbled and grateful to take part in HPU’s largest ever commencement ceremony— with more than 950 students earning undergraduate and graduate degrees— at the Neal Blaisdell Arena in May. Our commencement participants were fortunate to hear an address delivered by our Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Chun, PhD, just weeks before he concluded a historic 24-year tenure as headmaster and president of Hawai‘i’s Kamehameha Schools. The work and preparations we have undertaken ensure that our momentum is focused toward even greater accomplishments in the new academic year. I am thankful for your support as we embark on that journey, and look forward to sharing with you news of additional HPU success in what promises to be a very exciting 2012–13 year. Mahalo, Geoffrey Bannister, PhD President
FEATURES
3 A Home of Their Own Fall 2012 Volume 13 Number 2 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP President Geoffrey Bannister, PhD
Vice President Alumni and University Relations Mary Ellen McGillan
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Bill Kline Interim Vice President Enrollment Management Darryl Calkins Vice President and General Counsel Janet Kloenhamer HPU TODAY STAFF Managing Editor Lianne Yamamura Associate Editor Kilei Nelson Alumni Class Links Editor Kris Smith Student Editor Alisha Kong
HPU Today is published three times a year by Hawai‘i Pacific University, 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 307 Honolulu, HI 96813. It is distributed at no charge for alumni and friends. This is the Fall 2012 issue, Volume 13, Number 2 If you are receiving duplicate copies of the magazine or need to update your mailing address, please notify the editorial office. Phone: (808) 356-5210 Fax: (808) 543-8079 E-mail: hputoday@hpu.edu Web site: www.hpu.edu/hputoday
8 Paradoxes, Paradigm Shifts and Practical Science Solving the puzzle of corals and color pigments
Interim Vice President Academic Affairs Andrew Brittain, PhD
Vice President University Marketing and Communications Todd Simmons
Planning the future for HPU and its students
On the cover: Skyline of downtown Honolulu, home to one of three distinct HPU campuses offering a rich academic experience: the Hawaii Loa Campus is situated on 135 lush, verdant acres in Kane‘ohe and the seaside Oceanic Institute is a 56-acre site at Makapu‘u Point on the windward coast. Below: the Downtown Campus is at the edge of the historic Honolulu waterfront where the iconic Aloha Tower (pictured) is located.
DEPARTMENTS 10 On Campus 16 Alumni Spotlight 17 University Friends 18 Sea Warrior Sports 20 Class Links 24 Back Page
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A Home of Their Own Planning the future for HPU and its students by John Wythe White
Suzy Prenovost (BSBA Travel Industry Management ’94) knows what it is like to come to Hawai‘i Pacific University with all the excitement and anticipation that characterize so many students’ first year in college. She made that journey herself, transferring from Texas A&M, in rural College Station, to O‘ahu two decades ago. “When I was a student, I loved downtown Honolulu,” says Prenovost, now HPU associate director of Admissions for a region that includes Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. “I was involved in student government and I joined clubs. For many students, it’s important to get involved, not just go to class and leave.”
She sees that excitement and interest in joining university life manifest in today’s students, but it is accompanied by a growing set of challenges. “They’re not just going down the road to a local college. It’s a unique university in a unique culture. But coming from the mainland, it’s a daunting task trying to rent an apartment.” In a strategic planning process for HPU that began more than a year ago, student housing materialized as the single greatest issue confronting students and the university. Simply put, without sufficient housing options to offer students, the university’s aspirations of a student body composed of one-third Hawai‘i residents, one-third international
“Interaction with other students can be zero if you’re not proactive enough to socialize.” Dayang “Dee” Abang Haji Zain (BSBA Marketing ‘87) Photo by Gary Hofheimer
Students hanging out in a dorm room at Hawaii Loa Campus.
HPU leaders and Governor Abercrombie at the State Capitol for the special purpose revenue bond legislation bill signing ceremony in July.
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students and one-third individuals from the continental United States is destined to remain a long unrealized dream. As the 2012–13 academic year gets underway, there is a new reason to be hopeful that student housing and other HPU challenges and opportunities will be addressed. Over the summer, HPU leaders completed the initial work of the plan. After several reviews, the Board of Trustees blessed the efforts with formal approval of an executive summary and directed that the plan return to the university for management implementation. The plan is a visionary document, the collective work of some 200 faculty, students and administrators, seven work groups and three special studies and countless meetings. It not only paints an exciting picture of what HPU might be by 2017, but articulates in exacting detail the steps required to get there. From repositioning the university with its various target markets to enhancing HPU’s academic culture and building the elements necessary to improve student success, the plan takes aim at longstanding challenges. The Vision Statement expresses the university’s new ambitions: HPU will be consistently ranked among the United States’ top 10 Western, independent, comprehensive universities, leveraging its geographic position between the Western and Eastern hemispheres and its relationships around the Pacific Rim to deliver an educational experience that is distinct among American campuses. To fulfill that lofty vision, HPU must attract strong students and those students need housing. Right now, HPU only
HPU students grabbing a meal between classes.
owns 200 beds for its 8,000-plus students, and all of those residence spaces are located on the Hawaii Loa Campus. Megan Warren (BS Marine Biology ’08) lived in student housing at HLC during her freshman year. “Coming from the mainland, I found it essential to have that option,” she says. “Most students don’t get to Hawai‘i until a week or two before classes start, and when you are in an unfamiliar place surrounded by people you don’t know, having housing on campus takes away some of the stress.” Adds Warren, who today works with the Washington State Health Care Authority, “Even if students live in the dorms just in their freshman year, it provides a safe environment for them to adjust to their new surroundings.” Other students have faced even more challenging circumstances. Dayang “Dee” Abang Haji Zain (BSBA Marketing ’87) began her student life at HPU in temporary accommodations provided by the university. “It was a one-bedroom apartment that housed four of us,” she says. “It was tough for me because
I had never shared a room with so many strangers in a foreign land.” She recalls waking up at 2 a.m. to study in the bathroom to not wake up her roommates. Zain, who is founder and former executive chairman of Cada Business School in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, and a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, later moved to an apartment on University Avenue that she shared with another student. “But that was not a campus environment,” she says. “Interaction with other students can be zero if you’re not proactive enough to socialize.” She solved the problem by joining the Malaysian Students of Hawai‘i, as well as the International Students Organization. “I am sure I would have done more if only we had our own places to foster relationships and networking,” she says. “A campus environment will definitely be wonderful for full-time students, especially those from overseas. I am excited to hear of HPU moving in this direction, becoming a university
“The Sea Warrior Center wasn’t much of a hangout when I was a student, but had it been bigger and more suited to it, I would have spent a lot more time there, as would have many of my friends.” Megan Warren (BS Marine Biology ’08)
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“Retention has surfaced as a nationwide issue—how to get more of the students who start to finish. And HPU has unique situations to deal with.” scott stensrud, Special Assistant to the President for Student Retention
of the future, always relevant and forward-looking.” Warren shares the belief that a place to “hang out” is almost as critical a need as housing. “The Sea Warrior Center wasn’t much of a hangout when I was a student, but had it been bigger and more suited to it, I would have spent a lot more time there, as would have many of my friends. It will be great for new students from off-island to have a safe place to unwind and have fun, as well as adapt to their new environment.” But creating such housing and gathering places is an expensive and difficult proposition, particularly for a university that has a backlog of other physical plant needs. As the strategic planning process progressed last year, HPU President Geoffrey Bannister sought bond authority from the state to cover a range of capital projects at the Downtown Campus, Hawaii Loa and the Oceanic Institute. The Legislature passed special purpose revenue bond legislation for HPU last spring, which Governor Neil Abercrombie signed at a State Capitol ceremony in July.
At the ceremony, Abercrombie praised the bond legislation for providing “an opportunity for the state to work in a public-private partnership, in this case with the education sector, in a very, very positive way.” He noted that the bond proceeds will fund classroom space, IT infrastructure, facilities renovation and student housing, adding, “We may even find ourselves possibly being able to work something by way of housing for HPU…for students, possibly right here in downtown Honolulu.” It is that particular possibility that has many intrigued. As has been reported in multiple news outlets, HPU has been in conversation with the developer of Aloha Tower Marketplace over the possibility of creating student housing in what has been a disappointing retail space on the Honolulu waterfront. The potential residential project would place several hundred students at the foot of the iconic Aloha Tower and just a short walk up Fort Street to classes on the Downtown Campus. This possibility is an enticing one for the university and represents an economic shot in the arm
that has created a buzz for Aloha Tower and downtown merchants. (As this issue was being finalized, final regulatory action that would enable the Aloha Tower housing project to move forward was being scheduled for this fall. HPU Today plans to update this story in the magazine’s next issue.) In late August, further downtown housing possibilities materialized in the form of the Queen Emma Building, a vacant, 12-story structure two blocks from the Downtown Campus. A Maui developer announced plans to turn the building into an apartment building, ready for occupancy by Fall 2013, with HPU students as the primary market. The building could include more than 200 bed spaces, according to the developer. University leaders want to renovate and expand student housing at Hawaii Loa, using bond proceeds to increase capacity and enhance HLC as the university’s first-year campus. This could include creation of additional campus facilities that provide the kind of services
Assistant Professor of Marketing Thomas Kohler, PhD, instructs HPU class.
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Students participate in group discussion.
students have come to expect from their university experience: a “home court” not just for athletic programs, but other recreational activities, wellness programs, intramural programs and new learning opportunities. All of these ventures keep students from dropping out and helps nurture student success toward degree completion. The university has newly charged a senior executive with addressing those needs: Scott Stensrud, Special Assistant to the President for Student Retention. Formerly HPU’s vice president for Enrollment Management, Stensrud has a deep understanding of what attracts students to HPU and why some of them leave without graduating. As the father of two college-age sons, one of whom attends HPU, Stensrud also has a personal familiarity with how today’s students are experiencing the university. “Retention has surfaced as a nationwide issue—how to get more of the students
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who start to finish. And HPU has unique situations to deal with,” says Stensrud. “The majority of our 8,000 students are living off campus, and only a couple of hundred are housed by HPU. Part of the plan is to address that issue. But we also need to have more impact on the overall on-campus experience of the students.” Stensrud’s job involves working on retention issues with divisions and departments across the university. His duties include working through roadblocks and assumptions, figuring out what can or cannot be done. “We can now take action on things we have wanted to do for many years,” he says. “In the process we have discussed what key aspects students are looking for. We didn’t just make assumptions, we focused on hard data derived from years of planning and input. ” Beyond housing, students express primary interest in project-based learning that prepares them for the workplace,
cutting-edge technology in the classroom and services to help identify employment opportunities after graduation. The College of Business has a “project-based initiative” that involves student teams working with faculty members, meeting with business clients, and applying their finance, accounting, research, marketing, management, presentation and communication skills to solve business and community issues. “The students gain knowledge that traditionally might come in a variety of different courses,” says College of Business Dean Deborah Crown, PhD. She adds that the process also contributes to student retention, because “students who are actively engaged are more likely to continue with their studies.” “We develop profession-ready global leaders,” she says, “by adding value to the students, to business and to the community.”
Photo by Tom Overman
HPU’s Sea Warrior baseball team celebrates atop the 1,200-foot peak of Koko Crater after hiking the cinder cone that formed around the ancient volcanic vent.
“Students today have different expectations and desires than we did when we were students,” adds Marco Sausa, PhD, Director of Institutional Effectiveness at HPU and lead author of a special report on student success within the Strategic Plan. “The price of education is increasing, but they have more evaluation tools available, technology that ranks schools according to specific criteria, so they can get what they want from the schools they choose. They’re more savvy.” In a section of Sausa’s report, he writes, “Today’s university students continue to push and drag traditional universities into the 21st century, and if institutions are not listening, students simply do not apply or leave. Times have seriously changed, and with the high cost of tuition and multiple years of investment, students will not settle for anything less than a high-quality education and excellent student experience.” However, due to the different types of students at HPU (full-time, part-time, transfer, undergraduate and graduate, local, mainland and international), they tend to want and expect different things. “Some want the campus life experience, but others don’t,” says Sausa. “We have an incredible school with an immense diversity of students. Our real goal is to graduate our students and equip them with a great education and send them off to rewarding careers.”
To this end, the Strategic Plan calls for “a vibrant student life program that provides students with significant opportunities for co-curricular experiences,” “a strategic physical campus presence at the Downtown and Hawaii Loa campuses, including academic and student space and community gathering venues,” and ultimately the acquisition and/or construction of housing for 2,000 rather than 200 students. That creates an exciting vision for those already familiar with HPU’s student body and campus life. Darryl Calkins, HPU Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management, says the university looks for students with an inherent sense of adventure: “Students who are a true match for the HPU experience.” Finding students with a modern educational
approach is essential because they are entering an environment unlike any other in higher education. “We’re primarily an urban downtown university, not a traditional green-lawn, college-quad experience,” says Calkins. That means that once their housing needs are met, HPU students are typically eager to get out, explore and experience all that Hawai‘i has to offer, says Prenovost. Whether hiking Koko Head, scuba diving amid turtles and coral reefs, exploring the shrimp stands on the North Shore, HPU’s environment encompasses a world of adventure and a diverse community of learners engaged in an intimate, exciting college experience. “Their classes are small,” says Prenovost, “and their fellow students are from all over the world.”
College of Nursing and Health Sciences Interim Dean Dale Allison, PhD, speaks with student at Hawaii Loa Campus.
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Paradoxes, Paradigm Shifts and Practical Science HPU professor’s cutting edge research sheds new light on coral
HPU Assistant Professor of Oceanography Samuel Kahng, PhD, and graduate student in Marine Science Daniel Luck discuss a coral sample at Brittingham Laboratory at the Oceanic Institute in Waimanalo.
By Chris Aguinaldo
deep-water corals through collecting samples from the Au‘au Channel, between Maui and Lana‘i.
Daniel Luck, an HPU graduate student in Marine Science, holds a coral sample.
Photo by Chris Aguinaldo
Love a puzzle? Ponder this: Imagine having only one kind of paint and two walls made from the same material. Start painting both and one wall appears to get darker than the other—but by using less paint. Take a dive into the Pacific Ocean, and Mother Nature is already “painting” corals that way. A deep-water coral (Leptoseris) apparently can out-photosynthesize its shallow-water cousin (Porites), while appearing darker and not being loaded with pigments. Leptoseris is absorbing more light with fewer pigments than expected. In other words, the wall gets darker with less paint. There is the puzzle. The solution comes courtesy of Hawai‘i Pacific University assistant professor of Oceanography Samuel Kahng, PhD, who is a leading expert in coral research. With support from the Hawai‘i Undersea Research Laboratory, Kahng led a team of researchers to investigate dominant shallow-water corals and dominant
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“Leptoseris does not follow traditional shade adaptation by packing on more pigments. They actually have less pigments,” he says. Increasing pigment concentrations is nature’s way to adapt an organism to darker conditions to absorb more light. “When we measured pigment concentrations for shallow corals versus deep corals, the deep corals were darker, but they
Photo courtesy of Samuel Kahng, PhD
Photo by Chris Aguinaldo
Their findings were recently published in the scientific journal Marine Ecology Progress Series and are “changing the paradigm” of how corals survive at such extreme depths, he says.
A colony of the dominant deep-water plate coral Leptoseris hawaiiensis growing at 95 meters in the Au‘au Channel between the islands of Maui and Lana‘i is observed by HPU researchers from a Hawai‘i Undersea Research Laboratory submersible.
“What we discovered is the role of the skeleton that enables these corals to look darker despite the fact that they have less pigments.” Returning to the paint analogy, he explains, “It’s not about the paints. It’s the shape of the wall—the microstructure and texture of the wall—that makes it look darker.” The skeleton’s specialized adaptation traps light, allowing Leptoseris to photosynthesize at the edge of darkness. “It’s two to five times more efficient than a plant leaf at absorbing light.” This discovery underscores that there is much left to understand about coral and the valuable marine ecosystem these tiny animals sustain. Hawai‘i offers a unique oceanfront environment that makes this cutting-edge research possible. “What’s significant is that we are studying deep-water photosynthetic corals. Very few places in the world are studying this. The access is very difficult,” Kahng says.
New Species of Coral Await Daniel Luck, an HPU graduate student in Marine Science, is micro-analyzing coral collected more than a century ago, on a loan from the Smithsonian Institution. He is comparing these older records to contemporary collections that have been made in Hawai‘i. “He’s making detailed, micromorphological measurements,” Kahng says. Despite the coral’s age, some features do not change, which means these molecular measurements will help determine if researchers have found new species of corals as they continue their work undersea. “Having the original, museum-type specimen to make comparisons to will help in the discovery of new coral,” Kahng says. “We may have new species of coral in Hawai‘i that have not been discovered.” Luck has been working at HPU affiliate Oceanic Institute as one of Kahng’s collaborators. He is analyzing two related lines of inquiry: skeletal micromorphology and molecular genetic sequences from
the tissue. The molecular work is done in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology. Luck was born in Hawai‘i, but mostly grew up in Washington State. He has travelled the world, including multi-year stays in Asia with the Peace Corps. When it came time to focus on his graduate degree in Marine Science, returning to Hawai‘i was a natural choice. The critical decision was finding an advisor. Luck says as he looked into graduate studies, he learned from others that “the institution is important but it’s the people who make a research college.” Kahng was “very straightforward and honest” about his expectations from graduate students, Luck says. “He’s one of the toughest advisors here, but it’s a good thing in the long run.”
Photo courtesy of Samuel Kahng, PhD
were darker with less pigments. That was really a paradox,” Kahng says.
HPU’s 2011 team that worked with the Hawai‘i Undersea Research Laboratory assembles before an outing.
And now, thanks to Kahng’s tutelage, Luck is part of cutting-edge work that sheds new light on coral. Though Luck was drawn to attend HPU because of Kahng’s research, he has also found something more in working with his mentor. “He is always talking about being able to dive and get in the water and start to integrate the patterns that you are seeing, and use that to inform the science that you do. I wanted to be in touch with and inspired by the things I was researching. I don’t like the idea of working on corals [away from the ocean]. I want to see my subjects,” Luck says.
Fishing for Answers HPU students enjoy conducting research in a scenic oceanfront environment while helping scientists learn important, useful information about the Pacific Ocean and its inhabitants. With that in mind, HPU faculty members Samuel Kahng, PhD, David Hyrenbach, PhD, Catherine Unabia, PhD, and David Field, PhD, have been working on a new initiative in the Marine Science program, emphasizing fisheries training. One project that included Kahng’s students was assessing coral reef fisheries in the Western Pacific, in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Working with NOAA has been mutually beneficial, as HPU students and the agency acquire useful data to help set fishing rules and regulations. “Students help to analyze the fisheries data that we need to inform our management practices,” says Mark Mitsuyasu (BS Marine Science ’88), program officer of NOAA’s Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. “If you are going to choose to work in an ocean-related field, the ability to network with the agencies that do the work on a day-to-day basis is valuable.” Working with a data stream that goes back to the 1940s, the students target specific species for data for fishery regulations. “What we do actually impacts people’s lives,” Mitsuyasu says. Joshua DeMello, fisheries analyst with the council, says HPU students “provide local capacity—students here, on the ground.” “Once, we asked them to look at a habitat of coral reef fish in the Western Pacific and catalog the fish that live there. Then they came back with an innovative approach to identify and designate essential fish habitat,” DeMello says.
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ON CAMPUS
HPU Students Go Global at UN in New York
Computer Science Students Win ACM Contest By Curt Powley, PhD
Three HPU student teams placed first, third and fifth in the prestigious Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Collegiate Programming Contest. On November 5, 2011, HPU’s three person teams competed against top-ranked computer science universities, such as Stanford University and the University of British Columbia. Congratulations to our computer champions: Matt Fry (BS Computer Science ’11), Dongie Agnir (BS Computer Science ’12), and Kevin Goo (first place); Precious Binas, Abe Pineda, and Nathaniel Befus (tied for third); and Aaron Sasaki (BSBA CIS ’11), Asger Lisborg, and Estefania Duterte (fifth place).
Model UN Student Team
For the fifth year in a row, HPU’s United Nations Club participated in the National Model United Nations Conference (NMUN) on April 1–5. The competition, held in New York at the UN headquarters, annually draws some 3,000 college students representing over 200 universities and colleges worldwide. “The conference is the National Model United Nations, but in fact over half of the 200-plus colleges and universities were from outside the U.S.,” says Professor of Political Science and team faculty co-advisor, Carlos Juarez, PhD. He and Assistant Professor of sociology Dana Rasch, PhD, co-advise the team. The HPU delegation was assigned to represent the Republic of Congo. As Congolese diplomats, they engaged in five days of mock UN deliberations presenting their country’s foreign policy positions on 21 issues debated before seven committees. Their preparation also included researching rules of procedure, background and history of the United Nations, as well as refining their skills in speechmaking, caucusing and negotiation. The student delegates gained valuable experience and improved their competencies as global citizens. “Once we arrived in NY and attended the 10
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committee sessions, it became clear that all our hard work paid off. We were not only clearly prepared, but confident,” says HPU student Elizabeth Betts, a nursing and international studies double major from Austin, Texas. Adeline Prayoga, a travel industry management major from Indonesia, adds that she “learned how difficult it is to negotiate between countries. The experience improved my interpersonal and communication skills and also enriched my knowledge of member states of the UN.”
“It was like our own united nations travelling to the United Nations.” Carlos Juarez, Phd
HPU sent 18 students, its largest delegation to date. Similar to the wide range of complex issues they were tackling at the UN Conference, the students themselves reflected diversity: with majors in economics, environmental studies, international relations, nursing, political science, and sociology, among others. The HPU delegation included students from Hawai‘i, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington State, Finland, Norway, the Philippines, and Sweden. As Juarez notes, “It was like our own united nations travelling to the United Nations.”
Students Participate at National Advertising Competition By Chris Aguinaldo
HPU’s advertising and public relations team, known as Akamai Advertising, won the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Hawai‘i district level contest in April and went on to compete in AAF’s 2012 National Student Advertising Competition on June 2–5 in Austin, Texas. The HPU team developed a 32-page marketing campaign and 20-minute presentation in response to a case study about the Nissan brand as it relates to multicultural audiences aged 18–29. Congratulations to HPU students Meaghan Blackburn, Orion Brutoco, Eun Jung Choi (BS Advertising and Public Relations ’12), Courtney Curran, Joanna Georgiev, Avery Kremer, Kim Kuehnert, Dany Malley (BSBA Marketing ’12), Lei Navasca, Thomas Obungen, Taylor Perry, and Nina Terjesen and Department of Communication Faculty Advisor AnnMarie Manzulli.
ON CAMPUS
Fulbright Program Helps Bridge Cultures By Chris Aguinaldo
Kelly Ratana of New Zealand, a 2012 Foreign Fulbright scholarship recipient pursuing a Master of Science degree in Marine Science, joins HPU this fall semester. “I am absolutely overwhelmed. It’s a tremendous honor to receive a Fulbright Graduate Award,” Ratana says. “I can’t wait to see where this takes me in the future.”
“The Fulbright Program fits very closely with HPU’s mission to educate for global citizenship,” says Carlos Juarez, PhD, HPU’s Fulbright program advisor and incoming president of the Fulbright Association’s Hawai‘i chapter. “HPU offered me the chance to explore not only the wonderful marine environment on their doorstep, but also with an opportunity to broaden my interests in freshwater systems and management,” Ratana says.
“Dr. Carstenn has been an amazing help in everything leading up to now,” Ratana says. “I consider myself lucky that she contacted me to join the MSMS program at HPU.”
photo Courtesy of Kelly Ratana
The Fulbright program, the most prestigious international exchange program in the world, actively seeks out individuals of achievement and potential who represent the full diversity of their respective societies.
Susan M. Carstenn, PhD, associate professor of environmental sciences, is supervising Ratana as she pursues a program of integrating local, indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge using geographic information systems (GIS).
Carstenn adds that Ratana as a Māori person is “very interested in policy and cultural aspects. It’s important to her that what she learns at Hawai‘i Pacific University can be taken back to New Zealand.”
Kelly Ratana
“Fulbrighters are, in effect, citizen diplomats who help bridge cultures and promote mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and people of the world,” says Juarez.
Wolff was accepted as a study-abroad participant at HPU for two semesters; and Kaiser will continue graduate studies in HPU’s Communication program.
Ratana is one of four 2012 Fulbright scholarship recipients at HPU. Other recipients include Ola Al-Kinani from Iraq, Kristin Wolff from Germany, and Tanja Kaiser from Germany. Al-Kinani was accepted into HPU’s MBA program;
Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Andrew Brittain, PhD, says, “These four outstanding global citizens from Germany, Iraq and New Zealand will add to the rich diversity of cultures already present at HPU.”
Student Selected for Congressional Internship By Chris Aguinaldo photo by Chris Aguinaldo
Hawai‘i Pacific University student Ladimir Geake is one of four students nationwide selected by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute for its prestigious Victory Congressional Internship in Washington, D.C. The Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute is a national organization dedicated to increasing the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in public office.
Ladimir Geake
Geake will spend HPU’s fall 2012 semester with a member of the LGBT
Equality Caucus or an LGBT-friendly member of Congress to learn firsthand about the federal legislative process. Double majoring in social work and social science, Geake is a member of HPU’s OUTSpoken Registered Student Organization and a communication intern for Gay-Straight Alliance Hawaii. He plans to graduate from HPU in May 2013, study law, and pursue a career as an advocate for the disabled and LGBT population to bring about policy change.
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HPU Bookshelf
By Chris Aguinaldo
Two Hawai‘i Pacific University history department professors have authored a new book offering a fresh perspective on how cultures intersect—a topic of growing international focus, as connections between people and nations increasingly provide new opportunities and generate complex conflicts. “Cross-Cultural Encounters in Modern World History” is written by Jon Davidann, PhD, professor of history and humanities and Marc Gilbert, PhD, professor of history and National Endowment for the Humanities Endowed Chair of World History at HPU. “We can’t look at differences between cultures anymore,” says Davidann. “The book distills spaces between cultures.” The book explores cultural contact as an agent of change. It takes an encounters approach to world history since 1500,
rather than a political one, to reveal different perspectives and experiences. “It doesn’t prejudice one culture over the other, or create victims or victors. It tries to see the burden of history that falls on both,” says Gilbert, who also serves as president of the World History Association. The authors cite the multicultural environment at HPU—which has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top universities in the western region with the most international students—was one of the motivations to write the book. “It’s also accessible. Students can have no difficulty in absorbing it, and the community at large can read it, as well,” says Gilbert. The book will be used in fall courses ranging from world history to sociology.
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ON CAMPUS
Class of 2012: May Commencement At its commencement ceremony on May 17, Hawai‘i Pacific University conferred degrees to more than 950 graduates—the largest graduating class to date— at the Neal Blaisdell Arena. Professor Tracie Lopes (right) set the ceremony’s tone with a captivating Hawaiian oli. Richard Ward, EdD, was named the recipient of the Trustees’ Award for Teaching Excellence and HPU Board Trustee Violet S. Loo also took the stage to award Bradford Harrison the Paul C.T. Loo Distinguished Alumni Award for outstanding service to the university and community. HPU Board of Trustees Chairman Michael J. Chun, PhD, presented the commencement address. Chun retired from Kamehameha Schools (Kapalama) this summer as president and headmaster after a distinguished 24-year term. PHOTOS by Jose Rahr Rodrigues
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ON CAMPUS
Honoring a Distinguished Alumnus
our university, that my sons [Braderik (MBA Management ’04) and Brian (BSBA Management ’07)] also embrace HPU as their alma mater, thus cementing a second generation of my family ties to our university. Of all the worthwhile non-profit organizations, why do you choose to give your time, talent and treasure to HPU? HPU is more than my alma mater. It is my legacy. The stronger HPU grows in reputation, respect and recognition at local, national and international levels, the more valuable my legacy becomes.
There are many just like me that will find deep satisfaction in seeing HPU advance and flourish. Now is the time for HPU Board Trustee, and wife of the late Paul C.T. Loo, Violet S. Loo presents Brad Harrison the us to demonstrate a commitment—an Paul C.T. Loo Distinguished Alumni Award for outstanding service to the university and community. investment in the future of our university that will pay dividends in years to come! HPU Today had the opportunity to speak Bradford L. Harrison (BSBA What do you hope to accomplish with Harrison to get his insight on what Management and BA Social Science ’85, as the chair of the new Alumni and the university means to him. MBA Management ’95) was presented Parents Cabinet? the 2012 Paul C.T. Loo Distinguished Why did you choose and encourage Alumni Award at HPU’s Spring This is a new beginning. The Alumni your sons to study at HPU? Commencement Ceremony. and Parents Cabinet will provide I chose HPU because it opened doors philanthropic support and external The award, named after HPU co-founder for me I always thought were closed! advocacy for the university. We are the late Paul C.T. Loo, recognizes HPU HPU fulfilled my expectations at both embarking on an approach to shared graduates for exceptional service to their undergraduate and graduate levels of responsibility for the advancement of University, community and profession. study. My professors were helpful and our school. Because it is a serious Harrison, Vice President at First encouraging, and I received relevant commitment of time and money, it Hawaiian Bank, is an Adjunct Professor instruction that helped prepare me is important we have willingness and in HPU’s College of Business and has led for the business world. It therefore resolve to work together. I will consider numerous fundraising and alumni efforts. seemed a natural fit, as well as the best it a success if I can help move the Cabinet endorsement of my commitment to off the launching pad.
Valedictory Speakers Share Life Lessons Lauren Ferrier Pollock (BS Nursing) represented the undergraduate programs, Matthew Wilson (MA Communication) represented the graduate programs, and Toni-Anne Marie Mannino (BS Business Administration) represented the Military Campus Programs.
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“What matters is what those pieces of paper, our diplomas, represent. They represent personal growth, the people we’ve befriended, the knowledge bestowed upon us, and how we will use that knowledge to impact society.” Matthew Wilson, (MA Communication ’12)
ON CAMPUS
Commencement Words of Wisdom “More than the head or hands, it is the heart that brings good to the world. With your graduation, HPU sends you off with this hope: that you will bring good to the world. You must live your life with truth, honesty, justice and goodness. HPU has not only given you the fine academic education, your alma mater has also shown you the kind of person this world needs: caring and compassionate, loyal and trustworthy, courageous and brave, kind and generous, honest and honorable, tolerant and forgiving. Live your life in ways that brings respect for who you are and not what you have: For how many people you serve, and not how many servants you have. For how much you give, and not how much you get. For serving because you want to, and not because you have to.” Michael J. Chun, PhD Chairman, HPU Board of Trustees Retiring President and Headmaster, Kamehameha Schools (Kapalama)
Honoring Excellent Teaching Richard Ward, EdD, Associate Professor of Organizational Change, was selected for Hawai‘i Pacific University’s 2012 Teacher of the Year Award, which is presented annually to an educator who demonstrates exemplary teaching. Assistant Dean of General Education and Assistant Professor of Communication Malia Smith (MA Communication ’04), EdD, presented the award at HPU’s Spring 2012 Commencement Ceremony. Ward joined HPU in 1986. He served as Dean for academics, graduate studies and management studies and has worked in various sectors within the university: ranging from administration and teaching to scholarship efforts and university committee service. “Dr. Ward has positively influenced so many of us through his academic and leadership roles within the university,”
says Deborah Crown, PhD, Dean of the College of Business. “He has been an integral part of the HPU community and we’re thankful for his commitment to students, his leadership, his willingness
to serve as a change agent, and his unwavering dedication in helping the College of Business develop profession-ready global leaders.”
Fall 2012
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Engaging with Our Alumni The initial alumni survey results
photo by Rena Ridzwan
By Kilei Nelson
Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Alumni and University Relations (AUR) team wants to hear from you. And it did just that in late 2011. In line with the University’s Strategic Planning process, AUR conducted an alumni survey to measure feelings about HPU, alumni communications and alumni engagement. Alumni were emailed invitations to participate in the online survey. The department was grateful to the alumni who responded. The broad purpose of the survey was to identify alumni needs and interests so that AUR could better serve our graduates. Some great news from the survey: • About nine out of 10 alumni (88%) take pride in their HPU degree, including 52% who take a great deal of pride in it. • HPU alumni are among the most likely to feel a lifelong relationship 711. • 7% say they mentioned HPU in conversation within the past week. - 88% of alumni who recall mentioning HPU in conversation say their comments were mostly favorable. Opportunities for improvement: • General lack of awareness about HPU current activities and plans. • 51% of all alumni do not feel informed enough to comment as to whether HPU is moving in the right or the wrong direction. This survey confirmed that the University’s international, continental United States and local alumni have different needs and interests. When creating future alumni programs, AUR will separately address the needs and interests for each constituency. The AUR team is pleased to be bringing professional networking events locally
Several dozen Malaysian alumni greeted President Geoffrey Bannister at a Kuala Lumpur alumni event during his trip to Asia in April.
in the current academic year, to fulfill your strong interest in professional and intellectually focused events. Based on response, we hope to expand in the future. Make sure to connect with us on social media (www.hpu.edu/social-net): We will be posting more information on our Facebook page and LinkedIn group as details are confirmed.
More survey factoids
On the international front, HPU leadership is working on reinforcing and forging new relationships. President Bannister, Vice President of Alumni and University Relations Mary Ellen McGillan and Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management Darryl Calkins traveled to Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore in April, and Athletics Director/Head Men’s Basketball Coach Darren Vorderbruegge visited China at the end of July. Make sure to check for social media updates about trips to Asia and the Pacific this upcoming year.
• Alumni are twice as likely to identify with HPU as a whole over program/department/College, graduating class, student group, or sports team.
On the domestic front, over the past year, key HPU staff representatives attended alumni events and met with alumni in California, Oregon, New York and Washington, D.C. in an effort to strengthen connections and reconnect with alumni.
1. Comparative data range: 54%-79%; 56 other universities used for this survey by an outside consulting group.
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• Psst, hey you, reading this magazine! Alumni who say they read every or most issues of HPU Today are more likely than other alumni to think HPU is moving in the right direction.
Thanks to your participation, AUR is getting to know who you are and what you want a little better, and according to the survey, you want to hear more about your alma mater: Alumni rated keeping informed about campus news with “high interest.” “Using the University Strategic Plan as framework, we are using our findings from the alumni survey to develop a communication and programmatic plan for engaging with alumni in the coming months and years,” says McGillan.
UNIVERSITY FRIENDS
Building a Project Learning Initiative Jeffrey and Laura Boromisa establish endowed fund for HPU
photo by Chris Aguinaldo
By John Wythe White
J
effrey and Laura Alberts-Boromisa
have pledged a multi-year gift that will create a Project Learning Initiative and Academic Improvement Fund at Hawai‘i Pacific University’s College of Business. The project-based initiative will help build the academic reputation of the College in providing rigorous, relevant business education. Boromisa has served as Executive in Residence at the College for the last three spring semesters. Boromisa is retired from the Kellogg Company, where he served for nearly 30 years, most recently as chief financial officer, senior vice president, and executive vice president of Kellogg International. He also serves as the Audit Committee Chair for Wolverine World Wide, Inc., a leading global marketer of branded footwear and apparel.
Jeff Boromisa presenting to student group.
learning program act as a consulting group to help companies solve problems and pursue new opportunities. They conduct market and consumer research, do financial analyses and formulate recommendations. Then they write and present the project’s results in a formal report. “They acquire leadership qualities and soup-to-nuts business skills,” Boromisa says. “It’s 180 degrees different from internships.”
As Executive in Residence at the HPU College of Business, he has mentored undergraduate and graduate students on career choices, worked with the school on developing student internship opportunities, visited classes as a guest speaker on various business topics, assisted Improving a business school which already faculty in developing community programs, has an excellent reputation and continuing and administered special projects. to develop the project learning process will take time and financial support, “HPU’s College of Business is focused according to Boromisa. He hopes that on the applied learning process and his philanthropy will motivate other starting down the path of using a project contributors to follow suit. “My contribution learning concept,” Boromisa says. “Their professors have good business experience; is just a drop in the bucket,” he says. “All alumni and local business leaders need they’ve been out in the real world. I was to support the new vision.” also impressed with Dean Crown and former Dean Ozturk. Both have excellent He expects to be busy at the Fort Street leadership abilities and a solid vision campus two or three days a week during of how the school needs to progress in spring semesters. “I could have volunteered the future.” somewhere ladling bowls of soup or hammering nails,” he says, “but this choice The project learning approach differs makes better use of my skills. My main significantly from traditional internships. mission is to help support the project While interns receive specific day-to-day learning initiative. I will be consulting with assignments, MBA students in a project
and advising students, assisting faculty, and meeting with companies in Honolulu to get their input about what HPU is doing.” He plans to be available to students for everything from project-oriented discussions to resume help and career planning advice. With his international business experience, Boromisa also appreciates HPU’s multicultural identity. “It’s in a perfect location,” he says, “because future growth is coming from the Asia Pacific region. Understanding other cultures is crucial to success because people from Europe, China, Southeast Asia, India, Japan and Korea are not all the same. It’s important to understand what they want, not what we want for them.” As a vital member of Kellogg International’s global leadership team, Boromisa is excited to help guide HPU students along career paths to future success. “HPU’s College of Business is on the right track,” he says. “Dean Crown is stepping up the effort to take it to new levels. She has a great vision of what HPU students need to become: global-profession ready individuals.”
“They (MBA students) acquire leadership qualities and soup-to-nuts business skills.”
jeff boromisa
Fall 2012
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SEA WARRIOR SPORTS
Spring Sports
Tennis Players Excel By Brent Curry
Hendrik Bode
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In the Hawai‘i Pacific University Athletics Department, the best is saved for last: Spring Sports. This year was no different with men’s and women’s tennis advancing in the NCAA National Championships and men’s tennis coach Hendrik Bode (BSBA Management ’08, MBA ’10) being named West Region Coach of the Year. The women’s tennis team ended the season with a record of 18-6 and the #6 rank in the nation. They fell to the eventual national champions in the national quarterfinals. Zora Vlckova (BSBA International Business and Management ’12) became HPU’s first four-time All-American singles player in women’s tennis history after being ranked #11 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings. Two other Sea Warriors, Celina Goetti and Magdalena Smejova, were ranked 36th and 41st respectively in singles. Smejova was also ranked 21st in doubles with partner Vivian Hansen. The men’s team finished the year with a record of 15-5 and the #5 rank in the nation. They also fell to the eventual national champions in the national quarterfinals. Petr Michnev was an All-American as he went 13–4 in
singles play while playing at first singles. Michnev has now earned All-American status in both his freshman and sophomore years. He ended 2012 at #8 in the ITA rankings, teammate Georgi Yordanov joined Michnev in the rankings at #41. Michnev and Patric Guenther were ranked third in the county in doubles, earning them All-American honors. Michnev and Guenther were dominant in doubles play with a record of 16-3, and on two occasions they knocked off the #1 ranked team in the country. Men’s tennis head coach Hendrik Bode was named the ITA West Region Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm. Bode, a former All-American at HPU, led the Sea Warriors to a 15-5 record and the top rank in the region. HPU opened the season ranked 22nd in the country, and climbed all the way to 6th under Bode’s watch.
SEA WARRIOR SPORTS
Rybakova Has Breakout Season Amaral Drafted on Tennis Court By Brent Curry
Blake Amaral
HPU
senior Blake Amaral was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 40th round of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. Amaral is the 12th Sea Warrior selected in school history and the first since 2008. Ielyzaveta Rybakova
Ukrainian native Ielyzaveta Rybakova is used to people struggling with her name, but in 2012 it was Rybakova’s game that gave her opponents trouble. Rybakova went 19-2 in singles play, winning her final 14 matches of the season. She also went 18-3 in doubles action, which added with her singles production, led her to being named the “West Region Player to Watch” by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and her earning All-Conference honors. She played in professional leagues in Eastern Europe before HPU, and that was a job in itself. “Back home, especially when I was traveling to tournaments by myself, I had to take care of flight tickets, transportation, housing, food, practices, balls, and courts all by myself. It was pretty tiring,” says Rybakova. Here at HPU the fun is back in the game with only the match
itself to worry about. “Our head coach, Lauren Conching, is a great manager for our team in addition to her coaching duties. She perfectly organizes every trip, our practice schedule, and can help everyone with any question so we don’t have to worry about anything except for our performance on the court.” Rybakova had exacting standards when it came to picking a school to play. She was only interested in top 10 schools in Division II. She decided on HPU despite being a 30 hour trip from her home and dealing with Hawai‘i’s high prices. “But, come on, it is Hawai‘i, it’s worth it,” she says. Entering her final season with the Sea Warriors Rybakova wants to graduate on time “and, of course, our biggest desire is to win the national championship next year. Our team is very strong. We all believe in ourselves and are ready to do this.”
Amaral, who was taken 1227 overall, had an outstanding career at HPU, with 11 hitting records and the longest hitting streak. He also had the most RBI in a game, doubles in a season, RBI in a season, career games played, career at-bats, career runs, career hits, career doubles, career triples and career RBI. Amaral ranks second in career average and home runs. In 2012, Amaral hit .358 with 36 runs, 14 doubles, four triples, four home runs and 45 RBI. He was named to the All-PacWest First Team for the fourth time and All-Region by two different organizations. Additionally, Amaral established himself as a steady right fielder after spending much of 2011 as a designated hitter.
Fall 2012
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CLASS LINKS
Alumni Events
1986
Dr. Bannister’s Spring Trip to Asia HPU President Bannister, Vice President of Alumni and University Relations Mary Ellen McGillan, and Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management Darryl Calkins visited Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore in April. In an effort to strengthen and form new international connections and reconnect with international alumni and friends, the three attended numerous events on their 11 day trip.
Bill Carnegie (BSBA), President and CEO of Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, was awarded Feeding America’s Executive of the Year for 2012 at the Feeding America 2012 National Summit in Detroit, Michigan, on April 19.
Kuala Lumpur Coordinator Rena Ridzwan (’95) and Penang Coordinator Nizam Ariff (’99) wait to greet President Bannister and Malaysia alumni for the Kuala Lumpur reception.
Ipoh, Malaysia
Bill has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona since January 2006. He has over 20 years’ experience in food banking, previously working in South Bend, Indiana, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
1990
HPU President Bannister meets with Syed Redzuan (BSBA Business Economics and Public Administration ’09), Syed Saifullah (BSBA Marketing ’97) and Syed Iskandar Alsagoff (BSBA Finance ’09) in Ipoh, Malaysia. To view additional pictures from Dr. Bannister’s Spring Trip, please visit: www.hpu.edu/alumni/GetInvolved.html
Kuala Lumpur
Avilla Williams (BSN) has been appointed to the Board of Trustees for Langston UniversityOklahoma City and Langston University-Tulsa. Avilla is a registered nurse; a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, Oklahoma Association for Healthcare Ethics and the Oklahoma Hospital Association; and president of Integris Health Edmond.
Honolulu Mayor Peter B. Carlisle presented the Honolulu Lifesaver Award to Shannon (O’Kane) Yonamine (BSN) on May 24. Shannon was
Photo by Bob Rock, City and County of Honolulu
hpu today
1994
Larry Gamboa (MA Human Resource Management) has been appointed chief human resources officer of the University of Guam. Larry has more than 20 years of experience in higher education as support staff, faculty member and administrator. Larry is a certified senior professional in human resources and a certified program planner.
1997
Trine Ackelman (BA Communication) is the director of sales and marketing for The St. Regis New York in New York City. Following graduation, Jeff (MA Human Resource Management) and Kelly (BSN ’99) Palm moved to Florence,
1993
Thirty HPU alumni met in Kuala Lumpur again on July 31 for a Buka Puasa (“breaking fast” for the Islamic month of Ramadan).
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recognized for her performance and quick response in saving the life of a colleague who suffered cardiac arrest on May 4. She has worked as the Iolani School health director for the past four years.
Jeff and Kelly Palm, their son Tyler and his teacher Hsinpei Lee Normand
Massachusetts, and they founded CIS Abroad (www. cisabroad.com). Jeff sent us this wonderful illustration of HPU’s motto “Where the World Meets.” After starting a family, the Palms discovered a wonderful opportunity for their oldest child to attend a Chinese immersion school in
CLASS LINKS
the area, one of only 12 such schools in the U.S. He started in kindergarten and is in 4th grade this fall. Their youngest completed his first year at the same school, and his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hsinpei Lee Normand (BA Visual Communication ’03), originally from Taiwan, is also a graduate of Hawai‘i Pacific University.
1999
Edward A. Bristol (BS Diplomacy and Military Studies) married Marcela Gamez Pena in October 2011. The couple resides in Reston, Virginia. Aston Hotels & Resorts named Erland Odd (MSIS) as senior director of eCommerce. He was previously co-founder of Imua Interactive and most recently senior director of eBusiness for The Resort Group for its Ko Olina and Princeville Resorts properties.
2001
Shaanee (Deen) Olegard, Dr. Jerry Agrusa and Shezni Waheed Deen
While conducting two research projects (focusing on “Workforce Development in the Maldives” and “Customer– Based Brand Equity in the Maldives”) in the Maldives in May, Professor of Travel Industry Management Jerry Agrusa, PhD, met with Shezni Waheed Deen (BSBA Travel Industry Management), executive director of the Bandos Resort, and Shaanee (Deen) Olegard (BSBA Human Resource Management ’98), managing director of Navean Private Limited, and their father Mohamed Waheed Deen, Vice President of the Maldives.
Andreas Andersson (BS Marine Biology) joined the faculty of the Geosciences Research Division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego in September 2011. Andreas is an assistant professor and received his PhD from the University of Hawai‘i. Theresa (Aronsson) Anani (BA Anthropology) reports that her business, Stiernglans, has developed into one of the
2002 Michelle Liu (BA ’95, MA Communication) was interviewed this summer by Raymond Wu on the Taiwan Public Television show TAIWAN OUTLOOK. Michelle is the sales manager of the Grand Hotel Taipei in Taiwan, and she discussed the many events they have planned for its 60th Anniversary this year. Congratulations to Amy Thomas (MSN Family Nurse Practitioner), system director of nursing education at Hawai‘i Pacific Health (HPH), for being selected as a member of the Pacific Business News Forty Under 40 Class of 2012. Amy launched a training program to help nurses at HPH prepare for much-needed specialty positions. Her efforts have encouraged internal promo tions, increased the two-year retention rate for nurses to
95 percent and saved HPH an estimated $2 million by reducing the need for highpriced contract “traveling nurses” from out of state.
2003
George Beljajev (BA Communication) and Neyleen Ortiz Beljajev (BA International Studies) are proud to announce the birth of their son, Weston Ivan Beljajev. Weston arrived on April 6 at 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 21.5 in. long. The Beljajev family lives in Long Beach, California. Neyleen is a consumer rights attorney, and George is a cinematographer.
Our Newest HPU ‘Ohana Members
2000 finest hat stores in Gothenburg, Sweden. Several magazines have written articles about the store. She and her husband are very proud about the store being mentioned in “Condé Nast Traveller.” Their next goal is to start an online shopping site and hopefully launch it this fall.
At the New Student and Parent Orientation event at Hawaii Loa Campus on August 30, future HPU alumni participate in the 3rd annual Candle Lighting Ceremony.
Edward & Marcela Bristol Fall 2012
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CLASS LINKS
Pamela Michael earns prestigious NOAA marine policy fellowship Scientist Pamela Michael (MS Marine Science ’11) has been awarded a year-long Washington, D.C., fellowship through which she is working with federal government leaders on national Pam Michael key marine policy issues.
photo Courtesy of NOAA
By Todd Simmons
2004
Sponsored by the United States’ oldest federal science agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the highly competitive Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowships pair top graduate students with hosts in the executive and legislative branches of government.
Marcelo Castro (BA Advertising ’02, MA Communication) is business operation and development manager of Factor Hawaii, a commercial financing company providing local businesses with an alternative way to provide cash flow for daily operations. Marcelo manages the company’s entire state of Hawai‘i portfolio.
Pamela began her fellowship in February and will continue through January 2013, working with NOAA’s Marine Data Stewardship Division, under the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service. Pamela is one of only 41 fellows in the 2012 class. Other fellows include graduate students from leading campuses, such as MIT, Cornell and Yale. Although her academic preparation is in science, not policy, she is embracing the fellowship as a singular opportunity to expand her horizons.
Alumni Events Vice President of Alumni and University Relations Mary Ellen McGillan joined HPU alumni at the D.C. Metro networking event at the Elephant & Castle on July 18. On May 3, the alumni group gathered at Laughing Man Tavern.
Manuel Pulido (BA ’99, MSIS ’11), Mary Ellen McGillan, Sean Thomas (BA ’05), Tiffany Melton (BSBA ’03), Autumn Gerstkemper (BSBA ’04, MBA ’09), Alicia Kubert Smith (BA ’07), Scott Smith (BA ’07), Gwendolyn Evans (MA ’12), Cecilia Kocinski-Mulder (BA ’07), and John Provost (MBA and MA ’99)
Oslo, Norway
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U.S. Ambassador Barry White addressed HPU alumni, study abroad alumni and incoming students at a reception at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway, on August 13.
Kristine Layugan (BS PreMedical Studies) completed her MD from the John A. Burns School of Medicine in May and began her residency in June in the University of Hawai‘i Pediatrics Residency Program at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu.
2008 Han Nee Chong (left) and classmate at USC graduation
2005
Washington, D.C.
upon completion of their academic programs. Students are recognized for demonstrating significant depth and scope of responsibility in a campus or community leadership role. Members of the Order of Areté uphold value and meaning over individual achievement.
Han Nee Chong (MA Communication) was awarded her EdD in Educational Leadership on May 11 from University of Southern California. Han Nee was also one of four EdD students who received the USC Student Recognition Award, The Order of Areté. The award represents the highest honor accorded graduate students
Veronica Burgess (BA Psychology) loves her job as a marine mammal trainer at Dolphin Explorer in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Veronica shares that this is the completion of a goal she has had since she was 5 years old and when she had her photo taken with Shamu at Sea World, San Antonio.
Alumni Event
Hawai‘i Island
College of Business Dean Dr. Deborah Crown, Alumni and University Relations (AUR) Associate Vice President Dr. Cassie R. Carter, and AUR Assistant Vice President Tara K. Wilson met with Big Island alumni at Napua on the Ocean at Kalahuipua‘a on August 23.
Left to right: Brandon Lee (BSBA Travel Industry Management ’03), Dean Deborah Crown, Cassie Carter, Gino Amar (BSBA Management ’89), Darlene Lucas, George Lucas (BSBA ’86), and Tara Wilson
CLASS LINKS
2009
Tulsi addresses National Democratic Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 4. Online source: http://votetulsi.com
Tulsi Gabbard (BSBA International Business), who has served as a Honolulu City Council member and Hawai‘i state legislator, won the race for the Democratic Party nomination for Hawai‘i’s 2nd Congressional District seat on August 11. She was one of the women chosen to speak in a special segment called “Women of the House” on the first day of the Democratic Convention in September.
2010
Daniyal Saud (BA International Studies, BS Biochemistry) is currently pursuing a masters of education degree in post-secondary studies through a prestigious fellowship with the U.S. Department of Education at Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts. He will be working directly under the dean of the School of Education to accredit colleges for the community classification with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
2011
Francine Brakling (MBA Marketing) is working as communication and special events coordinator at Healthcare Association of Hawaii in Honolulu.
Chih-Wei Chang (BS Biochemistry and Biology) is pursuing his MD at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu. He would like to thank all of the HPU professors that helped him realize his dream. Sebastian Grottke (BSBA) and Elise Wong (BSBA) represented HPU at Study World 2012 in Berlin on May 11 and 12. Both are pursuing MA degrees in International Management at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and INSEEC Business School.
2012
Members of the EMBA IV cohort participated in the Warrior Dash Hawaii event on March 24 at Dillingham Ranch. The Warrior Dash is a fun but challenging obstacle course which includes rope climbing, scaling walls, crawling under barbed wire, swimming through streams, jumping over fire, and a mud crawl. The race is held at various locations across the United States and helps raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Pictured prior to the event left to right Billy Poggi (MBA), Arturo Parks (MBA), Stacie Wataguchi (MBA), John Provenza (MBA), HPU Board Trustee Layla Dedrick (MBA), and Justin Wurth (MBA).
Lance Jackson tapped for key fellowship by Wilson Foundation, U.S. Dept. of State By Chris Aguinaldo
Lance Jackson (BA International Relations ’11) has been selected for a distinguished Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship—a program administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation for the Department of State. Lance is one of 20 graduates in the 2012 Lance Jackson cohort, which includes individuals from such institutions as Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Yale. Graduates receive financial support toward a two-year, full-time master’s degree program related to foreign affairs. They participate in two internships: one domestic and one overseas. Fellows commit to three years of service as a Foreign Service Officer for the State Department, contingent on their passing Foreign Service examinations. The Foreign Service supports the president and the secretary of state. They are considered front-line personnel who can be sent anywhere in the world, at any time, in service to the diplomatic needs of the United States.
Sharing Her HPU Experience throughout China By Alisha Kong
Candice Ho (MBA ’02) joined the Hawai‘i Pacific University staff in March as the Associate Director of Recruitment for China. Living and working in China, she is in charge of building HPU’s brand, increasing the enrollment of Chinese students to the University, and providing administrative support for visiting HPU staff. “I hope to identify the students who would best fit at HPU. I am happy to share my unforgettable experiences, as an international student at HPU, with students in China,” says Candice. Receiving her bachelor’s degree in Taiwan and her master’s degree in the U.S. sparked her interest in pursuing a career in Asian/American relations. Consequently, Candice has found a career promoting education to be a more fulfilling Candice Ho experience than her previous international sales and marketing work. “HPU is truly a very international American university and international students receive a great deal of personal attention,” she notes. Candice cited that HPU’s economics courses deepened her understanding of the global economy and prepared her for future challenges and opportunities. In April, Candice met President Bannister when he attended a Hong Kong alumni event during his first trip to Asia as HPU President. She was delighted to see the University’s renewed dedication to global alumni connections. “It was a successful event. Our Hong Kong alumni were very happy to meet with HPU’s new President, Dr. Bannister, and to share old HPU stories with fellow alumni,” says Candice. Fall 2012
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In Memoriam
Ernesto Lucas, PhD Hawai‘i Pacific University College of Business faculty member Ernesto Lucas, PhD, died April 14 at Sullivan Hospice in Ewa Beach. Lucas, 75, joined the university in 1992 and taught economics classes. Reverend Dale Burke, University chaplain and a longtime friend, described him as “much loved by students and faculty alike.”
Okita
Maatta
Sellitto
Artigas
Christensen
His funeral service was held at Our Lady of Peace Cathedral on Fort Street Mall on April 27.
The Hawai’i Pacific University Athletics Department announced its second hall of fame class. Softball coaching legend Howard Okita, men’s tennis standout Mikael Maatta (BSBA International Business ’04, MBA Marketing ’05), champion basketball coach Tony Sellitto, volleyball star Gabriela Artigas (BS Computer Science ’91, MSIS ’92) and outstanding women’s cross country runner Nina Christensen (BSBA Computer Information Systems ’03, MBA ’05) will take their place among HPU’s best athletes.
In Memoriam
The inductions took place on Friday, September 28, 2012, at the S.H.A.R.X (Supporting HPU Athletes to Reach eXcellence) Benefit, held at Pier 10 at Aloha Tower. The organization’s mission is to create and maintain a foundation of support for HPU athletes.
Helen Geracimos Chapin, PhD Hawai‘i Pacific University Vice President Emerita Helen Geracimos Chapin, PhD, died June 9 in Honolulu at 85. Chapin, a former newspaper reporter, was an HPU professor and administrator from 1978 to 1995. She helped establish new academic programs and the satellite campus programs, which became HPU’s Military Campus Programs. She was well regarded in Hawai‘i journalism circles and for her textbook Shaping History: The Role of Newspapers in Hawai‘i. Her memorial service was held on June 16 at the King Kamehameha V Judiciary Center. Donations may be made in her name to the HPU Founders Scholarship: www.hpu.edu/onlinegift
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HPU Athletics Hall of Fame 2012
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Alumni Online Community iPad Drawing Winners Congratulations to our final iPad2 winners in the Alumni Online Community Registration Contest: Kristin Y. Masunaga (MEd ‘11) and Shiho Adachi Lausterer (BA Communication ’98)
http://alumni.hpu.edu
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Growing Our ‘Ohana
T
here has never been a more exciting time to be involved with HPU, Hawai‘i’s leading independent university. With new funding for university facilities and plans for campus expansion, the future is bright for today’s students and the generation to come. HPU provides small-class-size learning environments with personal attention, professors who are experts in their fields and a Honolulu environment in which students from around the world interact. As an alumnus of HPU, you have a special opportunity to help your alma mater become the strong, private university that Hawai‘i deserves. Know a student whom you’d like to consider HPU? Email alumni@hpu.edu today to share their name. We’d be proud to follow up on your behalf and recognize your role in growing the HPU ‘ohana.
www.hpu.edu
Fall 2012
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1050 HONOLULU, HI
Alumni and university relations 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 307 Honolulu, HI 96813
Your gift every year supports student success. Marya ‘14, an International Business major from Minsk, Belarus, represents one of the many HPU students who receive a scholarship. Annual Giving support directly impacts the student experience of Marya and her classmates. Scholarships help promising students concentrate on school and their bright future, rather than repayment plans. Whether you support scholarships or another area of your choice, please consider making a gift today.
www.hpu.edu/onlinegift