hpu today summer 2013

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Sustainability, conservation efforts are on the rise at Oceanic Institute, HPU

Riding a New WaveBookstore on the WaterfrontHPU selects Barnes & Noble College Page 9

Rebuilding in MyanmarGiving higher education a hand 0

Summer 2013 Volume 14 Number 2

President’s MessageA transformation is taking place in Honolulu.

I don’t write those words lightly. There is no other way to describe effectively what is happening in and around your alma mater.

The completion last fall of the university’s strategic plan has given vision and shape to our plans for the future, and the implementation of the plan, now in full swing, is changing HPU in ways big and small.

That transformation is most often illustrated by our Aloha Tower Project and the plans to house about 270 students, bring in new retail partners and energize community gathering spaces at the iconic property. But developments less splashy than that are having profound impacts all their own, pushing us ever closer to our goal of becoming a top 10 private, master’s granting university in the Western U.S. region. Consider:

•Incollaborationwithengineeringandplanningfirm HDR and university master planning experts Ayers Saint Gross, we are creating a master plan that will guide development of our campuses well into the future. With higher education clients such as Johns Hopkins, Arizona State and many others around the

and plan for HPU’s future.

•OurcampusesnowwillincludetheOceanicInstitute (OI), HPU’s research affiliate for the past decade. As this issue reports, the boards for HPU and OI recently agreed to merge the institutions, and final merger consents are expected soon from state and federal agencies. OI will help increase HPU’s research impact and success in attracting new science faculty.

•Lastspring,wehiredHPU’sfirstprovost— Dr.MatthewLiao-Troth,whojoinedHPUinJulyfrom Georgia College & State University. Also in July,wenamedDr.DavidJ.LanoueofColumbusState to lead our College of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is the first of three new deans being selected this summer. Our new academic leaders bring valuable perspective to HPU from a wide range of outstanding U.S. campuses.

These changes benefit all the university’s communities and constituents, in particular our alumni. Simply put, enhancements to the university add prestige and value to your degree, and we plan to continue building that equity in a drive for quality that never ends.

That commitment is reflected well in the pages of this issue. Thank you for reading it, and thank you for your support as we continue the transformation of HPU.

Geoffrey Bannister, PhD PresiDent 12 On Campus I 15 University Friends I 18 Sea Warrior Sports I 20 Class Links I 24 Back Page

DEPARTMENTS

Letters to the EditorRemembering Nancy

Twenty years ago a special person changed the course of my life.

Vice President Nancy Ellis had a way that made you feel noticed and important. It didn’t matter whether you were a confident master’s student or a confused freshman from another country. I met her as a late blooming sophomore from O‘ahu.

I was on Fort Street Mall when she approached me and said, “Jayson we need to start a student newspaper, and your professor said you are a decent writer.”

Years later, I have a wonderful family, a fulfilling career in media, and I’m thankful for that day and for Nancy’s belief in me.

After I graduated, I worked downtown and would continue to see her, still looking radiant and impeccably dressed, smiling and talking

to students. She would ask how I was doing, keeping up with my career. On more than one occasion, she commented on my wardrobe. “If you are going to wear black shoes, you should wear black socks ... try wearing more aloha shirts, shave your beard.” I kept the beard.

Aloha Nancy, travel well, you are missed.

Jayson Harper (BA Political Science ’99)

Note: See Ellis in memoriam on page 24.

Alumni Pride

I truly enjoyed the Spring 2013 issue. Reading about the accomplishments of other HPU alumni continues to amaze to me.

LikemanyHPUalumni,Iameternallygratefulfor the education and sense of community provided by the university. My master’s practicum became the cornerstone of my

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIPPresident Geoffrey Bannister, Ph.D.

Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs Matthew Liao-Troth, Ph.D.

Vice President and Chief Information Officer Sharon Blanton, Ph.D.

Vice President Human Resources Christine Godfrey

General Counsel and Executive Vice President Administration Janet Kloenhamer

Vice President Alumni and University Relations Mary Ellen McGillan

Interim Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Cecilia Minalga

Vice President University Marketing and Communications Todd Simmons

EDITORIAL COMMITTEEVP Todd Simmons; Editor Lianne Yamamura; Sita Chhabra, Tony De Castro, Chris Aguinaldo, Rich Vermeesch, Todd Goya, Bob Bannister

DEPARTMENT CONTRIBUTORSKilei Nelson, Kris Smith, Alisha Kong, Brent Curry, Celina Barrios, Klaire Trajano

HPU Today is published three times a year by Hawai‘i Pacific University, University Marketing and Communications, #1 Aloha Tower Drive, Suite 3100, Honolulu, HI 96813. It is distributed at no charge for alumni and friends. This is the Summer 2013 issue, Volume 14, Number 2.

If you are receiving duplicate copies of the magazine or want to update your mailing address, please notify the Alumni and University Relations office. Phone: (808) 687-7067 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.hpu.edu/hputoday

HPU Today is printed on paper that is sourced using sustainable forestry practices, containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.

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world, our collaborators are helping us inform

2 Feeding a hungry planetOn the cusp of a merger with HPU, Oceanic Institute charts

global success in sustainable aquaculture

12 On Campus I 15 University Friends I 18 Sea Warrior Sports I 20 Class Links I 24 Back PageDEPARTMENTS

9 Barnes & Noble CollegeThe national bookseller comes to HPU, Aloha Tower Marketplace

6 Sustainable UHPU earns kudos for going green

7 Alumni Leaders in Sustainability

10 Reaching Out to MyanmarHPU and OI help rebuild higher educationsystem, feed Myanmar people

FEATURES

A school of baby clownfish bred at Oceanic Institute show off the distinct markings that have made them such popular aquarium residents. These little “Nemos” are helping OI researchers to understand better breeding challenges they face with other fish, such as yellow tang, and are broadening OI expertise in finfish.

PHOTO BY CHRIS AGUINALDO

career and has evolved into what is now Element Media.

As a publisher, the clean layout, refreshing editorials and the general look and feel of

HPU Today, Pacific Edge Magazine has also featured a handful of those outstanding HPU graduates, and it is my privilege to not only be an advocate for local entrepreneurship, but to also spotlight the achievements of my fellow “Sea Warriors.”

Element Media has also been fortunate to partner with Hawai‘i Pacific in the

university’s green initiative. Through participation at Green Drinks Honolulu and partnerships at Pacific Edge Magazine’s business and networking events, HPU has made an admirable push to develop sustainable programs.

I cannot wait to read about, and hopefully feature, the future successes of new generations of HPU graduates. I am proud to be among them.

Naomi Hazelton-Giambrone (MA Communication ’05)

Aloha HPU Today readers,We welcome your letters in response to articles and also comments on the magazine and HPU and its ‘ohana. Letters may be edited for style and length.

EMAIL: [email protected] TO EDITOR:University Marketing and Communications Hawai‘i Pacific University #1 Aloha Tower Drive, Suite 3100 Honolulu, HI 96813


HPU TODAY2

BY CHRIS AGUINALDO

The Oceanic Institute at Hawai‘i Pacific UniversityTechnology benefits food security and sustainability

“If the demographers are correct that there will be about 9 billion people in 2050, we are looking at an additional 2 billion mouths to feed,” said Shaun Moss, Ph.D., acting president and CEO for Scientific Programs at the Oceanic Institute at Hawai‘i Pacific University.

Compounding matters are countries such as China and India that are experiencing unprecedented economic development with populations consuming “more and more of our scarce resources in addition to the absolute growth … it’s a scary prognosis,” said Moss solemnly.

It is no coincidence, then, that Moss has met with representatives from both countries and others around the world

about food security and how OI’s groundbreaking technology can help them.

with a spectacular view of the beautiful Waimanalo coastline, OI has developed an enviable reputation as a world leader in aquaculture and shrimp breeding technology, in particular. With shrimp, OI had the right tech at the right time.

“Historically, most of the farmed shrimp came from Asia, and most of the shrimp farmed in Asia was a species called the black tiger prawn or black tiger,” Moss said. But about two decades ago, those shrimp succumbed to diseases that made farming them unprofitable.

The Oceanic Institute at Hawai‘i Pacific University produced the world’s first specific, pathogen-free (SPF) population of Pacific White Shrimp. The shrimp helped to revitalize the Asian shrimp farm industry.

PHOTO BY CHRIS AGUINALDO

What would happen if 2 billion more people showed up for dinner and the refrigerators were empty? This is an extremely oversimplified description of what could happen in just a few decades.


3SUMMER 2013

Shaun Moss, Ph.D., meets state Sen. Clarence Nishihara following a demonstration of OI’s revolutionary shrimp rearing technology that could help address food security globally.

“Our core mission is sustainable, aquatic protein production — using marine resources to produce food in a sustainable way.” SHAUN MOSS, PH.D.

The Oceanic Institute at Hawai‘i Pacific UniversityPH

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At about that time, OI started to conduct research on a population of a different

White Shrimp. With partners in the U.S. Marine Shrimp Farming Program, OI produced the world’s first specific,

White Shrimp.

“We started to breed them for rapid growth, high survival in ponds, even resistance to specific viral pathogens,” Moss said. “We started to create a shrimp that performed very well on shrimp farms.”

OI distributed shrimp developed from the SPF breeding technology to local

million dollar industry here in Hawai‘i. They started exporting SPF broodstock to the Asian market and the Asian farmers started to make money again,” said Moss.

scientific community, in addition to the revitalized Asian shrimp farming industry, giving OI a healthy amount of credibility. That reputation came in handy as OI’s

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye was a big supporter of OI and its mission of aquaculture development and the broader mission of food security. OI used federal funding to create “transportable” technologies that can be used by industry, said Moss. As those earmarks disappeared, OI shifted its focus to developing partnerships that could provide financial support necessary to continue the work and further development of its aquaculture strengths.

“We are fortunate to have technologies that have market value,” Moss said.

conversations with a long and growing list of companies and countries, preceded by a stellar reputation and proven,

Recently, OI completed collaborative research agreements with parties in India and China to help improve the genetic quality of farmed shrimp toward increasing sustainable food supplies in

will allow OI to continue to develop its shrimp breeding technologies to produce an even better shrimp.

Moss and his colleagues have also visited Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand, among other countries. A longtime scientist, Moss jokes that he spends more time on airlines than a lab these days. “Boy, I’ve learned a lot about Asian cultures and negotiations!”

“Up until 2010, 2011, we didn’t do this kind of work. Because we had these large federal grants, our primary stakeholder was the U.S. shrimp farming industry. Despite some inquiries, we weren’t terribly interested,” Moss said.

While there continues to be heavy interest in its technology, OI remains a

foremost,” with any excess funds going back into research, said Moss.

“That’s the fundamental difference. If we

added. “Our core mission is sustainable, aquatic protein production, using marine resources to produce food in a sustainable way.”

Even as OI reinvents itself as a premier,

said it is still dedicated to Hawai‘i. In fact,

the islands develop a more sustainable food supply is gaining momentum.

With financial support from federal and state government, as well as private backers, OI is moving forward with plans for a commercial prototype feed mill on the Big Island of Hawai‘i and hoping to break ground next year.

Hawai‘i’s isolation makes food security

supply, should cargo ships be unable to reach the state for some reason, Moss


HPU TODAY4

Weeks after hatching at the Oceanic Institute, baby clownfish strongly resemble their parents.PHOTO BY CHATHAM CALLAN, PH.D., FINFISH DEPARTMENT, OCEANIC INSTITUTE

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the state on a sustainable basis is a challenge because feed must be shipped to Hawai‘i.

“From an animal protein standpoint, the biggest obstacle is lack of available,

operating cost. In fact, in aquaculture, it can represent up to 60 percent of your operating costs, for cost of feed for your animal,” Moss said.

With the feed mill project, researchers will

that use byproducts of local industries. This may include byproducts from fisheries and the agricultural industry.

Once identified, the feed will be tested on a scale commercially relevant to Hawai‘i at the new feed mill.

“Right now we can’t do that. The only aquatic feed mill in Hawai‘i is only 200 yards away,” said Moss, gesturing outside his office at OI. “It has very limited capacity.”

Which is why Moss is looking forward to the new facility. If successful and the right mixes are found, it could help lead to a more sustainable food supply in Hawai‘i, he said.

But OI’s work in sustainability goes beyond food. While leveraging expertise to develop technologies to ensure food security, that research can help address sustainability in other ways.

“There are a lot of collateral benefits and uses of the technology,” said Moss, including research into culturing marine ornamental fish, “which has a whole cascade of benefits from a conservation and coral reef ecology perspective.”

Research scientist Chatham K. Callan, Ph.D., of the OI Finfish Department is part of a team trying to culture the very popular aquarium fish, yellow tang. Because more than 300,000 yellow tang are collected in the wild and exported

from Hawai‘i annually, culturing these fish can significantly benefit the environment by reducing pressures on wild populations.

“Culturing yellow tang will be a huge step forward in the conservation of Hawai‘i’s coral reefs,” Callan said. “Not only would it help reduce the fishing pressure on the reefs for these aquarium species, but it could unlock some doors towards culturing other very difficult to rear

fragile larvae.”

OI researchers pioneered rearing methods for both yellow tang larvae and their prey, enabling larvae to eat and survive through the first few weeks of life to the

had taken the research that far.

Callan has a new set of yellow tang eggs and is continuing the research. But as he does, he keeps busy with OI’s newest residents: clownfish.

In the spring, hundreds of the distinctive,

office smash, “Finding Nemo,” which starred an animated clownfish in the

research is valuable in its own right, but it could also benefit the yellow tang research.

“Clownfish are our controls and models of a complete, mature process, where we know what to expect at any given point in development,” Callan said. “We can use the clownfish larvae to help us understand whether our system parameters, diet parameters and more are all in check.”

OI research assistant Dean Kline (BS Marine Biology ’08, MS Marine Science ’11) added, “The clownfish are great teaching tools for our students, as well as a reliable

Oceanic Institute is making significant breakthroughs in rearing and feeding technology for yellow tang, a popular ornamental fish.


5SUMMER 2013

“Because OI has a large and fully pedigreed shrimp breeding program,” explained Moss, “its scientists may be able to select shrimp for high survival after exposure to a pathogen, once it has been identifi ed.”

However, industry researchers have had challenges in identifying the pathogen behind EMS. OI’s scientists will follow the situation closely for this and other food safety issues around the world, Moss said. After all, those 2 billion more people will be here eventually, and the unavoidable problem of not having enough food looms large.

“The solutions are going to have to be multidisciplinary. [Solutions] are not going to come from only a biologist or the engineers or the economist,” he said. “It’s going to come from the integration of social science, natural science, engineering, math, computers — all of this.”

That goes hand in hand with plans of HPU and OI fully integrating, after 10 years of successful research and teaching collaboration. The boards of HPU and OI in early summer approved plans to merge the two institutions. The merger is subject to consents from federal and state agencies and could happen in the 2013–14 academic year, which begins in September.

With this anticipated merger of world-class scientifi c research and higher education, the future looks bright at the Oceanic Institute, especially for students interested in tackling the challenges of tomorrow.

“To me, we’re addressing a piece of the problem here,” said Moss. “The extent that we can contribute to a growing mind about food security and aquaculture — if they start to integrate that in with their other academic experiences at HPU, then HPU will be in the business of producing problem solvers … and OI is part of it.”

“The a� liation between HPU and OI is the primary reason for my choosing HPU for my education. I wanted to work with the researchers at OI.” DEAN KLINE (BS Marine Biology ’08, MS Marine Science ’11)

Research assistant Dean Kline checks on baby clownfi sh being raised at the Oceanic Institute.

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benchmark for OI researchers trying to raise more diffi cult fi sh larvae.”

Kline, originally from Mechanicsville, Va., started studying yellow tang as an HPU student. “Being a part of the institute as a graduate student really immersed me into the scientifi c process.”

“There are very few places to study aquaculture in the U.S., but fortunately I came across HPU and its affi liate, OI,” he said. “The affi liation between HPU and OI is the primary reason for my choosing HPU for my education. I wanted to work with the researchers at OI.”

“It’s very exciting to have a tank of eggs that later hatch into tiny larvae and then to watch the day to day development,” Kline continued. “Every day, I wake up excited for work. I’m just as excited now as a full member of the research team as I was as a student intern back in 2007.”

Moss sometimes envies students studying in OI’s labs. “When I think about my undergraduate experiences, they were mostly in a classroom. I would have killed to come to an OI!”

Students learning from HPU researchers on site, working on internships with OI scientists and seeing leading aquaculture technology up close are having “an incredible experience,” Moss said.

That marriage of a strong education with practical science will become even more important in the near future, Moss refl ected, as the world faces signifi cant challenges, such as water and food safety issues.

For example, the shrimp industry in Asia is being affected by Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS). Since the disease was fi rst reported in China in 2009, it has spread to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. With reduced shrimp supplies, it has led to losses reported to be more than $1 billion for the industry.

View video of the Oceanic Institute’s work with ornamental fi sh at www.hpu.edu/hputodayView video of the Oceanic Institute’s work with ornamental fi sh at

HPU TODAY6

View video of the Hawaii Loa Rain Garden being built at www.hpu.edu/hputodayView video of the Hawaii Loa Rain Garden being built at

Continuing toward a sustainable future

BY CHRIS AGUINALDO

HPU green initiatives awarded, recognized

Wasted food takes a toll on our limited

irrigate produce, feed fed to animals to fuel burned transporting cargo. Pledging to reduce food waste locally, Hawai‘i Pacific University joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Challenge program in June.

Nationally, food waste is the single largest type of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, accounting for 25 percent of all materials sent to landfills and incinerators, according to the EPA.

“We look forward to working toward

for the issue of food waste in the state of Hawai‘i,” said HPU Sustainability

“Food waste that ends up in landfills is a particular problem for Hawai‘i, where disposal capacity is very limited,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest.

HPU joins more than 90 other colleges and universities nationwide in pledging to reduce wasted food. The program is part of EPA’s Sustainable Materials

Management Program, looking to reduce the environmental impact of food and other

cycle, including how they are extracted, manufactured, distributed, used, reused, recycled or composted, and disposed.

president of the board of directors for the Sustainability Association of Hawaii

waste. For example, on “Weigh the Waste Wednesdays” waste from the day’s meals is collected and weighed at the Hawaii

that day is then detailed on a chart prominently placed in the dining hall so students can see how much waste accumulates in just one day.

“We have seen significant reductions in food waste every Wednesday during the course of this program,” Prigge said.

HPU’s dining hall has taken other steps to reduce impacts on the environment. This includes eliminating polystyrene foam food containers from dining operations, turning lights out during lunch to reduce energy usage and using 100 percent recycled content napkins.

has made strides toward energy efficiency, which helped it earn the coveted Hawaii Green Business Award. This award was presented in April by Gov. Neil Abercrombie and hosted by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Department of Health and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i.

HPU was in esteemed company, with honorees ranging from the Hyatt Regency Waikiki to the Westin Kaanapali resort

Pacific Island Office and others.

for being part of implementation of a

policy, composting 100 percent of

catchment and garden system, and

products in the HPU bookstore.

energy use over the past two years, which Prigge credits to using better technology, including a switchover to more efficient

efficient chilled water cooling system.

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Above: Students from Environmental Science and Environmental Studies programs helped to build a rain garden, with community group Hui o Ko’olaupoko, at the Hawaii Loa Campus. Left: Mark Glick, energy administrator of Hawaii State Energy Office; David Turkes, sustainability assistant at HPU; Gov. Neil Abercrombie; Gary Gill, deputy director of the Hawai‘i State Department of Health; and Josh Prigge, HPU sustainability coordinator, celebrate HPU’s Hawai‘i Green Business Award, April 26.


7SUMMER 2013

COVER FEATURE 2

Before the new chiller plant, the energy use at HLC in 2011 was 2,409,896 kilowatt hours, with a cost $665,043. Using more effi cient technology, those fi gures have dropped. Last year, use was 1,737,317 kilowatt hours, with a cost $551,478—a reduction in total energy use by 28 percent and savings of $113,565.

With its continuing success in green practices, it was no surprise when HPU was asked to be part of a fi rst-of-its-kind summit addressing the topic. The inaugural Hawai‘i Sustainability in Higher Education Summit was held in April, with Prigge serving as one its organizers.

Held at the University of Hawai‘i-West Oahu, the conference brought together UH systems schools, Brigham Young University-Hawai‘i, local stakeholders and several HPU participants to discuss sustainability.

“This type of statewide gathering is important for us because we face specifi c sustainability issues living in an island community,” Prigge said.

“HPU had a strong presence, including presentations from HPU MA in Global Leadership and Sustainable Development student Adrienne D. Kleid, Master of Marine Science student Rachel Knapstein and HPU faculty members Dr. Stephen Allen and Dr. Regina Ostergaard-Klem,” Prigge said.

Prigge also organized a conference session on the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). HPU recently achieved a STARS Bronze Rating in recognition of its sustainability initiatives.

While Prigge acknowledged the signifi cance of HPU’s recent accolades and awards, he also remained focused on the bigger picture—the future of the islands, planet and the world.

“It’s not debatable anymore. Continued carbon emissions will increase temperature on the planet, which is going to cause unlivable climate conditions in the future, if we continue the way we’re going since the industrial revolution,” he said.

Which is why it is critical to reach out to tomorrow’s leaders, the students, today. For example, HPU held its inaugural HPU Kukui Cup challenge last fall. The energy and sustainability competition was developed in collaboration with the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. The challenge rewarded students with prizes for learning about energy and sustainability-related issues, attending sustainability workshops and events and reducing energy use in residence halls.

Other students take their classroom learning and apply it to real-world conservation challenges. Matthew

Brittain, an environmental science major, helped build a new rain garden at the Hawaii Loa Campus with classmates in the spring. Students from Environmental Science and Environmental Studies programs built the garden with community group Hui o Ko‘olaupoko.

“We’re trying to conserve the natural resource of water because we all need fresh water to live,” Brittain said. “We’re going to take the water that is caught on this roof here and goes into the rain gutter … it’s going to run down the pipe and it’s going into the pipe that we laid.”

The pipe leads from an annex building to the garden, where plants will catch pollutants before they head into the drains and the water system, he explained. The garden uses low-maintenance native plants to avoid straining natural resources.

The garden is “an active demonstration of urban ecosystems,” said Ostergaard-Klem, Ph.D., associate professor of Environmental Studies and Global Leadership and Sustainable Development. “Even small, low-impact development can help us create opportunities to reach more sustainable ways of living.”

Another example of students contributing to HPU’s mission of sustainability was when more than 50 volunteers took part

“Business as usual— continuing to pollute carbon and greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere—is really not an option.” JOSH PRIGGE (MA Global Leadership and Sustainable Development ’11)

Alumni strive toward sustainabilityPROFILES BY JOHN WYTHE WHITE

Building Sustainable Communities

Erwin Hudelist (MA Global Leadership and Sustainable Development ’07) came to Hawai‘i from Austria via a ranch in Apple Valley, Calif. When he delivered a horse to Maui, he decide he wanted to stay in the Islands. On O‘ahu he went into the printing business, eventually becoming president and general manager of Hagadone Printing Company.

“[In printing], we had runovers on paper, tons of cuttings and corrugated cartons,” he said. He began thinking of ways to reduce costs by reducing waste. While on business in Hong Kong, he saw a ship in the harbor loaded with paper and decided to look into selling Hagadone’s waste to China.

“We sold China tremendous amounts of paper and plastics,” Hudelist said. “It was remarkable how simple it was. … And the employees were happy.” Erwin Hudelist (MAGLSD ’07, pictured right) and Andreas Weckwert, his

partner and natureOffi ce founder, are on site of a koa reforestation project on the island of Hawai‘i, working with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods.CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

HPU TODAY8

Hudelist said that HPU “changed the way I did business and my entire future.” After completing the GLSD program, he founded the Sustainability Association of Hawaii and served as its director for two years. Now he is with natureOffice, a well-established company in Europe and Latin America, heading its offices in the U.S.

NatureOffice USA evaluates and certifies companies to be carbon neutral. “I’m attracted to the philosophy of sustainability,” Hudelist said. “We’re not in it for the money; we put it into projects like our plantation in Togo, Africa, which is a picture-book example of sustainability.”

The Togo plantation generates oil from oil nuts to run equipment and provides work to local people, and through the sale of agricultural products and carbon credits, funds have been generated to create schools and a hospital.

Hudelist is grateful to HPU “for being one of the first universities in the U.S.A. to create a sustainability program. Sustainability is one of the best businesses for the future.”

Protecting the EnvironmentSome people learn to respect the environment at an early age. Ryan Hurley (BSBA International Business ’05) grew up on Waikiki Beach, when his father was general manager of the Moana Hotel. “I spent my free time working and playing on the beach,” he said.

At age 18, when delivering a sailboat from Hawai‘i to the mainland, Hurley encountered “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” a huge collection of marine debris.

“Seeing miles of plastic and trash in the middle of the ocean had a profound effect on me,” he said.

The final push into a career in sustainability came when Hurley was building canoes and kayaks, and found it “virtually impossible to dispose affordably and properly of my excess resins and epoxies.” He realized that sustainability and

environmental compliance were going to be growing markets requiring the talents of skilled individuals. “Plus I really had a passion for protecting Hawai‘i’s environment,” he added.

After HPU, Hurley obtained a law degree

from Chapman University. “I started down the road towards environmental land use and real estate law immediately after my first class on day one of law school. I felt like a fish in water.”

His first job out of law school was as environmental compliance officer at ChemSystems in Honolulu, where he implemented a company-wide sustainability program.

Today Hurley is a specialist in wind and solar technologies for the State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

“In this capacity, I help wind and solar developers navigate the often complex permitting process when developing utility-scale projects.”

He said his two biggest accomplishments so far are his work with the Kawailoa Wind farm on O‘ahu’s north shore and the Auwahi Wind farm on Maui.

Designing SustainablyMarianne Preus Jacobsen (MA Global Leadership and Sustainable Development ’12) works in public relations and communications for Vestre, a Norwegian family-owned business that develops furniture designs for public spaces. This includes benches and tables, fencing, bike racks, planters and waste receptacles.

Vestre uses galvanized steel, stainless steel and local Northern European woods such as pine and oak in its innovative designs. In addition to design considerations, Vestre strives to be a sustainable company — both in its product production and in its relations with suppliers and clients, Jacobsen said.

“People ask why we do not produce in China or other low-cost countries,” Jacobsen said. “Being a sustainable company is not consistent with producing cheaply on the other side of the globe. We choose to cooperate with companies that aim for the best sustainable solutions.”

When Jacobsen pursued her master’s in GLSD, she had worked as a communications advisor for several years.

“I realized that I wanted to take a greater part in producing policies and actions, and acquire more knowledge about why sustainable development is the right path.”

Jacobsen is indebted to HPU for her rigorous training in the field, especially her course work with Professor Art Whatley, Ph.D., program chair of the Master of Arts in Global Leadership and Sustainable Development.

“Dr. Whatley is passionate about bringing sustainability theories into the management curriculum. I support his claims that new methods are needed, based on limited growth and limited resources.”

in an intense permaculture project

Permaculture is an ecological design practice for sustainability. Volunteers worked on beautifying and improving a taro patch, student garden and banana patch, with the hope to eventually grow more food that can be consumed at the

In the spring semester, volunteers from the Sustainable Agriculture Club also worked in the garden areas to prepare the soil for planting before the fall semester. Increasing locally sourced food means

reducing dependence on imported supplies and the fuel required for those shipments, said Professor of Management Arthur Whatley, Ph.D., program chair of

and Sustainable Development.

“The more food we can produce here, the smaller the carbon footprint on the state and the campus itself. And along the way is this wonderful reconnection, an educative portion while students are reconnecting to the earth,” Whatley said.

“It’s the most gratifying experience to see students engaged in this kind of project

where they can get their hands in the dirt,” Whatley added.

For Prigge, the dirt, sweat and hard work at HPU will pay off because, ultimately, the future depends on changing attitudes and behavior on sustainability.

carbon and greenhouse gas emissions

option,” Prigge said.

To learn more about sustainability at HPU, visit www.hpu.edu/sustainability.

Marianne Preus Jacobsen (MAGLSD ’12) working at Vestre in Oslo

Ryan Hurley (BSBA ’05) at the Kahuku Wind project

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Those waiting to see what sort of new retail energy Hawai‘i Pacific University might bring to the Aloha Tower Marketplace development got their first glimpse when university leaders

of Barnes & Noble College to run not just its campus bookstores, but a new venue in one of the marketplace’s most visible locations.

At press time, the college division of the national bookseller was scheduled

campus and Military Campus Programs bookstore operations on Aug. 1, and then begin working toward making the Aloha Tower Marketplace location a reality. An opening date for the store, sometime

to be announced in coming weeks.

“We are pleased to have selected Barnes & Noble College and are particularly excited about what this will mean for our Aloha Tower project,” said Geoffrey Bannister, president of HPU. “Its vast experience with other universities, including those in urban settings, will allow us to serve more effectively our campuses and the downtown community more broadly.”

A committee of students, faculty and staff selected Barnes & Noble through a competitive bid process that

Barnes & Noble College stood out for what it might provide for students and faculty, as well as local customers and island visitors. While Barnes & Noble College operates more than 700 campus stores nationwide, this will be its first bookstore in Hawai‘i.

Its Aloha Tower presence will be located

Barnes & Noble College Tapped to Manage HPU Stores

space previously occupied by Pipe Dreams Surf Company and facing Ala Moana Boulevard/Nimitz Highway. The store is intended to be a hybrid, offering the best of the traditional Barnes & Noble experience along with merchandise both for college customers and tourists.

Barnes & Noble College will provide the marketplace’s largest selection of course materials in a variety of

standard for college customers: rental, used, digital and new. Faculty will also have access to a groundbreaking online community, www.FacultyEnlight.com, a streamlined textbook adoption platform that combines advanced search capabilities with detailed information on course material formats, pricing and reviews by other faculty.

The HPU community of alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends will enjoy campus

bookstores that reflect the HPU brand, including a selection of Sea Warrior school spirit apparel, supplies and gifts for friends and family. HPU has 37,000 alumni, about 14,000 of whom live and work in Hawai‘i.

In addition to the campus and Aloha Tower Marketplace bookstores, Barnes & Noble College will manage the university’s bookstore website, delivering an innovative customized

shopping experience and giving students, faculty and alumni the choice and

for their course materials.

Students will also have access to Barnes & Noble College’s textbook rental program, which can save students an average of 50 percent off the price of a new book. HPU students will have the choice to rent a new or used textbook, with the option to purchase their rental at the end of the agreement. HPU students will also gain access to the largest digital library in the industry, with more than 3 million titles.

“We’re very excited to have formed our first partnership in the beautiful state of Hawai‘i with Hawai‘i Pacific University,” said Max J. Roberts, president & CEO of Barnes & Noble College. “We’re looking forward to working with the university community to offer dynamic campus stores, focused on delivering a retail and digital learning experience that complements this renowned school and supports HPU students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

Barnes & Noble College will be joined soon at Aloha Tower Marketplace by other university uses, as HPU leadership determines best temporary uses for select portions of the development while renovations are underway. Announcements regarding those spaces are expected soon, along with the start of

Will also open HPU venue at Aloha Tower Marketplace

Visit the HPU Bookstore at hpu.bncollege.com Like us on HPU Bookstore


hpu today10

As one of 10 American universities chosen for the largest delegation of U.S. higher education institutions to travel last spring to Myanmar, Hawai‘i Pacific University was Hawai‘i’s only representative on this historic international visit. Following President Obama’s milestone visit in November 2012, Andrew Brittain, Ph.D.,then-interimvicepresidentofacademic affairs and associate professor of microbiology, represented HPU on the higher education delegation to explore potential partnership opportunities to help the country rebuild its higher education institutions. In a separate industry visit, Shaun Moss, Ph.D., acting president of the Oceanic Institute at HPU, was also invited to the country formerly known as Burma to help improve its economic development capacity.

Hawai‘i Pacific University is among select universities nationwide invited to re-establish ties with this newly emerging Southeast Asian country

Reaching Out to Myanmar

By gAil MiyAsAKi

Jennifer Blair (BA International Relations ’10, MA TESOL ’12) and Sai Nanda Oo (BA International Relations ’10) of Myanmar meet Language and Applied Linguistics Department Chair Charles Boyer, Ph.D., and Chair of Social Sciences Carlos Juarez, Ph.D., during a Spring visit to HPU. Oo spoke with the faculty members about the amazing changes happening in his home country, where HPU is part of historic educational outreach efforts.

Hia Chan, Jennifer Blair and Sai Nanda Oo.

ACADEmiC DEVELoPmENT “We discovered an intensely fascinating country that is just opening up after decades of military rule,” said Brittain. “We were the first U.S. faculty delegation to visit in over 40 years.” From Feb. 24 to March 1, 2013, the U.S. higher education delegates visited a total of nine universities, and at five of the nine campuses, members presented lectures attended by more than 1,000 Myanmar students, faculty and staff. In Naypyidaw, the country’s capital, the group held in-depthdiscussionswithgovernmentministries, including education, health and science and technology.

The U.S. higher education delegation was part of the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) International Academic Partnership Program. HPU and the

nine other institutions were selected based on a “demonstrated commitment” forlong-term,multi-facetedpartnerships, internationalizing their campuses and institutional support for partnering with Myanmar.

Under military rule from 1962 to 2011, Myanmar had diminished its educational ties with the United States. Since its first general election in decades for a civilian government in 2010, followed by normalization of U.S. relations in 2012, the country of 60 million people has been rapidly opening up to business, investment and economic growth.

Higher education is seen as having a critical role in developing talent to support this growth, according to Brittain. The Myanmar government has more than doubled the nation’s

Alumni Insights: One of the major changes I’ve witnessed is that the people have more freedom. They’re not afraid to speak out about religion or politics, and can even joke about the politicians in public without being arrested. The government recently granted freedom of the press and now private newspapers can publish without government censorship. There is also more open communication with the rest of the world through the Internet and other media. But, people are still a bit cautious about possible repercussions should someone report them.

Hia Chan (BA TESOL ’09), who returned to HPU last year, after three years in his native Myanmar, and is working on his master’s degree in TESOL

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Education is taken very seriously in Myanmar like in many other Asian countries. After school and on weekends, students usually see “tuition teachers,” which are private tutors. A lot of parents want their children to study in Singapore, U.S. or some other foreign country. The number of English language schools is dramatically increasing. I think a lot of the English institutes that are being set up are not, however, legitimate schools.

Jennifer Blair (BA International Relations ’10, MA TESOL ’12), who moved to Myanmar in July 2012 to teach English and currently works at the American Center of the U.S. Embassy

The country is now growing economically but we still have a lot of work to do. We have 135 ethnic groups, [and] we cannot achieve political stability without ending their conflicts. Myanmar has to achieve democratic principles to resolve political disputes with dialogue; [otherwise] we will have a very difficult time creating a safe investment climate. [Consumer] purchasing power is not yet large, but 60 million Burmese are a huge potential market for any company.

Sai Nanda Oo (BA International Relations ’10), a Myanmar native who currently works at the U.S. Embassy and provided translation for President Obama’s most recent visit

education budget from $340 million to $740 million. The U.S. delegation’s visit comes at a crucial time for the new civilian government to increase academic collaboration between the two countries.

Sai Nanda Oo (BA International Relations ’10) agrees. Oo returned to his native Myanmar and currently works in the political and economic section of the U.S. Embassy. “Prior to my coming to HPU, the political climate in Myanmar was unstable and the education infrastructure was also in decay,” he said. “So basically, studying abroad was a very popular choice. It is still a popular choice among Burmese youth.

“Since I got back, I felt the freedom of speech and expression has been encouraged by the government. The United States presence in Myanmar has been increasing [with] a number of American private sector interests in Burma.”

Oo, whose work at the U.S. Embassy gives hima“frontrowseatoftheU.S.-Burmarelationship,” sees the improving bilateral relationship through assisting with democratization and trade.

Brittain said that among the key issues the U.S. university delegation discussed with Myanmar universities were exchanges with faculty and possibly students between the two countries. “They especially want instructors of

English,” he emphasized. Hawai‘i Pacific University has committed to sponsoring up to five Myanmar English teachers from each semester to come to its campus for short-termandsemester-longprograms.

“As part of our mission and obligation totheAsia-Pacificregion,wecanhelpmake a difference in expanding English as a second language in Myanmar,” said Brittain. “We are also the closest of the universities that visited the country, and have alumni from there and nearby countries.”

Onesuchalumnus,HiaChan(BATESOL’09), returned to Myanmar and taught English at Myanmar Institute of Theology and other private institutes for two years.

“Through this experience, I witnessed a lot of young people studying English as the country is opening itself up to the rest of the world. English is becoming an indispensable language more so than ever before,” he said. “I would like to play a part in providing these youths the necessary English skills for their future.” As a result, Chan returned to HPU and is currently set to finish his master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languagesinspring2014.

ECoNomiC DEVELoPmENTIn February, Moss was one of three Oceanic Institute scientists invited to visit Myanmar by U Soe Tun, chairman of the Myanmar Shrimp Association. The shrimp industry, critically important for job creation, food security and foreign exchange in Myanmar, had declined in recent years due to diseases and lack of high quality stock.

“The purpose of our visit was to survey shrimp farming activities in Myanmar and to explore funding opportunities to develop and expand a sustainable domestic shrimp farming industry,” said Moss. Oceanic Institute is a world leader in the development and transfer

of sustainable aquaculture technologies. Visits to Myanmar shrimp farms in Pathein and Sittwe, an historic port town and capital of Rakhine state where 75 percent of Myanmar’s shrimp ponds are located, enabled the OI scientists to indentify a number of strategies and technologies to improve shrimp production to revitalize the industry.

“It was a very rewarding trip for us,” said Moss, who is currently seeking international funding to develop and transfer sustainable agriculture technologies to Myanmar.

With Myanmar poised for growth and development, HPU and OI are well positioned to participate in ventures that can yield promising rewards and a better life for the people of Myanmar for generations to come. “My perception is that Myanmar will continue to open up with the highest government support,” said Brittain.

Reaching Out to Myanmar

Traditional aquaculture practices in Myanmar could benefit from Oceanic Institute’s technologies. Pictured here are soft-shell crab produced at a farm near Yangon. Crab is exported to Japan, Australia and Taiwan and can fetch up to $12 per kilogram.

IIE delegates meet with government officials in Naypyidaw to discuss the group’s general goals and areas of cooperation with universities in Myanmar.


HPU TODAY12

When HPU graduate students in the software engineering course of Associate Professor of Information Systems Cathrine Linnes, Ph.D., had the opportunity last spring to collaborate with the State of Hawai‘i Offi ce of Information Management & Technology (OIMT) through its fi rst Transformation Internship Program session, few may have realized just how transformative the program would be.

Linnes said State of Hawai‘i CIO Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia and Randy Baldemor, deputy chief information offi cer at OIMT, fi rst approached the team, requesting assistance with its open data initiative.

Team members worked nine to 12 hours a week on three IT projects during the semester, staying focused on deadlines and the myriad tasks at hand.

Their hard work paid off: At the end of the term,

the group invited leaders from the state and Honolulu business community to a presentation of the successfully completed projects. Then on May 6, the team and TIP interns from other colleges and universities were recognized for their work by Gov. Neil Abercrombie at the State Capitol.

As further testament to the success of the team’s work, students Michael Stoudmire (BS Applied Mathematics ’10, ’13), Sami Alamran (’13), Hassan Al Melad (Certifi cate Information Systems ’12) and Chun-Ju “Jim” Lee (BSBA CIS ’11) were hired by OIMT as software developers.

“Building these kinds of bridges between our MSIS Program and the public and private sectors is what such efforts are all about in courses such as this,” said Linnes.

Partnering with the State of Hawai‘i Software engineering students complete three IT projects, and four land state jobs

HPU Appoints Experienced Academic Leader As Its First-Ever Provost

State of Hawai‘i CIO Sonny Bhagowalia and the HPU team at the Hawaiian Telcom University Conference

Matthew Liao-Troth, Ph.D.

The projects and outcomes

• Open data initiative: The team created a website, compatible with mobile devices, coding graphics and using government data. The site illustrates how data can better inform decisions and improve understanding and access to key govern-ment services. http://data.hpu.edu

• Fiscal biennium budget: Data was reduced from 729 pages to 22 web pages. New tables were created to assist the administration in getting a better overview of fi nances. http://msisprojects.hpu.edu/statebudget

• Livestock movement database: A manual authorization process was automated through the development of web forms, reducing labor costs and improving turnaround time. A database was created for images,and Google Maps API tracks the location of the animals. (Access to the database requires a password.)

HPU charted an important new milestone in late Spring with the selection of its fi rst-ever provost (or chief academic offi cer), Matthew Liao-Troth, Ph.D.

Formerly the interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Georgia College and State University (GCSU), Liao-Troth began work at HPU on July 15. His background includes service as dean of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business at GCSU; chair of the Department of Management, director of Graduate Business Programs and faculty senate president at Western Washington University; leader of the American Humanics Program at DePaul University and experience on the faculty of Washington University in St. Louis.

“As Hawai‘i Pacifi c University implements a strategic plan marked by ambitious goals in improving the university’s academic performance and reputation, we need a provost who understands the organizational demands of such an undertaking,” said

HPU President Geoffrey Bannister. “Dr. Liao-Troth’s experience, as well as his academic background in management and organizational behavior, has prepared him well for success in this new role at HPU.”

Liao-Troth, who also carries the title of vice president of Academic Affairs, holds doctoral and master’s degrees in management and policy from the University of Arizona and an MBA from San Diego State University with a focus on personnel and industrial relations. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California-Santa Cruz in American Studies.

To read about additional senior leadership appointments, bookmark www.hpu.edu, where updated HPU News postings are available in real time.

ON CAMPUS

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Above: Valedictory speakers Anthony J. Corey (BSBA Accounting), John T. Hansen (MA Diplomacy and Military Studies) and Hannah Tsunemoto (BS Biology) with President Geoffrey Bannister

Left: Teacher of the Year James Corcoran, Ph.D., assistant professor of History and curriculum area liaison with Military Campus Programs

Above: 2013 Paul C.T. Loo Distinguished Alumni awardees Majors Iven (BA Economics ’01) and Courtney (MA Diplomacy and Military Studies ’09) Sugai

IMAGES BY WILL RUNK PHOTO

View a video of the 2013 Paul C.T. Loo Distinguished Alumni awardees, the Sugais, and a photo gallery at www.hpu.edu/hputodayView a video of the 2013 Paul C.T. Loo Distinguished Alumni awardees, the Sugais, and a photo gallery at


HPU TODAY

PHOTO BY BRIAN CANNON, PH.D.

“If you’re passionate about a field, there’s a point,” said Associate Professor of Marketing Penny Pence Smith, Ph.D., “you want to share the passion.”

A logical explanation for why a faculty member chose a life in academia. But higher education is only part of Smith’s story: The prelude to her higher education career was a career in and of itself, including stints as a bureau manager for the New York Times Special Features Syndicate and as an agency staffer with J. Walter Thompson in L.A. She holds a master’s degree from USC’s prestigious Annenberg School and a Ph.D. in Mass Communications Research from the UNC-Chapel Hill.

Following faculty service at Chapel Hill and Pierce College in Los Angeles, Smith joined the faculty at HPU in

2005, where in addition to teaching, she has been a department and program chair. She has also honed in on social marketing — the application of marketing principles and tactics to achieve a social good. Building on research she conducted in North Carolina on tobacco cessation, healthy eating and physical activity initiatives, Smith has, among other things, served as a co-investigator on a Honolulu project aimed at improving the consumption of fruits and vegetables among select at-risk residents.

Blending that work with the College of Business’ focus on the Boromisa Project Learning Initiative, Smith

led a Spring 2013 marketing class in which undergraduate students took on a Fort Street business as a client, refining and implementing a marketing plan developed by graduate students. Using social media, creating brochures and coupons and engaging media on stories about the business, the students delivered results.

“We have pictures of the line outside [the client’s] shop as a result of their work,” Smith said. Whether it’s pride or passion in her voice or a healthy mix of both, one thing is clear: This master communicator and exemplary educator understands the meaning of doing well by doing good.

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Unlike most of the spectators at Hawai‘i Pacific University’s December commencement ceremony, the Aritas were not attending a family member’s graduation. As donors to the American Carpet One Foundation Scholarship, David and his wife, Chris, had been invited to celebrate the achievement of their scholarship recipient Tai Bui (BSBA Finance and International Business ’12). Joining in the applause, the Aritas proudly witnessed Bui cross the stage to receive his degree.

American Carpet One President David K. Arita believes that the success of his local business is interwoven with the fabric of the community. “The community has made us successful by patronizing

ourselves and our employees is just a real selfish motive,” Arita shared.

The American Carpet One Foundation’s creation sprung from Arita’s belief in shared community success, coupled with his conviction that giving back is a responsibility. “We have been blessed as individuals by owning a business in Hawai‘i. We just feel that it is being a responsible steward of what God has blessed us with,” he elaborated.

The day after he attended Hawai‘i Pacific’s commencement ceremony, Arita learned that one of his employees had also spent the previous evening cheering on graduates at the Neal Blaisdell Arena. As the two shared their Hawai‘i Pacific

University connections, the idea to create an additional scholarship for American Carpet One employees’ children was sparked in Arita’s mind.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who has ever spoken with Arita about scholarship support that this conversation has compelled him to create a new employee scholarship that will be offered this coming year. As the scholarship support devotee put it, “If we can just bless one individual through scholarship, we can

life. … Hopefully, when they are able to give back to others, they will too.”

In addition to the American Carpet One Foundation Scholarship, the Foundation supports Adopt A Highway, Breast Cancer Awareness, Toys for Tots and various green initiatives. The modest

businessman downplays his generous philanthropic efforts by saying that “we feel that our success is not our personal success, but it is God that has provided it for us.”

Chris Arita, Tai Bui, David Arita and Alumni and University Relations Assistant Vice President Tara Wilson

Chris Arita gives Tai Bui a lei and congratulates him.

BY KILEI NELSON

American Carpet One President David K. Arita believes that the success of his local business is interwoven with the fabric of the community.

UNIVERSITY FRIENDS

Why a local businessman chooses to give back

Interwoven Success


hpu today16

Professor of Psychology Nancy Hedlund, Ph.D., believes giving to higher education serves a fundamental purpose: inspiring hope.

“As a social psychologist, I have long been committed to the idea that colleges and universities should seriously engage with their communities and the world. This commitment links two core beliefs: that the university should be a good citizen in its community and that student engagement in the university’s community creates hope in students about their own futures.”

Humble in her generosity, Hedlund agreed with reluctance to discuss her contributions to HPU. Her hesitation gave way to enthusiasm when she began to share why she gives.

For Hedlund, her first university donation began with investing in a lifetime alumni association membership at the University of Oklahoma. Recognizing the gratitude she felt towards her alma mater, she wanted to commemorate the buoying hopefulness she felt about her future.

“Giving to universities has been a very personalthing—youhavetohaveareason from within.”

A conversation with psychology professor Nancy Hedlund, Ph.D.

Inspiring Hope

Hedlund supports areas of HPU where she feels personal connections: music programs, such as the International Vocal Ensemble and the HPU Orchestra; the MerryAnn Jancovic Award in Psychology; and campus programs on global citizenship, such as the Native Hawaiian SpeakerSeriesandanall-daysymposiumon community programs based in Native Hawaiian culture and history.

Hedlund recalled feeling compelled to give when university employees were offered the option to support targeted areas. For her, the ability to directly support a program led to helping the international music program, a cause dear to her heart. Her interest in helping the university’s music programs emerged after hearing early performances of global music that introduced performers and audiences to music from around the world. Hedlund recognized that the steady increase in student participation was an excellent indicator of the quality and value of these extracurricular programs.

In the spring of 2009, Hedlund was again inspired to give when her best friend, MerryAnn Jancovic, Ph.D., passed away. In addition to Jancovic’s longtenureasaHawaiiLoaandHawai‘i Pacific University professor, the highly-respectedpsychologyprofessoris remembered for her dedication to serving others. To commemorate theservice-orientedprofessor’scommitments, Jancovic’s sisters created a scholarship awarded to psychology majors “who have demonstrated the highest principles of service to others.” For Hedlund and others, giving to the MerryAnn Jancovic Award in Psychology is a fitting tribute.

By Kilei nelson

Professor of Psychology Nancy Hedlund, Ph.D., has been an active supporter of HPU, helping to enhance the university’s arts programs and in developing the Native Hawaiian Speaker series.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

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universit y Friends

The HPU Orchestra performs with Makana at the Spring Concert Series on April 20, 2013.

Hedlund’s inspiration to support the Native Hawaiian Speaker Series came from her realization that the most enthusiastic students she encountered over the years had significant experiences relating to Hawai’i and the Hawaiian community in one way or another. Hedlund worked with Malia Smith (MA Communication ’04), Ed.D., assistant dean of General Education and Programming, to bring inspiring Hawaiian speakers to campus. The series engages students in learning about Hawaiian traditions, values and practices, and has attracted prominent Native Hawaiian experts, including Puanani Burgess, Robert Cazimero, Mapuana de Silva, Pono Shim and Ramsay Taum.

This year, the series also grew to include an all-daysymposiumonNativeHawaiianculture and history. In March, symposium participants learned about current community projects that work to improve the lives of Hawaiian people: such as a newspaper project, in which original Hawaiian language newspapers are translated, and the “Prison Monologues” project, that connects women in prison to Hawaiian cultural values and practices through creative writing.

The series dovetails with HPU’s Common Book and He Ala Kulaiwai (the path of the ancestors) programs, offering HPU

students a “sense of place,” a context for learning and enrichment of their student experience.

“The programs I have supported are ones that I saw as connecting students with community in a way that enhanced learning and the development of hope. And I have learned that small gifts are just as impactful as large, because they accumulate to fulfill big ideas.”

Hedlund encourages faculty and staff to support the areas they most value, regardless of the amount of the contribution. The opportunity to target an area in the university’s mission, whether it is through music, scholarship, or global citizenship, is also an investmentinwhatmattersmost—hope.

“The programs I have supported are ones that I saw as connecting students with community in a way that enhanced learning and the development of hope.”

SiNCE THE BEGiNNiNG, the heart and career of Professor of Psychology Nancy Hedlund, Ph.D., have been in higher education. She started her career in nursing education, focusing on helping students learn how to talk effectively with patients, and then shifted to research about how people and groups adapt to change. She received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Columbia University and a M.Ed. in Psychiatric Nursing from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has held faculty and administration appointments at Yale University and the University of Michigan. Moving to Hawai‘i in the late ’80s, she was Associate Professor of Research at the University of Hawai‘i, Cancer Research Center, where she was part of research teams that focused on coping patterns in women with breast cancer and increasing community participation in cancer screening.

Hedlund joined Hawai‘i Pacific University in 1996 and was soon asked to lead organizational changes designed to meet major higher education challenges relating to program evaluation, learning assessment and planning. She teaches and contributes to campus and community initiatives to support HPU community partnerships that connect students with Hawaiian culture and history. Professor Hedlund, mahalo for your generosity, leadership and service.

Getting to know Professor Hedlund

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“Dr. Hedlund has played an integral role in the success of the Arts at HPU. Her constant support and encouragement have facilitated and nurtured our programs from basic beginnings into comprehensive performing arts ensembles.”Teresa McCreary, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Arts and Humanities, and Associate Professor of Music


HPU TODAY18

SEA WARRIOR SPORTS

In the famous baseball movie “Field of Dreams,” there is a voice that says, “If you build it, they will come.” Howard Okita heard that call loud and clear. “Coach O,” as he is known on campus, did not just physically build a field; he built a juggernaut softball program with a family feel. They have come, players from all over the state, country and world, and the wins have followed.

Yes, Okita is a HPU Hall of Fame coach. Yes, he has won two national championships. Yes, he has been the national coach of the year and on the national coaching staff of the year. Yes, he has won more than 700 games and taken HPU to the playoffs 12 times. However, his legacy is cemented because of the two things he built, the HPU softball ‘ohana and the field that bears his name.

LABOR OF LOVEIn the 1980s, Okita was racking up state softball crowns at Kailua High School under

“I said, ‘build me a field,’ because all they had was a soccer field. He kept on bugging me for about four years, and I finally gave in,” remembers Okita.

The challenge for Okita was that he was charged with building a softball field in the middle of the jungle. “We cut down the hill in the back and built up the field because

A veteran of 21 years in the HPU dugout, Howard Okita retired after the 2013 softball season

Building a Field, a Program and an ‘Ohana

BY BRENT CURRY

Howard and Nina Okita

Coach Okita at the opening of the softball field at Hawaii Loa Campus

Howard and Nina Okita


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Building a Field, a Program and an ‘Ohana New Varsity Sport Launch: Acrobatics and Tumbling when it rains, it’s like a river,” said Okita.

Such a project took time. The work beganafterHawaiiLoawonthenationalchampionship in 1991. The first game was not until 1993, which was after the HawaiiLoaandHawai‘iPacificmergeroccurred in 1992.

For the better part of the last quarter century, Okita has literally cared for the field with his bare hands. Every Wednesday, almost without fail, Okita can be seen working on the field. Coach O, who is quick to deflect credit, says other coaches help, especially Richard Nomura. “Everything built here, we built it ourselves,” said Okita proudly.

In 2009, what they built was officially named Howard A. Okita Field.

WE ARE FAmiLyYear after year players come to HPU as strangers and leave as sisters. It is how Okita wants it. “When you come play for us, you become part of the softball ‘ohana. The family atmosphere is what we instill. Same with the coaches, you become one of our daughters,” said Okita.

Winning games, awards and the notoriety that comes with it is great, but that is not why Okita has been coaching for so long. “Hopefully it (the softball ‘ohana) has given them (the players) some lasting memories after they finish up. We still get Christmas cards from players from way back when. That’s basically what you appreciate, people remember you. The biggest thing is getting the respect from the kids. Every generation is different, but that’s all you can ask for.”

When he started at HPU, Okita did not set out to coach for over 20 years, get elected to the HPU Hall of Fame and have the field named after him. “I never did think about that. I just went from year to year and year to year. It is just something I love doing.”

While building a softball family, Okita knows he could not have done it without the support of his actual family. “People would always ask Nina (his wife), ‘How come your husband is coaching so long?’ She says, ‘At least I know where he is at. I know he is down at the field or playing a game someplace or they are practicing,’” laughed Okita.

TimES CHANGEThe biggest change over the years to Okita has been that the players are a lot stronger. Time has also changed how the game is played. “When we first started the ball was a hard ball, but by the third or fourth inning the ball became much softer. You had a hard time scoring runs,” notes Okita. Today’s technology has produced better balls and bats, and with the size of the players the emphasis of the game has changed.

“We spend a lot more time on hitting. The principle of hitting the ball was to skid the ball through the infield. Today, the kids are a lot stronger so the philosophy of the game is to hit it over the fence,” said Okita. “It becomes a better game.It’smorespectator-friendly.Notlikebefore where you could go 12 innings at zero to zero, it was so hard to score.”

ALoHAWhile Okita is officially stepping down as a paid coach, few that know him believe he will stay away from the game completely. “I’m going to still help with the field. … Whenever they need help with anything, I’m here to help the program. I’m still going to put my two cents in every once in a while, let them know what I think,” chuckled Okita.

Patriarch is a job for which there is no retirement.

Hawai‘i Pacific University is excited to add Acrobatics and Tumbling (A&T) as a varsity sport beginning in the 2013–2014 school year. A&T is a blend of gymnastics, competitive cheerleading and acrobatics.

A&T is in its infancy as a NCAA sport, having been added in 2010–2011. Currently, Oregon, Baylor, Maryland, Fairmont State, Quinnipiac, and PacWest rival Azusa Pacific all sponsor A&T. Rather than competing in traditional NCAA divisions (Division I, Division II, Division III), the schools will compete against each other regardless of NCAA affiliation.

An A&T meet lasts between 90 minutes and two hours and features six events. The first event is called Compulsory and counts for a total of 40 possible points; it is followed by Acro (30 points), Pyramid (30 points), Toss (30 points), Tumbling (60 points) and Team (110 points).

The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association is the national governing body for the sport of acrobatics and tumbling and holds its championships in late April.

“We are pleased to institute Acrobatics and Tumbling into the Hawai‘i Pacific program of sports. There is a high level of interest here in Hawai‘i and across the nation in this emerging sport. We anticipate that the student athletes participating on this team will continue the university tradition of excelling in competition and performing at a high level academically,” said HPU President Geoffrey Bannister.

The addition of A&T gives HPU 14 NCAA varsity sports. HPU is continuing its expansion of intercollegiate teams; as recently as 2006, HPU offered nine varsity sports.

“When you come play for us, you become part of the softball ‘ohana.”


HPU TODAY20

1990

Proud parents Jerry Justianto(MBA) and Rika Boediman(MBA) of Jakarta, Indonesia, are thrilled their daughter, NabilaCantika Justianto, will continue the family legacy and start as a freshman at HPU this fall.

1991Stephen Murphy (BS Computer Science) is vice president for technology of Oneida Nation Enterprises. He is the former chief information o�cer and vice president of IT at various casinos in Las Vegas including The Cosmopolitan, MGMMirage and Hyatt Gaming. He also was an executive strategy consultant for Microsoft Corporation.

1992Finance Factors in Honoluluhas promoted Benson Choo(MSIS) to senior vice president, information systems and technology manager.

1998Mark Bell (BS Computer Science), who is the executive vice president of operations at Digital Defense, Inc., in San Antonio, Texas, was awarded United States Patent #8,266,320.The patent was granted for the initial design and develop-ment of a computer network defense training and scoring

system. This initial design has evolved into what now serves as the technology baseline for the national high school cyber defense competition known as CyberPatriot.

Uli Haeske (MBA, BSBA’94) and wife, KesineeKaewko, welcomed daughter, Maxine Isabel Haeske, into their family Nov. 18, 2012.

1999Moefa‘auo William “Bill” Emmsley (MBA) has been named the new CEO of American Samoa Telecommunications Authority. He previously served as dean of the Institute of Trades and Technology at the American Samoa Community College, former CEO of the Samoan Service Provider Association and deputy director of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources. He has more than 30 years of execu-tive management experience.

Mikael Petersson (BSBA Travel Industry Management) is now Elite Hotels Ideon general manager in Lund, Sweden. Previously, he was employed at the Hilton in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Joining three months prior to the hotel’s opening in January, he led his new team to its scheduled opening date. Elite Hotels Ideon is a business hotel with 178 rooms, two restaurants, one bar and large conference facilities. With him in Sweden is Percy Petersson (BACommunication ‘98), who left her position as publishing director for a popular lifestyle magazine she created in the UAE, and their three children. She occasionally travels to the UAE for commissioned photography projects.

CLASS LINKS

Bangkok, Thailand March 25, 2013

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 29, 2013

Penang, Malaysia March 30, 2013

San Francisco March 3, 2013

Alumni in Thailand and Malaysia met with President Geoffrey Bannister and Vice President of Alumni and University Relations (AUR) Mary Ellen McGillan in March.

AUR Assistant Vice President Tara Wilson and AUR Associate Vice President Cassie Carter, Ph.D., and AUR Vice President Mary Ellen McGillan held a San Francisco focus group with HPU alumni and parents in April.

Seattle April 14, 2013 Sandra Fong (BSBA Finance ’01, BA Social Science ’98), Stan Desaki (BS ’71), Greg Fennessey (MBA Organizational Change ’12) and Megan Warren (BS Marine Biology ’08) assisted the admissions office in April by sharing their HPU experiences with prospective HPU students in Seattle.

Alumni Events


SUMMER 2013 21

2000Cynthia Monsour (BACommunication) and Tom Little were married on March 17, 2013,

in Vero Beach, Fla. Theyplannedan Ireland honeymoonfor July.

The Bay Area Shuckers basket-ball team named Llewellyn Smalley (BA Human Resource Development) head coach this May. The former Shuckersplayer is an All-American and Hall of Famer at Hawai‘i Paci�c University and a veteran of nine professional seasons.

Deric Yanagisawa (BA HumanResource Development) was promoted to head baseball coach for Fountain Valley HighSchool, his alma mater, near Los Angeles.

2001Ti�any S. Bove (BSBA Marketing) was selected as a member of Paci�c Business News Forty under 40 Class of 2013. Ti�any has been a realtor at Coldwell Banker Paci�c Properties in Honolulu since 2007.

James Gortner (BSBAInternational Business)received his MFA from Columbia University in 2010. In May, he had his �rst solo exhibition in New York, “The Lovers,” at the Lyons Wier Gallery.

2002Kimberly Guyer(MA Human Resource Management) graduated with an Ed.D. in Higher Educa-tion Manage-ment from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education on May 11, 2013.

She is the assistant dean for student a�airs at Temple University’s School of Media and Communication in Philadelphia.

Ayako Shiga (MA TESOL),a Japanese language teacher at Boonsboro High School in Boonsboro, Md., was named Washington County Public Schools 2013-14 Teacher of the Year in April.

Fiancé Travis Amsley (BSEnvironmental Sciences ’04) and Ayako Shiga.

2003Avimanyu Datta (MSIS)completed his Ph.D. at Washington State University in 2011. Currently, he teaches at Illinois State University as assistant professor of management.

Nash Subotic (BSBA Interna-tional Business ’02, MBAFinance) was selected as a member of Paci�c BusinessNews Forty under 40 Class of 2013. Nash is the president and CEO of Wealth Strategy Partners, LLC, a Honolulu-based�nancial services �rm. Heco-founded the �rm in 2008 and has more than a decade of experience in the �nancial services industry.

2004In April, Angel Arias (BSBAInternational Business ’98, MBA) represented Adrian Moncrie�e in the U.S. Supreme Court in a noted case regarding immigration. The decision by the court received national press. Angel has his own law �rm in Hollywood, Fla.

CLASS LINKS

2005Mark Smith (BA Journalism) published his �rst novel, “Inthe Shadow of a Pale Horse,” in January. The novel explores the dark side of the family unit and introduces the reader to a young man whose love for his family is overshadowed by a foreboding and sinister destiny.

2006In 2002, Cory Clemens (BSN)and Chris Wittig (BSBAFinance ’05) met during their sophomore year of college. Cory is a nurse for premature babies at Kapiolani MedicalCenter, and Chris works as a

project manager at Mokulua High Performance Builders in Kaneohe, which is owned by alumnus Michael Fairall(MA Diplomacy and Military Studies ’10). On May 4, 2013, the couple married at Ke Iki Bungalows on the North Shore.

Sales Coordinator at Belcorp, Maria Gianotti (BSBACorporate Communication), met with two Alumni and University Relations (AUR) sta� during their Bay Area alumni outreach trip.

From le�: AUR Assistant Vice President Tara Wilson, alumna Maria Gianotti, and AUR Associate Vice President Cassie Carter, Ph.D.

2007Audrey Alvarez (BACommunication) accepted the position of development coordinator with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Hawaii Chapter in mid-May. For over 13 years, Audrey had been with Hawai‘i Paci�c University, �rst as a student, and then after graduation as a full-time sta� member in Alumni and University Relations.

Gretchen Biesanz (MACommunication) is the director of prospect management and research for university advancement at Winona State University in Winona, Minn.

Christina Failma (BA Public Relations and Advertising) is pursuing a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University in Boston. In May, she attended the 43rd St. Gallen Symposiumas a Leader of Tomorrow. Her video submission focused on rewarding those with the courage to speak out against the North Korean regime. More than 1,000 global submissions were received and Christina was one of only 100 students invited to participate. She planned to work as a senior summer fellow with a Boston nonpro�t, New Sector Alliance, developing evaluation metrics to strengthen programs that bene�t local students.

Joselyn Glicco (BA Psychology) was awarded her Master of Science in Mental HealthCounseling in 2012 and is currently a part-time counselor at In�nity High School in New Mexico. She said her two children, Terrell Keenen, 4, and Ameerah De’nae, 4 months old, are the center of her life.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22


HPU TODAY22

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As a survivor outreach services coordinator with the U.S.Army, Catherine Ignacio(BA Psychology) works with

the families of fallen military service members. A fellow survivor, she �nds her work to be a ful�lling way of honoring her husband and other fallen heroes. Catherine earned a master’s degree in human services, with emphasis in social and community services, from Capella University and is working on her second master’s degree in social work.

One day outside of HPU’s computer center on Fort Street Mall, Irene Tong (BSBA Travel Industry Management), an HPUstudent from Canada, met Lars Akerberg (BSBA International Business ’05, MBA Finance), a student from Sweden. After

enjoying Halloween-themed events, Scandinavian Christmas parties and Intercultural Days together, they graduated in fall 2007. From there, they began

their “world tour,” traveling to New York, London and Hong Kong. On June 5, 2012, Lars proposed in DisneylandHong Kong. On June 1, 2013, they married at a small castle named Kronovalls Vinslott in Tomelilla, Sweden.

Luke Tucker (BSBA) was named assistant vice president and mobile and social media strategist at Central Paci�c Bank in Honolulu.

2009Following graduation, David Bergen (BA Political Science) spent two years teaching with Teach For America as an English teacher. His high school students’ passing rate jumped from 13 percent to over 84 percent, and he had the opportunity to write and develop the English curriculum that is now used in every public high school in Mississippi. In2012, he was awarded a MAin Education at Delta State University. David recently completed his �rst year at the Richardson School of Law at University of Hawai‘i at Manoaand during the summer works as a sta� writer for Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald of the Hawai’i State Supreme Court.

HPU MBA Club Hawaii hosted a guest speaker event on April 11, 2013, where Dennis

Ducatt (MBA), Bank of Hawaii personalbanking o�cer, was one of the featured speakers.

Bernard Carvalho Jr., the Mayor of Kauai, declared April 2, 2013, as “Je� Hubbard Day” to honor the Kauai native. Je�Hubbard (BSBA Management ’06, MBA International Business) holds seven U.S.body-boarding titles and three world body-boarding titles.

Congratulations to Nicholas Haigler (BSBA International Business and Travel Industry Management) and TomokoHayase on the arrival of their daughter Honria Sakurako Haigleron March 1, 2013, at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.

An award winning music artist Je� James (BA Communication) released a music album in May. In 2013, Je� won the Top Brand Awards Philippines’ MostPromising International MaleSinger Performer of the Year by People’s Choice Award. In 2012, his band TTYM won the MaiTaiRumble contest, Hawai‘i’s biggest battle of the bands event. In 2011, he won the Na Hoku Hanohano award, Hawai‘i’s top music award.

Lalit Kanavivatchai (MACommunication) returned to Bangkok following graduation and is senior strategic planning manager at McCann Worldgroup, a marketing solutions, advertising, public relations and communications �rm.

Piya Kishore (BA Psychology ’07, MBA) completed her MA in Social Organizational Psychology from TeachersCollege, Columbia University in May 2012. She is currently working as an HR Talent Manager at Cognizant Technology Solutions in Teaneck, N.J. Piya is the HPUregional representative for New York City. If you are interested in attending an alumni event, please email her at [email protected].

Congratulations to Kellene Sasano (BSBA Management) for being crowned Princess in the 2013 Honolulu Cherry Blossom Festival.

John Ulep (BSBA) has started a T-shirt company, Glori�ed Apparel. For every T-shirt sold, he provides a meal for the homeless. So far he has provided more than 400 meals. Getting involved with this project is simple. Perform a random act of kindness for a stranger and leave a note that encourages him or her to pass on the same gesture. Then, post a picture capturing the act of kindness and use the hashtags: #randomactsofkindnessproject or #rakp2013.

2010Celia Cabanilla (BSN, BAPsychology ’08) and JuliusValenzuela (BSN ’09) met their �rst semester of nursing school and have been together for over �ve years. They became engaged in April 2012. Their

wedding ceremony is scheduled at Paradise Cove Crystal Chapel on Sept. 28, 2013. The reception will follow at JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa in Kapolei. Celia was intensive care unit registered nurse at Hawaii Medical Center-East prior to taking her current position as a radiation oncology registered nurse at Cancer Center of Hawaii. Julius is a psychiatric registered nurse at Hawaii State Hospital/United States Navy O�cer Registered Nurse. www.julius-celia.ourwedding.com

John Ulep (green shirt) and his sta�.


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SUMMER 2013

After completing his master’s degree at HPU, Brian Ugurlu(MA Human Resource Management) used his newfound knowledge to grow his business in the Seattle area to three stores. Sirena Gelato is a dessert café specializing in homemade gelato and gourmet espresso. www.sirenagelato.com

2011Nandini Bhattacharjee(MA Communication) opened a new retail store in Kailua, Nomads Hawaii, last month. The company sells imported home décor, clothing and jewelry from around the world.

Tirayu Songvetkasem(MSIS) and Krittaluck“Yok” Kritmanorote (MACommunication) welcomed their son, Ryu, into their family on Dec. 6, 2012. They live and work in LosAngeles.

2012Jennifer Blair (MA TESOL,BA International Relations ’10) and �ancé Sai Nanda Oo(BA International Relations ’10) stopped by campus in April and met current TESOL graduate

student Hia Chan (BA TESOL ’09). Sai is an economic specialist for the American Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar. Jennifer teaches English classes at the American Center, which is run by the U.S. Embassy.

Gintare Janulaityte(MA Diplomacy and Military Studies) has been appointed as advisor to the minister of national defense of the Republic of Lithuania.

Marcie Kagawa (BA Journalism and Asian Studies) is an assistant correspondent for Kyodo News, a Japanese newswire service in Los Angeles.

Timothy Lussier (MA, BSBA ’10) is the executive director of Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i, a nonpro�t that promotes limited government and free markets.

Yen Chang Su (BSBA Finance) opened Taste Tea in Spring 2013 after spending a year renovating the 1,500 square-foot space located at 1391 Kapiolani Boulevard in Honolulu. Business at the tea café is great and has been featured in Paci�c BusinessNews and Honolulu Magazine.

Chair of Social Sciences Carlos Juarez, Ph.D., Alumni and UniversityRelations Assistant Vice President Tara Wilson, Sai Nanda Oo, JenniferBlair, Hia Chan, Assistant Professor of English Jean Kirschenmann andLanguage and Applied Linguistics Department Chair Charles Boyer, Ph.D.

Alumni Celebrations

SGA inaugural pinning ceremony On April 24, Student Government Association (SGA) and Alumni and University Relations hosted the inaugural SGA pinning

members celebrated the important impact SGA has had on the university’s student culture.

Royal reunionMalaysian prince Raja Nabil Imran Aziz Raja Dzurkarnain (2nd from left) was one of 700 students at Hawai‘i Pacific University’s 80th commencement ceremony on May 16. Five of his cousins attended Hawai‘i Pacific and three returned to their alma mater in celebration of his graduation.

SGA alumni pose with Hawai‘i Pacific University staff. From left to right: Bryan Gornet (BA Justice Administration ’04), Director of Annual Giving Lindsey Hincks, Regine Gonzales (BA Psychology ’12), Maria Kashem (BS Advertising/Public Relations ’11, MA Communication ’13), President Bannister, Tim Lussier (BSBA Entrepreneurial Studies ’10, MA Communication ’12), Ryan Tinajero (BA Political Science ’12), Alumni and University Relations Assistant Vice President Tara Wilson, Audrey Alvarez (BA Communication ’07).

Syed Shareef Alsagoff (BSBA Travel Industry Management ’12), Raja Nabil Imran Aziz Raja Dzurkarnain (BSBA Travel Industry Management ’13), Syed Saifullah bin Omar Alsagoff (BSBA Marketing ’97), Raja Iskandar Idris, Raja Nazhatul Shima, President Bannister, Tunku Soraya Abdul Halim, Alumni and University Relations Vice President Mary Ellen McGillan, Syed Idris Alsagoff and Syed Iskandar Alsagoff (BSBA Finance ’09).

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HPU TODAY24

BACK PAGE

NANCY LEE ELLIS, retired HPU vice president of Student Support Services, passed away on May 16, 2013, in Florida, where she and her husband moved to be near family.

Ellis, who played a pivotal role in building the university in its formative years, was described as a visionary leader by HPU President Emeritus Chatt G. Wright.

“It was a calling. We wanted to build a lasting Hawai‘i Pacific College, then university thereafter. And Nancy was one of our leading figures,” said Wright.

She began her career at Hawai‘i Pacific in 1982 as registrar and veteran affairs coordinator and retired in 2005. Over Ellis’ 23-year tenure, she was instrumental in developing and leading admissions and student life, as well as programs in the arts and serving military students. One of many programs she is credited with initiating is the Choral Ensembles, which debuted in 2002 at HPU’s signature Intercultural Day celebration.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono was among many who acknowledged Ellis’ contributions to the community and HPU.

“I became friends with Nancy and her husband George when I was Lieutenant Governor and was always struck by both her personal warmth and dedication to the community,” said Hirono. “She was a passionate advocate for the arts and a world-class educator who helped make HPU the thriving institution it is today.”

Her friend, Timothy Y.C. Choy, Ph.D., noted that Ellis believed it was important to offer students opportunities in the arts.

“She was a strong believer in the liberal arts and the role the arts play. She felt it helped to make [students’] lives richer,” said Choy.

Her legacy lives on through the HPU Nancy Ellis Award for Achievement in the Arts, which she and Choy established. Choy said his reason for wanting to start the award in 2008 was twofold: to honor his friend, whom he referred to as a “multi-faceted gem,” as she was always making an effort to enrich the community, and because he liked what HPU was doing.

To recognize the outstanding community leadership of Ellis, HPU presented her with its top honor in 2005, the Fellow of the Pacific Award.

Donations may be made in her memory to the HPU Nancy Ellis Award for Achievement in the Arts; a contribution envelope is enclosed, or you may go to www.hpu.edu/onlinegift.

completed their Board of Trustee terms at the end of June.

Affairs and Governance & Nominating committees. Hong, also an attorney, served as a trustee since 1988. He most recently held positions on the Finance & Investment and Governance & Nominating committees.

years of service and leadership. Their tenures included major points of progress

with Oceanic Institute in 2003 and launch of the Aloha Tower Project in 2011.

The late Nancy Ellis at her HPU retirement party

IN MEMORIAM

MAHALO

National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP)This spring, Hawai‘i Pacific University partnered with the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) for two exciting events. Alumni Wilson Yip (MSIS and MBA ’97) and Benson Choo (MSIS ’92) founded the NAAAP Hawai‘i Chapter in May 2012 and serve as President and Vice President, respectively.

Green Drinks HonoluluHPU is a proud sponsor of Green Drinks Honolulu’s monthly networking pau hana. Students, faculty and staff from

and Sustainable Development program

April and May Green Drinks events at Rumfire in Waikiki.

Pacific Edge MagazinePacific Edge Magazine partnered with HPU for its Spring 2013 issue, featuring three successful Hawai‘i Pacific alumni who work in the sustainability field.

Olena Heu (BA ’07) at the “What Motivates and Drives Me to Succeed” event.

Campus Sustainability Coordinator Josh Prigge (MA ’11) and Professor of Environmental Policy Art Whatley, Ph.D., at the April Green Drinks event.

Alumni Collaborations

Check for upcoming alumni events: www.facebook.com/hpualumni


SUMMER 2013

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1132 BISHOP STREET, SUITE 307HONOLULU, HI 96813

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 1050

HONOLULU, HI

It began with students at Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU). The sustainability project at HPU started with the hard work and dedication of several student organizations: the HPU Green Club, Filipino Club and Natural Science Student Association. Since then, the focus on sustainability has become a priority for the University, with the goal of making a positive contribution to the State of Hawai’i and the globe.

The Master of Arts in Global Leadership and Sustainable Development (MAGLSD) is designed to prepare students to lead change initiatives in a globalizing world. Students learn to investigate underlying causes of global environmental, economic and social problems, while learning to cultivate responses that produce sustainable outcomes for the current and future generations.

MAGLSD students learn to renew and transform the world, one idea at a time. Become a positive contributing force to the world through sustainable practices.

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BECOME A GLOBAL CHANGE AGENT AT WWW.HPU.EDU/MAGLSD

HAWAI‘I PACIFIC UNIVERSITYMASTER OF ARTS IN GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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hpu today summer 2013

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