NEWS
2022
August
ID: nc08312201
Title: HPU Alumna Wins Grant to Research Protein Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
Date: August 31, 2022
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Author: Gregory Fischbach
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Hawaiʻi Pacific University alumna Sarah Nunez graduated in May 2022 with Bachelor of Science degrees in biomedical engineering, and chemistry with a concentration in pre-health sciences. Her passion for research flourished while studying at HPU where she was mentored by Associate Professor of Chemistry Lei Wang, Ph.D., in purifying different segments of the Arc protein. Nunez and Wang’s work proved to be a significant step in the advancement of understanding the role of the Arc protein in the body.
Nunez was awarded a $3,000 grant from HPU’s Undergraduate Infrastructure Student Research Center (HUI SRC) in June 2022 to continue her novel research at the University that could one day lead to discovering the root cause of several neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease.
“I plan to conduct research this summer and have results within one year,” said Nunez. “My goal is to have samples sent out to collaborators at the University of Colorado and then analyze the results remotely in New Jersey, and then write up the analysis.”
The Arc protein is found in the synapses, or the space that nerve cells use to communicate. The associate Arc gene is then activated in response to learning behaviors. A certain mutation in this gene has been shown to disrupt long-term learning by preventing a process known as oligomerization (to join a number of molecules together to form an oligomer), by which the Arc protein forms complexes and facilitates memory consolidation.
“The Arc protein tends to form different units of itself, and that mechanism forms our memories. If the mechanism is not allowed to oligomerize those complexes than that protein function is lost,” said Nunez. “When the Arc protein function is allowed to oligomerize it then plays an important role in learning behaviors and forming long-term memories. The more we understand how Arc interacts with itself we might understand the mechanism that forms these complexes, and we may be able to develop an intervention in memory loss, or to know if one is needed. I suspect this segment of the protein physically changes another segment of the protein.”
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Nunez originally chose the marine biology major at HPU. Born and raised in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Nunez moved to Hawaiʻi to study in one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. “I quickly found that I liked the computational aspect of natural sciences,” said Nunez. So, she switched from marine biology to dual-majors biomedical engineering and chemistry, graduating in five years from HPU.
Nunez recently moved back to New Jersey to be close to family and to pursue a future in pre-health and biomedical research.
“My engineering degree is perfect because I enjoy knowing the mechanism of why things happen,” said Nunez. “If I do not know the root of the problem I cannot come up with a solution. I love taking the aspect of engineering and chemistry and trying to see where my future will land. Clinical research. Coordinating. I want to know every aspect of the research field. How it looks from policy and political health.”
The HUI SRC was founded by the National Institute of Health and the National Institute on General Medical Sciences. HPU students interested in biomedical research receive mentorship and training. To learn more about HUI SRC and how to join the Center click here.
To learn more about the engineering programs offered at HPU click here, and for more information on the chemistry and biochemistry degrees offered at HPU click here.
ID: nc08172201
Title: HPU Provides Scholarships for All Hawaiʻi High School Seniors
Date: August 17, 2022
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Author: Gregory Fischbach
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Attending HPU has become even more affordable for all Hawaiʻi high school seniors looking to study at home for their undergraduate studies. HPU is offering Hawaiʻi seniors a minimum $10,000 annual tuition scholarship (renewable for three additional years) to be part of one of the most culturally diverse student bodies in the U.S.
“At HPU, we believe it’s our responsibility to give back to the community,” said HPU President John Gotanda. “We are committed to providing a world-class, private education at an affordable cost that is accessible to all students of Hawaiʻi.”
Eligible students for the Guaranteed Scholarship and Admission Program (GSAP) must have an anticipated 2023 graduation date from an accredited Hawai‘i high school, a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 through the end of their junior year, no disciplinary violations, and all minimum core courses completed by the time of graduation. Core courses include four years of English, three years of social sciences, three years of natural science, three years of mathematics.
Students admitted into the GSAP will receive:
- A minimum $10,000 merit scholarship
- Admission decision no later than December 31, 2022 (completed application received by November 15, 2022)
- $500 visit grant for attending a campus tour or a preview day program
- Priority financial aid awarding if the FAFSA is also submitted to HPU by November 15, 2022
- Priority registration for fall 2023 classes
- Early access to the housing application to ensure first choice accommodations
- Special enrollment deposit gift if you commit to HPU by May 1, 2023
Hawaiʻi students with demonstrated tuition-need may also receive additional financial aid in combination with HPU’s Holomua Commitment.
For more information on HPU's GSAP click here. The application deadline is November 15, 2022.
ID: nc08162201
Title: HPU Welcomes Inaugural Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Cohort
Date: August 16, 2022
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HPU’s inaugural cohort of Doctoral of Physical Therapy (DPT) students arrived on campus on Sunday, August 14, to begin their in-person lab experience after completing six weeks of online education. The lab experience will take place in the newly constructed 10,000 square-foot Center for Graduate Health Sciences in building six of Waterfront Plaza. Over 100 students will be studying on campus for two weeks, engaging in interactive, hands-on lab immersion sessions.
“The DPT faculty and staff have been preparing for this moment and are delighted to finally have our very first cohort together in our brand new lab space,” said HPU DPT Program Director and Associate Professor Tricia Catalino, PT, DSc. “Seeing our students practicing the skills they will use with their future patients and clients is very fulfilling. The DPT Program is committed to meeting the physical therapy needs in the community, which is why it is so important for us to provide this educational experience here in Hawaiʻi.”
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The DPT program at HPU is the first and only program in Hawaiʻi. This two-year program utilizes hybrid course delivery with most of the education completed online, allowing students to live and study anywhere.
Students will participate in 32 weeks of collaborative clinical education experiences and will complete their degrees a full year earlier than most DPT programs.
“We are excited to offer advanced physical therapy education to the people of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and beyond,” said HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D. “HPU’s vision is to provide our students with innovative programming for market-ready education.”
On August 12, 2022, Kumu Ramsay Taum blessed the Center for Graduate Health Sciences, the new home of the DPT, physician assistant, and occupational therapy programs.
To apply, or learn more about the DPT program at HPU click here.
ID: nc08102201
Title: HPU to Offer Continuing Education Certificates to Upscale Graduates Careers
Date: August 10, 2022
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Author: Gregory Fischbach
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HPU has partnered with MindEdge to offer continuing education certificates and courses online for learners looking to upscale their careers at an affordable price. All courses and certifications are self-paced, on demand, ADA compliant, and are available on desktop and mobile devices. A total of 323 courses and 40 certificates are offered online in 33 learning categories.
“HPU is dedicated to lifelong learning,” said HPU Dean, College of Business Mark S. Rosenbaum, Ph.D. “Whether a learner is an alumni, family member, friend of the university, or community member, we want to play a role in his or her career journey. HPU is nimble and committed to innovation.”
Certificates and courses are offered at varying lengths depending on the complexity of the program. Popular classes are project management, non-profit leadership, energy and environmental design, entrepreneurship, and web design. When a learner earns a certificate of completion HPU and MindEdge are identified on the certificate.
“These certificates may then be posted on LinkedIn, or on other social media sites,” said Rosenbaum. “They can also be added to your professional profiles on websites like Indeed and Zip Recruiter.”
It is inexpensive to register for a course or certificate. The costs range from $20 to $698, with many options offered below $300 for a certificate.
“Today’s marketplace requires the constant demand of skills,” says Rosenbaum, “and we are seeing that our alumni are adapting well to the work environment by upscaling their skillset at a very affordable price without the need to go back to the classroom to study for another degree. These classes are so specific we simply cannot offer them in person. They are designed to be taught and delivered online.”
To register for an HPU and MindEdge certificate and to learn more about MindEdge click here.
ID: nc08012201
Title: The (Nonstop) Summer Travels of HPU Professor Ken Schoolland
Date: August 01, 2022
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Author: Gregory Fischbach
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HPU Associate Professor of Economics Ken Schoolland is having a busy and fulfilling summer, traveling through Africa, South Asia, and Eastern Europe giving lectures, preparing a new edition of his highly successful economics book, giving interviews for various newspapers, and speaking at conferences. Schoolland is working with an animation team to produce a video series of his economics book. That book, The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible, has been published in 57 languages and in over 85 editions. It is one of the most successful books on economics in recent memory.
“I wrote Gullible as an economics book designed to make economics fun and interesting,” said Schoolland. Schoolland’s electrifying summer travels began in June where he and his wife gave lectures about markets and prosperity at a three-day conference hosted by Action for Leadership and Economic Development of Entebbe, Uganda. It was at this event that a new French edition of Gullible was released by the attendees from Burundi. Schoolland was also interviewed for Ugandan television.
“My wife and I gave lectures at the UHRUH CON 2022 student convention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania” says Schoolland, “and we were featured in articles for The Times Majira and The Guardian newspapers. New translations of Gullible have been completed in Swahili (Tanzania) and Chichewa (Malawi).”
Schoolland made his way to Nepal in July. He gave lectures on behalf of the Samriddhi Foundation of Nepal, at three business colleges in Kathmandu, and was interviewed for a column in The Kathmandu Times.
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“I gave two more lectures at colleges in Pokhara,” says Schoolland, “and then we were hosted by the Language of Liberty Institute for a week of lectures at the mountain resort of Bandipur where they released a new English commentary edition of Gullible for the study sessions. My wife gave an interview about China for Business 360 Magazine.”
Recently, Schoolland made his way to Goa, India, for a series of economics lectures. He plans to return to the U.S. for a week of lectures on The Economics of Life at Chapman University in Southern California; in August, he plans to speak at the Liberty International World Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia on migration issues.
“I expect the Ukrainian edition of my book to be published and released at this event,” said Schoolland.
Schoolland has been a professor of economics at HPU for over 40 years. He first started with Hawaii Loa College (merged with Hawaii Pacific) and has since taught economics at the university and helped run the Reason Club and the Hawaii Pacific Entrepreneur Club. He also wrote Shogun’s Ghost: The Dark Side of Japanese Education, translated in two languages.
All photos courtesy Ken Schoolland.
July
ID: nc07252201
Title: HPU Partners with Coursera’s Career Academy
Date: July 25, 2022
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HPU announced that it is the first university in the world to partner with Coursera’s Career Academy to offer career certificates that complement business students’ degree programs. A certificate requires approximately 120 hours to complete, students learn at their own pace, and HPU business students may register for Career Academy certificates for free beginning this fall.
“HPU’s College of Business approach is to be practical, innovative, and experiential,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D. “Partnering with Coursera provides students with a grounded liberal arts education that is focused on business administration, targeted for specific careers after students graduate from HPU.”
HPU faculty are given the option to supplement any of their courses with Career Academy certificates, courses, or real-world cases. More specifically, instructional faculty may choose to use a Coursera career certificate as a primary learning tool, similar to how many faculty employ a traditional textbook. While other faculty may embed aspects, such as individual courses or cases into their classes, others may not see the skill-focused certificates as being pertinent to their courses.
“When HPU faculty adopt a Coursera certificate, albeit from any company, I can be assured that students are learning meaningful skills that lead to employment,” said HPU Dean, College of Business Mark S. Rosenbaum, Ph.D. “With Coursera’s Career Academy, students acquire in-demand skills and job-ready credentials.”
The Career Academy offers 20 certificates for high-demand, entry-level digital jobs. Companies included in the Career Academy platform are Google, IBM, Meta, Salesforce, and Intuit; and those scheduled to join soon are Microsoft, HRCI, and Akamai.
HPU students who register for a Career Academy are provided a listing of in-demand careers that include median salary and the number of jobs currently available when earning the certificate. Careers include data analyst, IT support specialist, project manager, social media manager, marketing analyst, bookkeeper, application developer, and cybersecurity analyst. Coursera currently offers 18 careers to choose from on their platform and this number is expected to increase to 20 by the end of August.
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Hands-on, guided projects are included in each certificate. These projects teach specific tools, and they help build a portfolio of work for students to present to hiring managers. Projects are typically completed in two hours.
HPU was the first university in the world to pilot the Career Academy in spring 2022, offering 100 students the chance to register for certificate programs. The pilot program was a resounding success. A total of 613 lessons were taken and 164 certificates completed; the average course rating was 5/5.
Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda stated at a recent Coursera conference that there are “more than 1.6 million jobs openings in the U.S. alone that are now in reach because of these certificate programs.” Coursera was founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller.
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ID: nc07122201
Title: Jill Castilla, Christine Lanning, Avilla Williams Join HPU's Board of Trustees
Date: July 12, 2022
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HPU welcomes three highly respected business and community leaders as Trustees of its governing Board.
Each of the newly elected Trustees is an alumna of HPU: Jill Castilla ʻ96; Christine Lanning ‘04; and Avilla Trigg Williams ‘90.
“Everyone at HPU is elated to have Jill, Christine and Avilla join the board at a time when there is a myriad of exciting opportunities for HPU to continue its innovation and momentum as it establishes standards of excellence in higher education,” said HPU board chair Richard Hunter. “We are looking forward to working with these three exemplary HPU alumni, hearing their perspectives and creative ideas to advance HPU’s mission and vision.”
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Jill Castilla is the President and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond, one of only 13 banks in the United States that has been designated by the Federal Reserve as a Women-Owned Bank. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from HPU and earned her master’s degree in economics from the University of Oklahoma. She served in the U.S. Army and Oklahoma Army National Guard and has held various positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Castilla attended post-graduate programs at the University of Wisconsin's Graduate School of Banking and The Wharton School. Castilla serves as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, and was also appointed to the Federal Advisory Council, representing the Kansas City District.
Castilla's visionary leadership earned her and the Citizens team an impressive collection of industry accolades, including, one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” (American Banker), “Banker of the Year” (Cornerstone Advisor), “Most Innovative CEOs in Banking” (Bank Innovation), “Most Admired CEOs in Oklahoma” (Journal Record), “100 Most Influential People in FinTech” (FinTech Weekly), and “Community Banker of the Year” (American Banker).
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Christine Lanning is the President of Integrated Security Technologies. She earned a master’s degree in information systems from HPU. Lanning was recognized as the “Small Business Administration (SBA) Hawaiʻi Leader of 2020.” She is a board member of the Armed Forces Communication Electronics Association (AFCEA), American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS), and was the first female elected to the board of directors for PSA Security, North America’s largest electronic security cooperative, in 2015.
Integrated Security Technologies, Inc. (IST), is a woman-owned company that delivers quality electronic solutions that protect Hawaiʻi’s government, its businesses, and their employees. Founded in 1988, IST was awarded Hawaiʻi Business Magazine’s “Best Places to Work,” from 2013 to 2021, Pacific Business News “Fastest Growing Companies” in 2021, and Hawaiʻi Business Magazine’s “Top 250 Business” in 2021.
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Avilla Williams is the Vice President of Clinical Services at INTEGRIS Health, Oklahoma’s largest health system and previously served as President of INTEGRIS Health Edmond. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from HPU (Hawaii Loa College) and earned her master’s degree at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Hospital Association awarded her the Spirit of Transformation Award in 2011 and the Spirit of Legacy in 2020. In 2016, Williams was recognized as one of the “50 Women Making a Difference” in Oklahoma by the Journal Record. In 2020, she was recognized by the Oklahoman as a “21st Century Woman,” and was an inductee to the Edmond Hall of Fame. She has 40 years of nursing/clinical and administrative healthcare experience; 30 of these years are in behavioral health and addiction medicine.
Williams has served on several healthcare, civic and community boards, including the governing council of the American Hospital Section for Metropolitan Hospitals, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, and was the co-chair of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women. She is also on the board of trustees of the Edmond Economic Development Authority, Langston University Urban Campuses, and the Citizens Bank of Edmond. In addition, she is on the board of directors of Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma.
ID: nc07112201
Title: HPU Students Awarded Scholarships to Study Abroad
Date: July 11, 2022
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Four HPU students have received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program study abroad award in 2022. Study abroad programs at HPU and across the U.S. are opening up and more students are traveling internationally. The Gilman program awarded nearly 3,000 U.S. undergraduate students this year, representing a total of 536 U.S. colleges in 49 states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (U.S. Dept. of State). The HPU students received $5,000 each for their program travels.
“Making study abroad more accessible for a wide range of students is something that is extremely important to me,” said HPU Director of Study Abroad and International Programs Melissa Matsubara. “There are hundreds of scholarships for students to apply to when starting the application process. I encourage students to send me drafts of their scholarship essays. I’m happy to work with each student, draft after draft, helping to ensure that they have the best opportunity to get that scholarship.”
HPU students Galia Corona Berron, Cloë Parks, Ivanya Johnson, and Dakota Jackson all received the Gilman Program Scholarship. Berron is a social work major studying in Seville, Spain; Parks is a psychology major studying in London, England; Johnson is a marine biology major studying in Sydney, Australia; Jackson is an environmental studies major studying in Seoul, South Korea.
Jackson is a first-generation college student and resident advisor at HPU. He chose to study in South Korea to embrace and learn more about the country’s culture, people, and traditions.
“I am amazed by the beauty of South Korea,” said Jackson. “I find comfort in the way their society embraces their heritage. With the hope to find inspiration in how to embrace my own culture in America, I study with the mission of learning how to be a cultural ambassador, untangling the misunderstandings and misperceptions that Americans have about South Korea and the Korean people. Traveling through South Korea and attending university allows me to engage with the locals, where we can build a bridge of knowledge between the two countries.”
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Parks hails from Hawai‘i Island, and she accepted an internship in London with a private psychology clinic called HealthMatters Group. This summer, Parks interned at the London clinic and studied in the classroom for three weeks, realizing the dream to study abroad and experience the world. She will continue her studies in London until December 2022.
“Honestly, this has been the best experience of my life,” said Parks. “I travel to different European countries, make new friends, and reconnect with the international students that I have met during my time at HPU. I love the internship. It has shown me a clear path of what I want to focus on in my career. I also discovered and nourished my character strengths in a completely different environment. It is incredible to take advantage of this time in your life and chase after the enriching opportunity to study abroad.”
Berron was raised in Mexico where she worked with neglected children and/or refugee children in Mexico. It’s what has helped her decide on social work as a major at HPU, with a minor in women’s studies. She plans to dedicate her life to providing the resources and support needed to end the cycle of poverty for women and children in Mexico.
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“Studying abroad has already helped me to manage my finances, plan ahead, and learn about myself and what experiences I need for my career,” said Berron. “Being blessed to live in a country like America comes with the responsibility of returning to my country to improve the lives of others. In Spain, I look to learn how to create a company that can provide women and children with education, a place to live, a way to find a job, access to healthcare, and other social services that will transform their life greatly. Choosing this program in Spain is perfect for my academic interests and career goals for my first time studying abroad.”
Johnson chose to study abroad in Australia because she is planning to attend James Cook University for her master’s degree. She plans to become a shark biologist and conservationist. Johnson has travelled extensively in her youth, to Panama, Egypt, Indonesia, Fiji, the Caribbean and Grenadines before deciding to study abroad in Australia.
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“I grew up watching documentaries and TV shows about the wonders of Australia,” said Johnson. “Australia is one of many reasons why I fell in love with the ocean and why I want to pursue my dreams of being a shark biologist and conservationist. There are many species of flora and fauna that are only found in Australia. I want to experience this before jumping into my master’s program. No matter what you’ve learned, nothing beats seeing the world with your own eyes. Seeing Sydney for myself has really grown my appreciation for cities and urbanized areas.”
The Gilman Program Scholarship is just one of several hundred scholarships specifically available for studying abroad. To see the complete list click here, and to visit the HPU Study Abroad Website click here.
“Study abroad is possible for everyone,” said Matsubara. “There is a lot of funding, specifically for study abroad. I will do whatever I can to help our students with the application process.”
Photos provided by Galia Corona Berron, Cloë Parks, Ivanya Johnson, Dakota Jackson.
References
Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. (2022). Award notifications issued for Gilman program, March 2022. U.S. Department of State. https://mcusercontent.com/369352f2c5a55cc9e1befd901/files/77880704-0fa2-0022-7d98-e27cc987720e/Gilman_Scholarship_Press_Release_March_2022_Deadline.docx
ID: nc07072201
Title: HPU Student Receives Grant to Research Drug Treatment for Stroke
Date: July 07, 2022
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Author: Gregory Fischbach
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HPU senior Olivia Honaker has been awarded a grant to conduct research on an alternative drug target called TRPM7, an ion channel protein that has shown promise for those who have had a stroke. The molecule waixenicin A has been found in an endemic Hawaiian coral called Sarcothelia edmondsoni. The molecule has been confirmed to be a selective inhibitor of the TRPM7 ion channel.
“Sarcothelia edmondsoni is a soft coral that is found mainly in shallow water off the North Shore and off windward Oahu,” said Honaker. “The waixenicin A molecule comes from this soft coral. This molecule inhibits the TRPM7 ion protein, which is an emerging drug target for hypoxic-ischemic stroke and breast cancer. I hope to prove that waixenicin A makes a permanent bond to TRPM7 when applied to determine essential information needed for synthesizing better versions of waixenicin A.”
Honaker was chosen for the $3,000 research grant by the HPU Undergraduate Infrastructure Student Research Center (HUI SRC). The HUI SRC is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), established in 2020 at HPU; they award grants annually to HPU students for health-related research. Honaker is a member of the HUI SRC and has been working with HPU Chemistry Professor F. David Horgen, Ph.D., for over three years as an associate student researcher on the INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research) grant that is funded by NIH and in its eighteenth year of funding at HPU.
“Olivia has been an excellent research student who thrives on challenges, shows great initiative, has excellent leadership skills, and developed an impressive range of research skills,” said Horgen. “The HUI SRC grant has been a perfect opportunity for her to compete for funding by building on her foundation and designing a project. She is on a great trajectory.”
The first part of Honaker’s research is to culture cells, treat them with and without waixenicin A, analyze them, and then review the results to see if the TRPM7 protein is binding to waixenicin A.
“We are interested to know if waixenicin A covalently binds,” said Honaker. “Covalently bound drugs work very well in the body and are potent. About 30% of all drugs are covalently bound drugs, which means they form permanent bonds with their target proteins and permanently disable them. I hypothesize that waixenicin A covalently binds to TRPM7, which accounts for its strong potency.”
The second part of the project is to determine what amino acid residue waixenicin A binds to because this will propel TRPM7 research even further.
“If we can figure out how this happens then we and our collaborators may be able to manipulate the structure even further and produce a drug to be used in clinical trials,” said Honaker.
Honaker is from Roanoke, Virginia. She is a marine biology major at HPU with a minor in chemistry. She leads HPU’s student instrumentation mentoring program and is an American Academy of Underwater Sciences certified scientific diver. Honaker plans to earn a Ph.D., and focus her research on marine pharmacognosy – the study of drugs derived from marine life. She expects to complete her research at HPU and present her findings in spring 2023.
Photos: Macro shot of Sarcothelia edmondsoni (Paula Berger ‘15); Sarcothelia edmondsoni, a soft coral that only grows in Hawai‘i, seen with tropical fish (Oliver Koning).
ID: nc07012202
Title: HPU Business Dean Co-Authors Article on Opportunities in the New Service Marketplace
Date: July 01, 2022
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HPU Dean of the College of Business Mark Rosenbaum, Ph.D., has co-authored an article in the Journal of Services Marketing entitled Editorial: Research priorities in the new service marketplace. The article offers ten research priorities for service researchers. These research priorities are supply chain and staffing shortages; sustainable services, older consumers embrace digital technologies; digital financial services; consumer pursuit of personal and spiritual awareness; participating in virtual communities, networks and worlds; affinity for peer-to-peer commerce; transformative places; seeking self-love services, and social distance concerns.
“This editorial sets the research priorities for not only Journal of Services Marketing authors, but also, for the service discipline in general,” said Rosenbaum. “Too often, academicians, including doctoral students, lack an understanding of which topics to pursue and how to work on investigations that are timely, relevant, and, most importantly, interesting. My colleagues and I address this issue by providing research guidance on ten key topics that warrant empirical and humanistic investigations in the services marketing domain for at least the next two to three years.”
Rosenbaum serves as co-editor of the Journal of Services Marketing, an associate editor for the Journal of Business Research and the Service Industries Journal, and an editorial board member of several services and travel related journals. He notes that, “if it's interesting, then it's in the Journal of Services Marketing.”
June
ID: nc06302201
Title: International Fellow to Study Marine Plastic Debris at HPU’s Center for Marine Debris Research
Date: June 30, 2022
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Author: Gregory Fischbach
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It is estimated that eight million tons of plastic is in the ocean. The weight of 90 aircraft carriers. Food wrappers, bottle caps, cigarette butts, straws, single-use bags are the most common type of plastic lingering in the ocean. Plastic does not decompose. It floats. It drifts across continents; it sinks; it breaks apart into microplastics that are 5 mm or less, the size of a pencil eraser. When larger plastics degrade the materials can exist in the environment for thousands of years. Research into what happens to these plastics and where they wash ashore is imperative (NOAA, 2022).
French postdoctoral fellow Astrid Delorme, Ph.D., was recently awarded the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship. The MSCA fellowship project, “STORAGE” received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe program. STORAGE stands for “predicting the fate of plaSTic On beaches by theiR 3D-distribution and weAtherinG procEsses.” Delorme will be conducting STORAGE research in Hawai‘i at HPU’s Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) for 21 months.
“The aim of STORAGE is to fill in current knowledge gaps in global monitoring of marine plastic debris (MPD),” said Delorme. “Our approach is based on repeated field-surveys of surface and buried MPD and studying plastic degradation induced by weathering on Hawai‘i beaches. The beaches of Hawai‘i accumulate high amounts of MPD due to their location and proximity to the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (North Pacific Garbage Patch).”
Delorme’s research project focuses on plastics that have been released from land and are in the oceans. Some of this plastic travels great distances and washes ashore on distant shorelines.
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The Hawaiian Islands are in the center of the North Pacific Garbage Patch. The islands act as a fine-tooth comb, sifting out debris while plastic cycles through and washes ashore.
Kamilo Beach on Hawai‘i Island has up to 10-foot-high hills of plastic debris. It is one of the most plastic polluted regions on earth. The shoreline collects plastics from around the world and from decades long past. Plastics that do not wash ashore will remain in the ocean, entangling whales, fish, dolphins, turtles, seals, and other aquatic life.
According to the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, 15-20 tons of marine trash washes ashore every year and 96 percent of that material is plastics. When wildlife consume plastic the toxic contaminants accumulate in the food web over time, eventually reaching humans.
Delorme’s research at CMDR of HPU will be directly associated with the study of these MPD in the ocean that may end up on the shorelines of Hawai‘i’s most renowned beaches.
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“I became interested in the plastic pollution problem and the current technologies to combat this global problem. During the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, I contacted the Ocean Cleanup to ask if they would be interested to team up with me to develop a MSCA project on plastic pollution fate in the marine environment,” said Delorme. “CMDR’s location makes it the ideal location to study fate MPD. The research team at CMDR has been studying marine debris in Hawai‘i for several years and they are specialists in developing and optimizing reproducible methods for sampling, characterizing, and identifying plastic debris in Hawai‘i .
“CMDR is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory instruments for marine plastic debris separation and identification, which puts them at the forefront of marine plastic pollution research. HPU has a reputation for excellence in both teaching and research in MPD, which will provide me with unrivalled expert guidance to develop the research withing STORAGE. I am excited to work in the thriving and enthusiastic environment that is clearly present at HPU.”
Delorme was born in France and grew up in Sweden. She earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in chemistry at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, with her third year completed at the University of Melbourne in Australia. She earned her Ph.D. at the EPSRC Centre of Doctoral Training in Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Nottingham.
Delorme has been a postdoctoral researcher at Clermont Auvergne INP and ICCF in Clermont-Ferrand, France, since 2019. She will begin her research at HPU in August 2022 and will be finished in August 2025.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101061749. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the European Research Agency can be held responsible for them.
This project is endorsed as Decade project: “No. 93.2. PlaSTic On beaches: 3D-distRibution and weathering” forming part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 and is attached to the Ocean Decade Programme “15. Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs).”
All photos by Astrid Delorme, Ph.D., and Sarah-Jeanne Royer, Ph.D.
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References
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. (2022). A Guide to Plastic in the Ocean. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/marinedebris/plastics-in-the-ocean.html
ID: nc06282201
Title: Ashley Ching Honored as Ke Kaukahi Award Winner
Date: June 28, 2022
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The Special Events and Recognition Committee, on behalf of the Staff Council, presented the Spring 2022 Ke Kaukahi Recognition of Excellence award to Ashley Ching, Executive Assistant to the President.
Ashley embodies the University’s values of aloha, kuleana, and pono. She completes every task with care and attention and in the best interests of HPU and its students.
She is, without doubt, the glue that is essential to the seamless workings of the Board and emergency actions and communications within the Offices of the President and University Counsel. Without fail, she is a University ambassador at every major Board and University event.
Her award nominator says Ashley “works tirelessly and without complaint, regularly volunteering for community service at all major University events and regularly supporting her employee family in other departments.” Ashley is “an incredible unsung hero with a warm and positive impact on all who work with her.” Without Ashley, HPU would not be able to function on all cylinders with due care and regard for the many special members of the HPU 'ohana and the surrounding community.
ID: nc06282202
Title: Faculty Support Center (FSC) Recognized with Ke Kaukahi Award
Date: June 28, 2022
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The Special Events and Recognition Committee, on behalf of the Staff Council, presented the Spring 2022 Ke Kaukahi Recognition of Excellence award to the Faculty Support Center.
The FSC team, under the leadership of Manager David Larson, is always eager to assist faculty, staff, and students to the highest standard without hesitation. And David, as the manager, provides a very nice and safe working environment, a “home away from home,” for his team members, many of whom are from the continental U.S. or another country.
The FSC team ensures the continuity of daily operations: From the handling of mail distribution and supply requests to addressing class cancellations, archiving and maintaining syllabi, making sure the Registrar’s office gets an accurate count of room capacity, and so much more.
The award nominator representing a one-person office cites numerous examples of David and the FSC team “stepping up and assisting beyond their scope of duties and responsibilities. They would jump in to help without hesitation.” Their can-do attitude positively impacts the university community as a whole.
ID: nc06282203
Title: Venus Asencion Honored as Ke Kaukahi Award Winner
Date: June 28, 2022
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The Special Events and Recognition Committee, on behalf of the Staff Council, presented the Spring 2022 Ke Kaukahi Recognition of Excellence award to Venus Asencion, Registration Coordinator.
Multiple departments have mentioned how much they enjoy working with Venus. Her kindness, efficiency, and willingness to reach out to other departments for assistance stand out to those who have worked with her.
Her award nominator says Venus “(works) diligently every semester to assist our students in a kind and gentle manner, but most graciously during our peak seasons….” Additionally, Venus recently started working on course registration for the visiting students. She has learned to handle these requests with care and maintains a positive attitude throughout the peak processing time. Venus fields questions about course descriptions, immigration regulations, scheduling, course approval, schedule complaints, etc.
Venus is “a great addition to the Student Services Center and truly a pleasure to work with.”
ID: nc06272201
Title: HPU Professor Attends Security Forum in Austria
Date: June 27, 2022
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Author: Gregory Fischbach
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HPU Assistant Professor of Information Systems Bernhard Bengler, D.B.A. travelled to Austria to attend the 2022 Security Forum held in May 2022 on the campus of the University of Applied Sciences (FH) Upper Austria in Hagenberg.
The Security Forum is the annual IT-Security Conference in Hagenberg that addresses current issues in the areas of IT security. The attendees are offered technical as well as management-oriented talks by representatives of business, research and public service.
The Security Forum was established in 2003 and is organized by the “Hagenberger Kreis,” which represents all alumni of the cybersecurity program of the University.
The forum is a two-day event that proved to be a great success for sponsors, partners, and the University. The Security Forum has distinguished itself through the presence of renowned lecturers, domestic, as well as from abroad.
The forum offers two parallel tracks. There is a technical and a management-oriented track, with a joined keynote session in-between. Hot topics this year were security management of critical infrastructure, information security with the internet of things (IoT), industrial internet of things (IIoT), and information security in operations technology (OT) (i.e., production lines in the automotive industry).
Bengler was invited to the forum by Professor of System & Communication Security and Head of the Department Secure Information Systems, DI Robert Kolmhofer at University of Applied Sciences FH Upper Austria. The purpose of the forum was not only academic but included a research focus as well. Bengler established contact with FH Upper Austria 2021 because the University’s level of security expertise is outstanding.
The town of Hagenberg is known as “Austria's Silicon Valley,” chiefly due to the relationship of research, training, and business all centered in one area called Software Park Hagenberg.
The technology park was founded in 1989 by mathematician Bruno Buchberger. More than 1,000 people are employed at the park and they work in approximately 75 companies, including eight start-ups. This dynamic environment offers an ideal place for practical training with career prospects and opportunities for internships and jobs on-site.
Photo Caption: (Left to Right) Professor DI R. Kolmhofer, Head of Department Secure Informationsystems, FH Hagenberg; Dr. A. Grzemba, Vice-President Research and Knowledge Transfer, TU Deggendorf; Dr. B. Bengler, HPU. Picture source: Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences Hagenberg
ID: nc06222201
Title: HPU Establishes Scholarship in Honor of Former Gov. Linda Lingle
Date: June 22, 2022
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HPU and former Gov. Linda Lingle have established a scholarship for students who show potential to become exceptional leaders. The “Honorable Linda Lingle Scholarship in Government and Public Policy” was endowed by Lingle, her senior cabinet while governor, and by more than 20 Hawai‘i businesses and donors.
“Gov. Lingle is a true visionary and leader,” said HPU President John Y. Gotanda. “Through her unwavering commitment to service over self, she has helped our communities and people in Hawai‘i and at HPU in transformative ways. It is certainly fitting that the ‘Honorable Linda Lingle Scholarship in Government and Public Policy’ at HPU will help prepare our next generation of leaders and visionaries in the name of a stellar role model in Gov. Lingle.”
HPU announced the new scholarship at its recent trustees dinner that included presentations by Lingle and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. Gotanda also announced the gift of Lingle’s papers to HPU from her two-term tenure as governor.
Lingle previously served as a member of the HPU Board of Trustees from 2017-20. She was the sixth governor of Hawai‘i, serving from 2002-2010 and is the only woman ever elected governor of the Aloha State. Lingle’s focus during her eight years as chief executive was energy independence and delivering on the promise of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust. Prior to being elected governor, Lingle served two terms as mayor of the County of Maui and five terms as a member of the Maui County Council.
Lingle currently serves as a founding member of the Women’s Prison Project, a coalition of former politicians, business leaders, and prison reform advocates. HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, who is a scholar of crime and sentencing policy, joins Lingle as one of the members of the volunteer group.
ID: nc06212201
Title: Business Professors’ Research on Additive Manufacturing Accepted for Publishing
Date: June 21, 2022
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College of Business Associate Dean and Professor of Management, International Business, Harm-Jan Steenhuis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics Xin Fang, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Management Tolga Ulusemre, Ph.D., received notification that their latest research has been accepted in the journal Technology Analysis & Strategic Management. “High technology, performance and price: the case of additive manufacturing through desktop 3D printers” focuses on consumer-level additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing), where the authors studied the relationship between underlying technology characteristics, the performance of consumer-level 3D printers, and the value attached to the 3D printer proxied by the price.
Interestingly, only 25% of the technology characteristics matter for both performance and price, while 33% of the technology characteristics neither matter for performance nor price. Furthermore, 8% of the technology characteristics only matter for performance, and 33% only matter for price. For high technology such as consumer-level 3D printers, it is challenging to know for manufacturers of these machines which technology system characteristics are important for potential buyers. Also, technology characteristics presented by manufacturers in, for instance, customer-oriented tests may not fully capture them. Furthermore, the performance of the technology may not matter that much for early adopters. Certain hobbyist features may matter for early technology enthusiasts, even if they do not influence performance. . For a manufacturer, what this means is that they need to be aware of the different types of technology characteristics and the roles that these characteristics have for different adopter groups.
The article will soon be available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2022.2090330
Steenhuis, Fang, and Ulusemre previously received a “Best Paper” award for their paper on the development of industrial additive manufacturing in the International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management.
ID: nc06212202
Title: HPU Professor Named a Research Fellow by Pacific Forum
Date: June 21, 2022
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Yong Jae Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations, has been selected for the James A. Kelly Korea Fellowship program of the Pacific Forum. As a research fellow, starting July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, he will examine the impact of North Korea's nuclear crisis on Japanese and South Korean politics.
Kim, who joined HPU in 2018, is faculty in HPU’s Department of History and International Studies, College of Liberal Arts, teaches courses including “Introduction to Politics,” “Comparative Politics,” “International Relations,” “American Foreign Policy,” “East Asian Politics and International Relations,” “Political Analysis,” and “Senior Seminar.”
Nicolle Medak (BA International Studies ’21), the Fall 2021 undergraduate valedictory speaker, had the opportunity to work with Kim as an undergraduate research assistant on his project, “Issue Politics of the Chinese Communist Party."
“I am very happy with my students when they are cultivating their intellectual curiosity and making academic progress,” Kim said.
ID: nc06172201
Title: HPU's Oceanic Institute Installs New Bioreactors for Algae Culture
Date: June 17, 2022
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Oceanic Institute (OI) of HPU was recently featured in an issue of Hatchery Magazine. The article highlights OI’s acquisition of two photobioreactors and how this unique asset will contribute to OI’s groundbreaking shrimp breeding research and their ornamental fish breeding facility that is home to aquacultured yellow tangs. The photobioreactors were purchased from Industrial Plankton based in Canada.
The two algae bioreactors were installed at OI in April 2022 and are being used to grow two species of algae: Chaetoceros muelleri and Tisochrysis lutea. These algae are important as feed for larval shrimp, as background algae (or ‘green water’) for larval fish, and as feed for copepods, which are small shrimp-like animals used to feed larval fish.
In October 2021, the U.S. Department of Education awarded OI a 5-year $549,430 grant to help foster native Hawaiian students to pursue majors in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) disciplines using aquaculture as a transdisciplinary platform because it integrates biology, chemistry, engineering, and business in a holistic manner. Funds from the grant were used in part to purchase and install the algae bioreactors from Industrial Plankton.
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The bioreactors will help HPU students learn the fundamentals of algae culture, and will illustrate connections between nutrient availability, carbon dioxide concentration, and algae growth. These connections have broader implications than just aquaculture and are especially relevant in studying global climate change and carbon cycling. Students will have firsthand experience in the lab growing algae and obtaining experimental data.
OI has a team of technical researchers and HPU interns who help support the facility with key personnel, Executive Director Shaun Moss, Ph.D., Director of the Finfish Department, Chatham Callan, Ph.D., and Director of the Shrimp Department Dustin Moss, Ph.D.
To learn more about OI of HPU click here.
ID: nc06072201
Title: HPU Reports on Its Annual Campus Climate Survey Focused on Diversity and Equity
Date: June 07, 2022
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Hawai‘i Pacific University is privileged to have one of the most diverse campuses in the country, and we are dedicated to cultivating a campus community that fosters an equitable and inclusive living, learning, and working environment. To this end, we seek to gain a better understanding of the community’s perspectives and experiences related to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus. As a result, earlier this year, we launched our first of what will be an annual Campus Climate Survey on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, using a validated survey instrument developed by the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium [HEDS]. This survey explores the perspectives and experiences of students, faculty, staff, and administrators at HPU related to these topics. The data collected in this study will be used in many ways, including to establish a baseline for understanding the present climate at HPU, to help inform current and future planning about supporting a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant campus community, and to serve as a benchmark against which to measure change over time.
The 2022 survey solicited the views of our entire campus community of 3,977 students, faculty, staff, and administrators. 860 individuals responded (22% participation rate).
Here are some of the preliminary findings. The majority (80%) of students, faculty, and staff surveyed expressed overall satisfaction with the campus climate, and most (76%) also expressed satisfaction with the campus experience/environment regarding diversity at HPU. Nearly all of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that diversity at HPU improves experiences and interactions within the classroom, the workplace, and the overall community, with only 2% disagreeing. Most also agreed that senior leadership demonstrates a commitment to diversity and equity on campus.
The preliminary data and findings are posted here. A more complete report will be posted when the university receives it from our contact at HEDS later this summer.
May
ID: nc05312201
Title: APIA Scholars Recognizes HPU Student with Scholarship Award
Date: May 31, 2022
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APIA Scholars awarded Joseph “Jo” Roberto, an HPU Senior International Studies and Political Science major, a 2022-23 scholarship, recognizing his study of Asian and Pacific Island communities, advocacy for indigenous rights, and support for API awareness. Roberto received the award in May, coinciding with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In addition to the scholarship award, Roberto is now part of the APIA Scholars community, providing him opportunities to connect with fellow scholars, participate in API wellness and networking events, and explore career development opportunities.
Roberto, born in Guam, spent his youth living in Japan, the west coast of the continental United States, and Hawai‘i. A diaspora CHamoru, he began his research interest in CHamoru identity related to voting choice in the Political Science 2100 course of Andrea Malji, Ph.D.
Malji then introduced him to professor Ngoc Phan, Ph.D., the co-principal investigator of the 2021 Guahan Survey, which focused on understanding CHamoru identity and concerns. Roberto served as an undergraduate research assistant to Phan, participating as an analyst for the 2021 Guahun Survey, a collaboration including students from HPU and the University of Guam. Phan’s co-principal investigator is Kevin Lujan Lee, a Ph.D. candidate at MIT.
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“Dr. Phan really pushes me to explore my identity in the community. As an Asian Pacific Islander, these kinds of communities are very underrepresented and understudied,” Roberto said. “Dr. Phan has been a great resource to get me to study these groups and to use the data to bring awareness to indigenous communities, especially the CHamoru community, of which I am part.”
This past spring semester, Roberto developed his research further through his capstone course taught by Phan, building on data from the Guahan survey. His capstone project was entitled “CHamoru throughout the Diaspora: the Variation of Identities and Its Effect on Attitudes of Self-Determination.”
“I thought it was important to study indigenous systems and voting and get back to the central idea that self-determination is an important indigenous right,” Roberto said. “Self-agency is empowering.”
On-campus, Roberto shared his viewpoints on CHamoru identity through a Campus Activities Board (CAB) sponsored Asian Pacific Islander Week panel discussion held at the end of the spring semester. Roberto served as a panelist along with alumna Leilani DeLude (’20), Housing and Residence Life staff Max Malmud, and Dean of the College of Health and Society Halaevalu Vakalahi, Ph.D. CAB Chair Janelle Mateo (’22), who facilitated the discussion, focused on asking the panelists how they have become proactive in living their own API identity.“CAB intended to create a safe space to explore and navigate our own identities in the API community, including some of the difficulties and challenges we’ve had to overcome. And how we can further overcome challenges in areas such as race and belonging, gaining an education, and access to healthcare,” Roberto said.
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Roberto looks forward to making the most of his upcoming senior year. He will further his research work with professor Phan, preparing a proposal for presentation at the Western Political Science Association spring 2023 conference. He would also like to continue supporting CAB with identity and heritage events, ranging from PRIDE Week to API Week and Native Hawaiian History Month.
Roberto is a graduate of James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach. At HPU, he is the Chief Justice for the Student Government Association’s Student Judicial Council and is active with the Campus Activities Board as a general member. Roberto credits working in the HPU Study Abroad office with broadening his horizons to different areas of the world and new cultures and helping him to see his own identity. He has also helped the Admissions team at Preview Day, serving as a student panelist and sharing his HPU experience with prospective students. Roberto also works part-time for a Honolulu law firm, and he aspires to go to law school.
For more information on the APIA Scholars, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., and supported by corporations and organizations throughout the nation, go to: https://apiascholars.org/
Pictured in top image: Jo Roberto, back row, far left, and his fellow students in his Capstone course, and professor Ngoc Phan, Ph.D., back row, far right.
ID: nc05262201
Title: HPU Team Leads ‘We Care’ Campus Safety Training for Kamehameha School Seniors
Date: May 26, 2022
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The strong correlation between alcohol consumption and sexual assault was a key focus of a training session, bringing together graduating seniors of Kamehameha Schools (KS), the Kapalama, Maui, and Hawai‘i campuses, and their parents. In partnership with Hawai‘i Pacific University, the KS Malama Ola division, which oversees the physical and mental health clinical services provided to KS students, hosted the Thursday, May 5, virtual session intended to inform and prepare students before starting their lives as emerging adults.
The HPU ‘We Care’ team, AVP and Dean of Students Marites McKee, SVP and General Counsel Jan Boivin, and Title IX Coordinator Jason Howie, led the session. McKee, Boivin, and Howie included scenarios that students could likely encounter in college or generally as emerging adults, providing students the opportunity to consider how they might choose to respond. Beyond educating students to be prepared and street-wise, the HPU team challenged students to stop, have the courage to intervene, get help, or assist a fellow student in need.
“The primary purpose of the session is to encourage students to talk with their parents about real-life examples of college and other emerging adult social settings," McKee said. "The session is intentionally timed just before high school graduation parties, with an appropriate emphasis on prevention and situational awareness."
At the end of the evening’s presentation, the HPU team encouraged the students and their parents to continue their conversations candidly. Discussion topics included students’ experiences with alcohol, bystander intervention, healthy relationships, what-would-you-do scenarios, and available mobile safety apps like bSafe.
In 2012, Boivin and McKee co-founded the “We Care” program, committing to serve emerging young adults in Hawai‘i’s community through education, raising awareness, and facilitating honest, open conversations between students and their parents. The May 5 presentation marked the fourth time the HPU "We Care" team engaged with KS students and their families on this essential topic.
ID: nc05232202
Title: HPU Alumnus and Military Advisor Logan Named HPD Chief
Date: May 23, 2022
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Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Arthur “Joe” Logan, ’93, the former adjutant general, State of Hawai‘i, Department of Defense, was selected as the next chief of the Honolulu Police Department on Monday, May 23. Logan was the unanimous choice of the Honolulu Police Commission from among four finalists, culminating a national search that lasted almost a year.
Logan served with the HPD for 20 years, as an officer and detective. As adjutant general, he oversaw the training and readiness of approximately 5,000 soldiers and airmen of the Hawai‘i Army and Air National Guard while also acting as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor.
Logan earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from HPU and holds a master's degree in military strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and is a graduate of Saint Louis School in Honolulu. He is a criminal investigator for the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Attorney General. He is an adjunct instructor of criminal justice, homeland security, and public administration studies for the HPU Military Campus programs.
Earlier this year, Logan was named HPU’s senior director of military affairs to help deepen the university’s relationship with the extensive military community here in the islands. Amid the HPD selection process, Logan spearheaded this past weekend’s HPU Military Appreciation night that drew more than 2,000 military-affiliated individuals and families to Aloha Tower Marketplace in conjunction with the Saturday night market.
ID: nc05172202
Title: HPU’s NSAC Team Places in Top 15 Nationally in Semi-final Round
Date: May 17, 2022
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Hawaii Pacific University’s National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team competed in the virtual semi-final round of the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) 2022 NSAC held on May 5-6.
AAF reported that nearly 110 universities participated in the 2022 competition. Only District winners are eligible to compete in the semi-final round. Then the Top 8 teams proceed to the final round in June, held at ADMERICA, the AAF’s annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The AAF’s NSAC is the premier college advertising competition that provides students across the country the experience of creating a strategic advertising campaign for a corporate client. The 2022 client is MetaQuest. Students develop a plan book and a presentation, then pitch their work to a panel of judges at the district, semi-final, and national levels.
In the semi-final round, each district winning team holds a 15-minute virtual Q&A with the panel of national judges. HPU’s Communication seniors, Mya Frye, Julia Matsumoto, and Olivia McGougan, represented their team members to defend clarification questions about their campaign from the panel of four judges from the MetaQuest client.
Following are some of the favorable comments on the team’s plan, presentation, and quality of the Q&A session: “Enjoyed hearing how you uncovered a new barrier through research and your research methodology.” “Measurement and evaluation plan were super sharp and clean.” “The presentation was very thoughtful and fluid.” “Came with great answers to hard questions. I appreciated your passion.”
The judges concurred that they were impressed with the research quality and creativity behind each student campaign and that the final scores were extremely close.
About AAF District 13
The American Advertising Federation District 13 (AAF District 13) is a 501c6 Non-Profit Advertising Trade Organization affiliated with the American Advertising Federation – Hawaii and Ad 2 Honolulu. AAF District 13 also presents the annual Pele Awards, which honors the Best in Adverting and Design for the year.
ID: nc05172201
Title: HPU Biology Professor Co-authors Paper on Invasive Chameleons in Hawai‘i
Date: May 17, 2022
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HPU Associate Professor Brenden Holland co-authored a paper with scientists at Macquarie University, the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, the Australian National University, and the University of Melbourne in Australia. The scientists found the first evidence of an animal with dynamic color change developing brighter signals due to relaxation of the forces of natural selection. The paper appears in the May issue of the journal Science Advances and describes the results of paired behavioral trials conducted in their native range in Kenya, and repeated in Honolulu, literally, in Holland’s backyard.
The researchers first tested whether chameleons in Hawai‘i (where they were accidentally released via the pet trade in the 1970s) would recognize and react to realistic scale models of the two main African predators: a hawk and a tree snake. They then repeated the same experiments in Kenya, and remarkably, both groups of chameleons exhibited the same behavior, suggesting that recognition and reaction to these predators is biologically hardwired, even though chameleons in Hawai‘i had never been exposed to either of these predators since their release over 50 generations ago.
Chameleons are well known for their ability to change their skin color, and one function of this trait in males is to attract females during courtship. Here, the authors measured skin brightness relative to the forest background and found that the Hawai‘i chameleons were about 30% brighter than those in Kenya.
Holland explains that the mechanism behind the difference is likely natural selection.
“Natural selection often operates as a tradeoff,” says Holland, “or balance between ability to reproduce, i.e., pass along one’s genes, and survival; in this case, avoiding predators. A trait like color-change brightness in the presence of visual predators (in Africa) is highly constrained, where if too bright they are picked off by visual predators, but if not bright enough. The males cannot attract females and fail to reproduce. But Hawai‘i lacks these visual predators, and therefore chameleons are freer to become brighter over the generations.”
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According to Holland another important take-home message is that “traditionally, it has been assumed that evolutionary change takes thousands or millions of years, but this study shows that evolution can occur over much shorter time periods, even decades.”
Another study by Holland and his research group focused on Hawai‘i chameleons, showing that populations on the Big Island of Hawai‘i have evolved larger heads, likely due to environmental conditions, namely drier habitat and harder prey, such as beetles, requiring stronger bite force.
In 2021, Holland and a team of researchers from Japan, Canada, and HPU discovered a new species of jellyfish called Tima nigroannulata. The jellyfish is the size of your hand, has a black ring around the bell and over 50 tentacles.
Photos by Brenden Holland, Ph.D.
Whiting, M.J., B.S. Holland, J.S. Keogh, D.W.A. Noble, K.J. Rankin, and D. Stuart-Fox. 2022. Invasive chameleons released from predation display more conspicuous colors. Science Advances 8, eabn2415, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abn2415. Published 13 May 2022.
ID: nc05122203
Title: HPU Communications and Marketing Earns International Awards
Date: May 12, 2022
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Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Communications & Marketing team earned four honors in the 2022 Communicator Awards, announced this week by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts in its international competition for agencies, corporate and non-profit communicators.
HPU garnered three Awards of Excellence, one for online video and two for podcast episodes, along with an Award of Distinction in the online advertising and marketing category.
You can see and hear the winning entries here:
- Welcome to the HPU ‘Ohana! (Move-in Day Highlights, 2021); Award of Excellence
- Long Journey to Change—Jennifer Lynch and the Plastics Crisis; Award of Excellence
- Certainty Amid Uncertainty—Different Ideas with Ramsay Taum; Award of Excellence
- Live from Honolulu 2021; Award of Distinction (This is HPU’s virtual Admitted Student Reception, with the main show beginning at 22:22 of the video)
ID: nc05122201
Title: HPU Professor Co-authors Paper on Climate Change
Date: May 12, 2022
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HPU Professor of Oceanography Thomas DeCarlo, Ph.D., has co-authored a paper in Global Change Biology on the impacts of climate change in the marine ecosystem. The paper entitled, “Coral-bleaching responses to climate change across biological scales,” focuses on mass coral bleaching and mortality as responses to ocean warming.
The paper states that the authors have reviewed “some of the seminal and recent coral-bleaching discoveries from an ecological, physiological, and molecular perspective.”
DeCarlo teaches in the department of natural science at HPU’s Makapu'u Campus. He runs the HPU sclerochronology lab, with research focusing on unraveling the ocean’s past and addressing how changes in our ocean influence the functioning of precious coastal ecosystems.
DeCarlo received his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and joined the faculty at HPU in 2020.
ID: nc05112201
Title: HPU Celebrates Veterans and Military with Military Appreciation Night
Date: May 11, 2022
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Hawai‘i Pacific University has proudly supported the higher education needs of the military community for nearly 60 years. In celebration of Military Appreciation Month, HPU says aloha and mahalo to all active duty and retired military service members, veterans, and their families.
We invite you to join us on Saturday, May 21, for HPU Military Appreciation at Aloha Tower Night Market, 5 pm-9 pm, for a fun, family-friendly event! The event will be at HPU's Aloha Tower Marketplace location, 1 Aloha Tower Drive.
Meet Major General (Ret.) Joe Logan, HPU Senior Director of Military Affairs and retired State of Hawai‘i Adjutant General. Logan is the chief liaison between HPU's Military Campus Programs and the U.S. Military Branches. An HPU alumnus and adjunct professor, he will be on hand to answer questions you may have about the HPU educational experience for the military.
HPU offers many undergraduate and graduate degree programs geared to the interest and experiences of those who serve our country, in convenient in-person and online platforms. Military Campus Programs are located at Hickam Air Force Base, Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i-Kaneohe Bay, Schofield Army Barracks, and Tripler Army Medical Center.
On May 21, Military families enjoy free food, parking, and more; military are requested to register at www.hpu.edu/mahalo. Please present ID at the Military VIP tent.
ID: nc05102201
Title: Maryknoll School Students Receive Their A.A. Degrees from HPU
Date: May 10, 2022
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HPU celebrated the achievements of seven Maryknoll School dual-credit students receiving their A.A. degrees on May 7, at the University’s spring 2022 graduation ceremony at Aloha Tower Marketplace. The students earned their degrees from HPU before receiving their high school diplomas from Maryknoll School. All seven students will be continuing their university education.
“HPU is pleased to support the acceleration of high schoolers beginning their higher education through dual-credit program partnerships,” said HPU Dean of the College of Professional Studies Mani Sehgal. “At HPU, the faculty and staff are committed to fostering a student-centered learning community and providing the guidance and mentorship students need to pursue what they are passionate about learning and doing.”
HPU’s dual-credit program offers high school students from partner schools the option to enroll in college credits while in high school and then earn an A.A. concurrently with their high school diplomas.
High school students who graduate with an A.A. allow them to shorten their time while earning a B.A., reduce student debt, access professional opportunities and career resources, and enter the workforce or complete a graduate degree sooner.
HPU began its partnership with Maryknoll School in 2017, enrolling its first cohort of dual-credit students in the fall of that year. HPU is also engaged in dual-credit program partnerships with Hanalani Schools and Kamehameha Schools. This past fall, more than 1,000 students from Kamehameha Schools enrolled in the HPU dual-credit program.
The spring 2021 cohort of Maryknoll School dual-credit students who graduated with their A.A. degrees include 11 individuals. Three students continued their studies at HPU to complete their bachelor’s degree programs; two will be starting their senior year at HPU in fall 2022, and one is graduating on May 7 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and has been accepted into law school.
To learn more about the HPU dual-credit program click here.
Pictured in photo: Benjamin Carrico, Carson Clayton Chiu, Harvey Ho-Yin Chu, Tea Lehua Leong, Kalli Yumi Sunahara, Zoe Kiyomi Ueatari, Talia Vazquez, HPU Dean of Professional Studies Mani Sehgal, HPU Dual-Credit Academic Advisor Darlene Ramos.
ID: nc05092201
Title: HPU Holds Two Spring Graduation Ceremonies at Aloha Tower Marketplace on May 7
Date: May 09, 2022
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HPU celebrated the achievements of its spring class of 2022 with two in-person graduation ceremonies, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., held on May 7, 2022, at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
The morning ceremony included graduates from the College of Health and Society, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, and the School of Nursing. Paige Ahladianakis, Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering graduate from Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, and Alexxus Yuk Lan Hi‘ipoi Ho, Master of Social Work graduate from Waimanalo, Oahu, served as the valedictory speakers for the morning ceremony.
The afternoon ceremony included graduates from the College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Professional Studies. Cidney Hopkins, Bachelor of Arts in international studies graduate from Knoxville, Tennessee, and Wipawee Promprasit, Master of Science in business analytics and information security graduate from Thailand, served as the valedictory speakers for the afternoon ceremony.
HPU instructor of Hawaiian language Tracie Lopes and the HPU hula ensemble opened the morning ceremony with a Hawaiian chant and hula. Joining Lopes for the Welcome ‘Oli at the afternoon ceremony was her daughter Miss Aloha Hula 2022 who danced the hula. Spring 2022 graduating students Aiden Johnson and Taylor Higa sang the Star-Spangled Banner and Hawai‘i Ponoi, respectively. HPU President John Gotanda, J.D., delivered remarks and conferred degrees and HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Walsh, Ph.D., served as Master of Ceremonies.
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The inaugural class of HPU’s Allen and Nobuko Zecha Engineering Program graduated in the morning ceremony. A total of nine students received their engineering degrees, and Trustee Emeritus Dr. Allen Zecha was in attendance to celebrate the achievements of the engineering class.
HPU’s dual-credit program recognized seven Maryknoll School students who received their Associate of Arts (A.A.) degrees in the afternoon ceremony. The high school students earned their A.A. degrees before receiving their high school diplomas on June 3. All seven students will continue their university education in the fall.
The morning and afternoon ceremonies were livestreamed. For additional information see the HPU graduation website at www.hpu.edu/graduation.
ID: nc05020222
Title: HPU 2022 Teacher of the Year Award Announced
Date: May 02, 2022
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HPU awarded Associate Professor of Engineering Suketu Naik, Ph.D., with the annual 2022 Teacher of the Year award. Naik is also the engineering program chair. He joined HPU in 2019 and teaches electrical and biomedical engineering courses. Naik was presented the award on April 27, at HPU’s Engineering Demonstration Day, an event where engineering students showcase their design projects they have been working on during the academic year.
“I would like to thank my fabulous students who put in their hard work and dedication,” said Naik. “I get to be my best with students who bring a lot of fresh ideas and great energy. My deepest thanks to my amazing colleagues for their leadership and support.”
Naik earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Kyoto University in Japan. His multidisciplinary research focused on the dynamics of coupled systems, including biomedical systems, inertial sensors, and energy harvesting.
HPU’s engineering program students are offered the opportunity to apply theory learned through participation in research projects. One of Naik’s students is working with him to design a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer system to aid in chronic pain and/or Alzheimer’s disease.
“Dr. Naik is not only an outstanding and considerate professor, but he is an incredible mentor,” said HPU biomedical engineering student Paige Ahladianakis. “I have only witnessed him go above and beyond for each individual engineering student, always pushing us to do our best, supplying us with anything we might need, and giving us ample patience even when the going gets rough. Each student's opinion matters to him, and he has been building the engineering program into something magnificent for us all. I could not imagine anyone more deserving of this title than him, he is the teacher of a lifetime to me!”
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The inaugural class of HPU’s Allen and Nobuko Zecha Engineering Program will graduate in the spring ceremony on May 7, 2022, at Aloha Tower Marketplace. A total of nine students will graduate with their engineering degrees, and several already have a job lined up after graduation; two students are headed to graduate school.
To learn more about HPU’s engineering program and to see the degrees offered click here.
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April
ID: nc04262201
Title: HPU Students Win Big at Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society Competition
Date: April 26, 2022
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HPU students won seven prizes at the Saturday, April 9, Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference. Congratulations to HPU students Cidney Hopkins, Mary Terry, David Arteaga, Michael Wong, Troy Howell, Maile Sufak, and Thabiso Mutumhe!
BEST UNDERGRADUATE PAPER
Winner: Cidney Hopkins from HPU for “A State of Ruins: Cultural Heritage Destruction in Mali”
HERBERT F. MARGULIES PRIZE (American History)
Winner: Mary Terry from HPU for “Donald Duck Diplomacy: American Cultural Diplomacy in Latin America”
Honorable Mention: David Arteaga De Santiago from HPU for “Zoot Suiters: A Pachuco Report US history LA race”
FRITZ REHBOCK PRIZE (science, discovery, technology, maritime history)
Winner: Maile Sufak from HPU for “Should bitcoin be adopted as a national currency”
ROBERT E. MCGLONE BIOGRAPHY PRIZE
Winner: Michael Wong from HPU for “Geisel the Ever So Propagandist”
MARC JASON GILBERT PRIZE (global conflicts/search for peace)
Winner: Troy Howell from HPU for “Cultural Diplomacy and Détente: How Collaboration Cooled off the Cold War”
GFWC WOMEN'S HISTORY PRIZE
Winner: Thabiso Mutumhe from HPU for “The Case Against Interpol”
ID: nc04252201
Title: HPU Is the American Advertising Federation District 13 Winner
Date: April 25, 2022
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Hawaii Pacific University’s strategic communication students are American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) District 13 winners of the 2022 National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) held on Saturday, Apr. 23 at Chaminade University of Honolulu.
NSAC, sponsored by American Advertising Federation (AAF), is an annual nationwide competition. Each year a corporate sponsor provides a case study of a real-world marketing problem challenging students to research the product and competition, identify potential opportunities and produce an integrated campaign for the client. Student teams then “pitch” their campaign to a panel of judges. Judging is conducted by advertising, marketing and media professionals in the industry.
The 2022 NSAC client, MetaQuest, challenged student teams to develop an advertising campaign with a
$10 million budget, targeting 18-24-year-old-college students and young adults to make the Quest 2 VR virtual reality headset an essential, coveted back to school product.
HPU students who are AAF College Chapter members and enrolled in the MC 4900 capstone experience course are eligible to compete in NSAC. Students create an integrated advertising campaign including background research, a media plan and production of several creative tactics including social media advertising executions.
All students audition, but only four are selected to present a 20-minute campaign pitch to a panel of judges. HPU’s 2022 NSAC presenting team include strategic communication seniors Valeria Figueroa, Mya Frye, Julia Matsumoto and Olivia McGougan, with alternates Kirby Pierce and Jasmine Sadang.
AnnMarie Manzulli has been the faculty advisor of the NSAC team since 2010. “NSAC is a rigorous teaching tool that provides an immersive, real-world industry experience,” says Manzulli. “We’re fortunate to have the support of dedicated AAF District 13 industry experts who invest in students, the next generation of advertising professionals.”
The district competition is judged by industry professionals selected by AAF Hawaii District 13 Coordinators, Paul Lam and Noah Tom. The 2022 industry judges include Helen Chang, Spectrum Reach; Keith DeMello, Ulupono Initiative; Khrystyn Huynh, Hawaiian Telcom; Kris Salzer, Anthology Marketing Group and Jody Shiroma, PBS Hawaii.
As District 13 winners, HPU’s NSAC team will proceed to the virtual semi-final round, which is a 20-minute video presentation and a 10-minute conference call Q&A session with a panel of national judges, held on May 5-6. All first-place district winners will compete for one of eight national finalist spots. The top eight teams will advance to the national competition held in conjunction with ADMERICA, AAF’s national conference, which this year will be held in Nashville, TN.
About AAF District 13
The American Advertising Federation District 13 (AAF District 13) is a 501c6 Non-Profit Advertising Trade Organization that’s affiliated with the American Advertising Federation – Hawaii and Ad 2 Honolulu. AAF District 13 also presents the annual Pele Awards, which honors the Best in Adverting and Design for the year.
HPU’s NSAC Team and advisor from left to right:
Jasmine Sadang, Mya Fry, Kirby Pierce, Valeria Figueroa, Olivia McGougan, AnnMarie Manzulli, faculty advisor, and Julia Matsumoto.
ID: nc04192201
Title: Professor of English Publishes His Fourth Novel
Date: April 19, 2022
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Congratulations to Professor of English Tyler McMahon on the publication of his new book, One Potato. The eBook/audiobook has been released, and the hardcover book will be released on April 26. About McMahon’s novel, an excerpt from the book jacket: “Eddie Morales finds his lowly R&D life completely upended when his Boise-based biotech firm dispatches him to Puerto Malogrado, a tiny but tumultuous country in South America where the international media is accusing their experimental potatoes of causing a bizarre medical crisis. … Darkly funny and compassionately rendered, One Potato charts the crooked line between nature and technology and takes a deep look into a future shaped by disasters both natural and devastatingly man-made.”
Read more about McMahon’s new book here.
Professor McMahon teaches WRI 2601 Introduction to Creative Writing in both fall and spring and will be offering WRI 3391 Wanderlust Student Literary Magazine in fall and WRI 3310 Poetry Workshop in spring. He is also the editor of Hawaii Pacific Review, and students can sign up for the one-credit online class WRI 3951 Staff Reader, Hawaii Pacific Review, in both fall and spring.
ID: nc04142201
Title: HPU Career Certificates Boost Student Success
Date: April 14, 2022
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HPU has announced partnerships with Google and Coursera that offer students free career certificates from companies Google, Meta, Intuit, Salesforce, and IBM. The Grow with Google partnership provides the university with 150,000 licenses for five Google certificates. The Coursera Career Academy is a pilot program that offers 16 certificates for 100 HPU students. The certificates take approximately 150 hours to complete.
“HPU students have really taken advantage of these partnerships,” said HPU Dean of the College of Business Mark Rosenbaum, Ph.D. “Right now, in the Coursera Career Academy, we have 100 students already enrolled; our students have taken 345 lessons for 192 hours. It’s an incredible start to this pilot program. Students who did not enroll in the Coursera Career Academy can enroll in up to five certificates with Grow with Google.”
The Grow with Google certificates include data analytics, project management, user experience design, IT support, and IT automation with python. If a student completes 10 hours per week the certificate will be earned in six months. Students can work at their own pace while earning a certificate.
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“This is BSBA and MBA plus,” said Rosenbaum. “The Grow with Google career certificates provide a clear value proposition to employers as each one is supported by leading organizations. Employers will realize that an HPU graduate with a certificate has a particular skillset that results in him or her being highly desirable in the workplace.”
The most popular certificate is project management. Nationally, there are over 475,000 job openings for graduates with this certificate and the average salary is just under $60K.
“HPU’s mission is to be practical, innovative, and experiential,” says Rosenbaum, “and these certificates clearly demonstrate that HPU is providing our students with practical, innovative, and experiential opportunities. Students can gain experiential opportunities with our new Telanto partnership. This is a global, project-based opportunity where students work with companies around the world on real-world projects.”
The marketplace has clearly shown that today’s college graduates need practical skills plus a college degree. Taking advantage of earning a career certificate with HPU will give students that extra boost in their careers.
Students interested in signing up for a free Grow with Google certificate should contact Dean Rosenbaum at mrosenbaum@hpu.edu.
March
ID: nc03312201
Title: HPU Partners with Telanto to Connect Students with Global Industry
Date: March 31, 2022
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HPU will provide its students with more opportunities in worldwide experiential learning thanks to its new partnership with Telanto, a global technology company that connects industry with academia.
The Spain-based Telanto provides a digital platform connecting HPU with industry partners to work on real-world projects online. HPU faculty from all colleges can access projects around the world and incorporate those projects into their courses.
“HPU’s partnership with Telanto opens doors for students to broaden their preparation as world-ready professionals by working on projects with global industry leaders,” said HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D. “HPU has longtime success in experiential learning opportunities, including our guaranteed internship program on the ground here in Honolulu, so this new partnership is one more opportunity for students to work with companies on a project – now on a global scale.”
HPU professors and Telanto representatives collaborate to match a company with a course on Telanto’s academic business network. Once the company and HPU professor(s) scope the project the students then work closely with the industry partner on a real-world project. This opportunity empowers students to actively contribute to the corporate team, making a difference the moment a project is fully realized.
HPU Assistant Professor of Information Systems Bernhard Bengler, D.B.A., has overseen some of the early project experiences through the Telanto project. Bengler’s professional background includes leadership roles at corporations throughout Europe, Australia, and Asia. He enriches the student learning experience with real-life examples.
HPU Associate Professor of Information Systems Lawrence Rowland, ED.D., and Bengler are conducting research in the field of experiential learning, and are closely observing the impact of technological platforms, such as Telanto, in relation to faster project identification and global scale student interaction.
Bengler and Rowland’s research at HPU sparked Telanto’s interest and soon a partnership began, leading to the endorsement of HPU’s Center of Excellence in Project-Based-Learning.
Starting this spring semester, HPU faculty members in the colleges of Business, Liberal Arts, and Professional Studies have joined Bengler in committing to the Telanto project-based learning experience for their students. However, this is only the first step. The goal is to support Hawai‘i-based organizations through project-based learning initiatives.
HPU’s partnership with Telanto creates opportunities to present the university’s diverse student body to the world, preparing HPU students for careers across myriad disciplines. These experiential learning opportunities will provide students with hands-on work experience in their field of study while earning academic credit.
Companies that are among Telanto 's partners are tech startups, SMEs, and Fortune 500 leaders like Bayer, Allianz, Intel, De’Longhi, and Software One. Telanto was founded in Barcelona in 2015 and through its university-industry-collaboration platform is partnered with 1,000 universities in 51 countries, with HPU as the only partner institution in the Aloha State.
ID: nc03292201
Title: HPU Associate Dean Chosen As President-Elect 2022 for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare
Date: March 29, 2022
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Jayne Smitten PhD MEd CHSE-A, FSSH, Hawai’i Pacific University Associate Dean of the College of Health and Society (CHS) and Director, Experiential Simulation Center, will offer her educational and leadership skills to the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) as President-Elect 2022. Smitten was elected through a competitive nomination and voting process involving over 5000-plus SSH members and officially began her term as president-elect in January 2022. Working together with SSH President 2022, Haru Okuda, MD, FACEP, of the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, University of South Florida, and the diverse SSH Board of Directors from across the globe, Smitten will serve a global community of diverse practice members who champion healthcare simulation including but not limited to: physicians, physician assistants, nurses, allied clinical health and paramedical personnel, psychologists, veterinarians, researchers, educators, and developers all towards the enhancement of quality healthcare and improved patient and person outcomes.
For over two decades, Smitten has been an international thought leader in simulation-based clinical education and training. She led the first Telehealth and Simulation Center in Western Canada, facilitated the early development of nursing simulation-based education at the University of Calgary-Qatar in Doha, and now works to establish a center of excellence in simulation-based education at Hawai’i Pacific University. Smitten has been a member of SSH since its inception actively involved as an SSH Board and Executive Committee Member and most recently serving on the Accreditation Council and External Relations Committee.
Fortunate to be mentored by many of the gifted pioneers in simulation-based education, in addition to collaborating with simulation community practice members over the years, Smitten’s passion for simulation continues in working towards the SSH Mission: “To serve their members by fostering education, professional development, and the advancement of research and innovation; promote the profession of healthcare simulation through standards and ethics, and champion healthcare simulation through advocating, sharing, facilitating and collaborating.”
“My leadership vision for SSH in the next three years focuses on the mission and expansion of our diverse, holistic opportunities as a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary (’multi-inter-trans disciplinary’) network of simulation professionals,” Smitten said. “Vital prospects exist for investing in training, education, and research for our future in simulation wherever we are. The value of what we have and where we are going is hidden in these prospects.”
The Hawai‘i Pacific University ‘ohana congratulates Dr. Smitten on her new leadership role with the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, acknowledging her unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare simulation for the betterment of our communities.
ID: nc03232201
Title: HPU Names Maj. Gen. Logan as Senior Director of Military Affairs
Date: March 23, 2022
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HPU announced Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Arthur “Joe” Logan the University’s Senior Director of Military Affairs effective March 2022. Logan will serve as the chief liaison between HPU’s Military Campus Programs and the U.S. Military branches. Logan will build upon HPU’s existing strong relationships with the military community, representing the University through organizations supporting military affairs. He will provide insight and advice on how best to expand educational programming and services to meet the needs of a growing military community.
Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D., noted Logan’s 41 years of military service in Hawai‘i and abroad and strong ties to HPU as an alumnus and adjunct instructor of criminal justice and homeland security studies for the Military Campus programs will further strengthen the University’s commitment to providing educational opportunities for Armed Forces personnel and Veterans and their dependents and Department of Defense personnel.
“HPU has a longstanding history with the military in Hawai‘i, offering its first courses on military installations 40 years ago and continuing today providing higher education at five military locations on Oahu,” Walsh added. “We are pleased General Logan has accepted his newest HPU role, helping us to serve best the educational needs and professional aspirations of military personnel.”
Logan retired in December 2019 as the Adjutant General, State of Hawai‘i, Department of Defense. As Adjutant General, he oversaw the training and readiness of approximately 5,000 soldiers and airmen of the Hawai‘i Army and Air National Guard while also acting as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor. From 2007 to 2008, he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and served as Commander, Regional Police Advisory Command to the Afghan Central Region. He also concurrently served in the Honolulu Police Department from 1982 to 2002. Logan has received numerous awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service Medal.
“I look forward to collaborating with individuals within HPU and throughout the broader Hawai‘i and military communities to ensure HPU is the top private university of choice for Hawai‘i residents, military and their families, veterans, and international students across the globe,” Logan said. “My affiliation with HPU dates back to my late father Frank Logan, who served as an HPU administrator and faculty upon retiring from the U.S. Army. I am proud to continue my family’s connection to HPU.”
Logan earned his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Hawai‘i Pacific University in 1993, holds a master's degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and is a graduate of Saint Louis School in Honolulu. He is a criminal investigator for the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Attorney General.
ID: nc03182201
Title: Make it Eight!
Date: March 18, 2022
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HPU has taken the top spot in Hawai’i at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) for the eighth year in a row, defeating UH Hilo. HPU has won the Division I in Hawai’i 12 of 19 times. That’s more than any other university in Hawai’i since a Hawai'i site was created in 2003. HPU competes in the Pacific Northwest region, considered one of the toughest in the country.
“Participating in the contest is great for increasing problem-solving and programming skills, for a resume, and for job interviews,” said Associate Professor Curt Powley, Ph.D. “This is invaluable for any discipline.”
The Division I team includes HPU students Alyssa Lawton, Edward Flores, and Linus Ehlers. The HPU Division II team grabbed fourth place; players include HPU students Truong Nguyen, Dorde Zlatanovic, and Abigail Lorber. Contestants in the ICPC were given the option to compete virtually or in-person at their respective universities.
HPU alumnus Kevin Chevalier assisted in coaching the Division I and II teams this year and helped manage the HPU contest site. Chevalier competed and won first place last year while on the Division I team and has since graduated from HPU with degrees in biology and computer science.
Powley and HPU Division I team member Brian Chalfant were interviewed last year on Hawai’i Public Radio’s Bytemarks Café. They discussed the competition and how it tested the team’s creativity, innovation, and ability to perform under pressure.
Click here to listen to the complete interview with Bytemarks Café host Burt Lum.
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The ICPC is the most prestigious computer programming contest in the world. Over 58,000 contestants from over 3,400 universities in over 100 countries compete from over 600 sites. Teams of three work to solve real-world problems, “fostering collaboration, creativity, innovation, and the ability to perform under pressure,” according to the ICPC website.
To learn more about joining the HPU Division I and II teams contact Professor Curt Powley at cpowley@hpu.edu.
ID: nc03152201
Title: HPU Hosts Aquaculture Workshop for Waianae High School Students
Date: March 15, 2022
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Since 1992, Oceanic Institute of HPU has partnered with Waianae High School Marine Science Learning Center, conducting aquaculture workshops for their students and teachers.
At the helm of organizing every workshop over the 30 years is HPU Science Outreach Director Gary Karr. This year, thanks to a National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Regional Office Marine Education training grant Karr and colleagues welcomed 20 students and four teachers for a one-day aquaculture workshop held on February 9 at the university’s Makapu‘u campus. The one day session was a follow up to last year’s COVID-forced remote workshop also funded by NOAA NMFS PIRO MET that had to be spread out over more than a month.
Beginning with a tour of the research and educational facilities followed by a live feeds lecture by OI Director of the Finfish Department Chad Callan, Ph.D., the Waianae High School students engaged in hands-on learning activities, including counting rotifers and Artemia (brine shrimp) under the microscope. In the Finfish Hatchery, students learned first hand about finfish larval development, and in live larval feeds production rooms, they were shown how algae, rotifers, and copepods are grown to be fed to finfish larvae such as yellow tang.
“It has been a pleasure working with the students from Waianae these many years, providing them with hands-on experiences in aquaculture and exposing them to educational and career information related to marine science fields,” Karr said. “It is especially rewarding with an alumna of the Marine Science Learning Center at Waianae High School and the workshops, Katie Kealoha, now being the program’s lead teacher mentoring the next generation of scientists, aquaculturists, and educators. It shows how far these students can go given the opportunity.”
Photos courtesy Katie Kealoha, Waianae High School
ID: nc03092201
Title: HPU Receives $7M in Grants for STEM Education, Student Aid, Campus Upgrades
Date: March 09, 2022
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HPU received two grants totaling over $7 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Education for STEM education, student aid and assistance, and campus upgrades that include laboratory safety enhancements and state-of-the-art equipment. The grants include an upgrade to HPU’s IT network, online curriculum improvements, library resource support, and improvements to HPU’s Oceanic Institute and Makapuʻu campus.
“Receiving these grants will provide significant support for our students, staff, and faculty at HPU,” said HPU Senior Vice President Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D. “Nearly every facet of our university will receive an upgrade or enhancement. From our Makapuʻu campus to Waterfront Plaza, to the anchor of our campus at Aloha Tower Marketplace. It is a wonderful time to be at HPU.”
HPU’s School of Nursing will receive new simulation manikins for its nursing students to train on in the HPU simulation center. The School of Nursing will also receive equipment, laboratory safety upgrades, and health science curriculum modifications to address COVID-19 limitations and restrictions. HPU formally announced the establishment of its new School of Nursing in January 2022.
“The School of Nursing is thrilled to be receiving new computerized manikins and wearable simulators for our simulation center,” said HPU Professor of Nursing Jayne Smitten, Ph.D. “These grants will upgrade our ʻohana of manikins, which range from keiki to kupuna. Our state-of-the-art family of manikins will include the infant, child, adult, and elderly simulators to help all our nursing and healthcare learners react and make decisions on patient care for unlimited healthcare scenarios."
HPU’s College of Natural and Computational Sciences (CNCS) will receive funds for science equipment to enhance teaching and research, laboratory safety upgrades, distance learning equipment, and funds for facility upgrades for engineering labs at the Waterfront Plaza and at HPU’s Makapuʻu campus, which is the home of the marine science program and Oceanic Institute.
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“Our faculty, staff, and students have worked so hard, and experienced so much disruption and uncertainty over the last couple of years that it is gratifying to share this good news,” said HPU Biology Professor and Dean of CNCS Brenda Jensen, Ph.D. “CNCS is in the middle of executing a master plan that includes facility improvements at several locations. It’s so exciting to be able upgrade the equipment and technology in our teaching and research laboratories, which is the heart of our hands-on programs."
HPU’s College of Business and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Engagement (CEEE) will receive funds to acquire JobsEQ software at the university.
“The JobsEQ software permits the College of Business and CEEE to update the community about employment situations in the state and to understand the skills needed by the local workforce,” said HPU College of Business Dean Mark Rosenbaum, Ph.D. JobsEQ was created by Chmura and the software is used by various state and city organizations across the U.S.
ID: nc03042201
Title: HPU Student Receives Prestigious HUI SRC Grant
Date: March 04, 2022
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HPU student Tessa Palafu was recently awarded a prestigious HUI SRC Health Research Concept Competition grant for her research on the effects of houselessness and historical trauma on the psychological well-being of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) transition-aged youth. Palafu is the first Pacific Islander student to be awarded the grant at HPU. She is double majoring in political science and psychology.
“My identity as a Samoan woman amplifies the appreciation I have in receiving this funding,” said Palafu. “I am excited to use this foundational experience to propel the literature forward regarding the Samoan experience.”
Palafu’s grant proposal was reviewed by research experts and approved by the HUI SRC team. She will receive $3,000 in research funds and a $1,000 stipend from the National Institutes of Health. Palafu’s mentor, HPU Assistant Professor of Psychology Kelsie Okamura, Ph.D., will receive a $1,000 stiped that will go towards executing the year-long research study within the NHPI community. The findings will help Palafu advocate for social and economic justice with an emphasis on resilience in the face of adversity and struggle.
“Tessa’s work is important to understanding historical trauma and well-being in NHPI young adults,” said Okamura. “Her exceptional initiative and critical-thinking skills allowed her to craft a research project that brings together her passion and abilities. I am confident that Tessa will have a longstanding impact in NHPI research and policy. ”
The HUI SRC grant will help Palafu in joining the fight for social justice within the NHPI community. Her life experience sparked a passion for this important work and has encouraged her to earn a Ph.D. in an appropriate area to make a difference in the lives of NHPI people and other underprivileged populations.
To learn more about HUI SRC and how you can join click here. To read more on past HUI SRC grant winners click Andy Yu and Isabelle Yazel Eiser.
ID: nc03032201
Title: HPU Professor Co-Authors Paper on Infectious Bacterium Found in Ala Wai Canal
Date: March 03, 2022
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HPU Assistant Professor of Biology Olivia Nigro, Ph.D., recently authored a research paper in the journal American Society for Microbiology. The paper is entitled “Variable freshwater influences on the abundance of Vibrio vulnificus in a tropical urban estuary.” Nigro’s research addresses the abundance of the infectious bacterium V. vulnificus in the Ala Wai Canal in Waikiki and how that bacterium is strongly influenced by the amount of rainfall in the surrounding areas.
“V. vulnificus occurs naturally in warm, brackish waters,” said Nigro. “We expect to find the bacterium anywhere that temperatures are warm and freshwater and seawater mix in about equal proportions. When conditions are right, the Ala Wai Canal can be a great incubator for this bacterium.”
Authors Nigro and Grieg Steward, Ph.D., professor at the University of Hawai‘i School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, first assessed Vibrio in 2006 when Oliver Johnson died from a V. vulnificus infection after having cuts and scrapes exposed to Ala Wai Harbor water.
“His exposure occurred after many days of heavy rainfall, which, given our results, suggests this may have been an exacerbating factor,” said Steward. “At the time, we realized there was almost no data on the ecology of V. Vulnificus in the canal, or in Hawai‘i generally, and remarkably, very little in tropical waters anywhere.”
After a quick pilot study in 2006 that showed the bacteria are present in high, but not unexpected numbers, the team geared up for a year-long study in 2008-2009 with better methods to understand the variability in abundance over a seasonal cycle.
At higher latitudes, the abundance of V. vulnificus shows a very strong seasonal cycle—nearly disappearing in winter when temperatures are cold. In Hawai‘i, temperatures are warm year-round, so freshwater input becomes a more important control.
The researchers observed that rainfall has a variable effect depending on the amount of precipitation.
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“Too little rainfall means much of the canal is saltier than optimum for V. vulnificus growth, too much rainfall and the canal is fresher than the bacterium likes,” said Nigro. “We also found that, because of the flushing effect of intense rainfall, the highest abundance of V. vulnificus shifted from within the canal out into the harbor.”
The researchers observed the highest canal-wide average abundances, among the highest recorded anywhere, during a time of modest rainfall, moderate salinities, and a moderate flushing of the canal.
They noted that, although rainfall is more frequent in winter on average, significant rainfall can also occur in summer, so spikes in V. Vulnificus can be a problem any time of year. This makes it challenging to predict precisely when and where there will be high concentrations of this pathogen. However, based on a few variables—rainfall and resulting salinity and flushing of the canal—the relative risk of exposure to this pathogen could be predicted as an average for the system.
With additional years of data to better understand how V. vulnificus varies in space and time, it may be possible to provide real-time predictions of when and where the bacterium is likely to be at unusually high concentrations, which is one component in assessing the risk of infection.
“Although V. vulnificus can cause serious or even lethal infections, it usually only becomes a problem for individuals with underlying medical issues,” said Steward. “So people should not panic about incidental exposure to canal water. But it is wise to wash off with soap and water after exposure and one should avoid exposing open wounds to canal water, especially if one is immunocompromised.”
This project was supported by funding to UH Mānoa from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and from the National Science Foundation.
Images provided by Olivia Nigro, Ph.D. and Grieg Steward, UHM, SOEST.
February
ID: nc02162201
Title: HPU to Launch Global Tech Program for Students
Date: February 16, 2022
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HPU announced today its long-term partnership with Podium Education and plans to launch the Hawai‘i Pacific Global Tech Program. HPU students will be able to access Podium's experiential global program as soon as summer 2022. Students will have the opportunity to work with peers from around the world and learn employer-demanded skills to help improve their career outcomes through applied case studies and projects from companies such as Netflix, Spotify, Kiva and the Red Cross.
Mark Rosenbaum, Ph.D., Dean of College of Business at Hawai‘i Pacific University is excited to introduce the partnership with Podium and HPU. “I am delighted to partner with Podium regarding the launch of a Global Tech Program this summer at both the undergraduate and graduate levels," said Rosenbaum. “The College of Business prides itself of ensuring that our learners have skills that lead to meaningful employment.
“Given the impact of the global pandemic on Hawai‘i's tourism, hospitality, and retailing industries, we are offering certificates to learners that prepare them for both in-state and remote employment opportunities. Learners will have the ability to earn certificates in data analytics, e-commerce, and coding for business. The program will be open to all HPU learners, so that regardless of a student's major all HPU students can benefit from engaging in applied, practical learning with a technological focus. The Global Tech Program will appeal to many different types of learners and, if this pilot is successful, I can see expansion into continuing education programming and workforce development efforts.”
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Podium Education works with 40 universities across the U.S. Aled Owens, Head of Partnerships at Podium shared that HPU is the organization's first non-continental U.S. partner.
“We're incredibly excited to add HPU students to our experiential learning platform, who will bring a new perspective to the Global Tech program that will benefit all participants,” said Owens. “HPU is known to offer programs that are hands-on and interactive, and the HPU Global Tech Program will be yet another opportunity for students to learn employer-demanded skills as part of their university experience.”
The HPU Global Tech Program is a global experiential program that will launch at HPU in summer and, depending on learner interest, be taught at different times throughout the academic year. The program allows students to learn tech and intercultural skills, giving them the chance to work in diverse teams and learn to build products and services for people of all backgrounds and cultures. Students access real-world business simulations and intercultural training exercises, such as story circles to help improve their intercultural communication skills. Podium's Global Tech Program first launched in 2020 and has student participation from 38 countries around the world.
ID: nc02082201
Title: Professor of Chemistry Co-authors Research, a Potential Drug Target for Brain Tumors
Date: February 08, 2022
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Brain tumors are difficult to treat and are often fatal. Professor of Chemistry David Horgen, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of Toronto and the Queen's Medical Center reviewed the scientific literature to evaluate the potential of treating brain cancer by blocking a specific protein on the surface of brain cells (the TRPM7 protein). Their research paper entitled "Modulators of TRPM7 and its potential as a drug target for brain tumours" was published in the journal Cell Calcium in December. The team developed the argument that blocking this protein could be a novel approach to treating brain cancer and described the known substances that can modify the function of the TRPM7 protein. One such substance, waixenicin A, is a compound investigated by Horgen and his students. It possesses the ability to inhibit the TRPM7 protein and is thus a potential lead for developing therapeutics for certain brain cancers. Horgen currently has about two dozen collaborators who have investigated waixenicin A for a wide range of diseases.
Pictured left to right, front Professor Horgen, Melodie Aduja-Williams (BS in Biochemistry ‘21); back Katie Page (BS in Marine Biology ‘17), staff research technician Ellis Akana.
ID: nc02042201
Title: HPU Ranked Most Diverse University in the United States
Date: February 04, 2022
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HPU was ranked the most diverse school in the U.S, according to a recent ranking analysis conducted by Universities.com. HPU reached the top spot out of 100 ranked schools, making HPU “the most evenly divided demographic composition of any accredited school with over 1,000 students,” using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI).
The Universities.com ranking is HPU’s latest recognition of its diversity, joining the ranking by the Chronicle of Higher Education almanac as the most diverse 4-year private non-profit institution in the U.S., and according to collegefactual.com HPU is among the top 1% of most diverse universities in the U.S.
Universities.com analyzed student body demographic data that was provided by the Department of Education. The HHI method used this data to calculate several measures of diversity, such as competitiveness of an industry or the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
“It’s worth noting that there are many different ways of calculating diversity,” stated Thomas Short of Universities.com. “This method looks at whether a school’s student population is evenly balanced among demographics versus dominated by one specific group. To make this analysis tractable, we only looked at the top 100 schools as ranked by Universities.com.”
Universities.com was established in 1996 and is considered to be one of the most trusted sources for information on college life and experience, “used by millions of people to make informed decisions about their education,” according to their website.
The top 10 most diverse schools in the U.S., as listed on Universities.com are:
1. Hawai‘i Pacific University
2. Highline College
3. New York Institute of Technology
4. Seattle Central College
5. Berkeley City College
6. New York University
7. Chaminade University of Honolulu
8. Andrews University
9. Stony Brook University
10. Rutgers University–Newark
Established in 1965, HPU is home to over 4,500 students from all 50 United States, U.S. territories, and nearly 65 countries.
ID: nc02032201
Title: Researching Invasive Bullfrogs in Hawaiʻi
Date: February 03, 2022
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HPU Master of Marine Science student Heidi Beswick Cutia is researching the invasion ecology of the bullfrog in Hawaiʻi. The bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) was first introduced to the Hawaiian Islands over a hundred years ago and has long been considered an invasive species. Today, they are found on all main islands in Hawaiʻi, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has placed the bullfrog as one of the worst invasive species in the world.
“The bullfrog is a voracious predator, eating Hawaiian stilt chicks, amphibians, and endemic Hawaiian aquatic animals,” said Cutia. “They can grow to be around eight inches long. It was first brought to Hawaiʻi as a food source for their long legs.”
Bullfrogs have mostly been ignored in Hawaiʻi for over 100 years; but for the last two years, Cutia has been researching the bullfrog at HPU’s Makapuʻu campus, learning a great deal about its morphology, genetics, and predatory behavior.
“The bullfrogs have the potential to interact with native species,” said Cutia. “They are located in low-elevation wetlands, which is where endangered birds are located and prefer to nest. They are also known to spread chytrid, a fungus that affects frogs and amphibians. They are one of two aquatic invasive species that can get into pristine habitats in Hawaiʻi.”
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produced a technical report in 2004 on bullfrogs at the James Campbell Wildlife Refuge. Tracking collars were placed on endangered Hawaiian stilt chicks, and unexpectedly, 50% of the stilt chick mortality rate was caused by bullfrogs eating the chicks. Frogs and stilt birds need to be near water and are often found at Kualoa Ranch and Kawai Nui Marsh.
Cutia has collected data on roughly 200 frogs in over two years, building a genetic tree of the bullfrog, comparing genetic samples and morphology differences between frogs in Hawaiʻi and on the mainland. She is also conducting dissections of bullfrogs to see what they eat.
“Do bullfrogs have weaker genetic diversity in Hawaiʻi?” asked Cutia. “Do they have high fitness and predatory success despite low diversity? These are some of the questions I seek to answer in my thesis set to be completed May 2022.”
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To catch a bullfrog Cutia must search for them at night because they are camouflaged and difficult to find in daylight. When the sun sets and the night falls on the pristine grasslands of Kualoa Ranch, Cutia shines a flashlight on the shoreline, searching for the reflective shine in the bullfrog’s eyes. Then she knows they are near.
“When the frog is caught, I gently put them to sleep,” said Cutia. “I sing them a song as they pass away. I bring the frog to my lab and study its DNA, the length of its legs, jaw, and total body size. This research will provide clearer answers as to where they came from, what they eat, and hopefully posit answers on how we can help save the native insect and bird species the bullfrog preys upon in the wild.”
ID: nc02012201
Title: College of Business (COB) Hosts Distinguished Speaker Event
Date: February 01, 2022
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The COB, through the leadership of professor Michelle Alarcon, hosted a December 2 distinguished speaker event featuring Jeffrey Boromisa. He spoke about knowledge and skills that will help students to be successful in today’s business world. The talk received highly positive feedback and full attendance from students, staff, and university leaders.
Boromisa currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of HPU and Wolverine World Wide, Inc., Poltrona Frau SpA and Haworth International Ltd. and member of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He retired as President and CFO of Kellogg Company Asia Pacific region, which includes Australia, Asia, and South Africa, and with nearly 30 years of experience at Kellogg Company.
The event was open to the entire HPU community, and the college plans to continue these events regularly. The COB speaker series invites distinguished guests from various industries to deliver current real-world topics that can enhance student learning, skills, and experience.
January
ID: nc01312201
Title: HPU Economist Co-Authors Article on Luck Beliefs
Date: January 31, 2022
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HPU Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education Gerard H. Dericks, Ph.D., recently co-authored an article entitled “Do the happy-go-lucky?” in the January 2022 edition of Current Psychology. The article examines how luck beliefs are related to happiness and personality differences.
“How we conceptualize the phenomenon of 'luck' has important implications for understanding investment behavior, gambling disorders, and how we respond to highly fortunate and unfortunate life events,” said Dericks.
It may be surprising to learn that across distant cultures and diverse languages, happiness is in fact most frequently defined simply as ‘good luck'. The English word 'happiness', for instance, derives from the root word 'hap', meaning luck or fortune as in ‘happenstance’ (a product of luck) and ‘hapless’ (unlucky or unfortunate). Research from the article confirms that this lexicological association also exists more fundamentally in our psychology, and that the personality trait of Neuroticism appears to play an important role in this relationship. Those people who believe in luck as a determinative force in their lives, rather than as a manifestation of pure chance, tend to exhibit a more neurotic disposition.
Dericks joined HPU in 2021 and leads all aspects of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education. The Center’s primary focus is launching its "Teach the Teacher" certification course at HPU, which is specifically designed for high school social studies and economics teachers.
To read “Do the happy-go-lucky” in Current Psychology click here.
ID: nc01282202
Title: A Quest to Uncover the Extinction Event that Wiped Out Endemic Hawaiian Snails
Date: January 28, 2022
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HPU Master of Marine Science graduate student Samantha Arsenault (pictured) is researching endemic Hawaiian land snails and their extinction event that may have been caused by climate change thousands of years ago. The Pleuropoma laciniosa snail once lived along the shoreline of Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu. The size of a pencil eraser, the once abundant Pleuropoma laciniosa flourished in Hawaiʻi by the millions, but after a climatic event after the Last Glacial Period this endemic land snail became extinct. Now, with innovative research technology at HPU and a new grant from the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Arsenault is set to uncover the events that led to the extinction of Pleuropoma laciniosa.
“Today, Kaʻena Point is a hot, dry environment without many trees, and sparse vegetation. How could these native Hawaiian snails have lived in this very hot and dry environment?” said Arsenault, holding a dozen prehistoric shells in her hand “My hypothesis is Kaʻena Point was not always a very hot and dry environment. Thousands of years ago, it was most likely a forested, verdant habitat.”
Most native Hawaiian land snails can only thrive in forested environments with native vegetation. The snails will eat the microbial community that grows on the leaves. Some species of rare endemic snails can still be found in Hawaiʻi, but they are threatened and can only survive in protected areas with native Hawaiian vegetation.
There were over 800 individual species of snails in Hawaiʻi, but today there are 80 to 300 species alive due to environmental condition changes, habitat loss, over collection, and invasive predators. There is currently a debate between scientists for the true number of remaining species.
“Several predators eat endemic snails,” said Arsenault. “Rats. Jackson’s Chameleons. Rosy Wolf Snails. They all are introduced species to Hawaiʻi, and they play a role, along with climate change and deforestation, that threaten the remaining snail species.”
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Arsenault will use stable isotope analysis to do radiocarbon dating on the Pleuropoma laciniosa. “There is Carbon-12, the rarer Carbon-13, and Carbon-14, which is radioactive,” said Arsenault. “This is the method used to do radiocarbon dating. Carbon-14 decays at a steady rate at 5,730 years, so you can look at the amount of Carbon-14 in a remaining organism and date how long ago that organism lived.”
Preliminary radiocarbon analysis was completed on six shells at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The analysis indicated the snails lived at Kaʻena Point between 30,000 to 46,000 years ago.
Arsenault also plans to use Carbon-13 analysis to uncover the variety of vegetation that lived at Kaʻena Point when the snails flourished.
“Plants go through many methods of photosynthesis,” said Arsenault. “There are C3 plants and C4 plants. C3 plants live in wet, cool environments; C4 plants live in hot and dry environments, like Kaʻena Point. When looking at Carbon-13 in an organism, we can tell if an animal was living off C3 or C4 plants, which in turn will tell us whether the environment was cool and wet, or hot and dry.”
A minimum of 32 shells will be sent to the lab for analysis. Arsenault will look at oxygen isotope data in the snails. This will determine the amount of precipitation an area had at a particular time.
“In addition to Pleuropoma laciniosa, I will also be examining several species from the genus Leptachatina, a species from the genus Amastra, as well as a species from the genus Endodonta,” said Arsenault. “These species are undescribed and unfortunately don't have scientific or common names yet.
“My primary goal is to reconstruct how the environment changed, and how that change affected Hawaiian snail populations. We want to use this information to conserve current populations. We do not want to see a repeat of what we saw at Kaʻena Point. I hope to get all the data back from the lab this summer to reconstruct exactly what happened to the Hawaiian land snails and what the climate was like thousands of years ago.”
ID: nc01252201
Title: Community Leaders Join Board of Trustees at HPU
Date: January 25, 2022
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The Board of Trustees of HPU elected two highly respected community leaders to join that oversight body and help lead the mission and long-term goals of the University.
Healthcare Executive Art Gladstone and Southwest Airlines University Vice President Elizabeth Bryant were appointed to the University's governing board. Board Chair Richard Hunter called the pair “outstanding individuals.”
“University leadership has placed Hawaiʻi Pacific University on a healthy and sustainable footing for success,” said Hunter. “We are excited to have Art and Elizabeth join the board at a time when there are boundless opportunities for the university to continue its innovation and momentum as it establishes standards of excellence in higher education.”
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Art Gladstone is the Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer for Hawaiʻi Pacific Health and the former Chief Executive Officer of Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center and Straub Medical Center. He began his career in health care as a registered nurse. He joined Pali Momi in 1990 and held various clinical and administrative positions, including vice president of operations and chief operating officer, before assuming responsibility as Straub’s chief operating officer in 2004. He was promoted to CEO for Straub in 2013. He also serves as chief nurse executive for Hawaiʻi Pacific Health. He has been recognized with numerous awards including the Healthcare Association of Hawaii’s Distinguished Service Award for Acute Care and the Pacific Business News Forty Under 40 award. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Gladstone is chairman for the SurgiCare of Hawaii Board. He is on the Board of Directors for InVision, LLC, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Le Jardin Academy, and UHA Health Insurance. He is past president of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
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Elizabeth Bryant is the Vice President for Southwest Airlines University based in Dallas, Texas, providing executive leadership for employee professional development at the airlines. She leads the strategic direction and oversight for Ground Operations, Inflight, Provisioning, Maintenance and Engineering, Customer Support & Services, Customer Relations, Technology, Customer Service, Source of Support, Labor, and corporate training programs. Bryant also provides leadership for all company wide training initiatives. Since joining Southwest Airlines in 1997, she has served in various leadership roles including Manager of Leadership Development, Director of Leadership Development, and Senior Director of Talent Development and she has led many training initiatives including Performance Management, SAP implementation, and AirTran Integration. Prior to Southwest, Bryant taught business communication at Indiana University and the College of San Mateo. She is on the Board of Directors for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and is a member of the Board of Visitors at Catholic University of America School of Business and Economics.
“The vision of our Board of Trustees has provided Hawaiʻi Pacific University with guidance that has helped us to build our roles as both thought-leaders and valued partners at the local and global levels,” said HPU President John Gotanda. “On behalf of the university community, we welcome Art and Elizabeth as trustees and look forward to more good things to come.”
ID: nc01142201
Title: HPU’s Theatre Program Wins Six Awards Including Best Play
Date: January 14, 2022
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HPU’s theatre program received recognition for their outstanding theatrical productions for the 2020-2021 season, including best play for A Shot Ran Out by Michael Hagins. HPU received six awards from BroadwayWorld Hawaii, more than any other university, theatre, or festival in the state.
HPU student Athena Iokepa won the award for Best Performer in a Play for her role in A Shot Ran Out. BroadwayWorld regional awards are the biggest theatre audience awards, and in 2021, they included streaming productions for award recognition.
"I think (this) is a tremendous honor for our theatre program,” said HPU Adjunct Professor of Theatre and Manager Lanaly Cabalo. “During a time when most theatre organizations had to close their doors, HPU was able to provide a safe space for our students and community members to continue doing what they love, telling the important stories that tackle timely issues and provide an outlet for audiences to tune into.”
HPU offers two theatrical productions of its plays during the fall and spring semesters. HPU is a member of the Hawaii State Theatre Council, and its theatre program has earned numerous awards for acting, directing, ensemble performance, playwriting, and overall production. All productions of HPU’s plays are performed in the Vi and Paul Loo Theatre.
“Thanks to our production teams that put in all their hard work, we were able to provide a high-quality stream that was as close to an in-person experience as possible,” said Cabalo. “We could showcase the talent we were able to bring together and it's wonderful to see it being acknowledged and honored. The accolades presented to us demonstrate what our program is able to offer for our current and prospective students."
HPU received awards for the following categories:
Best Direction of a Stream: Lanaly Cabalo – A Shot Ran Out by Michael Hagins
Best Editing of a Stream: Brodie Kinder – Where Words Once Were by Finegan Kruckemeyer
Best Performer in a Play: Athena Iokepa – A Shot Rang Out by Michael Hagins
Best Play: A Shot Ran Out by Michael Hagins
Best Streaming Play: A Shot Ran Out by Michael Hagins
Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Alten Kiakona – Where Words Once Were by Finegan Kruckemeyer
For additional information on HPU’s award winning theatre program click here.
ID: nc01112201
Title: HPU Establishes New School of Nursing
Date: January 11, 2022
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HPU has formally announced the establishment of its new School of Nursing. Interim Executive Director Carolyn Yucha, RN, Ph.D., FAAN, was appointed interim dean of HPU’s School of Nursing, while a national search for a permanent dean is forthcoming this spring. Yucha currently oversees all nursing programs at HPU, which were recently ranked in U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 Best Colleges Ranking as the best undergraduate and graduate nursing programs among all private universities in Hawai‘i.
HPU is launching its School of Nursing in response to growth in the University’s nursing program and other programs within the College of Health and Society, including the state’s first Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The College of Health and Society also offers Public Health and Social Work programs. Community demand is high for healthcare educational programs.
“HPU is committed to serving our community in Hawai‘i, helping meet its healthcare needs through education,” said HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D. “Right now, with the nursing shortage in Hawai‘i, HPU’s nursing graduates are extremely well prepared to meet the state’s current healthcare needs. Our experienced and dedicated nursing faculty provide students with individualized attention and focused mentorship to ensure that a Hawai‘i Pacific-trained nurse is head and shoulders above the rest.”
Carolyn Yucha joined HPU from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and has extensive experience as a nursing faculty member and as a nursing administrator. Most recently, Yucha was the dean of UNLV’s nursing program. She is also a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.
HPU nursing students and faculty had the unique opportunity to serve our community during the pandemic. They applied their healthcare skills at the Aloha Free Clinic, helping recently uninsured individuals, and assisted in the development of a COVID contact tracing course.
At HPU’s December 2021 graduation ceremony at Aloha Tower Marketplace, the university recognized the achievements of its bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate nursing graduates.
“HPU’s nursing program has opened countless doors of opportunities after receiving my BSN,” said HPU alumna Autumn Butler. “I'm grateful to have been a part of HPU's nursing program because of the accessible, flexible classes provided each semester. We worked hard to achieve our degrees and we are thankful we were able to graduate on time.”
HPU’s School of Nursing offers educational programs for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and the online MSN and online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees; the university also offers four post-master certificate programs.
To learn more about the nursing programs offered at HPU click here.
ID: nc01042201
Title: HPU Engineering Students and Computer Science Alum Create Paw Trackers App
Date: January 04, 2022
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HPU engineering students Alyssa Lawton and Ernesto Arizala, and HPU computer science alumnus Kevin Chevalier collaborated to create a web-based application that reunites pet owners with their pets in quarantine when en route to Hawai‘i. The application is called Paw Trackers and it prepares owners for their pet’s arrival by providing document uploading, monitoring of pet status, and helping owners communicate directly with animal quarantine staff.
The team entered the Hawai‘i Annual Code Challenge 2021 and placed third. There was a total of 35 projects from 178 contestants in this year’s challenge. The HACC began in 2015 and its mission is to encourage civic engagement with the local technology community to modernize state functions and services, creating a more effective and open government.
“The Department of Agriculture’s (DOA) pet quarantine is located in the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport,” said Lawton, who is the project captain and recruited Arizala and Chevalier on the team. “The DOA needed a tracking system to monitor the flow of passengers coming in to Hawai‘i. We were tasked to monitor the passengers and create a chat system that would help employees easily communicate with pet owners after the quarantine was complete.”
Traveling to Hawai‘i with a pet can be a complex process and Paw Trackers was developed to streamline the process, making it convenient to upload the required paperwork to the website and track the step-by-step process of ensuring that a pet moves through the quarantine process as quickly as possible.
Lawton believes that the website has a great deal of potential, mainly because many teams in the competition went without coding solutions, while Paw Trackers is more customizable.
“When creating the website, we decided to connect flight data,” says Chevalier, “so when you sign up for Paw Trackers it automatically synchronizes with your flight data. It makes it easier to manage which animals arrive at different times.”
Lawton was responsible for the visual components of the website, specifically the html and CSS. She is a double major in computer science and electrical engineering at HPU. Lawton was born and raised in Hawai‘i and attended Kailua High School. She expects to graduate from HPU in 2023 and plans to work in artificial intelligence.
Arizala was responsible for developing the presentation of the website. He is an electrical engineering major at HPU and expects to graduate in summer 2022. He is planning to work with Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) after graduation.
“I enrolled at HPU after my sister graduated from HPU in nursing,” said Arizala, who graduated from Waipahu High School. “I heard about the new electrical engineering program and I, along with Alyssa, were selected for a scholarship to attend the university.”
Chevalier was responsible for the design implementation of the front and back end of the website. He graduated from HPU with a double major in computer science and biology, with a pre-med concentration. Chevalier was born in Brazil and moved to Hawai‘i at an early age. He attended Kaiser High School and plans to apply to medical school in the near future.
“This project is memorable because of the great team that I was able to work with," said Chevalier. "My team had the ambition and motivation to go beyond what was expected of us, while balancing our school and work commitments. It has been a great experience developing a tool for our local ‘ohana and our incoming visitors to make their travel plans easier and less stressful for their pets."
2021
December
ID: nc12222101
Title: VP of Southwest Airlines University Conducts Customer Service Training Retreat at HPU
Date: December 22, 2021
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Elizabeth Bryant, Vice President of Southwest Airlines University, is responsible for overseeing the leadership and employee development training for 50,000 employees of the corporation. Bryant conducted a customer service training retreat for the Hawaii Pacific University University Relations team on Monday, December 6.
Throughout the session, Bryant spoke about interacting with people using the head and heart, engaging the long-term emotional commitment to HPU. She addressed multi-generational perspectives and being rooted in the organization's values. She also took the team through the history of Southwest's secret sauce - prioritizing hospitality and trust as a part of the company's purpose with a clear and conveyable framework.
Bryant stressed the importance of leadership rooted in responsibility and the importance of listening to colleagues while encouraging vulnerability-based trust. She talked with the team about having pride in the University while leading with humility, and she encouraged the staff to think of ways they as a team could affect positive change at the University.
HPU is very grateful for Bryant's willingness to share her valuable mana'o (ideas, suggestions). Bryant joined the University's Board of Trustees in 2021. Pictured are the University Relations team members with Elizabeth Bryant (standing, third from left), and HPU Senior VP and Provost Jennifer Walsh (standing, fourth from left); VP of Advancement Brooke Carroll is seated in the middle.
ID: nc12162101
Title: 58 Nursing Students Celebrate in Fall Graduation Ceremony
Date: December 16, 2021
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HPU celebrated the achievements of its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students on December 9, 2021, at the Sunset Ballroom at Aloha Tower Marketplace. A total of 58 BSN graduates received a ceremonial nursing pin. The pinning ceremony is an event to welcome new nursing students into the nursing community.
After the Nursing Pinning Ceremony concluded, the new graduates joined their fall 2021 graduating class and celebrated their accomplishments at a graduation ceremony held on December 11 at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
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HPU nursing faculty and Queens Medical Center nurse Donna Bernhard received a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and her son Bennet Bernhard received a BSN degree. Donna pinned her son at the Nursing Pinning Ceremony.
HPU is the leading university in Hawai‘i to educate nursing students who go on to be employed in the state of Hawai‘i, and is also ranked in U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 Best Colleges Rankings as having the best undergraduate and graduate nursing programs for all private universities in the state of Hawai‘i.
For additional information on earning a BSN degree at HPU click here.
ID: nc12142101
Title: HPU Holds Fall Graduation at Aloha Tower Marketplace
Date: December 14, 2021
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HPU celebrated the achievements of its fall class of 2021 with a graduation ceremony on December 11, 2021, at Aloha Tower Marketplace (ATM).
The ceremony was held in-person and each graduate was allotted five guest tickets. It was required that all graduates and their guests (12 years and older) have tickets and provide proof of full vaccination or a negative test within 48 hours to attend the ceremony.
The University’s Instructor of Hawaiian Language Tracie Lopes and the HPU Hula Ensemble opened the program with a Hawaiian chant and hula.
HPU alumnus and Information Technology staff member Brodie Kinder sang the National Anthem and HPU International Vocal Ensemble student conductor Sage Hirasuna sang Hawai‘i Ponoi.
HPU President John Gotanda, J.D., delivered remarks and conferred degrees and HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Walsh, Ph.D., served as Master of Ceremonies.
The valedictory speakers who spoke are Nicolle Anne Medak and Elsa Saskia van Hall.
Medak is an international studies major and alumni relations officer for the United Nations Club. She has held internships with the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. After graduation, Medak plans to obtain her master’s degree at HPU in diplomacy and military studies.
Van Hall is a marine science master’s student who researched how climate change impacts an ecologically and economically important Hawaiian surgeonfish (yellow tang). Her research paper was completed fall 2021 and is entitled, “Temperature Preference and Aerobic Scope in Zebrasoma Flavescens and the Response to Rising Sea Temperatures.” Following graduation, Van Hall looks to teach as an adjunct faculty member and obtain a doctorate in marine science.
HPU alumnus and the Alumni Council President Avery Fukeda led the University’s newest alumni in the recitation of the HPU Alumni Pledge, signifying the official welcome of the members of the Fall Class of 2021 to the alumni community, a network of more than 45,000 individuals around the world.
The ceremony was also livestreamed. For additional information see the HPU graduation webpage at: www.hpu.edu/graduation.
ID: nc12132101
Title: HPU Economist Article Featured in Popular Marginal Revolution Economics Blog
Date: December 13, 2021
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HPU economist Gerard Dericks, Ph.D., has co-written an article in the December 2021 issue Journal of Economic Geography entitled, "The billion pound drop: the Blitz and agglomeration economies in London" that was showcased in the popular Marginal Revolution economics blog. Dericks is the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education at HPU.
“It has been known for a long time that greater urban densities positively impact economic output,” said Dericks. “The more productive people we are surrounded by, the greater opportunity there is for the cross-fertilization of ideas and gainful cooperation. However, land-use regulations which prevent development stymie such ‘agglomeration economies.’”
The article successfully demonstrates that the more heavily bombed areas in London during World War II exhibit taller buildings (and greater worker density) today, and that doubling worker density increases economic output by about 20%. Counterfactual economic simulations run by the authors show that if the Blitz had not occurred, the loss of higher-density redevelopment would cause London’s present-day gross domestic product to drop by about 10% (or £50 billion).
“This paper represents a unique contribution to the literature,” says Dericks, “in that we exploit the quasi-experimental setting of the Blitz bombings to estimate the magnitude of these positive effects and find these to be 2-10 larger in London than those previously estimated elsewhere. Our research suggests that the costs of constraining worker density in other global cities such as New York and Tokyo, appear to be much greater than previously thought, and therefore that planning policies in such cities (and perhaps elsewhere) should be considerably relaxed in order to maximize social welfare."
Dericks joined HPU in October 2021 and leads all aspects of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education. The Center’s primary focus now is launch its "Teach the Teacher" certification course at HPU, which is specifically designed for high school social studies and economics teachers. This education will equip Hawaiʻi’s teachers to teach modules in basic economics with free market principles. Teachers will then take these principles and share them with their high school students.
To read the complete article in the Journal of Economic Geography click here.
ID: nc12082101
Title: HPU Professor Publishes Paper on the Building Blocks of Coral Reefs
Date: December 08, 2021
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HPU Professor of Oceanography Thomas DeCarlo, Ph.D., has recently published an article in the research publication Coral Reefs entitled, “Crystallographic and chemical signatures in coral skeletal aragonite.” The article centers on the skeletons of coral reefs and research into their chemical composition.
“The skeletons of corals are immensely important because they are the building blocks that ultimately form reefs,” said DeCarlo. “Reefs provide all sorts of benefits to us, such as protecting shorelines, harboring biodiversity, and creating habitat for economically and nutritionally important fish. Despite this, there are many things we do not fully understand about coral skeletons, including how their form and their chemical composition.”
The research paper blends multiple high-resolution technologies to advance an understanding of the atomic structure of coral skeletons and provides some of the first such information about deep-sea corals. DeCarlo co-wrote the article published on November 29, 2021, with a team of researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Museum of Natural History.
DeCarlo teaches in the department of natural science at HPU’s Makapu'u Campus. He runs the HPU sclerochronology lab, with research focusing on unraveling the ocean’s past and addressing how changes in our ocean influence the functioning of precious coastal ecosystems.
DeCarlo received his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and joined the faculty at HPU in 2020.
November
ID: nc11302101
Title: Sharky Chatbot Answers Questions 24/7
Date: November 30, 2021
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Launched in November by the Enrollment Management team with assistance from Information Technology Application Services and various departments across campus, Sharky Chatbot is live on select pages of the HPU website. Artificial Intelligence powers Sharky, and the chatbot has crawled the HPU webpages to gather simple answers to simple questions, providing students and others interested in HPU a quick way to get their questions answered. Available 24/7, the chatbot will help individuals help themselves in real-time, avoiding the need to make a phone call or send an email.
The Sharky Chatbot in this first phase covers the web pages of Admissions, Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Business Office, Academic Advising, and Veterans Affairs. After two-and-a-half weeks, the Sharky Chatbot had 2,250 user interactions. Users’ top questions in November focused on applications, tuition, and majors.
ID: nc11292101
Title: HPU's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Achieves Accreditation Milestone
Date: November 29, 2021
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Description: Pictured from left to right are the leadership team of Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program: Director of Curriculum and Assessment Kristen Johnson, Director of Clinical Education Jacob Melnick, DPT Program Director Tricia Catalino, Director of Admissions Brett Neilson, Director of Student Affairs Kayla Black.
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HPU's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program was granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) on November 2, 2021. Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status with CAPTE and a major milestone for the program, indicating the DPT program is progressing toward accreditation. CAPTE is nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and grants specialized accreditation status to qualified entry-level education programs for physical therapists.
“We’re thrilled to reach this exciting milestone,” said Dr. Tricia Catalino, DPT program director. “This is a big step on our way to welcoming students and bringing DPT education to Hawai‘i. We’ve been looking forward to this day and we are ready to help meet the health care needs of the people of Hawai‘i and beyond.”
Admissions for the HPU DPT Program launched earlier this year to tremendous interest. The two-year, accelerated, hybrid program is the first of its kind in Hawai‘i. The program combines online education that students can complete from anywhere, hands-on lab immersions at HPU’s Honolulu campus, and 32 weeks of full-time clinical experiences completed at sites across the state and U.S. Students will benefit from interprofessional education, with planned collaboration opportunities with HPU's nursing, public health, psychology, and social work programs.
“Key to Hawaiʻi Pacific University's vision are the opportunities for graduate programs that meet the needs of evolving demographics in healthcare industries and the growing marketplace. We are excited and thankful to have the resources to offer an exceptional and innovative doctorate of physical therapy program that’s part of the universityʻs expansion and strategic initiatives,” said HPU President John Gotanda.
HPU’s DPT program is committed to building a professional ‘ohana of diverse and open-minded leaders who anticipate and respond to the needs of the global community. The deadline to apply for the inaugural cohort is May 16, 2021, and classes start July 1, 2022.
To learn more about the program and accreditation process click here.
ID: nc11222101
Title: HPU Launches Cybersecurity Certification Training Courses
Date: November 22, 2021
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The U.S. is threatened by unprecedented cybersecurity challenges. Ransomware has affected up to 1,500 companies in 2021 alone and remains to be a persistent, ever-evolving form of malware with the sole intent to encrypt files and make them unusable with malicious actors demanding ransom in exchange for decryption.
In response to these challenges, HPU has announced four new cybersecurity certification training courses. The CompTIA certification training courses are 8 weeks long, and will begin in January 2022 with three course offerings over the spring, summer, and fall semesters. The CISCO certification training courses are 8 weeks long with one offering, and will begin in October 2022 in the fall semester. All training courses are taught in-person and online.
“These sought-after industry certifications will prepare our students for well-paying careers in cybersecurity,” said Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity at HPU Cort Chambers, Ph.D.
Chambers will be instructing the cybersecurity certification courses at HPU. He holds a Ph.D. in public policy and administration, a Master of Arts in intelligence studies, and a Bachelor of Arts in homeland security. He also holds multiple industry certifications, including CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, and CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist (CSIS). Chambers retired from the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department in 2014. During his 21 years of service, he was a Paramedic with Honolulu’s Emergency Medical Services, the Program Manager of Honolulu’s Metropolitan Medical Response System, and an Intelligence Analyst with Hawaiʻi’s State Fusion Center.
The CompTIA courses will include A+, Network+, and Security+ certification training. The A+ course examines hardware, software, mobile, security, and troubleshooting. The Network+ course examines networking, infrastructure; cloud computing best practices and service models; subnets and VLANs. The Security+ course examines securing networks from attacks; security controls and basic digital forensics; and incident response.
The CISCO Cybersecurity Operations certification training course examines a host of cybersecurity topics, including network security monitoring tools, basic concepts and uses of cryptography, and understanding endpoint security technologies.
To learn more about the College of Professional Studies and for information on how to enroll in HPU’s cybersecurity certification training click here.
ID: nc11192101
Title: HPU Selects Mark Rosenbaum As Next College of Business Dean
Date: November 19, 2021
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Hawai‘i Pacific University has selected Dr. Mark Rosenbaum, dean and professor of marketing with the Graham School of Management at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, as the next dean of the HPU College of Business.
President John Gotanda noted that Rosenbaum’s extensive background as a leader in business education will help build bridges of opportunity for HPU students.
“As one of the largest occupants of real estate in downtown Honolulu, HPU is an integral force in the community, and I’m looking forward to Dr. Rosenbaum working with our many partners and developing new ones to provide even more internships, mentorships and other helpful connections for our business students,” Gotanda said. “I’m also excited that Dr. Rosenbaum will be exploring innovative ways to partner with the local community on project-based learning opportunities that bring together business leaders, faculty and students to collaborate on real world projects.” he added.
Prior to his leadership at St. Xavier Rosenbaum was chair and professor of the Department of Retailing at the University of South Carolina, the Kohl's Professor of Marketing at Northern Illinois University, and an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Rosenbaum is a two-time Fulbright Scholar (Cambodia, 2009; Nepal, 2015) and a Fulbright Specialist (Uzbekistan, 2019), a research fellow at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, and a visiting professor of marketing at Universidad de Externado in Bogota, Colombia, and the American Hotel Academy in Brasov, Romania.
“I am excited and honored to be given the opportunity to lead HPU’s College of Business. I plan to work closely with faculty, students, alumni, staff, and the business community, to create a College of Business that is entrepreneurial, innovative, and dedicated to ensuring that our students are equipped with competencies that help them obtain meaningful employment,” Rosenbaum said.
“Most importantly, I want to focus on fostering engagement opportunities that bring together students, faculty, and practitioners, so that together, we create a College of Business that promotes Hawaii’s local and regional economy and our community well-being.”
Mark Rosenbaum earned his Ph.D. in marketing from Arizona State University. He also holds master’s degrees in operations management from San Diego State University; interdisciplinary studies from New York University; and marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago, along with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University.
“We welcome Dean Rosenbaum as a leader who will add even more momentum to the HPU success story. With enrollment increases and expanded program offerings, we see even greater opportunities in the College of Business for learners at all levels,” said Sr. Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh.
“Our business degree programs are among HPU’s most popular with undergraduates, and we are poised now, with Dean Rosenbaum, to also expand our leadership at the graduate level with our relevant excellence in HPU’s MBA and Data Analytics offerings,” Walsh added.
Rosenbaum serves as co-editor of the Journal of Services Marketing, an associate editor for the Journal of Business Research and the Service Industries Journal, and an editorial board member of several services and travel related journals.
ID: nc11092101
Title: Thomas Le: The MVP
Date: November 09, 2021
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HPU alumnus Thomas Le was recently awarded the 2021 MVP award (Most Valuable Professional) from the National Association of Student Financial Administrators (NASFAA). Le is associate director of financial aid reporting at New York Film Academy, Los Angeles.
“I was flabbergasted the day I was contacted on being selected for the NASFAA MVP award,” said Le. “I was thinking, this must be a prank! But it came to fruition, and on the very same day as I was busy hosting our virtual conference for the California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (CASFAA) meeting as the conference chair. I heard all the buzz going on around me. I started to receive a flurry of congratulatory messages from my colleagues.”
Le graduated from HPU in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and management. He went on to earn his MA in educational/instructional technology from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles.
“I loved attending HPU for my undergraduate studies,” said Le. “It’s a great place to study with a diverse and large international population of students. I enjoyed making new friends and learning about other cultures.”
Le was a resolute student, working three part-time jobs and enrolled for coursework year-round. He graduated in three years from HPU and appreciated the flexibility and accommodation the university provided to work within his busy schedule. “I went to school early in the morning, worked in the afternoon, and went back to class at night. The small class sizes and individualized attention from professors helped me tremendously with my studies.”
Le’s family immigrated from Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The family lived in Palolo Valley on Oahu. He graduated from Kaimuki High School and was the first in his family to attend college.
“I attended University of Hawaii, but found myself lost,” said Le. “I was not focused, and I decided to transfer. I chose HPU for the quality of the education and I knew it was a better fit for me right away. I was going to be successful at the university. The financial aid office at HPU was superlative. The best support possible. The staff was patient, helpful, friendly with the aid process. I could not have obtained my education without their assistance in securing the funding to attend college and graduate early.
“I knew back then that one day I would be in the financial aid profession and would pay it forward, helping others to achieve their education.”
Le has worked with New York Film academy for five years. Prior to his current position, he was a financial aid counselor at Pepperdine University, assistant director of financial aid at the Art Center College of Design and Loyola Marymount University. He currently serves on the executive council as secretary for the CASFAA and is a member of both the Western Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and NASFAA.
ID: nc11052101
Title: HPU Launches Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education; Oxford Economist Returns to the Islands to Lead
Date: November 05, 2021
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HPU recently launched its Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education with a mission to foster educational leadership through the delivery of economics education and training for students, faculty, and community stakeholders. The Center’s director, prominent economist Gerard Dericks, Ph.D., joined HPU in October 2021 and leads all aspects of the Center.
“It’s wonderful to be back home in Hawaiʻi after studying and working in the UK for over a decade,” said Dericks. “My goals for the Center at HPU are to empower Hawaiʻi to build a more robust economic future through broadening and deepening economic education. We will look to help cultivate greater entrepreneurial values in our state.”
One of the Center’s first activities is aimed at developing entrepreneurial mindsets within local young people. The “Teach the Teacher” course is designed for high school social studies and economics teachers. This education will equip Hawaiʻi’s teachers to lead modules in basic economics with free market principles.
The center will also create, promote, and manage a speaker series focused on free enterprise and rational economic thought.
“This series will feature nationally and internationally respected scholars presenting on economic topics of interest. We will also publish research to address current economic policy issues to inform local, state, and federally elected officials from Hawaiʻi,” said Dericks.
Dericks was born and raised in Hawaiʻi. He received his Ph.D. in real estate economics from the London School of Economics. He has taught at the London School of Economics, University of Bath, and the University of Oxford, where he was lead economist on the NaturEtrade project and a post-doctoral research fellow. His research has been featured in The Economist, Financial Times, Nikkei Business, BBC, CBS, Science Magazine, Nature, Physics World, BizEd, Psychology Today, and Times Higher Education. He is also founding director of the Hawai’i-based academic summer school World Scholars Academy.
HPU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education’s launch coincides with Hawaiʻi’s Global Entrepreneurship Week across the islands.
October
ID: nc10292101
Title: HPU Presents New Play with Large Student Cohort
Date: October 29, 2021
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On November 4, 2021, HPU debuts its opening night presentation of Eggs on Ice, a new play at the university and a return to in-person theatrical productions, following COVID health and safety protocols, after a year of online-based productions during the pandemic. The play features a strong cast of nearly all HPU students. HPU freshman Zoe Lehneman plays Denise in playwright Kristine M. Reyes’ 2019 acclaimed Eggs on Ice. Lehneman hails from Laconia, New Hampshire, and is a highly experienced actress. She is an English major with a minor in editing and publishing.
“I am thrilled to be debuting as Denise in HPU’s production of Eggs on Ice, said Lehneman. “This show is one-of-a-kind and well worth the watch!”
Lehneman has been a theatrical actress for the last six years, acting in 16 productions that include film and theatre. Her most recent film work was the Trish Sie movie, The Sleepover, produced by Netflix. Lehneman has acted in theatrical productions that include, The Importance of Being Earnest; Elf Jr.; The Musical, Shrek; The Musical and Les Misérables.
“My mother and step-father have had a huge influence on who I am,” said Lehneman. “They are both artists and have supported me in my artistic endeavors and have always encouraged me to continue and pursue acting. I’m very fortunate to have such a supportive immediate and extended family. I cannot thank them enough.”
Lehneman chose HPU for a host of reasons, most importantly because she wanted to attend a university with strong academic programs, in the heart of Honolulu, with a tropical location.
“HPU has extensive dorm layouts, personal and professional opportunities, and a wonderful community,” said Lehneman. “I chose to pursue English at HPU because I have always loved writing and editing. The English program has a lot of opportunities for students, which was a deciding factor for me when choosing a college.”
HPU’s editing and publishing minor is new at the university and is highly unique because it was designed as a classroom-to-career pathway for students interested in editing and publishing. The minor is the only one if its kind in Hawai‘i and students have the opportunity to work on a variety of publications for course credit.
“I encourage high school seniors interested in HPU to step outside of their comfort zones and choose the college with the best environment,” said Lehneman. “Two of HPU's campuses are set right in downtown Honolulu, and there are tons of places within walking distance. Combined with the sunny beaches here, HPU's location on the island makes it a wonderful place to live. Where you go to school matters, and I recommend choosing HPU.”
A small, vaccinated, live audience is invited to attend Eggs on Ice, and additional information is available here. Patrons may also livestream the performance.
SHOWTIMES:
- Nov. 4, 5, 6, 13 at 7:30 pm HST
- Nov. 7 and 14 at 2:00 pm HST
Performed in the Paul & Vi Loo Theatre, Hawaii Loa Campus.
ID: nc10262101
Title: HPU Senior Vice President Honored as Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney
Date: October 26, 2021
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Senior Vice President and General Counsel Jan Boivin is an honoree of the October 28 “Pro Bono Celebration,” recognizing her work with the Hawai‘i State Bar Foundation (HSBF). Sponsored by the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, the Hawaii State Bar Foundation, and the Hawaii Justice Foundation, and supported by the Hawaii State Bar Association, the virtual event is part of the national “Celebrate Pro Bono” event (www.celebrateprobono.org). An objective of the Hawai‘i community event is “to support the continued growth of access to justice in Hawai‘i.” Boivin is one of the seven 2021 pro bono attorney honorees selected who make a difference in Hawai‘i through a commitment to service.
At HSBF, Boivin helped lead two efforts. First, a Pandemic Education Program, co-sponsored by Hawaii Community Foundation and First Hawaiian Bank, that harnesses legal and other expertise to help those serving non-profit organizations in Hawaii during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, a Pandemic Eviction Prevention Program, which was designed to further access to justice in the form of eviction defense and related services, in partnership with Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i.
In addition to Boivin’s active role with HSBF, serving as its immediate past President, she is a Board member of the American Judicature Society and the State Ombudsman Director for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, Department of Defense.
ID: nc10222101
Title: HPU Receives Grant from Pfizer for COVID-19 Education
Date: October 22, 2021
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HPU has received funding from Pfizer to educate Hawai‘i’s underserved Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine. The $15,000 grant will produce educational webinars created by HPU students and an HPU alumna, addressing vaccine hesitancy among NHPI kūpuna (elders) and their families.
“Many kūpuna in the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities struggle to register for or safely travel to an appointment, and grapple with misconceptions and fears about the possible side effects of the vaccine and what to do about it,” said HPU Dean of the College of Health and Society Halaevalu Vakalahi, Ph.D. “The HPU student team will serve an important purpose producing these COVID-19 educational videos communicating in a culturally responsible way.”
A total of four recorded episodes in four languages will be created in this series. The first episodes in English and Samoan are available now, entitled “Know and Go.” Episodes in ‘Olelo Hawai‘i and Chuukese are forthcoming.
There will also be conversational webinars where the video production team of students, alumni, and health experts are offering talk story sessions with an NHPI audience. The educational content for the webinars includes: vaccine basics, how to register, travel information to the vaccination site, day of vaccination expectations, and what to do after receiving the shot.
"Our video production team members are aware of the health-related issues and the importance of providing accurate information from the public health, nursing, and social work disciplines of which we are a part,” said HPU Associate Professor of Social Work Lori Daniels, Ph.D., faculty advisor for the project. “This team has really pulled together their expertise to provide a user-friendly video with our Pacific Island community members in mind."
The innovative nature of this project is reflected in its cross-disciplinary approach and collaboration with community health workers to use culturally responsible methods for information sharing, and the use of social media to spread the word on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The collaboration among nursing, public health, social work represents a focus on the whole person. The physical health, mental health, and community health is particularly well aligned with NHPI community values.
Video production team members include HPU students and alumni. Aovai Cole is a current Master of Public Health student at HPU who is originally from Samoa and moved to Hawai‘i in 2014 to attend university. Hilary Schafer Gorham is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student who expects to graduate in May 2022. She is originally from Troy, Michigan and moved to Hawai‘i in 2019. Ginger Burch recently graduated from HPU in 2021 with her master’s degree in social work. She is from Waianae and currently works with the homeless population in West Oahu.
ID: nc10212101
Title: HPU Manager of Security Wins 2021 Top Cop Award
Date: October 21, 2021
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HPU Manger of Security Chris Martin has won the 2021 Top Cop Award for his service to HPU during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Martin plays an essential role for students, faculty, and staff, working to ensure HPU personnel are safe, and its campuses secure.
“I am truly humbled to be recognized by my peers for my contributions, not only here at HPU, but for the all the security community,” said Martin. “This award is as much a reflection on my team and those who have mentored me along the way as it is on me."
Martin has assisted as a shuttle driver, disinfectant professional, and has become a certified PPE Fit-Tester. He is currently enrolled as a student at HPU and is soon expected to earn his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
“Chris continuously goes the extra mile with every assignment,” said HPU Associate Vice President of Facilities, Safety and Security Kevin Matsukado. “Chris will not go home or disengage until completing the task at hand, always responding quickly to address any campus situation. He provides the HPU university community with outstanding customer service, which produces positive results. The security, safety, and facilities department values Chris's expertise, judgment, and job knowledge.”
The Law Enforcement and Security Coalition of Hawaiʻi states that each year the coalition, “Honors and pays special tribute to individuals from local, state, federal, and military law enforcement and security professionals who have exhibited outstanding professionalism, dedication, heroism, and community service during the preceding year. Individuals nominated by their respective organization are recognized at the event with the Top Cop award.”
This year, the event will be help virtually to ensure everyone’s safety. To learn more about Top Cop Hawaiʻi click here.
ID: nc10112101
Title: HPU Lands Federal Grant to Boost Native Hawaiian Student Representation in STEM Majors
Date: October 11, 2021
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Oceanic Institute (OI) of Hawai‘i Pacific University has received a 5-year, $549,430 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to foster the number of Native Hawaiian students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the university. HPU is a Native Hawaiian serving institution.
“The goal of this project is to increase the enrollment and graduation rates of Native Hawaiian students in STEM majors at HPU,” said OI Executive Director Shaun Moss, Ph.D., principal investigator of the grant. “Aquaculture represents a unique, transdisciplinary platform for STEM education because it integrates biology, chemistry, engineering, and business in a holistic manner.”
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Aquaculture has a long and significant history in Hawai‘i, beginning around 1200 A.D. when Hawaiians built fishponds as part of a larger, sustainable, integrated food production system based on watershed management. These traditional socioeconomic subdivisions of land are referred to in Hawaiian as ahupua‘a.
“We are excited for this grant award,” says HPU Dean of the College of Natural and Computational Sciences Brenda Jensen, Ph.D., co-principal investigator of the grant, “because it enables us to implement the latest technology and innovative elements of distance education to make our exciting, cutting-edge marine science programs truly accessible not only to the most diverse audience yet, but also to key stakeholders for the problem solving that we need here in the islands.
“Experiential science education is not always easily accessible to underrepresented groups and non-traditional students. As we look to significantly increasing our delivery of marine science undergraduate programming from HPU’s Makapu‘u Campus in fall 2023, we maintain our commitment to accessibility and diversity. The unanticipated silver lining to the COVID pandemic is that we did learn a great deal about how to creatively use technology to enhance education even in disciplines that are not traditionally considered compatible with distance education.”
Today, HPU offers students the chance to get in touch with the past while learning how to apply modern aquaculture techniques in their own lifetimes. “Hands-on learning opportunities will be provided to Native Hawaiians students through participation in applied aquaculture research at OI,” says Moss, “where students will work side-by-side with OI scientists on ongoing projects related to algae production and fish and shrimp aquaculture.”
The U.S. Department of Education’s funding of this inspirational project at HPU is crucial because it will help solve the technical challenges of today and tomorrow and help educate Native Hawaiian graduates who will play increasingly important leadership roles in helping solve the complex and transdisciplinary challenges facing island communities in the future, including food insecurity, global climate change, and job diversification.
To learn more about OI of HPU click here.
September
ID: nc09282101
Title: HPU Kupuna in Residence Receives Two Community Honors
Date: September 28, 2021
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This summer, Lynette Cruz, Ph.D., Hawai‘i Pacific University Kupuna in Residence and retired cultural anthropology professor, and HPU alumna received honors from the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation (HHF) and at the annual Lā Ho‘iho‘i Ea celebration.
HHF named Cruz an individual achievement honoree of its 2021 Preservation Honor Awards program. HHF started this awards program in 1975, and it “offers the local community an opportunity to share, recognize and applaud excellence in historic preservation in the Hawaiian Islands.”
The Lā Ho‘iho‘i Ea website notes Cruz as a “revered Kanaka Maoli leader, teacher, activist, organizer, and cultural practitioner. From education to activism, to organizing, to storytelling, Aunty Lynette remains an example of the resilience, intelligence, and strength that our ancestors embody every day.” Cruz is one of only two 2021 honorees.
Throughout the years at HPU, Cruz has influenced the education of a countless number of HPU students.
“I remember as an undergraduate her classes always filled up first, and I did not have the opportunity to take a course,” HPU alumna and the University’s Assistant Director of Student Activities Chez Neilson said. “Years later, I was able to connect with her, and she helped me to create continuity to the Hawai‘i Spotlight program. She continues to be someone I can turn to, and it’s such an honor to have her in my life.”
Assistant Professor of Political Science Ngoc Phan, Ph.D., and three Native Hawaiian undergraduate research assistants Leilani DeLude (2020), La‘akea Dedrick (2021), and Catherine Jara (2022), worked with Cruz from August to December 2019, surveying Native Hawaiians across Hawai‘i. The team’s research objective was to understand Hawaiian identity and community concerns, hearing from Hawaiians in their own words. To date, the 2019 Native Hawaiian Survey is the largest survey on Native Hawaiian public opinion, with over 1,000 respondents.
“Dr. Lynette Cruz is the embodiment of aloha, pono, and kuleana,” Phan said. “She is an exceptional teacher, scholar, and advocate for the Native Hawaiian community. I am honored that I was able to learn from and work with her on the survey. I often hear from students at HPU that Dr. Cruz’s classes and service-learning activities have taught them the importance of aloha aina and how to live with aloha every day.”
ID: nc09202101
Title: HPU Alumna Receives HUI SRC Grant to Research Deadly Bacterium
Date: September 20, 2021
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Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU) alumna and nurse Isabelle Yazel Eiser ‘21 has been awarded a grant to conduct novel research on the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus in Hawai‘i. Yazel Eiser was born and raised in Indiana, and holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and specializes in caring for patients battling COVID-19. The grant will help fund research into the pathogenic bacteria V. vulnificus and its widespread growth in Hawai‘i.
“V. vulnificus is a deadly pathogenic bacterium that is in the same genus as the bacteria that causes cholera infections,” said Yazel Eiser. “This bacterium is naturally present in Hawaiian waters, although abundances can become high with increased freshwater input, like after a heavy rain.”
V. vulnificus grows in brackish water, where salt water and fresh water meet, and is often found in the Ala Wai Canal in Waikiki. Yazel Eiser will be researching V. vulnificus and its presence at numerous locations on Oahu, particularly on the Windward side.
“For this research, I have sampled water with a salinity this bacterium would thrive in,” said Yazel Eiser. “I am currently testing the bacteria that was isolated from these water samples to see if it is V. vulnificus. Some strains of V. vulnificus are more likely to make people sick than others. Dr. Olivia Nigro and I will then characterize the strains and compare the bacteria by conducting full genomic sequencing on the V. vulnificus isolated from different locations.”
“Isabelle is inspirational,” said HPU Assistant Professor of Biology Olivia Nigro, Ph.D. “She works tirelessly at the hospital with COVID-19 patients, and then spends her days off in the lab, working to understand a different infectious agent. Her life’s focus is improving health outcomes for our community.”
The research project should take approximately one year, with genomic data ready for review at the start of 2022. When the research is complete Yazel Eiser plans to be able to create a phylogenomic tree of the bacteria.
Yazel Eiser was chosen for the $3,000 research grant by the HPU Undergraduate Infrastructure Student Research Center (HUI SRC). The HUI SRC was established in 2020 at HPU, and Yazel Eiser was among just two scholars to receive the grant for student research.
“Dr. Nigro initially asked our general biology class if anyone wanted to join her lab,” said Yazel Eiser. “It was a great opportunity to join Dr. Nigro and begin my research at HPU. All of my professors have been accommodating and they understand students’ needs very well.”
Yazel Eiser is conducting her research at HPU’s Makapu‘u Campus. She plans to have at least one significant part of her research complete by January 2022 and is actively applying to graduate schools in Hawai‘i and on the mainland. Yazel Eiser intends to pursue a career in infectious disease research.
“I enjoy learning about infectious diseases, so this period of time is very interesting from an infectious disease standpoint,” said Yazel Eiser.
ID: nc09152101
Title: HPU Student Scholar Receives HUI SRC Grant to Research HNF4A Gene
Date: September 15, 2021
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HPU alumnus Andy Yu has received a grant to research the mutated gene Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 Alpha (HNF4a) that may be partly linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Yu will be conducting research with HPU Biology Professor Christopher Capaldo, Ph.D., throughout the course of the year.
“I’m studying a widespread disease that no one really knows the cause,” said Yu. “It’s partly genetically influenced. The grant from HPU will help me better understand the pathogenesis of IBD in patients that have mutations in this gene.”
Yu was chosen for the $3,000 research grant by the HPU Undergraduate Infrastructure Student Research Center (HUI SRC). The HUI SRC was established in 2020, and Yu was among just two scholars to receive the grant for student research.
“My goal is to be a general physician,” said Yu. “I’m currently studying for the MCAT examination and will be applying to medical school for the 2022 enrollment. I currently work as a medical scribe, which is great experience for a career in medicine.”
Yu graduated from HPU in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. Raised in Oahu, Yu attended Kapolei High School and believes the education he received at HPU helped him bloom as a researcher.
“HPU’s smaller classroom sizes really helped when it comes to working with professors,” said Yu. “Some students – like me – do not really like being face-to-face with a lot of people. So being in smaller classrooms provides the opportunity for professors to select students to work in labs. This would not have happened at a larger university. The professors at HPU can really get to know their students.”
Yu’s research on HNF4a is novel and exploratory. He expects to generate and analyze the data this year and see what results he and Capaldo produce.
“We are not sure yet what the results will tell us in the end, but it is exciting to have an opportunity to work on this exploratory research.” said Yu.
ID: nc09142101
Title: HPU Professor Publishes Paper in Law Practice Today
Date: September 14, 2021
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HPU Assistant Professor of Management Elana Bertram, JD, MBA, published a new article entitled Can You Crowdfund a Law Firm? in August 2021.
The article was published in Law Practice Today, a publication by the American Bar Association.
Bertram is a co-founder of Oki Nexus, Inc., a charitable organization bringing English-language learning and job skills training to low-income communities in Okinawa, Japan. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biological sciences from Mount Holyoke College, an MBA from Yale School of Management, and a Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law, with concentration in intellectual property.
Previously, Bertram has taught at the University of New Haven School of Health Sciences and University of Maryland Global Campus.
To read the complete article on Law Practice Today click here.
ID: nc09082101
Title: HPU and 4ocean Team Up to Combat Marine Plastic Pollution
Date: September 08, 2021
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HPU's Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR), the international research institution at the forefront of marine plastics science and advocacy, is partnering with Florida-based 4ocean to recover plastic debris from Hawai‘i’s coastlines and reefs to better understand how to end the problem of ocean plastic pollution. With 4ocean’s professional crews focused on global ocean cleanup coupled with CMDR’s novel research on the sources, transport, fate and impacts of plastic marine debris, this partnership is a natural fit for both organizations.
“This collaborative partnership with 4ocean will be instrumental in conducting high-impact research with positive international implications,” said Dr. Jennifer Lynch, research biologist with National Institute of Standards and Technology and co-director of Hawaiʻi Pacific University’s Center for Marine Debris Research. “We hope that together, we can continue work to reduce the impact of plastics on our delicate ecosystems and economy.”
CMDR’s work is critical to understanding why and how waste ends up in our oceans, ultimately threatening our marine species and polluting our waters,” said Alex Schulze, Co-Founder and CEO at 4ocean. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with Hawaiʻi’s leading researchers – and budding scientists – through this partnership to solve this global plastic pollution crisis.”
Through the partnership, 4ocean will have exclusive access to the CMDR’s facilities, including the net shed where the CMDR team has been working since June 2020 to determine the origin, transport and ownership of more than 47 tons of marine debris from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
4ocean will remove marine debris from Hawai’is shores and CMDR will research this same debris in a variety of research studies focused on marine plastics degradation, plastics sediment studies, and the sources, transport, fate, and impacts of plastic marine debris. CMDR has also provided 100 pounds of derelict fishing ghost gear to 4ocean to be produced into 4ocean products, which helps to fund the organization’s global ocean cleanup operations.
During the month of September, 4ocean will donate $1 to CMDR for every Hawaiian coral reef bracelet sold to support its work to investigate the sources of marine plastic pollution and find solutions to reach a trash-free ocean. For every bracelet sold, 4ocean will also pull a pound of trash from the ocean, rivers and coastlines.
To learn more about CMDR’s partnership with 4ocean, click here.
August
ID: nc08212101
Title: 2020-2021 Golden Apple Awards Presented
Date: August 31, 2021
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he Scholarship and Learning Resources Committee of the Faculty Assembly presented the 2020-21 Golden Apple Awards at the Monday, Aug. 16 Faculty Assembly meeting. The awards recognize and commend colleagues’ contributions toward advancing teaching, scholarship, and service to the University.
DISTINGUISHED UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING BY A FULL TIME FACULTY MEMBER
STERLING HIGA
Higa’s nomination included comments provided by students. They said: “One of the best instructors I've had at HPU! (He) truly cares about his students. Also, very knowledgeable in the subject matter. Created a positive and judgment-free class environment.” His departmental colleagues have heard similar comments. “Students love him and are vocally generous with unprompted praise of Sterling’s teaching style. I often overhear students talking about some of the engaging discussions that happen in his classes. Students identify with him.”
DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE TEACHING BY A FULL TIME FACULTY MEMBER
GHAZWAN HASSNA, PH.D.
Hassna designed, created, and organized his course materials to support students’ learning and to accommodate their different learning styles. For example, he introduced the pedagogical mind maps for all of his courses to help students organize knowledge processing in their studies as creative and logical methods of mental note-taking. One of his graduate students wrote: “Professor Hassna’s strength lies in him being a subject matter expert in his field. He does not stop sharpening his mind to keep up with the ever-changing technology.”
DISTINGUISHED TEACHING BY AN ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER
DOROTHY DOUTHIT, PH.D.
Douthit joined HPU in 2004 as an adjunct and was an Assistant Professor of Education in 2006 to 2010. She continues as an adjunct to teach courses in the School of Education across all four of its programs. Douthit is described as a necessary tough critic who provides valuable feedback to the student teachers to help them improve their teaching and managing of the classroom and students. Her students love working with her, and faculty turn to her for guidance and support. She consistently goes above and beyond for HPU by working around the clock to support faculty and students.
EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP
SCOTT OKAMOTO, PH.D.
Okamoto is currently the lead investigator on two R34 grants, one for The Implementation, Adoption, and Sustainability of Ho‘ouna Pono, and a second for a Diversity Supplement grant. He is also a co-investigator on four other grants, including the Pacific Island Partnership for Cancer Health Equity (PIPCHE). Okamoto is an extraordinary scholar who has effectively weaved his passion for and expertise in scholarship and research into advancing student success, faculty development, and meeting community needs. He was instrumental in HPU’s most recent NIH grant for the HPU Undergraduate Infrastructure Student Research Center (HUI SRC).
EXCELLENCE IN MENTORING
SERGE MAREK, PH.D.
Marek’s students said of his impact on their HPU experience: “I see him as an extraordinary educator and person. He is my faculty advisor, and one of the reasons that I think coming to HPU was a good choice. He is very caring of all his students and provides valuable suggestions. Some UN Club members and the Model UN started with little to no experience with public speaking. With Dr. Marek's guidance, these students succeeded. (By) having this space to practice and improve made a difference in these students' lives. I believe Dr. Marek is someone who gives hope to his students. The students always know that he responds to emails and will be at office hours despite his incredibly busy schedule for the duties he held as Faculty Senate Chair.”
EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY BY A STAFF MEMBER
MELISSA MATSUBARA
This last year, Matsubara has made tremendous efforts to enhance the student academic advising experience as well as improving the service and experience that faculty advisors and professional advisors provide. She excels in bringing together stakeholders, listening attentively to their concerns and challenges, and then working together collaboratively to identify and actualize real solutions to these issues. A faculty member commented: “She is not only brilliant at her job but also a super collaborator and incredibly hard worker. She manages to stay positive regardless of the situation and never fails to help anyone who requests.”
EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY BY A FACULTY MEMBER:
CATHARINE CRITZ, PH.D.
A former student and now faculty colleague of Critz said: “My classmates and I experienced Dr. Critz as kind and warm, with a sharp wit and unfailing good humor. Since our first introduction to Dr. Critz as a professor, and in the years since my admiration for her has only grown as I have the privilege to work with her as current faculty. She has provided guidance on nursing and college levels and has provided steady leadership. She served as the NFA chair, ensuring HPU’s faculty is focused on the priorities and keeping all of us on track. Her professionalism transfers to her dedication and teaching of our HPU students.”
REFLECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY
BRENDEN BLISS
Field trips can be great for experiencing the subject matter in person, but when that was no longer possible, Bliss gave students in his Military History of Hawai‘i course the next-best thing: using virtual tours to deliver core material. Each week of the course had a new tour which was a blend of PowerPoint presentations, documentary videos, eye-witness interviews, map and website analysis with walking tours of the site created by him. For example, instead of simply showing the route of Kamehameha’s invasion and conquest of O‘ahu on a map in his lecture, he narrated the route on a map then cut to videos of the sites which he personally filmed and narrated.
LIFETIME COMMITMENT IN TEACHING
JEROME FELDMAN, PH.D.
Feldman has aided in several important exhibitions, including The Eloquent Dead at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, Nias Tribal Treasures at the Volkenkundig Museum Nusantara in Delft, and Beyond the Java Sea, a Smithsonian sponsored traveling exhibition. He has also written books and articles and lectured extensively on Tribal Southeast Asian, Micronesian and Polynesian art and architecture. In fall 2004, he was the Slade Visiting Professor at Cambridge University, England.
In 2015 one of Feldman’s colleagues evaluated his teaching of the course Art of the Human Body and said: “I have attended over half a dozen three-hour sessions of the course, not one of which was ever boring. Indeed, Dr. Feldman is engaged and funny. He even physically impersonates some of the figures and artists for students, who in turn are engaged and ready to laugh. It is a different kind of learning than we attempt in courses which focus on texts.”
ID: nc08262102
Title: Filing Your Electronic Petition to Graduate
Date: August 26, 2021
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Do you plan on completing your degree at HPU this Spring or Summer 2022? If so, now is the time to file your Petition to Graduate (PTG).
You can now file your PTG online through the MyHPU Portal. It only takes a few minutes to complete the form. For more details and step-by-step instructions, please visit https://www.hpu.edu/registrar/index.html.html
If you plan to graduate in Spring or Summer 2022, the deadline to file your PTG without a late fee is Friday, September 10, 2021.
The filing of your PTG ensures that you receive vital information related to degree completion and the commencement ceremony. Please check your HPU email frequently for all graduation and degree conferral related communication. Failure to meet PTG submission deadline will result in a late fee, may result in your name not appearing in the commencement program, and non-conferral of your degree.
Once you file your PTG online by the deadline listed above, you will need to make a follow-up appointment with your advisor. This will serve as a double-check to be sure that you are on track for degree completion.
Questions? Email ptg@hpu.edu.
ID: nc08262101
Title: HPU Creates New Online eAds Service
Date: August 26, 2021
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HPU announced a new resource for students. The HPU online eAds Service is provided for HPU students to aid in their off-campus housing search. HPU community members may also use this service to advertise rooms, apartments, or houses for rent.
All you need is your HPU email address to create an account.
Instructions for first-time users:
- Head over to https://www.hpu.edu/eads
- Agree to the "Terms of Service" by clicking on the “I accept” button.
- Press the “Login” button and click “Register” to create an account. You may use either your hpu.edu or my.hpu.edu email address.
- After entering the required information, you will get an email asking you to confirm your email address. After that confirmation, you can log in to eAds.
Questions? Contact the Housing and Residence Life staff at housing@hpu.edu.
ID: nc08212101
Title: HPU's New Minor in Editing and Publishing
Date: August 24, 2021
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HPU announced its new minor in the College of Liberal Arts. The minor in editing and publishing provides students with a focused curriculum that emphasizes practical experience in the editing and publishing fields. The minor was designed as a classroom-to-career pathway for students interested in editing and publishing.
“The editing and publishing minor is the only one if its kind in Hawai‘i,” said Associate Professor Christy Williams, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of English and Applied Linguistics. “HPU's English program is unique because undergraduate students have the opportunity to work on a variety of publications for course credit. Other universities in Hawai‘i have literary publications, and some give course credit for a single publishing class, but HPU is the only place where students can gain experience working on different kinds of publications while earning credit toward their degrees.”
The editing and publishing minor is a 12-credit program. Students may choose various editing and publishing experiences. These include:
• Hawaii‘i Pacific Review, an online literary journal,
• Wanderlust, the HPU student literary magazine,
• Fresh Perspectives, an anthology of first-year student writing,
• and courses in composition studies, where students develop writing pedagogy and tutor students in first-year writing courses; news writing for Kalamalama; linguistics; and writing for digital media.
A complete list of courses in the editing and publishing catalog can be found here.
In developing the new minor, HPU faculty worked closely with several alumni who have had success in the editing and publishing fields.
“We want our graduates to be successful in whatever they choose,” says Williams, “and for those interested in the publishing industry, the practical experience they gain in these courses gives them a competitive edge.”
HPU Professor of English Tyler McMahon is the editor and instructor for Wanderlust and Hawaii‘i Pacific Review. David Falgout, Ph.D., is the faculty editor for Fresh Perspectives, and Angela Gili, Ph.D., teaches the composition studies course and is the writing mentor and tutoring coordinator.
For additional information on the College of Liberal Arts at HPU click here.
July
ID: nc07272102
Title: Student Health Research Concept Competition (HRCC) Scholars Awarded Grants
Date: July 27, 2021
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The Hawai‘i Pacific University Undergraduate Infrastructure Student Research Center (HUI SRC) has named its first HRCC student scholars, Isabelle Yazel Eiser (B.S. in Nursing and B.S. in Biochemistry ‘21) and Andy Yu (B.S. in Biology ‘21). HUI SRC awarded Eiser and Yu a research grant, $3,000 each, to conduct research this summer with a faculty mentor.
Eiser and her mentor, Assistant Professor of Biology Olivia Nigro, Ph.D., are researching Vibrio vulnificus, pathogenic bacteria widespread in Hawai‘i. A set of pathogenic and nonpathogenic isolates from Hawaiian waters will be sub-cultured under varying environmental conditions, including nutrient concentrations, oxygen levels, temperatures, and salinities. Whole genome sequencing will be completed on a subset of isolates with differing growth profiles to understand the relationship between growth characteristics and variations in the core- and pan- genomes of V. vulnificus. This research will help identify genetic differences among strains of V. vulnificus from brackish waters surrounding Oahu and how those differences impact their growth, survival, and reproduction.
Yu and his mentor, Assistant Professor of Biology Christopher Capaldo, Ph.D., focus their research on differential HNF4a isoform expression during inflammation. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder partly linked to a mutated gene known as HNF4a. HNF4a has been known to cause dysregulation of tight junctions, allowing pathogens to invade across intestinal epithelia, subsequently inducing inflammation and worsening the progression of IBD. This project aims to analyze the HNF4a gene and its role in protecting the gut from inflammation. This research will help better understand the pathogenesis of IBD in patients that have mutations in this gene.
In 2020, the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on General Medical Sciences awarded HPU a $750,000 grant to launch the HUI SRC. Dean of the College of Health and Society Halaevalu Vakalahi, Ph.D., is the principal researcher, and professors Scott Okamoto, Ph.D., and David Horgen, Ph.D., are the faculty advisors. More than 15 HPU faculty serve as faculty mentors.
Since the start of the HUI SRC, approximately 100 HPU students have joined as members. For more information on HUI SRC, check out the team’s Instagram at huisrc_hpu or contact Research Coordinator Blaize Soakai (M.A. D.M.S.) at bsoakai@hpu.edu.
ID: nc07272101
Title: History Professor Organizes a Visiting Study Program
Date: July 27, 2021
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On a cool, blustery, and wet Saturday morning, July 17, Russell Hart, Ph.D., Professor of History and Director of the Diplomacy and Military Studies program, conducted a joint battlefield tour of the 1795 Battle of Nu’uanu for students and faculty from the USM’s visiting summer program and HPU students.
Hart provided a ninety-minute tour at the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout to the assembled group, including USM Professors Andy Wiest and Kevin Greene and visiting USM history majors. Hart began with a background overview of the War of Succession and the War of Unification that laid the stage for the climatic decisive 1795 struggle that led to King Kamehameha’s ultimate unification of the Hawaiian islands. First describing the landings in Waikiki and the initial clash at Punchbowl, he then overviewed the myriad fierce battles fought astride the Nu’uanu Valley to the climactic final stand allied Army of Oahu at the lip of the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, where its rearguard was forced off the cliff and smashed to death on the steep walls of the Ko’olau Mountains, giving the battle its Hawaiian name – the Battle of the “Plunging Mullets!”
The USM group stayed at the Waterfront Lofts at Aloha Tower Marketplace, and the program started on Friday, July 9, and ended on Monday, July 26. In addition to the July 17 battlefield tour, the USM group joined HPU faculty and students on a Chinatown walking tour, a Manoa Falls hike, and a Makapu’u Lighthouse and Point walking tour. Additionally, a visit to Punchbowl National Cemetery included USM History students giving short presentations on Medal of Honor recipients.
ID: nc07262101
Title: OI of HPU Focuses on Rejuvenating Prized Hawaiian Fish
Date: July 26, 2021
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Oceanic Institute (OI) of HPU was recently awarded a nearly $300,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Saltonstall-Kennedy Program for their innovative work to rejuvenate the Hawaiian goatfish in the nearshore waters off Hawai‘i’s coasts. The goatfish – known locally as kumu – is endemic to Hawai‘i and an esteemed food fish.
“Kumu is a highly regarded and culturally important reef species that has experienced significant population decreases over the past several decades,” said Chatham Callan, Ph.D., principal investigator of the grant titled, Engaging Hawaii's Fishing Community to Establish Marine Aquaculture Techniques for Kumu, an Endemic Hawaiian Goatfish (Parupeneus porphyreus). Callan’s research will focus on developing culture methods for marine fish species for local food production and to aid in marine conservation.
“This exciting project will utilize hatchery technology,” says Callan, “recently developed at OI to culture species such as yellow tang, to innovate culture methods for kumu. If successful, this research could pave the way for large scale production of kumu for fisheries restoration and commercial markets."
OI has a long and successful history of breakthroughs in aquaculture technology. After a series of successes in the feeding and nurturing of yellow tang in captivity, OI has enabled the production of the fish through aquaculture, which helps alleviate the stress of Hawai‘i’s reefs.
"Five years ago, we were producing dozens of yellow tang at a time," said Callan. "In a short period of five years, we have gone from dozens of yellow tang to thousands. It's really exciting, and we know we have to get to tens of thousands before we will become a viable alternative to the wild trade."
Kumu was once an abundant fish in Hawai‘i’s nearshore waters, but has fallen victim to overfishing in recent years. NOAA published a technical memorandum that classified kumu as an overfished species. The fish is highly prized in Hawai‘i and the flesh is considered a delicacy.
To learn more about OI at HPU click here.
Photograph courtesy Dr. Dwayne Meadows, NOAA/NMFS/OPR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
ID: nc07202101
Title: New Species of Jellyfish Discovered at HPU
Date: July 20, 2021
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When Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU) Associate Professor of Biology Brenden Holland, Ph.D., and HPU graduate student Anita Harrington teamed up last summer to work on the DNA sequencing of a new species of jellyfish found off the coast of Japan neither professor nor student were quite sure what they were going to uncover.
“This all started when I received an email from my colleague Jerry Crow, President of the non-profit Ocean Research Explorations,” said Holland. “Jerry and our colleague, hydroid expert Dale Calder at the Royal Ontario Museum were examining the morphology of a species of jellyfish that’s been on exhibit for decades in two public aquaria in Japan. Researchers in Japan had assumed it was a species that occurs off of the east coast of North America, Tima formosa. They were propagating the species in captivity and had shared specimens with other public aquariums around the world, all under the assumption it was one thing, but it was really something different.”
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Crow and Calder had a conundrum. They were studying the anatomy of the jellyfish but were unable to match it with anything that had previously been described. Stumped, they sent some tissue samples to Holland. He and Harrington extracted the jellyfish DNA and conducted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and taxonomic analysis at the Oceanic Institute of HPU.
“Once I got the DNA sequences I conducted a National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) search,” says Holland. “Nothing came back as an exact match. So what we have is a new species of jellyfish. It’s ecology is not well known, and until now it had not been formally described.”
That new species of jellyfish was given the binomial, Tima nigroannulata. The jellyfish is about the size of a human hand, has a black ring around the bell with 53 tentacles. It has fluorescent qualities under ultraviolet light and a complex life history.
“We are in a technologically revolutionary time,” said Holland. “The molecular genetic research we routinely do at HPU was unthinkable a few decades ago.”
Undergraduate and graduate students at HPU have opportunities to work closely with professors in their respective fields of expertise and get hands-on experience in the University’s state-of-the-art research labs.
“HPU is special that way,” said Holland. “Professors here tend to have relatively small class sizes and are not overwhelmed with too many graduate students. The faculty at HPU spend a lot more time with students, and professors have great opportunities to convey and instill knowledge within their specialties.”
Harrington, a graduate of the University of North Carolina’s oceanography program, enrolled in HPU’s graduate program in marine science in 2017. She was Holland's first graduate student, excelled immediately, and graduated in 2020. In 2021, she received the prestigious John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship and was selected as her class valedictorian. This achievement marks the first time since 2012, and second time ever, that a HPU graduate student has received the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.
“I knew that I was interested in pursuing a career working for the government after graduate school,” says Harrington, “so I was ecstatic and honored to be awarded the Knauss Fellowship. I never expected to assist in the discovery of a new species, and feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work on this unique project outside of my thesis.”
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The paper resulting from the discovery of Tima nigroannulata will mark Harrington’s first peer-reviewed scientific paper; she is co-author along with Holland, Crow, Calder and several Japanese marine scientists in the journal Zoological Science, published on June 8, 2021, by the Zoological Society of Japan. Harrington's thesis at HPU was entitled “An Investigation into the Trophic Ecology and Introduction of the Winged Box Jellyfish, Alatina alata, in Hawaiʻi.”
Harrington is spending her fellowship year as the Science and Policy Fellow for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) at Science Applications Headquarters in Washington D.C.
January
ID: nc01252102
Title: Housing and Residence Life Recognized As Ke Kaukahi Award Winner
Date: January 25, 2021
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The Special Events and Recognition Committee, on behalf of the Staff Council, presented the Fall 2020 Ke Kaukahi Recognition of Excellence award to the Housing and Residence Life department.
The safety of the campus residents and their community has always been a priority. Still, for the 2020-2021 academic year, the Housing and Residence Life team has had to adapt and be flexible in its standard community practices and communications. From check-in to programming and community standards, the staff kept health and safety at the forefront while responding quickly and often corresponding with other department staff who may need to be involved.
Award nominees included the following departments, and excerpts from their nominations are listed:
Academic Advising "serves as a crucial nexus between students and the university," and year-round, student appointments fill the advisors' schedules. Advisors do not hesitate to go above and beyond to support students through academic struggles, social and emotional challenges or serve as counselors, life coaches, academic planners, mentors, cheerleaders, disciplinarians, confidants, educators, and lifesavers.
The Registrar's Office has streamlined and updated processes over the past year to simplify registration, order transcripts, and petition to graduate. Each team member is professional in what they do and eases the burdens of the departments that rely on them for support.
Pictured is the Housing and Residence Life team, from left to right, Lauren Nosworthy, Area Coordinator Hawaii Loa Campus; Brian Reece, Assistant Director; and Tyler McLoughlin, Area Coordinator, Aloha Tower Marketplace
ID: nc01252101
Title: College of Business Faculty Research Published in a Top-ranked Business Journal
Date: January 25, 2021
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Assistant Professor of Management Tolga Ulusemre, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Economics Xin Fang, Ph.D., recently received acceptance of their article "How do Expatriate Managers Draw the Boundaries of Moral Free Space in the Case of Guanxi?" by the Journal of Business Ethics.
In this study, Ulusemre and Fang interviewed expatriate managers working and living in China to explore their ethical evaluations of and responses to guanxi. The term guanxi is commonly used in the business literature to refer to informal networks in China. Many scholars argue that informal networks such as guanxi are used extensively in developing countries due to a lack of formal governance that enables impersonal business dealings. The study led to the identification of two types of guanxi: defensive and competitive. In general, the respondents found defensive guanxi moral in the Chinese context, while they considered competitive guanxi immoral. The study has implications for scholars who seek to utilize the integrative social contracts theory to study corruption in developing countries.
The selective Australian Business Dean's Council journal list includes the Journal of Business Ethics. Within this already selective list of journals, the Journal of Business Ethics ranks as an 'A journal,' placing it in the top one-third of business journals, highlighting academic excellence and professors Ulusemre and Fang's research achievements!
The article by professors Ulusemre and Fang is posted at:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-020-04720-0
To read more about Ulusemre, click here, and for Fang, click here.
ID: nc01182101
Title: HPU Intern Hosts Her Own Talk Show at ThinkTech Hawaii
Date: January 18, 2021
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Interning during COVID-19 presented immense challenges for college students across the country. HPU Communications major Grace Laudick confronted these challenges head-on while interning at ThinkTech Hawaii in the spring 2020 semester. With a can-do attitude, Grace was offered to host her own bi-weekly talk show called "Educating Ourselves in These Difficult Times."
This deeply engaging experience provided Grace a trusting and autonomous environment where she could expound on the knowledge and skills gained from her HPU education. Read below to learn more about Grace's internship, how her HPU education prepared her for this experience, and words of advice she has for aspiring interns.
Please share with us a few highlights regarding your internship with ThinkTech Hawaii?
Soon after my internship began, I was given the opportunity to host my own bi-weekly talk show on ThinkTech Hawaii called "Educating Ourselves in These Difficult Times.'' My show explored the systemic and external challenges facing educators, students, and other employees in the education sector in today's rapidly evolving world. The trust, autonomy, constructive feedback, and one-on-one mentorship from my supervisor were some of the many highlights of my internship. I genuinely enjoyed the array of guests I was able to interview, the process of broadcast journalism preparation, and sharing the stories of the many experiences and perspectives of my guests. Getting to step into the shoes of my guests as I listened to their experiences helped me to cultivate a more nuanced worldview, and the privilege of being able to share their stories on multiple platforms was a rewarding experience.
How did your HPU education prepare you for this internship?
HPU places a strong emphasis on cultural understanding and becoming a global citizen. Many of the guests I interviewed, and audience members I interacted with online, came from all over the world. HPU's large population of international students and courses like intercultural communication helped me to better understand cultural differences and interact with my audience. My other communication courses, such as public speaking, mass media, and social media strategy, helped me to feel more comfortable in my speaking abilities on camera and publish content online.
Were there any unique challenges you encountered during your internship? If so, how did you overcome these challenges?
I began my internship during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, days prior to everything shutting down. Thankfully, my quick-thinking and adaptive supervisors were able to design a system where I could film some of my shows from home and created a fully virtual internship. Communicating with supervisors became more challenging, but regularly scheduled phone calls and organization-wide meetings ensured that we were trained, informed, and kept connected to each other.
When I began my talk show, I did not have any on-camera speaking experience. Thankfully, my experience on HPU's debate team and public speaking courses instilled a sense of confidence in my speaking abilities, which translated to a quick adaptation and comfort for speaking on-camera.
What did you learn from this internship that you'll be able to apply in your future career?
In the future, I aspire to pursue a career in law, focusing on either educational policymaking or juvenile advocacy and family law. I also aspire to create a non-profit organization advocating for equal access to education, high-risk youth, and victims of domestic and sexual violence. My internship has given me the skills to effectively navigate conversations with a wide array of guests from diverse backgrounds, time-manage preparation, and instill a sense of comfort and trust with my guests. Learning how to be mindful of others' stories, perspectives, and backgrounds have given me the skills to be able to approach and effectively communicate with my legal clients in the future.
My talk show focusing on education from multiple perspectives has also allowed me to further examine the challenges facing education today and learn lessons from abroad. The stories from my guests have opened my eyes to additional opportunities for change in educational policy.
What advice do you have for HPU students who are considering an internship before they graduate?
I would advise that communication students take an array of courses in mediated and non-mediated forms of communication to determine what area of the discipline best piques their interest. Next, I would recommend that students explore what type of workplace best suits their goals and interests. For example, a local boutique PR firm will have a very different work environment from a prominent corporate news broadcasting organization. Because internships can result in a job offer after graduation, I would advise that students pick an organization that they can picture themselves in potentially long-term. Even if the internship does not go as expected, I hope that each student understands the value in learning what you like and do not like.
Because internships can be time-consuming, I also recommend that students complete internships over summer break, when courseload is minimal. Consulting the Career Development Center prior to applying for internships can also open doors to otherwise unadvertised sites or valuable networking opportunities. I had never heard of ThinkTech until I participated in the Career Development Center's Ha Na Ka Ike internship program and was referred to the site. Do not be afraid to ask for help and make the most of the resources on campus!
Any last thoughts you'd like to share with the HPU Ohana?
Take charge of your education and your internship! An internship is a valuable opportunity to exercise your in-class knowledge and a perfect avenue to explore careers in what you are studying. Please make the most of your time, and don't be afraid to say yes to projects in areas you may be unfamiliar with. Education is all about learning, and that includes learning the ropes of the professional world and various skill sets. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Chances are, people genuinely want you to do well and succeed!
For more information on internships and the comprehensive services provided by the University's Career Development Center staff, go to: www.hpu.edu/cdc
2020
December
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Title: Professor Hazel Downing Named 2020 Teacher of the Year
Date: December 08, 2020
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Associate Professor of Nursing Hazel Downing, RN, MN, Ed.D., was born and raised in India, experiencing extreme hardships. From a young age, Downing realized the possibilities to get an education are endless if she had the drive. After completing nursing school, she journeyed to the U.S. In addition to teaching at HPU, Downing is a Clinical Nurse Specialist for Critical & Emergency Care at Kuakini Medical Center.
For 19 years, Downing has taught at Hawai‘i Pacific University, specializing in Comprehensive Nursing at the undergraduate level and Advanced Pathophysiology at the graduate level. Her recent scholarship at the International Council of Nurses was on Battling Obesity Among Nurses. Additionally, at the Nursing World Conference, she presented on the Impact of Nurse Obesity on Safe Healthcare Delivery.
To promote global health, she worked with the HOPE School in Bangalore, India, and launched a free live online health education program for children living in impoverished neighborhoods. Downing chooses presentation topics based on the children and their families’ specific health needs, teaching them about different diseases and simple ways to prevent these diseases.
Downing cites the success of her students as one of her most significant accomplishments. In the classroom, Downing says she strives to encourage meaningful connections and influences among students without eliminating their inborn values, perspectives, ideas, or the truth.
January
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Title: Oceanic Institute (OI) of HPU Scientists Co-author Research Article on Aquaculture in Hawai‘i
Date: January 14, 2020
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Chad Callan, Ph.D., Director of OI of HPU’s Finfish Department, and Shaun Moss, Ph.D., Executive Director of OI of HPU, co-authored an article titled, “Aquaculture in Hawai‘i – Ancient Traditions, Modern Innovation,” along with other aquaculture experts in Hawai‘i. The article published in the World Aquaculture journal highlights the history of aquaculture in Hawai‘i, including important contributions made by researchers at OI over the past several decades. Contributions include the first-ever successful cultivation of captive-bred yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), a valuable coral reef fish, and the development of the world’s first Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) shrimp.
The World Aquaculture Society published the article in advance of the upcoming Aquaculture America 2020 conference it is sponsoring in Honolulu from Feb. 9-12. The conference will feature hundreds of world-class speakers and delegates from around the globe to discuss the science, technology, business and social aspects of aquaculture. OI of HPU scientists will present data from their current research on fish and shrimp.
The article about Hawai‘i aquaculture is posted here.
2019
February
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Title: Staff Council Recognizes the Contributions of Information Technology Services
Date: February 01, 2019
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Each semester, the Special Events and Recognition Committee of the Staff Council sends a call for nominations to staff for the Ke Kaukahi, which can mean to have a ‘singleness of purpose,’ awards. With the Ke Kaukahi distinction, the Staff Council recognizes the work of a department that has had a significant impact on our university considering outstanding performance and commitment to excellence while embodying the values HPU embraces, pono, kuleana and aloha.
Information Technology Services is the Fall 2018 department recipient of the Ke Kaukahi recognition of excellence. A staff nominator said, "ITS [team members] not only jump to help resolve any issue or trouble but offer advice or put things in place to help prevent any future issues or offer tips to optimize office operations. [They help] HPU run more smoothly and efficiently with a friendly attitude."
January
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Title: HPU Names Jennifer Walsh Provost
Date: January 15, 2019
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Hawai‘i Pacific University has named Jennifer E. Walsh, Ph.D., as senior vice president and provost. After completing a national search, which was inclusive of university stakeholders — faculty, students, staff and trustees — Walsh was selected as the individual best suited to steward HPU’s innovative academic vision. A skilled higher education administrator, an experienced professor and an accomplished scholar, Walsh will assume her post at HPU on June 1, 2019.
"Dr. Walsh joins HPU at a transformative time as we realize our goal to create a centralized urban campus with Aloha Tower Marketplace as the anchor," said John Gotanda, president of HPU. "Under Dr. Walsh’s leadership of academic and student affairs, I am excited for the multitude of opportunities this presents for our students, unifying our campus community, strengthening interdisciplinary university collaborations and expanding connections with the community at large."
As the University’s chief academic officer, Walsh will oversee the development, growth and quality of all academic and student affairs programs to advance the academic mission of HPU. She is responsible for ensuring a highly personalized and intimate, learning-centered environment is provided to HPU students.
"HPU's promise to prepare students for professional and personal success mirrors my own commitment to preparing students to be lifelong learners who actively engage in their places of work, their communities, and our rapidly-evolving global society," said Walsh. "I am honored to join the HPU ‘ohana and am excited to work with a talented team of staff and faculty who are committed to helping students learn more about the world and themselves."
Walsh currently serves as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor with the department of history and political science at Azusa Pacific University, and she is a faculty fellow at Claremont McKenna College with the Rose Institute for State and Local Politics. Walsh also serves as a Fulbright Scholar Discipline Peer Reviewer, Fulbright Scholar Program, Institute of International Education.
She is a scholar of crime and sentencing policy, with a book on Three Strikes Laws, articles on “Crime Policy” and “Sentencing Policy” in the American Political Science Association-sponsored Encyclopedia of Political Science, and essays in peer-reviewed journals.
Walsh holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside, an M.A. in Politics and Ph.D. in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University.
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Title: Career Development Center Staff Present and Participate in Annual Conference
Date: January 14, 2019
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Staff from HPU’s Career Development Center (CDC) attended the Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers (MPACE) Annual Conference at the Disneyland Hotel, December 12-14, 2018. With a slew of concurrent sessions and industry-leading keynote speakers, Career Development Coordinator Kelly Primacio, Senior Career Advisor Ryan Tin Loy, and Director Mike Van Lear took full advantage of this professional development opportunity.
Bringing some of their own expertise to the conference, the HPU team were also presenters. The topic of their presentation was "Delivering Career Development to a Diverse Student Population: Programming that Supports Every Student’s College-to-Career Transition."
Van Lear was pleasantly surprised when he was presented with the MPACE Outstanding Service Award. He is an active MPACE member and serves on its Pac-South Regional Programming Committee.
For more information on HPU’s Career Development Center, go to: www.hpu.edu/cdc