Message from UH Hilo Chancellor Donald O. Straney
May 2014
Chamber Connection Newsletter
Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce
Graduates’ future plans show the value of a UH Hilo degree
As we close the 2013-2014 academic year, the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo has much to celebrate. Our Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian Language moved into its beautiful new building. Faculty and staff have worked long and hard to establish the college as a leader in indigenous language and cultural revitalization. At long last, they have a permanent home in a facility that is worthy of the quality programs that have earned them international recognition.
The State Legislature has included funds in the budget for a new facility for our Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, the only accredited pharmacy school in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific islands. Funding of the building, which will house teaching and research of importance to the whole state, will allow us to move forward without jeopardizing accreditation.
But nothing makes us prouder than the accomplishments of our students and their plans for the future. This month we celebrate Spring Commencement, and I’d like to share with you some news about the extraordinary work of several students from the Class of 2014. These students are shining examples of the value of earning a degree at UH Hilo.
A transfer student graduating with a bachelor of arts in marine science has been awarded a highly competitive fellowship with The Nature Conservancy. He will start after completing the QUEST program, our summer field scientific diving course. In his fellowship he will participate in a full-time capacity for two years in the Marine Conservation Fellowship Program, a joint project of The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The goal of the program is to train Marine Fellows to become the next generation of marine conservation leaders in Hawai‘i.
Three students graduating with bachelor of science degrees in geology have been invited to join a bioarchaeological workshop in Central Transylvania, Romania. Two of the students have been working with the National Park Service at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park and have continued invitations to work there next year when they return.
A native Hawaiian student graduating with a bachelor of science in agriculture with a certificate in Hawaiian culture is already working with a non-profit to revitalize lo‘i, or taro patches, in Waipio Valley. Describing herself as a scientist and a farmer, she is creating projects in aquaponics and helping start a student-led farm. Her goals are to understand her ancestors’ traditional knowledge and implement sustainable technologies.
A star psychology major is deciding between two offers for graduate school. A graduate student in our counseling psychology program is going on to a doctor in philosophy program.
A graduate student in the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science program, whose thesis is on subterranean systems that may help inform the management and conservation of these unique ecosystems, has applied for several jobs with emphasis on Geographic Information System work and field entomology, both of which were integral to his graduate study. (GIS is a computer system designed to capture and analyze all types of geographical data.) He will be presenting his thesis at several conferences this summer prior to submitting for publication. His hope is to generate interest in his study and to continue PhD work over the next several years; he plans to continue research in Hawai‘i. Of note is that this student also received his bachelor of arts in geography with a minor in geology from UH Hilo.
UH Hilo is preparing students to meet the workforce needs of our island and state. Our mission is to challenge students to reach their highest level of academic achievement by inspiring learning, discovery and creativity inside and outside the classroom. Our kuleana, or responsibility, is to improve the quality of life of the people of Hawai‘i, the Pacific region, and the world. UH Hilo is working hard to graduate students who will create a bright future for our island and state.
Aloha,
Don Straney