This month the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo embarks on a new academic year, launching several new programs and majors. None of these opportunities for students would be possible without collaboration and partnering across traditional boundaries.
The new bachelor of science in data science program is designed for workforce preparation, formulated to address local and state needs in a data-driven knowledge economy. It is the first data science major in the UH System.
Data science deals with studying and analyzing sets of data through statistical measures that can be applied to many different fields of study. It is considered an interdisciplinary endeavor because almost every branch of science collects loads of data — big data — and each field needs experts for analyzing the mass amounts of information.
The program was launched in 2018 with a certificate in data science where students hone their data analysis skills by supporting the university’s active research faculty whose projects generate large amounts of data, such as investigations into coral reef health and studies on the impacts of climate change for our island, state, and region.
The new bachelor’s degree program in data science is an interdisciplinary degree, meaning it interfaces with other majors, where students build an in-depth skillset in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistics. Students will choose one of four tracks to specialize further: astronomy, business, statistics, or computational.
This means faculty teaching the skills of data science come from a wide range of programs including computer science, marine science, math, business administration, art, and geography. This interdisciplinary collaboration is the core of the program and of great benefit to our students.
In another program, we are partnering with UH Mānoa to create a strong pathway for Hawaiʻi Island students who wish to study engineering. They will still need to complete their degrees on Oʻahu, but they will get a solid start here in our physics and astronomy program.
The UH Hilo two-year pre-engineering program gives students a solid background in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, which are needed for any engineering degree. New UH Mānoa faculty based in Hilo will help by teaching some introductory engineering classes here on island. Students who complete the program will be ready to transfer to the degree-granting institution to study a wide range of fields including mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, aeronautical engineering, system engineering, or software engineering among others.
Engineering is an important field in workforce development. Engineers are employed in every state and city, and by every major industry, and engineering graduates command among the highest starting salaries of all college graduates. This partnership with UH Mānoa will create many opportunities for UH Hilo students.
At the School of Education, two masters-level degree programs are currently offered: one to prepare students to become teachers, and one to boost professional growth in practicing educators and licensed teachers. In a collaborative effort with the Department of Education, and in doing our part to help the UH System expand its teacher education programs across the state, we are launching a bachelor of arts in education studies program this fall, our first teacher licensing pathway for undergraduate students.
Like all of our education programs, the new degree can only succeed by partnering closely with our local schools. In addition to providing student teaching opportunities, Hawaiʻi Island teachers open their classrooms for our students to observe their methods. UH Hilo faculty collaborate with teachers and administrators to ensure that our programs are relevant to the needs of schools. These partnerships are made easier by the fact that many of our local teachers are also UH Hilo alumni!
Collaborations and partnerships within the UH Hilo campus, within the UH System, and with our local island communities ensure that UH Hilo students are receiving higher education that is relevant to our community needs. As our graduates enter the workforce, they are well prepared to make important contributions to the social, civic, and economic future of our island.
With aloha,