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Category: Announcements

Karen Kopera-Frye recommended as new dean of College of Arts and Sciences

Published September 11, 2020 by admin

Aloha Kākou,

Karen Kopera-Frye
Karen Kopera-Frye

Dr. Karen Kopera-Frye has been recommended for approval by President David Lassner as UH Hilo’s dean for the College of Arts and Sciences effective December 28, 2020, following public posting on the September 17 UH Board of Regents meeting agenda.

Dr. Karen Kopera-Frye received her doctor of philosophy in developmental psychology with a minor in clinical psychology from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. She began her professional career as a research assistant in fall 1985 and her instructional career in fall 1987 as an instructor. Her administrative career began in September 2010 when she served for two years as interim department head of the Department of Gerontology, Sociology, and Political Science at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Beginning in September 2012, she served as the department head for four years of the newly formed Department of Gerontology, which she was instrumental in relocating to the School of Health Sciences. In September 2016, she began service as associate dean for research and associate dean for academics for the College of Health and Social Sciences at New Mexico State University. She then served as interim department head of the Department of Public of Health Sciences in November 2017 through January 2019.

Dr. Kopera-Frye has an extensive list of refereed publications, newsletter articles, presentations and published abstracts from 1985 through 2019 with numerous refereed publications in progress. She engaged in grant writing with several successfully funded submissions and is especially skilled in obtaining external fiscal resources for programs serving those who are economically disadvantaged.

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Michael Bitter for serving as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences through December 23, 2020.

Mahalo to the search committee as well as all of the campus constituents that participated in the process. The investment of your time and attention speaks well of your care for UH Hilo and our future. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Kopera-Frye to our UH Hilo ‘ohana in late fall.

Bonnie D. Irwin
Chancellor

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Message from Chancellor Irwin on plans for online teaching in spring 2021

Published September 10, 2020 by admin

Aloha Kākou,

Bonnie Irwin
Bonnie D. Irwin

At today’s University Forum for faculty and staff, Vice Chancellor Kris Roney announced that as is the case now, the spring 2021 semester will be mostly online with a few exceptions for those courses that require face-to-face instruction such as clinical, lab, and studio courses.

The vice chancellors and I will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 conditions. In the event that travel becomes easier, the case count stays low, or a vaccine becomes available, we may be able to incorporate safe face-to-face engagement opportunities for students on island during the spring semester.

The spring 2021 schedule, which will indicate which courses will require an in-person component, will be posted on October 24. Between now and then, we will communicate additional information as we have it.

Bonnie D. Irwin
Chancellor

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Faculty and staff are invited to online forum with university leadership, Sept. 9

Published September 3, 2020 by admin

Faculty and staff at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo are invited to a forum with UH Hilo leadership on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from noon to 1:00 p.m., via Zoom.

Hosting the discussion and ready for live Q & A are Chancellor Bonnie Irwin, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Farrah-Marie Gomes, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Kris Roney, and Interim Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Kalei Rapoza.

Zoom information:

Zoom link: http://go.hawaii.edu/3bQ
Meeting ID: 936 2799 4104
Passcode: 771985

Questions may be submitted in advance to urevents@hawaii.edu.

Contact the Office of University Relations with any questions regarding this event.

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Faculty and staff are invited to “Brown Bag with University Leadership,” August 26

Published August 21, 2020 by admin

Faculty and staff at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo are invited to a “Brown Bag with University Leadership,” a live Q & A on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, from noon to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Hosting the discussion are Chancellor Bonnie Irwin, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Kris Roney, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Farrah-Marie Gomes, and Interim Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Kalei Rapoza.

Zoom information:

Zoom link: http://go.hawaii.edu/3Xh
Meeting ID: 973 1359 2868
Passcode: 865948

Questions may be submitted in advance to urevents@hawaii.edu.

Contact the Office of University Relations with any questions regarding this event.

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Urgent Update from Chancellor: All courses that do not require face-to-face component to be conducted online for fall semester

Published August 19, 2020 by admin

Additionally, courses with required face-to-face components to be delayed until week 3 of the semester to give our neighbor island students who are not already here the opportunity to arrive and complete quarantine.

Aloha Kākou,

Bonnie Irwin
Bonnie D. Irwin

Thank you all for your perseverance and patience through this increasingly difficult time with the evolving COVID-19 health crisis in our State and County. The Vice Chancellors and I have been carefully monitoring the COVID-19 conditions, and the optimism of last week has dimmed as the number of new cases on O’ahu have continued to be high. Conditions locally, while not nearly as dire, continue to be of concern as well.

Therefore, I am asking today that all hybrid/hyflex modality courses that do not require a face-to-face component be conducted entirely online for the fall semester. If any faculty member wishes to use the technology in a classroom to deliver the content of the course, they should notify their dean.

Those classes that have a face-to-face required component (i.e. clinical and lab courses) will be the only classes held physically on campus. See list of Fall 2020 courses with required in-person attendance.

For these sections, I repeat, my request is that those face-to-face components be delayed until week 3 of the semester to give our neighbor island students who are not already here the opportunity to arrive and complete quarantine. We will be prioritizing these students for the next phase of our quarantine assistance.

Sign: Please wait here, support physical distancing.
A sign for small, physically-distanced, mask-wearing group of students on campus for orientation, Aug. 19, 2020. Photo by Bonnie Irwin.

Because we will have students in residence and attending some classes in person, we will continue to keep offices open as previously communicated from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). In addition, we will host some activities for students, with all physical distancing and facial covering requirements in place. I hope many of you can participate in some fashion in these activities in support of our students. Any students or employees on campus will have to abide by the current rules for wearing facial covering, physical distancing, handwashing, and health checks, as described in UH System and campus guidelines.

For obvious reasons, the Fall 2020 commencement ceremony will also be presented online, with the possibility of a drive-through component. More details to come on this in the coming weeks.

Both the UH System and the leadership here on campus continue to monitor not only the number of cases, but the characteristics of those cases-travel-related, community spread, isolated-and the health system capacity. We look for early warning signs and are in contact with county officials on a regular basis. If the need arises, additional campus measures will be put into place.

Mahalo for your continued patience and cooperation as we navigate this situation together.

Bonnie D. Irwin
Chancellor, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

UH Hilo COVID-19 Guidelines (Interim)
UH Hilo’s COVID-19 information webpage

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