Category: News

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin joined the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council on March 15 at UH West Oʻahu. It was an opportunity for UH campuses to meet with colleagues from across the Pacific.

The council is a consortium of presidents and chancellors of higher education institutions in the U.S. and U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands who have agreed to work collaboratively to serve the needs of member institutions as they address regional and postsecondary education issues. Member institutions are from American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of Palau, and Hawaiʻi.

“It was helpful to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as the outmigration of students from our island communities and strategies for student success,” says Chancellor Irwin.

Members of the council, all higher education institutional leaders in the Pacific region, work together to serve the needs of member institutions as they address regional and postsecondary education issues. Some of the topics addressed are inter-institutional collaboration, transfer and articulation, teacher development and information sharing, and capacity building and development.

“A number of our Pacific Island community college partners praised UH Hilo as a good university to work with because we follow the Pohnpei accord which helps their students transfer more smoothly to UH Hilo,” says Chancellor Irwin.

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Chancellor Bonnie Irwin and Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Kalei Rapoza hosted three state legislators on the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo campus Dec. 3, 2024.

The delegation included State House Representatives Lisa Kitagawa, Chris Todd, and Jeanné Kapela. Also with the group was University of Hawaiʻi System Vice President for Budget and Finance Kalbert Young, and UH Director of Government Relations Stephanie Kim.

Rep. Kitagawa is House Majority Whip and serves as Capital Improvement Projects manager for the House Finance Committee. Rep. Todd is the Minority Caucus Leader. Rep. Kapela is Vice Chair of the Higher Education and Technology Committee.

The representatives toured a residence hall room, the main campus, and the UH Hilo Agricultural Farm Laboratory in Panaʻewa.

“Rep. Kitagawa was particularly interested in some of the capital improvements for which UH Hilo is seeking support,” says Chancellor Irwin. “It always helps to see things in person, so that our legislators understand the particular needs of our campus and our community.”

The group spent the morning at UH Hilo and the afternoon at Hawaiʻi Community College.

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Chancellor Bonnie Irwin attended the 5th Annual Student-Athlete Academic Honors Reception on Monday evening where a total of 105 University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Vulcans across 12 varsity sports were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements. The student-athletes have each earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 over the 2022-23 academic year.

“Our scholar athletes are great role models for their fellow students,” says Chancellor Irwin. “They have mastered time management and persistence in the face of challenges. I am so pleased to see more and more students being honored every year as our Vulcan athletes’ GPAs continue to rise. I am grateful for the flexibility of their faculty and the mentoring of their coaches in support of their academic success.”

Graduate student Olivia Jarvis from the women’s cross country team was scholar-athlete speaker at the event. In her remarks, she paid tribute to “all the teachers in the classroom and the professors and faculty who support us in our academic journeys.”

“I’d like to thank you for teaching us with passion and love for your subjects, providing helpful resources for all students, responding to our emails, working with us while we are away competing, being patient with our chaotic lives and our brains, being our mentors and offering wisdom, and providing us with many opportunities we could not have earned without you.”

Jarvis earned a bachelor of science in environmental science at UH Hilo in spring 2022 and is currently working toward a master of science in tropical conservation biology and environmental science.

Also delivering remarks at the event were Director of Athletics Patrick Guillen and Director of the College of Business and Economics Todd Inouye who serves as assistant coach for the men’s soccer team.

Full story at UH Hilo Stories, and media release at Vulcan Athletics News.

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