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Message from Chancellor Straney: I am stepping down as chancellor of UH Hilo

Published July 12, 2017 by admin

Though I will be working for the UH System, please know that my commitment to and appreciation of UH Hilo and Hawai‘i Island remain strong.

Aloha UH Hilo ‘Ohana,

It has been my great honor to have served as chancellor for this campus for the past seven years. I am stepping down as chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo effective August 1, 2017, and will be taking a position at the University of Hawai‘i System as vice president of academic planning and policy, subject to Board of Regents approval. An open search for our next permanent chancellor will begin in fall 2017.

Marcia Sakai
Marcia Sakai

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Marcia Sakai will be appointed interim chancellor of UH Hilo by UH President David Lassner, subject to Board of Regents approval. Dr. Sakai joined the UH Hilo faculty in 1991. She was the founding dean of the College of Business and Economics, leading the college through its initial AACSB accreditation which made UH Hilo’s CoBE just one of 579 institutions worldwide, at that time, with such accreditation. She brought her experience and ability to bear in serving as vice chancellor for administrative affairs since 2011. She is eminently qualified to lead our campus during this interim period, and I ask everyone to support her and to continue to do the great work that you are doing day in and day out.

After seven years at UH Hilo, please know that this was an extremely difficult decision. My time here in Hilo has been such a rewarding professional experience. UH Hilo is an amazing institution that provides invaluable service to our community, our island, our state and beyond. The campus welcomed me with open arms and I enjoyed remarkable warmth and acceptance from total strangers, who quickly became great friends. The aloha spirit is real and it is alive and well on our island.

Though I will be working for the UH System, please know that my commitment to and appreciation of UH Hilo and Hawai‘i Island remain strong.

It was my privilege to serve in this special place, with so many dedicated and passionate faculty and staff. I want to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to our campus and community.

Mahalo nui loa for your years of support,

Don Straney

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Chancellor Straney visits universities in Japan

Published November 5, 2016 by admin

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Chancellor Don Straney is in Japan this week.

yokohama-school-of-pharmacy-group
Seated in front of group from the Yokohama University of Pharmacy are Carolyn Ma, dean and associate professor at the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy, and Don Straney, chancellor. Location: Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Courtesy photos, click to enlarge.

UH Hilo Chancellor Don Straney and Dean of the College of Pharmacy Carolyn Ma are in Japan this week. Among other activities, they visited Yokohama University of Pharmacy and Nihon University.

UH Hilo holds an exchange agreement with Yokohama University. The agreement allows UH Hilo students to train with an approved licensed pharmacist in Japan, and in turn, students in Japan can come to UH Hilo to earn their academic requirements.

More photos, click to enlarge:

Touring lab.
Touring lab.

 

Touring simulation room.
Touring simulation room.

 

At Nihon University
At Nihon University, a private research university in Japan.
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Chancellor in Japan, attends ceremonies for new UH international agreement with Tsuzuki Education Group

Published November 3, 2016 by admin

UH and the Tsuzuki Education Group entered a formal agreement on Nov. 1 to advance collaborative education and research.

UH President David Lassner participates in part of the signing ceremony.
UH President David Lassner participates in part of the signing ceremony.

University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner, UH Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney, and more than 800 invited guests including educational leaders from Japan and Europe, Japanese government officials and representatives from Japanese industries, attended ceremonies in Japan for a formal collaborative agreement yesterday.

UH and the Tsuzuki Education Group entered a formal agreement on Nov. 1 to advance collaborative education and research. The Tsuzuki Education Group includes more than 20 private universities and colleges in multiple locations across Japan.

Through the agreement, any part of the UH System may build on the initial relationships developed by UH Hilo to expand Hawaiʻi-Japan student exchange programs with Tsuzuki campuses and explore compelling initiatives across a wide range of interests such as business, pharmacy, traditional medicine, disaster resilience, technology, volcanology and sustainability.

President Lassner signed the memorandum of understanding with Tsuzuki Chancellor Kimiko Tsuzuki at a ceremony in Fukuoka, Japan. The signing ceremony was a highlight of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Tsuzuki Educational Group’s founding.

“Besides our deep cultural and economic connections, both Hawaiʻi and Japan are island communities,” says Lassner. “We share many common challenges and opportunities to create a better future that we can address together through collaborations with our faculty and students.”

This new system-to-system partnership builds on agreements between UH Hilo and Tsuzuki including exchange programs with the Yokohama University of Pharmacy and Japan University of Economics.

Chancellor Straney is continuing to meet with Tsuzuki officials and campuses to explore further opportunities for collaboration for UH Hilo and other UH campuses.

The partnership is also a new chapter in the relationship between Hawaiʻi and Fukuoka, where the Tsuzuki Educational Group is based. Spearheaded by former Governor George Ariyoshi, whose father came from Fukuoka prefecture, the Hawaiʻi-Fukuoka partnership was established 35 years ago as Hawaiʻi’s first sister-state international relationship.

 

-Adapted from UH System News

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2016 Chancellor’s Scholars announced

Published April 22, 2016 by admin

Fifteen students from public and private high schools in Hawai‘i have been awarded the prestigious 2016 Chancellor’s Scholarship at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.

Hilo sealThe 2016 recipients and their high schools:

  • Brooke Adamson, Hawai‘i Technology Academy
  • Keion Anderson, Leilehua High
  • Kateleen Caye Bio, Maui High
  • Lucas DeRego, Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i Island
  • Savannah Directo, Kea‘au High
  • Orion Friels, Kealakehe High
  • Kristie Hirai, Mililani High
  • Austin Inouye, Kaimuki High
  • Kristen Ishii, Mililani High
  • Yukio Ishii, Kamehameha Schools – Hawai‘i Island
  • Mary Kealaiki, Kea‘au High
  • Lorelei Taylor Padasdao, Kea‘au High
  • Jodie Tokihiro, Waiakea High
  • Zoe Whitney, Maui High
  • Ivana Yoon, Waiakea High

Valued in excess of $26,500, the award covers four years of tuition for students graduating from a Hawai‘i high school who earned either a grade point average of at least 3.5, a combined 1800 SAT (reading, writing, math) or a composite score of 27 on the ACT while demonstrating leadership and/or community service.

All Chancellor Scholars are required to enroll as full-time students and earn a minimum of 24 credits each academic year. They must also maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and participate in leadership activities and/or community services with other Chancellor Scholars.

–Media release

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Chancellor Straney visits students at the UH Foundation call center

Published November 5, 2015 by admin

The annual UH Foundation Fall Calling Campaign began this month.

UHF
Chancellor Straney visits with students at the UH Foundation call center on O‘ahu.

Chancellor Don Straney recently visited the UH Foundation call center on O‘ahu to visit with student fundraisers and share information about the various programs and activities at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. The annual UH Foundation Fall Calling Campaign began this month.

Chancellor Straney encourages the UH community to donate and support UH Hilo.

For more information, contact Dale Hagadone at the UH Foundation.

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