‘Dear Santa’ Campaign Doubles Total Letters

Submitted by Circle K International at HPU Executive Board  

With the holiday season in full swing, Circle K International at Hawai‘i Pacific University (Circle K HPU), a Registered Student Organization (RSO), hosted its signature annual letter writing campaign during November and December. An initial goal of 6,000 letters was set, and Circle K HPU has collected 13,141 letters with more on the way. This annual campaign aims to help raise money for Make-A-Wish Hawaii, and for every letter, Macy’s will donate $1.

The 4^th Annual Campaign was led by event chairs Nohealani Benicarlo ’18 and Geraldine Ilan ’21, with the support of the Executive Board including Josh Koh ’18, Nicole Masulit ’21, and Christopher Bartolome ’21. Many of the letters were written by the HPU ‘ohana and friends in the community.

On December 8, Circle K HPU joined Make-A-Wish Hawaii at the Ala Moana Shopping Center Macy’s to present 13,141 letters written by the ‘ohana at HPU. It was also National Believe Day, which meant Macy’s doubled the donation to $2 per letter written. A total of $26,282 will be donated to Make-A-Wish Hawaii and will stay here in Hawaii.

Started in 2014 by HPU alumnus and former Circle K HPU President, Avery Fukeda ’15, the annual campaign at HPU has collected over 23,691 letters, raising approximately $47,382 for Make-A-Wish Hawaii.  Over the past 14 years, Circle K at HPU — one of the longest running special interest RSOs — has recorded a total of more than 11,000 hours of service in 600 projects with help from over 300 members. This campaign is by far Circle K HPU’s largest and longest running service project in the club’s 14-year history.  

For the upcoming 2018-2019 school year, Circle K HPU will celebrate its 15th year at Hawai‘i Pacific University. In conjunction with this anniversary, it will host the 5th Annual Believe Letter campaign, which will be chaired by Geraldine Ilan ’21, soon-to- be alumna Nohealani Benicarlo ’18, and alumnus Avery Fukeda ’15, as Honorary Chair. The goal has yet to be set, but it will definitely help power many more wishes.

For the past 35 years, Make-A-Wish Hawaii has granted over 1,200 wishes for the keiki in Hawaii and has welcomed over 10,000 wish kids who wished to come to Hawaii. The mission of the organization is to grant the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience through hope, strength and joy. At HPU, contact circlek.hpu@my.hpu.edu for more information on how to get involved in making a difference in our community one project at a time.

HPU United Nations Club Attends National Model United Nations Conference in Canada

On Friday, Nov. 17 through Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, HPU United Nations (UN) Club members participated in the 2017 National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference in Banff, Canada. Eleven HPU students (pictured above from left to right): Essi Korhonen, Isabelle Klewstigh, Hunter Burrows, Gabriela (Victoria) Ristikangas, Kristine Kivle, Sharon MacAllan, Ashley Ubben, Lesly Valdez, Emily Macri, Cherie Soria and Nicole Masulit, along with the UN Club faculty advisor, Serge Marek, Ph.D., participated in the conference. 

At the NMUN Conference, university students from around the world represented various countries in committees to discuss international issues relevant today. The HPU delegation represented two countries in various committees. The Uruguay team consisted of six HPU students in the General Assembly (GA), Security Council (SC) and UN Environment Assembly (UNEA). The Vietnam team consisted of five students in the GA, UNEA and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) committees. The Uruguay UNEA team won the award for Outstanding Position Paper, making this the first HPU delegation to win the position paper award. HPU was also recognized as an Honorable Mention during the closing ceremony. 

The NMUN Canada Conference was a success, as each student did their utmost to represent HPU, the UN Club and their respective countries in the best way possible.

Applications are currently available for the next Model United Nations Conference, to be held in New York in March 2018. For more information on the HPU UN Club, please contact the Secretary General/Club President, Haven McKay, at hmckay@my.hpu.edu or the UN Club faculty advisor Serge Marek, at smarek@hpu.edu.

Conference Team:

Hunter Burrows, Freshman, Marine Biology major from New Jersey
Kristine Kivle, Head Delegate/Secretary General, Senior, Diplomacy and Military Studies major from Norway

Essi Korhonen, Senior, International Studies major from Finland

Isabelle Klewstigh, Junior, International Studies major from Sweden
Sharon MacAllan, Junior, Marine Biology major from Germany/U.S.A.
Emily Macri, pursuing a master's in Global Leadership and Sustainable Development, from New York
Nicole Masulit, Sophomore, International Business major from Kauai
Lesly Pamatz, International Business major from California

Viktoria Ristikangas, Junior, International Studies major from Finland

Cherie Soria, Sophomore, Nursing major from Oahu
Ashley Ubben, Freshman, International Studies major from Texas  

News submitted by Nicole Masulit, UN Club PR Officer

Nationally-Recognized Speaker Delivers #SetTheExpectation Talk at HPU

Brenda Tracy, who travels the U.S. speaking at universities about the prevention of sexual assault and violence, visited Hawai‘i Pacific University on Friday, Nov. 17. More than 250 HPU students, faculty, and staff, including a large contingent of student-athletes and coaches, attended the day’s culminating event, which focused on Tracy’s #SetTheExpectation campaign.   

In the opening of her presentation, Tracy made herself relatable to the students, telling them she had two sons who were their age. Tracy proceeded to tell the room full of strangers her painful, personal story. In 1998, Tracy was brutally raped by four men, two of whom played football at Oregon State University.      

The day after the hours-long incident, Tracy contemplated suicide, but the single mother worried about who would take care of her two young sons. For 16 years, Tracy lived in silence, keeping the pain to herself. She often worried about what she would tell her sons of the incident. Then she met a sports writer for The Oregonian who helped Tracy publicly tell her story, which published in November 2014. This was the beginning of Tracy’s quest to effect change, advocating for no tolerance of sexual assault and violence.        

Two years after Tracy’s story was in The Oregonian, she had the opportunity to meet Mike Riley — the former Oregon State football coach of two of the men who raped her — at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he is now the football coach. Prior to their meeting, Tracy admitted to resenting Riley more than her rapists. When they met, Tracy was able to ask Riley the questions she had formulated over the years, and she also shared the story of her rape with his football players. The visit with Riley ended well, providing some closure for Tracy.

Fifty-plus university speaking engagements later, the HPU ‘ohana was fortunate to hear Tracy’s story firsthand. In her talk, Tracy cited a statistic: 98 percent of rapes are committed by men but only 10 percent of the male population is committing the rapes. She then challenged all of the men in the HPU audience to take an active role in being part of the solution to end sexual assault and violence. Tracy mentioned with pride that her son led the charge to petition the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), asking why they were not taking a more serious stance on sexual violence and that they needed to create a policy to ban violent athletes. The initiative of Tracy’s son sparked the creation of the NCAA Commission to Combat Campus Sexual Violence on which Tracy now sits.

Front: SVP & General Counsel Jan Boivin, Brenda Tracy, President John Gotanda,
AVP & Dean of Students Marites McKee; Back: VP of University Relations Sam Moku, Executive Director of Athletics Vince Baldemor, VP of Enrollment Management Greg Grauman,  AVP & CIO Cody Down

 By the end of Tracy’s presentation, it was evident she had made an impact on the nearly 300 HPU ‘ohana in the room. She had delivered a clear and powerful message that it is everyone’s collective responsibility — men and women — to end sexual assault and violence. Tracy amplified her message, noting it isn’t only about looking out for one’s family and friends, but caring for strangers, too. Associate Professor of Psychology Vince Tsushima, Ph.D., stood up, introduced himself, and told Tracy he would never forget her presentation.   

“Through her tireless efforts, Brenda Tracy is a champion for ending sexual assault and violence, and we are grateful for Ms. Tracy sharing her powerful and inspiring story with our HPU ‘ohana,” HPU President John Gotanda said. “I encourage each member of our community to join Ms. Tracy, empowering ourselves as agents of change.”   

By putting into practice the values of aloha, pono, and kuleana HPU embraces, the university ‘ohana can take a stance to “set the expectation” that sexual assault and violence is never okay.

Brenda Tracy’s HPU visit was spearheaded by Senior Vice President and General Counsel Jan Boivin, Assistant Vice President, Dean of Students, and Title IX Coordinator Marites McKee, and Executive Director of Athletics Vince Baldemor.

Additional support for the event was provided by Counseling and Behavioral Health Services psychologists, Kevin Bowman, Ph.D., and Kathryn Berrano, Ph.D., and the Title IX Deputy Coordinators Kathryn Conlon, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Student Conduct, Natasa Revere, Associate Director of Athletics/Compliance, and Susan Gray, Manager, Employee Relations and EEO/AA Compliance.  

Title IX/Counseling & Behavioral Health team Marites McKee, Kevin Bowman, Ph.D., Susan Gray, Natasa Revere, Kathryn Conlon; not pictured Kathryn Berrano, Ph.D., Brenda Tracy, SVP & General Counsel Jan Boivin,
SVP & Provost Matthew Liao-Troth, Ph.D.

Mahalo to the “We Care” Campus Safety Program, HPU Athletics Department, and the HPU Student Activity Fee, for sponsoring the event. 

Front: Hooters GM Abel Diaz, Brenda Tracy, SVP & General Counsel Jan Boivin, Associate General Counsel Erika Strawn; Back: Security staff, Director Joe Tillotson, Jon Pinto, Chris Martin, Ana Pesaleli;
Director Business Development & Special Events Stephanie Blakeman, AVP & Dean of Students Marites McKee  

Prior to the main-event campus presentation by Tracy, she conducted training sessions for targeted groups including the university’s Title IX coordinators, mental health counselors, security officers, deans, and senior leadership. The management of Aloha Tower Marketplace restaurants/bars were also invited to attend a training session geared toward businesses serving alcohol.

For more information on Brenda Tracy and her #SetTheExpectation campaign, go to: www.brendatracy.com

HPU Campus Resources:

Safe Walk is available for HPU students, faculty, and staff 24/7 at Hawaii Loa Campus and the Downtown/ATM Campus. Security Phone Number: 808-544-1400
More information is posted here and on the HPU App.

Counseling and Behavioral Health Services provides FREE and CONFIDENTIAL counseling services to current registered HPU students. More information is posted here.

Title IX, “We Care” Any complaint of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault can be made to the Title IX Coordinator, who is responsible for overall administration of discrimination-related grievance procedures for faculty, staff, students, and other members of the University community. More information is posted here and on the HPU App.

HPU ‘Ohana Takes Part in Second Fort Street Beautification Project

Malama HPU team and past President Portuguese
Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i Laura Figueira (floral print blouse)

With scrub bushes and cleaning rags in hand and trash bags in tow, about 30 members of the HPU ‘ohana gathered on Thursday, Nov. 9, to participate in the second Malama HPU Fort Street Beautification Project. The service event was co-organized by the Human Resources and University Relations departments. The HPU team focused on cleaning the Padrao Monument and the area surrounding it on Fort Street Mall and Beretania Street. The monument was commissioned in 1978 by leaders in the Portuguese community to celebrate the Portuguese Centennial in Hawai‘i.

Individuals with strong connections to the Portuguese community and the Fort Street Padrao Monument came to the Nov. 9 Malama HPU event to meet the HPU service team: John Henry Felix, Ph.D., Honorary Consul of Portugal; Laura Figueira, who was President of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i at the time of the monument’s dedication in 1986; and Marlene DeCosta, Director of Real Estate, Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii, Diocese of Honolulu.

HPU President John Gotanda, Dr. John Henry Felix, Marlene DeCosta,
Vice President of University Relations Sam Moku 

Felix and Figueira were among the leaders in the community who donated in support of the Padrao Monument’s construction. On the pedestal of the monument are bronze plaques, telling the story of the Portuguese immigration to Hawai‘i and includes the names of the donors or the names of the ancestors the donors were honoring. 

The Padrao — a special-shaped cross on a column — represents what Portuguese navigators used to identify newly explored lands. Surrounding the monument is a 30-by-35 foot compass mosaic, which includes 18 tons of pink, black, and beige rocks shipped from Portugal. Two stone masons from Portugal worked in Hawai‘i for several months to hand place the rocks into the intricate design.

Figueira explained the significance of the Fort Street location for the Padrao, which honors the economic and social contributions of the Portuguese in Hawai‘i. The first Portuguese immigrants to Hawai‘i — many of whom came to work in the fields —  arrived in September of 1878 on the Priscilla. After they landed, the group marched up Fort Street to Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, wanting to give thanks.

Through the Malama HPU project, HPU is making a difference. By extending a helping hand to the university’s neighbors, the HPU ‘ohana is beautifying and improving the community HPU calls home.

'Inclusion Drives Innovation:' National Disability Awareness Month

Submitted by Susan Gray, Manager, Employee Relations and EEO/AA Compliance

Have you used email today? If so, thank Vint Cerf. While with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the 1970s, Cerf co-designed the basic protocols for internet communications. One motivation behind his work was frustration communicating with other researchers by voice; Cerf is hard of hearing. Later, in the private sector, he was part of the team that developed the first commercial email system. 

This October, HPU is proud to support National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  #InclusionDrivesInnovation, this year’s theme, focuses on welcoming the talents of all people, including those with disabilities, as a critical part to building an inclusive community and strong economy.  

Here at HPU we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable environment in which faculty, staff, and students excel. We invite those with disabilities to self-identify by updating your disability status here and let us know if you require any reasonable accommodations.

More information can be found on the US Department of Labor website and on the HR tab of Pipeline.

HPU Partners with American Red Cross of Hawai‘i

Carrie Moore (Student Life) and Madeline Serrano (Business Office)
work with a family at a smoke alarm installation 

Approximately a dozen HPU employees and students stepped forward to volunteer on Sept. 23 and Oct. 7 for the American Red Cross of Hawai‘i “Sound the Alarm: Save a Life Campaign” service work days. Working in teams, the HPU ‘ohana joined 300 corporate and individual volunteers to install 626 smoke alarms in 270 households on Oahu. The teams also provided fire safety education to the residents.

Hawai‘i Pacific University seeks service partners whose work could most benefit from our ‘ohana’s desire to volunteer and give back to the people and communities throughout our islands. In September, the University announced it had committed to a partnership with the American Red Cross of Hawai‘i as HPU’s service organization of choice for the 2017-18 Academic Year.

Angie Botelho (Facilities) and Uzoamaka “Maka” Ogbodo 

(College of Natural and Computational Sciences)

According to the American Red Cross, they respond to a disaster every eight minutes, and the vast majority of these are home fires. Every day, seven people die from home fires, and most of these deaths are attributed to homes that lack working smoke alarms and a disproportionate number of children and elderly are killed..      

Student Michael Chase installing a smoke alarm

Madeline Serrano (Business Office), Lianne Yamamura (Strategic Communications), 

Marites McKee (Student Life), Sara Sato (Enrollment Management), 

student Kim Dwyer, and Carrie Moore (Student Life)

Social Work ‘Ohana Participates in Overdose Awareness Event

From left to right: David Shaku, MSW student; 
Heather Lusk, Executive Director of CHOW, MSW alumna;
Raquel Curtis, MSW student;
Leilani Maxera, Program Manager at CHOW, MSW student;
Nicole Beineman, Outreach Worker, BSW alumna;
Sean Quigley, Hepatitis C Care Coordinator at CHOW, MSW student

HPU Social Work faculty, students, and alumni participated with the Community Health Outreach Work to Prevent AIDS (CHOW) Project for their Overdose Awareness Day Teach-In and Memorial, which was held on August 31 at Harris United Methodist Church.

In honor of international Overdose Awareness Day, over 70 people came together at the CHOW-hosted event to learn how to prevent an opioid overdose and how to reverse an overdose with Naloxone. Thirty-five individuals were trained by CHOW staff on how to use Naloxone and were given overdose prevention kits to take home with them.

Attendees also heard personal stories from those affected by opioid addiction and overdose and were given a space to honor lives lost to it. September 12 marked the one-year anniversary of CHOW providing Naloxone to the community. In that time, 46 overdose reversals have been reported — that's 46 lives saved by their Naloxone program.

Assistant Professor of Social Work Michaela Rinkel, Ph.D., serves on the board of CHOW, and CHOW's Executive Director is Heather Lusk, an MSW graduate. CHOW also employs two MSW students, a BSW graduate, and three MSW students are interning with the organization.

 

Honda Foundation Supports HPU Students

Hawai‘i Pacific University is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Honda Foundation, a family foundation based in Honolulu. The Foundation is focusing on HPU’s Nursing Program through the establishment of scholarships for students pursuing a degree in Nursing and assisting with costs of their certification.

“We are very proud of serving Hawai‘i as the primary educator of nurses (BSN) for decades, and have made significant advances in recent years at the graduate level as the professional education needed for quality nursing care has increased. Our graduate nursing programs have been nationally ranked for the last decade, and we introduced our Doctorate of Nursing Practice this fall. We appreciate the Honda Foundation’s continued support of our nursing education programs and the health of our community,” said Matthew Liao-Troth, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President of HPU.

The spokesperson of the Honda Foundation, James A. Honda, Esquire, commented that he experienced the expertise of HPU Nursing first-hand: "During the hospitalization of our foundation’s founder, Paul S. Honda, we met a number of HPU graduates at local hospitals who evinced a high level of skill and compassion for which our entire family is eternally grateful. Our recent conversations with the university leadership inspired us to do more and we anticipate a long-term or perpetual partnership with HPU."

Conor Devine, a sophomore who is the inaugural recipient of the Honda Study Abroad Scholarship this year and will spend the year in Japan stated, “It means a great deal to me to have such an opportunity to study in a country I have always dreamed of since I was a child. I have been fortunate that my parents have allowed me to pursue my dreams and come to school out here to Hawai‘i, and  more so that I have been able to pursue my dream to study abroad.”

We Care Campus Safety Fair – Mahalo for Participating!

The Hawai‘i Pacific University ‘ohana and the larger community of Hawai‘i joined at Aloha Tower Marketplace (ATM) for the third annual “We Care!” Campus Safety Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 12.

The safety fair, co-founded by Marites McKee, Dean of Students, and Jan Boivin, General Counsel, focused on a wide array of campus safety issues, including sexual violence prevention, alcohol awareness education, natural disaster preparedness, and commuter and pedestrian safety.  A steady flow of visitors, including students and community members, attended the fair at the ATM atrium.

Adrienne Lampitelli, the Director of Student Activities and coordinator of the event, thanked the various HPU and community groups that supported the special evening.  “It was great to see not only our HPU community, but organizations from our local community come together to raise awareness about important issues and resources,” said Lampitelli.  

Pictured with representatives from the Honolulu Police Department, one of the fair’s 

participating organizations, are HPU staff from left to right: 

Director of Student Activities Adrienne Lampitelli, Dean of Students Marites McKee, and General Counsel Jan Boivin  

Visitors — including Provost Matthew Liao-Troth, Dean Allison Gough, Dean Brenda Jensen, Dean Warren Wee, and Dean Mani Sehgal — stopped by HPU’s Title IX and Dean of Students table, which included resources for victims of sexual assault and “beer goggles” that simulated the influence of alcohol on one’s visual perception and movement.  Others visited the Kapiolani Medical Center’s Sex Abuse Treatment Center table, learning the important message of “RESPECT,” and the Student Government Association was present to promote campus safety and natural disaster information and trivia. 

A warm Mahalo to our extended HPU ‘ohana, including community participants from the following organizations: the Honolulu Fire Department, the Honolulu Police Department (representatives in photo below), the Hawaii State Department of Health - Medical Reserve Corps, NOAA/National Weather Service, Bicycle Program - Department of Transportation Services, Walk Wise Hawai‘i Pedestrian Safety - Department of Transportation, the Domestic Violence Action Center, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Child & Family Services, Hawaii Says NO MORE, the Sexual Abuse Treatment Center, Ho‘opla Na Pua, Are You Cleared Telemedicine, and Planned Parenthood – Generation Action.

Oceanic Institute Scientists Publish Research Results in Industry Magazine

Fabio Soller, Ph.D., Oceanic Institute of HPU’s Director of the Aquatic Feeds and Nutrition Department, and OI research colleagues, Spencer Davis, Kathleen Ramm, and Zhi Young Ju, Ph.D., published their paper, “Insects As a Feed Ingredient in Aquafeeds” in the Sept. 2017 issue of World Aquaculture.  Soller and team are studying a local insect called the black solider fly (BSF) — which is easy to culture and has a short life cycle — as an ingredient in aquatic animals feeds.  They are making progress with their evaluation of black soldier fly larvae meal (BFm) as a protein-and vitamin-rich feed for fish and shrimp and potentially livestock.  Additionally, OI has developed a method to remove fat from BFm using organic solvents, and has verified that BFm has a shelf life of at least six months with no significant loss of nutritional value when properly stored.

From left to right: Dr. Fabio Soller, Kathleen Ramm, Spencer Davis, Felipe Nobre, 

Bell Lin, and Dr. Zhi Yong Ju

Bell Lin, a Master’s Degree student in Marine Science at HPU, and Felipe Nobre, a Doctorate’s Degree student at the Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brazil, are producing BFm, making shrimp feed with BFm as a main protein source, and conducting shrimp growth trials at OI.  Lin’s contribution to the BSF project was highlighted in his 2017 HPU Master of Science in Marine Science Symposium poster presentation, which won a first place award.

OI is conducting this research in collaboration with Prota Culture LLC. This research is being funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture (CTSA).

Mass Communication Students Launch HPU Chapter of Her Campus Online Magazine

By AnnMarie Manzulli, Her Campus Faculty Advisor

Mariah Castro and Amanda Kowalski

 Her Campus, an online magazine targeted at the female college student demographic launched as one of Hawaii Pacific University’s newest registered student organizations at Club Carnival at Aloha Tower Marketplace on Friday, September 8.

Her Campus is the #1 new-media brand for the empowered college woman. Written entirely by the world's top college journalists – with 10,000+ contributors and counting – HerCampus.com features national Style, Beauty, Health, Love, Life, Career, Entertainment, News, DIY, LGBTQ+, High School, and After College content supplemented by local content from 350 campus chapters nationwide and in ten countries.

Mass Communication seniors Amanda Kowalski and Mariah Castro, initiated the HPU chapter last year, enlisted a core of writers, and have achieved official RSO registered student organization club status this semester.

"I joined Her Campus as a place where I can write freely on topics I love and share it with others who are able to relate or learn from my writing, which is really rewarding for me,” claims Mariah Castro, Her Campus President and Marketing Director.

Her Campus serves as a career launching point for its team of college journalists. Since joining the Her Campus Team, members have been offered jobs and internships with Glamour, Vogue, Buzzfeed, Vanity Fair, Seventeen, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, People, The Huffington Post, Teen Vogue, InStyle, Esquire, O magazine, MTV, The Washington Post, Digitas, Ogilvy, and many more.

“Being the editor-in-chief I have developed many leadership skills that I would have never obtained if it wasn't for Her Campus,” shares Amanda Kowalski, Her Campus Editor-in-Chief. “ I love that it gives women in college the opportunity to empower other college women and gain real life work experience. I look forward to sharing some of the fun recruitment events we brainstormed this summer!”

Campus correspondents will be seeking out new contributors throughout the semester.

Check out the HC at HPU website: http://www.hercampus.com/school/hpu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HPUhercampus/            

Instagram: @hercampushawaiipacific             

Twitter: @HPUHerCampus

HPU College of Business Names Executive in Residence

Mr. Akemi Kurokawa will serve as College of Business Executive in Residence beginning fall 2017.  He retired from his position as President of Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki, LLC, & Mauna Kea Resort, LLC, and as Senior Vice President & Director, Prince Resorts Hawaii, Inc.  He had a 30-year career in Hawaii with 20 of those years with Seibu, Inc., which developed and managed the Mauna Kea Resort; the Makena Resort on Maui; the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki, and the Hawaii Prince Golf Club in West Oahu.

Mr. Kurokawa serves on the Board Trustees of the Honolulu Museum of Art, as a Board Director of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii, and on the Board of Governors of the Japanese American National Museum.  He also served on the Board of Governors of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, as a Director of the Honolulu Festival Foundation, and as a Director of the Urasenke Foundation of Hawaii.

He recently received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for his commitment to promoting Business Relations and Friendship between Japan and the U.S.

He has a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) from University of Southern California.

Mr. Kurokawa will be meeting with students and visiting some of the business classes during the semester.

Associate Professor of Economics Travels and Presents and HPU Students Participate

Associate Professor of Economics Ken Schoolland gave a number of talks this summer. At the Mont Pelerin Society meeting in Seoul, South Korea, he discussed a new measure of macroeconomic activity called Gross Output. For the third consecutive year in Khovd, Mongolia, he gave a series of lectures on economic prosperity for the Silk Road Foundation.

Schoolland addressed problems of economics for the UNIRULE Institute and the IAPP-CIPA at Renmin University in Beijing, China. At the eighth annual Seminar Lecture Series for International Scholars of Economics and Management at Northeastern University, Shenyang, China, Schoolland offered a dozen lectures to 120 students from Asia, Australia, and Europe. He arranged for an HPU student from Germany, Denis Mannschatz, to participate.

Schoolland gave a talk on creative ways to teach economics at a conference in Las Vegas. In August, he addressed the economic impact of the Jones Act on shipping costs at an international conference in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Schoolland arranged a scholarship for HPU student Charlene Cuizon to attend.

HPU Welcomes Its First Doctor of Nursing Practice Class

This month, five nursing professionals embarked on their educational journey as HPU’s inaugural Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) class. The DNP program, which is approved by the WASC Senior College and University Commission is a practice-based doctoral program that prepares expert clinicians to develop, implement, and evaluate nursing practice using research knowledge and methods to improve patient and population-based care. Students will learn from faculty reflecting an interdisciplinary approach and team focus of health care delivery.

The DNP is HPU’s first doctoral degree program. It is an online program in which the first course of the program is delivered during a one-week mandatory face-to-face intensive on the HPU campus. All other courses are completed online in eight-week sessions, which allows nurse practitioners to continue working while earning their doctoral degree.

Members of the inaugural DNP class hail from Oahu and the west coast.    

Pictured- third row Aneesha Remani Ravi (Oahu), Dr. Howard He (HPU Faculty), Dr. Jayne Smitten (Acting Dean, CHS), Dr. Michelle Higgins-Mahe (HPU faculty)

Second row- Seiichi Nakamura (Oahu), Sandra Kakiuchi (Oahu), Erlinda Bhat (Las Vegas), Dr. Michelle Johnson (Chief Nurse Administrator), Dr. Jamie Pagels (DNP Coordinator), President John Gotanda

Center Sean Plank (Southern California).

For more information on the DNP Program, click here or contact Dr. Jamie Pagels, DNP Coordinator, jpagels@hpu.edu

HPU ‘English for Nurses’ Program Held July 3-28

By Barbara Hannum, Director, International Education Programs

When it comes to helping others and possibly saving lives, some human qualities appear to be universal: empathy, compassion, willingness to assist, and the ability to respond in a medical emergency with appropriate skills and knowledge. But could you do this in a language other than your own?!

Twenty-seven courageous young nursing students from four different Korean universities were willing to try! For one month this summer, from July 3-28, these 26 women and one man participated in a customized, content-based “English for Nurses” short-term group program designed to increase knowledge in areas of nursing and, at the same time, build fluency in English language skills.

The program consisted of classes taught by HPU TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) faculty in medical vocabulary, nurse-patient interaction, and special topics in health and nursing. TESOL student assistants and Center for Academic Success tutors provided support and encouragement in afternoon fluency-building workshops and conversation sessions all related to topics of health, wellness, and the nursing profession.

Several HPU Nursing faculty shared presentations on topics such as Ethnicities in Hawai‘i and the Impact on Health, Transcultural Nursing, and Nursing Education in the U.S. and at HPU. The students also observed an advanced HPU Nursing course where they had the opportunity to experience what it might be like to be a nursing student here. They also enjoyed interacting over a pizza lunch with members of the HPU Student Nurses Association. A highlight of their immersion experience was the chance to work in the Simulation Lab with HPU faculty and staff; for most of them, this was their first exposure to such simulation technology and the various medical scenarios such as respiratory distress, childbirth, tracheotomy, heart defibrillation, and even the urgency of a “code blue”! HPU Head Athletics Trainer, Kelly Wescott, also provided a presentation about sports medicine with hands-on exposure to various athletics training tools and rehab equipment.

In addition to their classes and special events on campus, they enjoyed experiential learning and memorable off-campus site visits to Kuakini Medical Center, Castle Medical Wellness Center, Pearl Harbor, and Hawaii State Hospital where they participated in a day-long certification course in CPR, AED, and Basic Life Skills (BLS). They also enjoyed cultural activities like a hula workshop and ukulele lesson as part of their exposure to Hawaiian language and culture.

This is the third annual summer program for participants from Seoul Women’s College of Nursing, and the first for students from Kwangyang Health College, U1 University, and JEI University.

The program is offered through the Dept. of English and Applied Linguistics in the College of Liberal Arts under the direction of Barbara Hannum. Please contact Barbara at bhannum@hpu.edu for more details about this or other short-term group programs at HPU.

Political Science Faculty Receives Fulbright Award to India

Carlos Juarez, Ph.D., adjunct faculty and retired Professor of Political Science (1997-2016), has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in Political Science/International Relations. Juarez will lecture on Development Studies at the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Goa, India, during the fall 2017 semester. His work is part of a project to also explore global learning initiatives in India’s higher education system.

Juarez has had previous Fulbright grants to teach and do research in Mexico (2000), Czech Republic (2003, 2005) and Austria (2015), and has also been a visiting professor in Colombia and Mexico, most recently at the Universidad Iberoamerica in Mexico City.

At HPU, Juarez is scheduled to teach International Relations online during the fall 2017 semester. He has served as the university’s Fulbright Program Advisor, helping to mentor students and faculty interested in Fulbright grant opportunities.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Receives Research Grant

Associate Professor of Chemistry Yongli Chen, Ph.D., was awarded a nearly $50,000 grant from the Victoria S. and Bradley L. Geist Foundation. Chen’s research focuses on the functional modulation of two neurotransmitter receptors, the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and the type A gamma-amino butyl acid (GABAA) receptors. She is exploring how small molecules modulate ion channels that are involved in various degenerative disorders of the brain.

Chen’s latest research endeavor studies the biologically active components of the Pacific islands plant, kava. The plants aqueous root extracts have shown to safely reduce anxiety and depression in human clinical trials. Furthermore, in an animal model, the aqueous root extracts enhanced the anticonvulsant activity of diazepam, a drug to treat anxiety disorders. The major active constituents of kava beverages are six kavalactones.    

The GABAA receptors are the major inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the mammalian central nervous system.  They are also major targets of pharmacological agents including sedatives, anesthetics, anticonvulsants, antiepileptics, and anxiolytics.  As such, modulation of the GABAA receptors has been investigated as a mechanism by which kava elicits biological activities.

The aims of Chen’s study are to characterize the mechanism of action of kavalactones on the GABAA receptors and the long-term effects on the GABAA receptor cell surface expression level. The identification and understanding of the molecular targets/mechanism of kavalactones will demystify and promote Hawai‘i’s popular and medicinal drink and benefit the people of Hawai‘i.

Chen is a member of the HPU IDeA Network of Biomedical Research (INBRE) Laboratories team. INBRE, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health in partnership with the University of Hawai‘i and Chaminade University, supports instructional lab courses, increases undergraduate and graduate research opportunities, expands facilities for federally-funded biology, chemistry and biochemistry research projects, and enhances outreach to local schools. 

HPU Partners with Sig Zane

Hawai‘i Pacific University: John Y. Gotanda President Announcement

to the University ‘Ohana

HPU President John Gotanda and Sig Zane 

You may have noticed a familiar face at Aloha Tower yesterday. None other than Sig Zane himself, celebrated Hawai‘i artist and clothing designer, visited Hawai‘i Pacific University with his design team in preparation for an exciting partnership I am delighted to share with you today.

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Sig is best known for his unique design sensibility that honors the land and Native Hawaiian culture. Over the years, he has worked to translate heritage and worldview into iconic brands for companies across the islands like Hawaiian Airlines, Ward Village and now HPU.

Beginning this summer, Sig will play a key role in helping us – collectively and with the input from our entire community – create a visual identity for HPU that reflects who we are today and what we stand for as a community.  I believe there is no one better qualified to shape HPU’s story and intent into something tangible, memorable and, yes, wearable. Please join me in welcoming Sig Zane to HPU, and stay tuned for details on how you can share the core values about our University that resonate deeply with you. Together, we will develop an authentically HPU brand that speaks to us all.

Congratulations, Spring 2017 HPU Graduates!

Hawai‘i Pacific University held its Spring 2017 Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 11. The University proudly and warmly welcomes its newest graduates into its global network of alumni, comprising more than 45,000 individuals.

Mahalo to the valedictory speakers, Wesley Chai (BS Criminal Justice) and Louis C. Hare III (MA in Communication), for representing the graduating class with their thoughtful remarks. (Pictured left Hare and right Chai with HPU's mascot Sharky)

HPU Board of Trustee and alumnus Ray Vara (BSBA ’93), who delivered the Commencement keynote speech, was presented with an honorary doctorate degree in recognition of his professional accomplishments, commitment to community causes, and the advancement of higher education.

Alumna Naomi Hazelton (MA in Communication ’05), publisher of Pacific Edge magazine, Green magazine, and Las Vegas Bound magazine, lead the graduates in the recitation of the HPU Alumni Pledge. The pledge signifies the official welcome of the Spring 2017 graduates to the HPU alumni community.

Professor Horgen Named Teacher of the Year

2016 Teacher of the Year Margo Bare presents David Horgen, Ph.D.,
the 2017 Teacher of the Year award

Annually in the spring, HPU graduating students are asked to nominate candidates for the Teacher of the Year award. Professor of Chemistry David Horgen, Ph.D., was named the 2017 HPU Teacher of the Year. He was presented the award by 2016 HPU Teacher of the Year Margo Bare, retired professor of social work.

Horgen, who is the chair of the chemistry and biochemistry program, joined HPU in 2000. His major research interest is in marine natural products chemistry. He is the head of HPU’s Shared Instrumentation Facility, which has been funded by the National Institute of Health since 2002. One of the research team’s accomplishments is the discovery of new biological activity for a naturally occurring marine compound, waixenicin A, which is produced by a soft coral that grows only in Hawai‘i. It may be a resource for finding new therapies for cancer and stroke.

Additionally, these biomedical research laboratories — known as INBRE — support instructional lab courses and increase undergraduate and graduate student research opportunities. Under the mentorship of this year’s teacher of the year and his biomedical faculty colleagues, nearly 100 students have participated in INBRE research projects and 40 undergraduates have coauthored scholarly presentations and manuscripts.

One of the participants in the student instrumentation-mentoring program that Horgen organizes said, “Programs like this have given students like myself not only a remarkable opportunity to get involved in what the Chemistry department has to offer, but the ability to make ourselves marketable in our field, with experience many other schools cannot offer their students.” This graduating senior has been accepted to a competitive summer research experience program at a graduate school of biomedical sciences, and she thanks Horgen for his support. This student is one of the many students he has impacted.