2004 Distinguished Alumni
Retired Businessman Harvey Tajiri
Tajiri attended UH Hilo from 1962-1964 when the University was a two-year college, known as Hilo College. He went on to O'ahu where he obtained his bachelor's degree in education from UH Manoa, and met his wife Helene. Upon returning to Hilo, he assisted in establishing the UH Hilo Athletic Booster Club, which he later served as its first president. In his more than 30 years of active involvement with the Boosters, Tajiri was president three times and worked to raise funds to support the Athletics program.
Tajiri also served on the Hawai'i County Council and in the State House of Representatives. He remained especially dedicated and was successful in his support on UH Hilo's initiatives relating to sports, nursing, student housing, student services and the University's infrastructure. Since his retirement from the State House in 1996, Tajiri has been busy with several projects, including working with former mayor Stephen Yamashiro on civic improvement projects.
As an alumni of UH Hilo, "Harvey is one who has never forgotten the roots of his education, and has worked throughout the years to ensure that the Hilo community is well-represented in educational circles," said Walt Southward who nominated Tajiri for this Distinguished award.
Associate Professor of History and East Asian Studies Dr. David Howell
Howell and his family moved from the mainland to Hilo where he attended high school before enrolling into UH Hilo. He graduated with a B.A. degree in history in 1981. Upon graduation, he was awarded the prestigious Mombusho (Japanese Government) Fellowship to study Japan. He received his master's degree in 1986, and his Ph.D. in history in 1989 from Princeton University in 1993. He is current;y an associate professor of history and east Asian studies and will soon become the department chair.
Over the years, Howell has accumulated an impressive list of achievements and publications, including books, articles and reviews in leading journals of his discipline and received awards to continue his scholarly research on the Japanese Tokugawa and Meiji periods. He also serves on various boards, including the Association for Asian Studies, the Japanese Advisory Council, Northeast Asia Council and contributes greatly through his university service responsibilities.
Howell regularly visits his family on the Big Island, keeps in touch with friends and former professors and remains a proud member of the UH Hilo Alumni and Friends Association. UH Hilo professors Drs. Dan Brown, Craig Severance and Lawrence Rogers tracked Howell's distinguished accomplishments and nominated him for this award.
Former State Senate President Norman Mizuguchi
Born and raised on the Big Island, Mizuguchi earned his Ed.D from the University of Utah and returned to Hawai'i where he served as a legislator for 22 years, with particular interest in the areas of education and health care. He was instrumental in establishing the Hawai'i Prepaid Health Care Act, which, along with Medicaid and Medicare, has enabled 95% of the State's population to receive health insurance coverage. He also played a critical role in setting the legislative groundwork for afterschool child care to enable schools, organizations and individuals to use public school facilities for child care programs.
While a representative, Mizuguchi was simultaniously strong in his support for the Big Island and UH Hilo. He felt that a second university focused on undergraduate education would ensure "a workforce brain gain rather than a brain drain." He was pivotal in securing funding for UH Hilo's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which included basic infrastructure, a classroom building and labs for science programs. In his words, "For UH Hilo, what is developing is more than just CIP initiatives. It is an action and statement that UH Hilo, as we know it and the Hilo that I grew up with, is profoundly re-defined and established as Hawai'i's college-town community."