Chancellor Tseng’s Remarks
National Science Board*
June 7, 2007
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Good morning and aloha. I’m delighted to welcome you to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.

There are exciting things happening at our university, and more exciting things that we envision for the future.

UH Hilo has made a rapid transformation from a liberal arts undergraduate institution to a comprehensive university. Caring for and transforming the lives of our undergraduate students remains the soul of UH Hilo, but we have added opportunities for them with research experience and graduate study options.

The hallmark of UH Hilo is to integrate research and teaching. We believe this is an excellent model for all education, but especially so for the sciences.

Pacific peoples accomplished one of the greatest achievements of ancient times with their remarkable colonization of the Pacific. We try to tap into the science-based nature of Pacific cultures to make our science courses and research activities relevant for our students.

Many areas in which we have focused our efforts are in the sciences. UH Hilo is located in one of the most fascinating places on earth for the study of science. We have focused our efforts in areas that make especially good use of our unique location.

As a comprehensive university, we combine our astronomical research with training opportunities for our students.

One of our faculty in astronomy is Michael West, who returns to us after a two year leave as Scientific Director of the Gemini South Observatory in Chile. He missed our students and the flexibility to do his own research. Michael has received grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA to study galaxy formation and the large-scale structure of the universe. He has conducted research with many different telescopes around the world, including the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Big Island is a continent in miniature, with nearly all the earth’s climactic zones located in a relatively small land area. Within an hour’s drive of Hilo we have rainforests, deserts, grasslands, alpine tundra and transitional areas. Our unique biota make us a premier site for the study of evolution, ecology, and environmental sciences.

Our island has access to incredible marine resources. Coral reefs, shallow waters, and a sharp drop-off to deep and cold ocean water provide incredible opportunities for both theoretical and applied research. One of our marine scientists is Marta deMaintenon, who is a nationally recognized specialist in gastropod taxonomy.

Ancient Hawaiians were very successful aquaculturalists. Our Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center builds on this aspect of the local culture, applying science to help research translate to developing a community industry.

We are using our geographic diversity as a vehicle for the development of a high level core GIS Laboratory on campus.

Jim Juvik is a climatologist who has studied the island’s climate for decades, and researches water resource issues throughout the world. He is also a noted biogeographer, with a specialty in turtles. In addition, Jim is an award winning educator. He and Sonia Juvik are co-authors of the celebrated Atlas of Hawai‘i.

The island of Hawai‘i is one of the premier locations for the study of evolutionary biology. Our research efforts combine cutting edge molecular biology with the study of ecological adaptation and conservation of endangered species and ecosystems.

Becky Ostertag has received a CAREER award from NSF to study species composition and productivity in Big Island rainforests.

UH Hilo houses the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes. CSAV serves as a base for cutting edge research and training programs for undergraduates and visiting volcanologists from throughout the world.

Hawai‘i is one of the few places in which ethnicity is a continuous variable, not simply a classification device. We are able to conduct novel research in human biology and genetics, behavior and health, and social sciences by utilizing the wonderful diversity of our local population and of our students.

UH Hilo is ranked 6th nationally in diversity by US News & World Report. Our student population is 68% First-Generation Students, and 63% of students receive financial aid.

Vladi Skorikov is one of our social scientists who has utilized the multi-ethnic population of Hawai‘i as a research tool. He has initiated a major longitudinal study on the effects of identity formation in adolescents on their mental health outcomes.

Part of the transformation of UH Hilo has been a much greater emphasis on research. One of our advantages is a tradition of interdisciplinary studies, bringing together faculty and students from many departments to examine complex issues.

This graph demonstrates how the average amount of grant activity at UH Hilo has increased approximately six fold in the past decade from $3 million in 1998 to about $20 million in 2006 and still growing.

We have had especially great success with research grants in astronomy, biology, biomedical sciences, geology and geography, marine science, aquaculture, social sciences and pharmacy.

There is so much more that we want to do, and that we can do. For example, we could do an excellent job of serving the island and state by starting an Engineering Program. This in turn will help us serve as a catalyst for developing STEM-based industries for the island, providing our students with career opportunities that do not force them to move away from Hawai‘i.

If we had more resources, we could accomplish even more than we already have. Our rapid development has given some growing pains: we are outgrowing our facilities; we need to provide lowered teaching loads for our faculty to permit more time for hands-on training of students on research projects. Finding a way to combine research and training grants is the best way to increase the participation of comprehensive universities in federal research and development activities.

We have instituted a large capital program. Our rapid development makes it seem that we outgrow our space even as it is being constructed.

At UH Hilo we are working to overcome our challenges.

We obtained funds for major capital improvements, including a Science and Technology Building. Construction will begin this fall with $25 million from the state. It will enable us to continue our rapid growth in science research and training.

We have leveraged funding from NSF (EPSCoR), NIH (RIMI), and state sources to convert rooms previously used as classrooms into research laboratories, including core labs in molecular genetics, human genetics, Geographic Information Systems and biostatistics.

We believe that by integrating hands-on research experience with traditional classroom instruction, our students become motivated to continue in science fields.

We have many special programs that integrate research and training for our students. These programs will be discussed later this morning and include NSF T-CUP STEM Program: Keaholoa Program; NSF LSAMP Program: Lead institution for Islands of Opportunity Alliance; US DOE Title III Program: grant to provide assistance to Native Hawaiian students; NIH Programs: MBRS and RIMI grants.

Students and faculty thrive in an atmosphere that combines research and training.

Our island gives us the ability to provide these opportunities in diverse settings and in diverse fields. Again, cross-disciplinary work is a common theme of our projects. Many of our students who had never dreamed of post-graduate work have gone on to graduate degrees and research careers.

Part of the university’s transformation must be professional development for faculty. We have used a large portion of our indirect funds for this purpose.

At UH Hilo, we continue to find ways to bolster our infrastructure and find creative solutions that will allow our research enterprise to continue to grow, both in quantity and quality.

We are incredibly efficient with resources, with a greater ratio of grant activity per university personnel than most Research I institutions. UH Hilo is growing, developing, and transforming student lives. Just watch what we can do with greater resources in the future!

Mahalo and Aloha.

*The National Science Board was established by Congress in 1950, and has two important roles. It provides oversight for, and establishes the policies of, the National Science Foundation, within the framework of applicable national policies set forth by the President and the Congress. It also serves as an independent body of advisors to both the President and Congress on broad national policy issues related to science and engineering research and education.