Governor Linda Lingle released $6 million for design and construction of temporary buildings for the new UH Hilo College of Pharmacy.

“This is a powerful statement that raises the profile of the College of Pharmacy,” said Chancellor Rose Tseng. “We firmly believe it will help transform UH Hilo by producing first-class pharmacists, establishing networks throughout the state, and enhancing our role as a major economic engine. The approval and release of this funding sends a clear signal that the governor and legislature share and support that vision.”

Plans call for modular buildings on a four-acre parcel in UH Hilo’s University Park of Science and Technology next to the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources on South Aohoku Place. The temporary buildings will include classrooms, teaching labs and offices. Design work is expected to finish in Nov., with construction beginning in February and wrapping up in Fall 2008.

Full press release here .

In the news at KGMB here.

In the news at KHNL here.

And at Pacific Business News here.

UH Hilo’s ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i is one of the island’s newest attractions, presenting real-time information from the observatories high atop Mauna Kea, along with permanent and traveling exhibitions at its home on the UHH campus. Starting in mid-November 2007, the center will be the yearlong host of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s major exhibition, “Cosmic Questions.”

Full story at SFGate.com (external news site determines when link will expire). SFGate.com is affiliated with the San Francisco Chronicle .

Summary:

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i is one of the island’s newest attractions, presenting real-time information from the observatories high atop Mauna Kea, along with permanent and traveling exhibitions at its home on the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo campus. Starting in mid-November 2007, the center will be the yearlong host of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s major exhibition, “Cosmic Questions.” The show includes four components: “Our Place in Space,” “Observing the Universe,” “Our Place in Time” and “Great Mysteries,” the last covering topics such as dark matter and black holes. ‘Imiloa’s permanent exhibitions include “Origins,” which presents the Hawaiian view of creation along with the Big Bang theory, and “Voyages,” which contains a one-fifth scale model of a voyaging canoe and Hawaiian cultural exhibits. Throughout the center, you’ll see Hawaiian display text as well as English, reflecting the islanders’ renewed respect for their Polynesian heritage.

The College of Pharmacy Class of 2011 at the White Coat Ceremony held today on campus.

The new College of Pharmacy held its inaugural White Coat Ceremony today. The event formally kicked off the four-year program that will produce the college’s first graduates in 2011.

“This is an exciting day for UH Hilo and especially for these students,” said Chancellor Rose Tseng. “Years from now, when the College of Pharmacy is recognized as one of the finest institutions of its kind anywhere, they’ll be able to look back on this day and realize that they were part of history in the making.”

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for students in the health care field to affirm their commitment to the values of their profession, which include professionalism, respect, integrity and caring. They wore their white consultation coats, a symbol of their place in the health care profession as a care provider.

Full press release here .

Chancellor Rose Tseng

Chamber Connection

October 2007

We held a STEM Mini Summit at UH Hilo in September and I’d like to share with you some of things that we talked about.

STEM is the commonly used acronym for the crucial disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. I say crucial because there is a great need for more professionals in these fields, and our state and nation will fall behind in the global economy if we don’t find a fix.

Finding solutions to the shortage of STEM professionals means that universities need to reinvent undergraduate education. At UH Hilo, we are doing our part with pioneering programs specially designed to inspire and support students who show promise in STEM fields but who might otherwise “fall through the cracks.”

At our summit, we discussed ways that our state’s deficiencies in STEM professionals carries with it a cultural imperative. For instance, our Keaholoa program inspires STEM interest in local students through creating a culturally sensitive learning environment, often grounded in Native Hawaiian practices and protocol.

Keaholoa is a $2.5 million federal program to increase our number of STEM graduates. It not only focuses on giving undergraduates a rigorous curriculum, but also on faculty development so that teachers are teaching in a culturally sensitive way that inspires and supports students. The enhanced curriculum is creating a cadre of Native Hawaiian students versed in STEM fields.

People often think that the push for STEM education is at the expense of culture and the arts, but this simply is not so. Above all else, the most important component to UH Hilo STEM programs is “Quality Learning with Aloha.” The curriculum is rigorous and demanding, but the delivery is culturally sensitive, culturally based, with caring teachers and professors. Small class sizes and low faculty-student ratio create an enlightened learning environment, preparing Hawai‘i’s students for the 21^st century.

Chamber members may be asking, what does all this science and culture education have to do with us in the business sector? Well, you can help. Studies show that internships are one of the very best ways to inspire and engage students. You have the power to help shape Hawai‘i’s future by mentoring a student, sharing your wisdom, nurturing a young mind to value the rigorous pursuit of STEM disciplines.

The chair of the National Science Board says that UH Hilo integrates science and culture like no other institution in the country. We are the model for 21^st century STEM education, and I hope you feel inspired to participate in our exciting educational opportunities.