Chancellor Rose Tseng welcomed Mr. Barry Taniguchi (above left), president and CEO of KTA Super Stores, to the campus today where they signed the papers to launch new endowed faculty funds at UH Hilo. Photo by John Oshima.

Through KTA Super Stores and K. Taniguchi, Ltd, Mr. Taniguchi established five funds of $10K each, for a total of $50K, one for each of UH Hilo’s academic colleges: College of Arts and Sciences; College of Business and Economics; College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management; College of Hawaiian Language; and College of Pharmacy. The purpose of the endowments is to provide the dean or director of each college with a permanent source of funds to enhance their college’s recruitment and retention of faculty.

The gift is in honor of Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi, founders of the company and Barry Taniguchi’s grandparents.

Chancellor Tseng and Barry Taniguchi are joined by son Toby Tanigichi (left front) and (left to right in back row) Kalena Silva, director of College of Hawaiian Language; Bill Steiner, dean of College of Agriculture; Robert Borris, associate dean of research at College of Pharmacy; Randy Hirokawa, dean of College of Arts & Sciences; and Marcia Sakai, dean of College of Business & Economics.

Barry Taniguchi was UH Hilo Alumni & Friends 2005 Distinguished Service Awardee. Learn more about him on the Alumni & Friends website (scroll down to Mr. Taniguchi’s bio), or continue reading here…

Mr. Barry Taniguchi is truly a class act, and a tough one to follow. His passion to give back to the community, his involvement in the numerous service organizations throughout the State of Hawai‘i, and his unconditional support to the University of Hawai‘i are admirable and irrevocably distinguished.

Barry has been a driving force in the activities of UH Hilo’s Mauna Kea Management Board since its formation in October 2000. Born out of controversy, the Board, and the Office of Mauna Kea Management, have benefited immensely from his vision, attention to process and detail, and his steady, consistent approach to the issues surrounding our world-class mountain.

Additionally, Barry has long supported UH Hilo and UH Manoa through farsighted contributions of time, talent, and treasure. What is not yet widely known is that Barry has just made the first generous installment on a new endowment, which will benefit UH Hilo in perpetuity through support for faculty. Named in honor of Barry’s grandparents, the Taniguchi Memorial Fund will establish UH Hilo’s first permanent faculty endowment, thereby helping the campus to attract and retain the best teachers and scholars.

Perceptive and generous by nature, Barry has been a cornerstone of the Big Island’s youth athletic programs. Respectfully, Barry, under the alias of KTA Superstores, has provided necessary “life support” to so many youth programs. Fortunately, the Vulcan program has been the recipient of his generosity year after year after year. In addition to annual donations, he was instrumental in establishing the “Rainbow Fever” and islandwide “Vulcan Fever” drives that annually produce scholarship funds for Vulcan Athletics.

Barry’s years of countless and tireless service and contribution to the community have not gone unnoticed. In 1993, he was awarded a Public Service Award by the Hawai‘i Society of CPAs and a Hawai‘i District Award by the Business Education Partnership. In 1997, the Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Humanitarian of the Year Award. In 2003, he received the Hall of Honor award from the University of Hawai‘i, College of Business Administration, and last year was the recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus from the University of Hawai‘i Alumni Association.