Psychology professor and “local girl” Cheryl Ramos (center) receives the Taniguchi Award for Excellence and Innovation at the 2008 End-of-the Year Celebration. Funding for this award comes from the Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi Memorial Endowment Fund, which was established in memory of the founders of what is known today as KTA Superstores. The award was presented by Barry Taniguchi (left), president of KTA and the grandson of the endowment founders, and Randy Hirokawa (right), dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and chair of the award selection committee. Photos by John Oshima.

Aloha!

Once again, we celebrate the end of the academic year. This is a special time to recognize our colleagues, and my special time to say thank you to all of you. Your dedication to working together results in a great learning environment we can all be proud of.

This year, we’re also celebrating UH Hilo’s 60th year. We’ve been reviewing how far we’ve come in that time and the obstacles and hardships many people here have had to face as we struggle to advance our university. I want to say that I appreciate more than I can say how we all pull together for the betterment of UH Hilo.

Here are just a few highlights of what you all have achieved this semester.

Our terrific student athletes won the Commissioner’s Cup for the entire Pacific West Conference. This is a wonderful achievement! It means that ours is the top athletic program in the league. Our coaches and student athletes are to be congratulated.

Our faculty passed a new General Education program that had been years in the making. Our Faculty Congress led the way and developed a successful proposal. We’re all looking forward to seeing it implemented.

The hard work of many, many people goes into our budget requests. In this second year of the biennium, we were only allowed to request positions and funds to enhance health, safety and security on campus.

The legislature was generous to UH Hilo. We were given:

• A security director position
• Personnel for health and safety as well as safety education
• Personnel to improve physical and mental health services
• Restoration of a position in the library and five rangers on Mauna Kea

This is a very good showing for the second year of the biennium.

We had a great visit from the WASC site team. Many thanks to April Komenaka and the many people who took the time to meet with the visiting team.

In a few months, we’ll have the grand opening of our Student Life Center. We’ve been waiting for this a long time, and it will be worth it. We’ll finally be able to offer the exercise and recreational activities our students so badly need.

After decades of work, we will break ground on the new China-US Center this summer. This is another long-awaited project, which will double our student housing capacity.

Each and every one of these achievements were made possible by our faculty and staff, and often students, too, pulling together for the betterment of the university.

Today, we celebrate and honor our university colleagues for their exemplary service and dedication to the university.

I’ll start out today a little bit out of our usual sequence. I’m going to begin by announcing the recipient of the UH Hilo Excellence in Building and Grounds Maintenance Award. This award is presented to a building or ground maintenance employee who has made significant contributions to UH Hilo.

I would like to call upon Sabry Shehata to make the presentation to NEAL NAGAO.

[Sabry Shehata presents award. Chancellor presents Neal Nagao with gift, envelope and lei.]

Congratulations, Neal! Neal has other duties to attend to, so we wanted to present his award early. The rest of the awards will be presented a little later in the program.

Retirement Recognitions

Today is a day to honor our retirees. This list covers the period from April 2007 through March 2008. Anyone retiring after March 31st will be recognized at next year’s end-of-the-year celebration.

I believe BILL CHEN is here today—Bill, would you please come up?

This institution owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bill Chen, who served UH Hilo in many important capacities for over 35 years. He was professor of computer science, director of the Office of Technology and Distance Learning, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and vice chancellor for administrative affairs. He’s currently working for us part time directing the Office of Technology and Distance Learning while we organize the search for his successor.

[Above, Chancellor presents Bill Chen with lei and koa bowl.]

RUDY DAWANA has retired after 17 years of service as a janitor with our Auxiliary Services department. He worked in most areas on campus and helped to keep the rest of us going by giving us a safe and clean environment.

She couldn’t be here today, but I’d like to specially recognize AUDREY FURUKAWA, who retired in March. She served for many years as a counselor in Student Affairs, before becoming executive assistant to the chancellor. She served in that capacity with Chancellor Ed Kormondy and held that position since my arrival at UH Hilo.

For many years, Audrey was an integral part of the administration at UH Hilo. Her service to the university has been staunch and unwavering; her accomplishments have been stellar.

Audrey contributed 33 years of distinguished and dedicated service to the university. Her knowledge, her work ethic, and her professionalism will be missed by all who have been fortunate enough to work personally with her. We have grown by leaps and bounds during her tenure in the administration, and she deserves a fair share of the credit.

AL HONDA–I believe Al is here today, could you please come up?

Al Honda [at left] worked for the state of Hawai‘i for 36 years, and started at UH Hilo in 1987. He worked as an electronics technician in our Media Services Department on our HITS distance learning operation. His expertise was instrumental in bringing UH Hilo up to the level of technology we have today. Thank you, Al, for your many years of service and for helping so many of us to have the benefit of media technology. I hope you’re enjoying your retirement.

[Chancellor presents Al Honda with lei and koa bowl.]

MARCIA MILLER retired last summer after serving 13 years as an instructor in the Education Department. She taught courses in art education and instructional media and technology.

DARRYL MLEYNEK retired last year after ably serving as statewide director of the Small Business Development Center for 12 years.

SHERRYLL MLEYNEK also retired last year, with 17 years of service to the university. She was a professor of literature and had served as chair of the English Department. She and her husband Darryl have settled in Oregon.

GREG NIELSON was farm manager and agricultural research technician for the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management. He had 31 years of service, and he put in a lot of hard work to provide our agriculture students with an essential learning environment.

ELLIE NISHIKAWA worked as a human resources officer for our university. She was in the Human Resources department for 18 years, and helped many of us here a great deal behind the scenes.

CRAIG SEVERANCE retired last year after 30 years as faculty member in our Anthropology Department. His courses focused on cultural anthropology and social change. He is well known on campus for his expertise in Pacific Island cultures. Craig is a past recipient of the Regent’s Medal for Excellence in Teaching.

I’d like to recognize ULULANI SHERLOCK. Please come up. She retired from UH Hilo’s Office of Mauna Kea Management, where she held the position of Cultural Support Coordinator for two years. Before joining the staff, she served on the Kahu Ku Mauna advisory board.

Lastly, HOWARD VAN TREASE has retired after five years of service as a faculty member in our History Department. He taught courses in the history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.

Thank you to all the retirees for your many years of service. We are envious and wish you all many golden years of happiness, fulfillment and success in your retirement. Good luck and take care.

Years of Service Awards

Next, I’d like to announce our awards for years of service. Will those of you receiving Service Awards for 10 years please stand? And let’s give our traditional one clap for each name I call:

• EMMELINE DE PILLIS
• TIMOTHY EAKINS
• ANDREW GRABAR
• NELLIE HAMADA
• AMY JONES
• SHARON KESSINGER
• JODILYN KUNIMOTO
• MANULANI MEYER
• PETER MILLS
• MICHELLE MIYAJI
• LYNN NAMIHIRA
• VLADIMIR SKORIKOV
• ENBAO WANG

Our next group is the Service Award for 20 years. If you’d please stand. Lt’s give them two claps apiece:

• ERIK CLEVELAND
• RICHARD CROWE
• SUSAN HORIMOTO
• KERWIN IWAMOTO
• DEAN MIYOSE
• NEAL NAGAO
• ALTON OKINAKA

And now we move to the “survivors,” those with 30 years of service. If you’d please stand. How about three claps apiece?

• BARBARA HEINTZ
• CORINNE TAMASHIRO
• MICHAEL TANABE

As a finale, let’s now give a big round of applause to all the Service Award recipients.

Special Tributes

Our university is very fortunate to have volunteers to help care for our landscaping, provide beautiful floral arrangements, and volunteer other services for us. Some do so through the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, and others volunteer on their own.

If you could all come to the front and be recognized [five volunteers with Chancellor below, left to right, Caroline Madrid, Sueno Saruwateri, Philomina Rabago, Harue Kaneshiro, Jean Funai].

Thank you so much!

Our volunteers are:

• RAMON ABONG
• HARUE KANESHIRO
• ROBERT KOGA
• CAROLINE MADRID
• GEORGE MATSUBARA
• PHILOMINA RABAGO
• SUENO SARUWATERI
• JEAN FUNAI
• SHIRLEY KAWAMOTO
• CHIYONO KINOSHITA
• JUNKO NOWAKI
• LYNNE SHIMAZU

A round of applause for our RSVP and other volunteers!

Will all members of the UH Hilo Faculty Congress stand and be recognized?

Will all members of our faculty senates stand and be recognized?

Will all faculty and staff stand and be recognized?

UH Hilo Awards

We’ll now continue to honor extraordinary contributions by members of our university ‘ohana.

The next award is UH Hilo’s Student Employee of the Year Award. Our student employees are very valuable to our operations, and we’re grateful for their support. We could not function without them.

I would like to call upon Norm Stahl to make this presentation to ELIZABETH PARAYNO [top left].

[Norm Stahl presents plaque. Chancellor gives lei.]

Congratulations, Elizabeth.

The next UH Hilo Award is the Pulama ‘Ike Award. This is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to developing and promoting the mission and spirit of the university.

I would like to call upon Jeff Scofield to assist with the presentation to LYNETTE EGUSA [top right].

[Chancellor presents envelope, gift and lei.]

The next UH Hilo award is the Distinguished Service Award for Improving Student Life. This award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to student life beyond the boundaries of their official responsibilities.

I’d like to call upon Denna Macanas, one of our students, to present the award to LORNA ARITA-TSUTSUMI [above].

[Chancellor presents envelope, medallion, and lei.]

The last UH Hilo award to be presented today is the Taniguchi Award for Excellence and Innovation [to CHERYL RAMOS, center below]. This award recognizes the creative use of technology in teaching, scholarship, research and artistic production by fulltime faculty or staff at UH Hilo. Eligible innovations may be creations developed for a specific teaching, research or artistic purpose, or may be unique or clever applications of existing technology.

Funding for this award comes from the Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi Memorial Endowment Fund, which was established in memory of the founders of what is known today as KTA Superstores. At this time, I’d like to call the President of KTA and the grandson of the founders, Barry Taniguchi [far left], to the podium as well as Randy Hirokawa [to the right of Cheryl], chair of this year’s selection committee. They will assist in presenting the award.

[Randy Hirokawa: It is a privilege for UH Hilo to be able to honor the memory of Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi with this prestigious award. The stores which the Taniguchi’s founded have been long been known for being the first on the Big Island to introduce new innovations and technology, so it is fitting that the names of Mr. and Mrs. Taniguchi be associated with an award which recognizes excellence and innovation on the part of our faculty.

Today, we are presenting Cheryl with a monetary award and her name will be placed on a perpetual plaque as the second recipient of the Taniguchi Award for Excellence and Innovation. To further mark the honor, the award also includes a koa clock as a personal memento of your achievement.]

[Barry Taniguchi presents clock. Chancellor presents lei and envelope.]

We could not honor the award recipients without the help of the selection committees.

Thank you Randal Usui for chairing the committee for the Student Employee of the Year Award.

Thank you Gail Makuakane-Lundin and Barbara Heintz for co-chairing the selection committee for the Excellence in Building and Grounds Maintenance Award, the P?lama ‘Ike Award, and the Distinguished Service Award for Improving Student Life.

I’d also like to thank Randy Hirokawa for chairing the selection committee for the Taniguchi Award for Excellence and Innovation.

And a big thank you to all the people who served as members of these committees.

Other acknowledgements

Do we have anyone here from the Chancellor’s Advisory Board? The chambers of commerce?

Before we close, I’d like to remind you that our next event is Commencement, when we celebrate our graduates. It’s Saturday, May 17, at Edith Kanaka‘ole Stadium.

For our keynote speaker, we are honored to have Connie Lau, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric, and chairman and CEO of American Savings Bank.

In concluding this celebration, I wish to once again thank you all very much for working together to move UH Hilo forward.

See you at Commencement, and have a safe and wonderful summer.

Mahalo!