From West Hawaii Today:

by Jason Armstrong
Sunday, January 25, 2009

Two-time space voyager Astronaut Daniel Tani, the keynote speaker at Saturday’s ninth annual Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus, wows his audience with footage of the October 2007 blastoff of the Space Shuttle Discovery on its 16th flight to the International Space Station. Tani spent 120 days living and working aboard the station, during which he performed numerous robotic operations and carried out five extra-vehicular spacewalks. – William Ing | Stephens Media

HILO — An estimated 600 Big Island students spent Saturday learning about science, space exploration and the experiences of a NASA astronaut.

“Today was really a fun day,” said Lauren Miho, a Waiakea High School freshman and Key Club chairwoman for the 2009 Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day held at the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus.

The free, daylong event featured interactive science displays, various workshops and a humorous demonstration on the effects of air pressure.

“I think Ellison is very happy,” said Shirley Matsuoka, older sister of the Kealakekua native who was aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger when it exploded 73 seconds after launching Jan. 28, 1986.

“It was very exciting to see the students enjoying themselves and absorbing all the science they can,” Matsuoka said of the annual event. “It was great.”

The Onizuka family, the Onizuka Memorial Committee, the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center, Future Flight Hawaii, the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium and UH-Hilo co-sponsored the event.

Also invaluable were corporate sponsors, including American Savings Bank, which has backed the event from its inception.

“It takes a lot of people to make it happen, and we’re very fortunate to have a lot of support,” said Claude Onizuka, Ellison’s brother.

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From The Honolulu Advertiser:

HILO — Vern and Cathi Yamanaka, president and vice president of Yamanaka Enterprises Inc., have established an endowed scholarship to benefit students at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. Several additional members of the Yamanaka family have pledged to support the fund with contributions as well. Yamanaka Enterprises Inc., a real estate brokerage firm that specializes in commercial and large parcel acquisitions, management and consultation, is ranked among the top real estate firms in Hawai’i. Several of Vern and Cathi’s children are employed at the firm.

Hiromu Yamanaka received his BA from the University of Hawai’i at Mnoa in 1943. After a 20-year career as a teacher in vocational agriculture he started his own realty company, Hiromu Yamanaka Realty, Inc. He was an integral player in the Hilo community and for many years was instrumental in the development of the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, serving as an officer of the Friends of the University of Hawai’i, Hilo

Campus and co-chairing the UH Hilo Fund in 1971. He was instrumental in organizing the Hawai’i Island Board of Realtors and served as its first president in 1966. He was then appointed by the Governor to serve as Real Estate Commissioner from 1965-73.

Helen Yamanaka was a graduate of Kapi’olani Business College and worked for 26 years in a civilian capacity as an administrative assistant at Kilauea Military Camp. She also served as secretary/treasurer of Hiromu Yamanaka Realty, Inc.

The fund will benefit undergraduate students in any field at UH Hilo. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, financial need will be a criterion and preference will be given to students who have graduated from high school on the Big Island.

Vern Yamanaka currently serves as a member of the UH Hilo Chancellor’s Advisory Board.

“It’s such a privilege to receive the gift of a permanent scholarship from a family whose members has been so closely linked to UH Hilo over three generations,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng.

Photo by John Oshima

Chancellor’s Messsage
Chamber Connection
January 2009

UH Hilo 2008 Highlights

Happy New Year!

Let me share some highlights on our progress at University of Hawai’i at Hilo in 2008. This past year was very special as we celebrated UH Hilo’s 60^th anniversary.

UH Hilo and Hawai’i Community College signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate undergraduate classes for students attending both institutions. Now community college students can complete a four-year degree at UH Hilo.

UH Hilo partnered with Colorado School of Mines to work on space research at UH Hilo’s Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES). Also, PISCES joined the Japan-US Science, Technology & Space Applications Program (JUSTSAP) to host the annual symposium on the Big island, during which scientists conducted exciting research at Mauna Kea in preparation for space exploration.

We opened the beautiful Student Life Center on campus that offers an Olympic-sized pool, health and fitness facilities, and a café. We also opened the new expansion at UH Hilo’s North Hawai’i Education and Research Center in Honoka’a. I’d like to thank our island community and elected officials for all the support in these two projects.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which supports science-based initiatives, awarded UH Hilo’s ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center $637,000 for science and technology education for K-12 students from around the island.

Also, ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Pacific Islands Region, and Volcanoes National Park signed a memorandum of agreement to collaborate on education, outreach, staff interchange, and training.

UH Hilo’s College of Pharmacy received Candidate Accreditation Status by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. As the first and only pharmacy school in the Pacific Basin, we fill a need for Pacific Islanders to earn their Doctor of Pharmacy degrees locally. Our first group of Pharm. D. students will graduate in May 2011.

We’ve received a five-year National Science Foundation grant to start a Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST). Our Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science graduate program will establish the collaborative CREST Center in Tropical Ecology and Evolution in Marine and Terrestrial Environments.

Our international education programs are making exciting progress as we prepare our students for a global marketplace. We currently have 328 international students, which is 8.7% of the student body, representing 39 countries. We also have exchange and study abroad programs with about 100 students currently participating. UH Hilo’s Center for Global Education and Exchange oversees exchange agreements with 106 international universities.

UH Hilo hosted an international panel of women who are presidents of universities in China, Uganda, Japan, and Australia, as well as Wisconsin and Honolulu. The group held a conversation on leadership that was well attended by the public. Each university represented signed agreements of cooperation with UH Hilo for future research and education exchange programs.

Before I close, I’d like to update you on the UH Centennial Campaign. We set an ambitious goal to raise $15 million by June 2009 and I’m pleased that more than $9.5 million has been contributed to the campaign, increasing UH Hilo’s endowment to over $3.5 million. We’re grateful for the generosity of the many donors whose support reflects the shared vision of UH Hilo’s role in transforming our students, island and state. There is still time to take part in this important transformation and a commitment from you today will help leave a powerful legacy for the future of our community.

It’s been an exciting year and I thank you for your support. I look forward to collaborating with you in 2009 as we continue our momentum into the future. When we work together, great things happen!

Aloha,

Rose Tseng