Donation is the largest anonymous gift to UH-Hilo in the school’s history

Big Island Video reports on $1.5 million donation:

Video by Tim O Bryan

During the recent commencement ceremony for graduates at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, Chancellor Rose Tseng and University Relations Director Gerald De Mello took a few moments to discuss an anonymous ‘fairy godmother’ donation of $1.5 million, delivered by mail on April 1.

The donation is the largest anonymous gift to UH-Hilo in the school’s history. Reports say the pledge appears to be from the same person who has given, at last count, $93 million to at least 19 universities across the country. UH-Hilo and the other schools all happen have one thing in common: they are headed by women.

The University of Hawaii-Hilo released the following statement about the donation:

Current and future students at the University of Hawaii at Hilo stand to benefit from a recent $1.5 million gift from an anonymous donor, pending acceptance of the gift by the University of Hawaii Board of Regents at its meeting May 29. At the donor’s request, $1 million has been designated for financial assistance and scholarships to all eligible students. An additional $500,000 has been designated for unrestricted purposes, enabling the university to advance its goals.

UH Hilo will use this groundbreaking gift to recruit and retain the students from Hawai‘i and elsewhere, to remove barriers to student access and achievement, and to enhance programs and services that support student success.

Additionally, UH Hilo plans to leverage the impact of this donation through a matching gift program. Details of a matching gift opportunity will be announced shortly.

“It is our belief that this incredibly generous gift will inspire others in our community to join the Centennial Campaign effort and support UH Hilo priorities,” commented Chancellor Rose Tseng. “This gift could not have come at a more opportune time as our students and their families face profound economic challenges and myriad barriers to higher education.”

UH Hilo currently has the highest percentage of students receiving financial aid of any of the ten University of Hawaii campuses.

“Alumni, faculty, corporations and foundations have long understood that the ability of public universities to achieve their mission is strengthened when state support is augmented by private funds,” said Donna Vuchinich, President, University of Hawaii Foundation. “Through leveraging this generous gift, students today and in the future, can receive student aid and get the education they need to fulfill their personal potential.”

To date UH Hilo has raised over $14 million toward a $15 million goal for the Centennial Campaign, a highly inclusive development effort underway in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of public higher education in Hawaii.

Link

At last count, $93 million has been given to at least 19 universities across the country, all headed by women, according to news reports.

Craig Gima at the Honolulu Star Bulletin reports on the $1.5 million gift to UH Hilo:

The donation, the largest anonymous gift to UH-Hilo in the school’s history, appears to be from the same person The New York Times called “a fairy godmother.” She, or he, has given, at last count, $93 million to at least 19 universities across the country, according to news reports.

Like the other schools that received checks, UH-Hilo is headed by a woman — Chancellor Rose Tseng.

“It means we’re doing good. We’re very proud to be the one that’s picked,” Tseng said. “They know what we do. They know we must be making some difference in students’ lives and the community.”

Two checks arrived on April 1, the same day many of the other universities received the money, and the money was directed to similar purposes.

One check, for $1 million, is earmarked for scholarships at UH-Hilo. The other check, for $500,000, can be spent at the university’s discretion.

What makes the gifts really unusual is the secrecy surrounding the donor, whose identity is not even known to the university.

The checks, which have cleared, came from a bank in Arizona which is protecting the giver’s identity.

The UH Foundation, in an e-mail, declined to speculate about the source of the donation.

“We have no way of knowing if this gift to UH-Hilo is related to the others, but like other universities across the country, we have been following these reports with a great deal of interest,” the foundation wrote.

Tseng, who knows many of the other chancellors who received funds, said the letter from the donor is similar to the others.

She said the benefit of the gift is more important than who is giving the money.

“We have to honor the intent (of the donor),” she said. “We want to transform students’ lives. We want to transform the community.”

Link to full report at The Honolulu Star Bulletin.

Big Island Video tapes Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang delivering the keynote address at UH Hilo’s spring commencement on Saturday. Click on photo above or link here to Part One of keynote. Link here to Part Two.

Reported by Tim O Bryan:

The University of Hawaii at Hilo featured one of the biggest names of the Internet era when Yahoo! Inc. co-founder and part-time Hawaii resident Jerry Yang delivered the keynote address at university’s spring commencement on Saturday.

The 40-year-old Yang was born in Taipei, Taiwan and moved to San Jose, California at the age of eight with his mother and brother. Yang earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He has maintained ties to his alma mater, and is presently on leave from the University’s electrical engineering Ph.D. program.

Yang emerged as one of the stars of the dot-com explosion while still in college, when he teamed with David Filo to create an Internet website consisting of a directory of other websites in 1994. “Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web,” was later renamed Yahoo!, leading to Yang and Filo co-founding Yahoo! Inc. the following year.

What began as a web portal with an extensive directory of products and services for online activities has since grown to become a leading global Internet brand and one of the most heavily trafficked networks.

The company provides services in more than 30 languages and in more than 30 countries, regions and territories, including localized versions of Yahoo! As a key member of the executive management team, Yang’s focus at Yahoo! throughout the years has included corporate strategy, technology vision, strategic business partnerships and international joint ventures and talent recruitment.

Yang is also a member of the company’s board of directors, in addition to sitting on the boards of Yahoo! Japan, Cisco Systems, Alibaba, the Asian Pacific Fund and Stanford University Board of Trustees.

In addition to his high tech achievements, Yang has earned a reputation as a philanthropist through his generous support for higher education. In 2007, Yang and his wife, Akiko Yamazaki, donated $75 million to Stanford University, with $50 million designated to support environmental research. His previous gifts to Stanford have funded scholarships, undergraduate education, and other campus programs at the School of Engineering, the Asia Pacific Research Center, the Stanford Japan Center, and the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve.

Yang was honored during the UH Hilo Commencement with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his achievements as a global visionary and for his charitable contributions.

A total of 487 students representing the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management, College of Business and Economics, and Ka Haka `Ula O`Ke`elikolani College of Hawaiian Language got their degrees at the ceremony held at Hilo’s Edith Kanaka`ole Stadium.

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“As an institution committed to access and opportunity, UH Hilo is proud to be recognized with this wonderful vote of confidence in our ability to transform the lives of our students. UH Hilo serves as an economic engine for our state and region, and we will repay this investment many times over as our students graduate and take their place in the professional workforce.” Rose Tseng, Chancellor UH Hilo

Current and future students at the University of Hawaii at Hilo stand to benefit from a recent $1.5 million gift from an anonymous donor, pending acceptance of the gift by the University of Hawaii Board of Regents at its meeting May 29. At the donor’s request, $1 million has been designated for financial assistance and scholarships to all eligible students. An additional $500,000 has been designated for unrestricted purposes, enabling the university to advance its goals.

UH Hilo will use this groundbreaking gift to recruit and retain the students from Hawaii and elsewhere, to remove barriers to student access and achievement, and to enhance programs and services that support student success.

Additionally, UH Hilo plans to leverage the impact of this donation through a matching gift program. Details of a matching gift opportunity will be announced shortly. “It is our belief that this incredibly generous gift will inspire others in our community to join the Centennial Campaign effort and support UH Hilo priorities,” commented Chancellor Rose Tseng. “This gift could not have come at a more opportune time as our students and their families face profound economic challenges and myriad barriers to higher education.” UH Hilo currently has the highest percentage of students receiving financial aid of any of the ten University of Hawaii campuses.

“Alumni, faculty, corporations and foundations have long understood that the ability of public universities to achieve their mission is strengthened when state support is augmented by private funds,” said Donna Vuchinich, President, University of Hawaii Foundation. “Through leveraging this generous gift, students today and in the future, can receive student aid and get the education they need to fulfill their personal potential.”

To date UH Hilo has raised over $14 million toward a $15 million goal for the Centennial Campaign, a highly inclusive development effort underway in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of public higher education in Hawaii.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo will feature one of the biggest names of the Internet era when Yahoo! Inc. co-founder and part-time Hawaii resident Jerry Yang delivers the keynote address at spring commencement, scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 9:00 a.m. at Edith Kanakaole Stadium.

A total of 487 students representing the Colleges of Arts and Sciences (404), College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management (20), College of Business and Economics (43), and Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language (20) are candidates for various degrees or certificates.

The 40-year-old Yang was born in Taipei, Taiwan and moved to San Jose, California at the age of eight with his mother and brother. Yang earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He has maintained ties to his alma mater, and is presently on leave from the University’s electrical engineering Ph.D. program.

Yang emerged as one of the stars of the dot-com explosion while still in college, when he teamed with David Filo to create an Internet website consisting of a directory of other websites in 1994. “Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web,” was later renamed Yahoo!, leading to Yang and Filo co-founding Yahoo! Inc. the following year.

What began as a web portal with an extensive directory of products and services for online activities has since grown to become a leading global Internet brand and one of the most heavily trafficked networks. The company provides services in more than 30 languages and in more than 30 countries, regions and territories, including localized versions of Yahoo!

As a key member of the executive management team, Yang’s focus at Yahoo! throughout the years has included corporate strategy, technology vision, strategic business partnerships and international joint ventures and talent recruitment.

Yang is also a member of the company’s board of directors, in addition to sitting on the boards of Yahoo! Japan, Cisco Systems, Alibaba, the Asian Pacific Fund and Stanford University Board of Trustees.

In addition to his high tech achievements, Yang has earned a reputation as a philanthropist through his generous support for higher education. In 2007, Yang and his wife, Akiko Yamazaki, donated $75 million to Stanford University, with $50 million designated to support environmental research. His previous gifts to Stanford have funded scholarships, undergraduate education, and other campus programs at the School of Engineering, the Asia Pacific Research Center, the Stanford Japan Center, and the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve.

Yang will be honored during the UH Hilo Commencement with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to recognize his achievements as a global visionary and for his charitable contributions.

Patricia Michaels-Hausman-Walters, who will earn bachelor of arts degrees in psychology and anthropology, along with a certificate in women’s studies, will serve as student speaker. A non-traditional student, Walters` success at UH Hilo is the latest chapter in an inspiring story of triumph over adversity.

Walters enrolled at UH Hilo in 2003, 12 years after suffering a traumatic brain injury when she slid head first into the galley service door handle of a DC-9 while working as a TWA flight attendant. The accident initially left her in a vegetative state with numerous physical and cognitive injuries, unable to write or speak.

After months of rehabilitation, Walters regained the ability to speak and write. Years later, she still faces long-term learning disabilities such as long- and short-term memory loss, and the loss of math and organizational skills, but manages to overcome those challenges through hard work and determination made possible by an unshakable spiritual strength.

She completed her first semester at UH Hilo with a 3.5 GPA, and despite the challenges she must continually overcome, is on track to graduate with a GPA of 3.0. She spent three years with Professor Stephanie Dodge researching domestic violence issues in addition to volunteering at the UH Hilo Women’s Center since 2003, and performed in the 2009 Vagina Monologues.

Active in campus affairs, Walters served two years as president of the UH Hilo Chapter of PSI-CHI National Honor Society for Psychology. She held various offices with the Psychology Club over a three-year period, including president, vice president and secretary. Walters also served as president of Freedom Equality Movement to promote equality for all and is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Her commencement address will challenge the graduating class to use the power of their education to change the world.

Walters plans to return to the classroom this fall to pursue a masters degree in counseling psychology or a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She hopes to eventually open a wellness center to help women who have suffered similar traumatic events by providing training and teaching new skills they can use to help them rebuild and enrich their lives.

For more information on Commencement, contact Judith Fox-Goldstein at 974-7555 or email commence@hawaii.edu. For special accommodations, contact Susan Shirachi at 933-0816 (V) or 933-3334 (TTY). Requests should be made at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Chancellor’s Message
Chamber Connection
May 2009

Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan approved

I am happy to inform you that the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Mahalo for your support! A special thanks to Barbara Hastings and others for testimony, members for participation in the April 6 rally, support of the CMP on the Chamber’s website and through email notices. Your support was invaluable and I sincerely thank each and every one of you.

I’m pleased and proud to commit the University of Hawaii at Hilo to take the lead in implementing the Comprehensive Management Plan. We recognize that stewardship of Mauna Kea needs to be from the Big Island. In the year 2000, UH changed the organizational structure for the management of Mauna Kea, and UH Hilo assumed responsibility.

We’ve been the lead campus for the past eight and a half years, working through our Office of Mauna Kea Management. Its mission is to find harmony, balance and trust in the sustainable management and stewardship of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve. We involve the public in preserving and enhancing the natural, cultural, and recreational resources of Mauna Kea. We also aim to provide a world-class center for education, research, and astronomy.

The Office of Mauna Kea Management has made sure that no change is made on Mauna Kea without considerable community oversight and involvement. The Mauna Kea Management Board advises OMKM and me on stewardship issues. It’s a hard-working, community-based board that actively helps to manage the mountain. All its meetings are open to the public. Mahalo to Barry Taniguchi for his leadership as board chair.

The Kahu Ku Mauna Council and Environment Committee also volunteer many hours to study stewardship issues and provide thoughtful input to OMKM and the board. Kahu Ku Mauna means “guardians of the mountain,” and they provide guidance on cultural matters.

I’m proud UH Hilo has the expertise and capacity to implement the CMP. We’ve been growing steadily over the past 11 years. With over 600 employees, we are the second largest employer in East Hawaii. Moreover, we’re a comprehensive university with expertise in Hawaiian language and culture as well as degree programs in many other relevant subjects, including conservation biology, environmental studies, astronomy, geology, and other disciplines.

We pride ourselves on being able to integrate culture and science. We run special science programs to give first-generation college students and other under-represented groups opportunities to succeed in science studies. We are increasing the numbers of Native Hawaiian students majoring in the sciences and achieving degrees, and do a lot of K-12 outreach. We built ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center to bring science and culture together.

The Office of Mauna Kea Management and the Mauna Kea Management Board have already made great strides in managing the Mauna Kea Science Reserve. We have brought transparency and accountability to the Science Reserve. We’ve already laid the foundation for implementing the CMP recommendations.

UH Hilo is a community-driven university. We work for the community, and the community has always supported us in a true partnership. Mauna Kea is important to the community and UH Hilo together. We’re all the more ready to support the recommendations of the CMP because they were developed with wide and deep community input. Again, mahalo to the Chamber for all your support in our efforts.

Last month, I told you about our Spring Commencement keynote Jerry Yang, co-founder and Chief Yahoo at Yahoo! I wanted to tell you that UH Hilo nominated Mr. Yang to receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from UH.  Mr. Yang was chief executive officer of Yahoo! from June 2007 to January 2009. He co-developed Yahoo! in 1994 while he was working toward his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Stanford University. Mr. Yang currently serves on the board of directors of Cisco Systems, Yahoo! Japan, and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., and is also on Stanford’s Board of Trustees. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford and is currently on a leave of absence from Stanford’s electrical engineering Ph.D. program. I’ve known Jerry many years from when I lived in Silicon Valley, and I look forward to hearing his remarks at Spring Commencement on May 16. I know he’ll be an inspiration to our graduates.

Mahalo for all you support. When we all work together, great things happen!

Rose Tseng