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