Over 400 new students and their families took part Tuesday in the first-ever Student Convocation at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Performing Arts Center.

The event, part of Fall Orientation and the brainchild of the Task Force on New Student Programs, is designed to be a bookend to Commencement. The new students gathered as an entering class to meet their faculty and deans at the beginning of their collegiate experience, as they do upon graduation.

“The Student Convocation was successful beyond our expectations,” said Chancellor Rose Tseng, who welcomed the new students to UH Hilo. “It was an opportunity for the students to celebrate their entrance into the University, as well as to reflect upon their very real commitment to strive for academic excellence.”

Students were introduced, college by college, to their respective deans. The student body president then led students in a pledge of commitment. UH Hilo administrators then expressed their expectations to the new students and impressed upon them the importance of the educational journey they are about to take.

“I believe the ceremonial nature of the Convocation provides the new students with a preview of the excitement and the accomplishment they will feel upon achieving the goal of graduation,” Tseng said.

Above, Chancellor Tseng addresses the standing-room-only crowd at UH Hilo’s first Student Convocation, held at the university’s Performing Arts Center. Photo by John Oshima.

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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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 Rose Tseng announced today the appointment of Kelly Oaks (at left) to the position of director of the Office of Equal Employment Oppotunity/Affirmative Action effective April 1. The EEOAA Office is responsible for campus equal opportunity employment practices and diversity initiatives.

Oaks was selected after a nationwide search and brings with her over 13 years of EEO/AA and diversity experience dating back to 1996 with the University of Nevada. Since 2003, she has held various diversity and equity related positions at Virginia Tech, including the positions of equity manager, associate director of equity initiatives and her most recent position, director of equity initiatives.

The EEO/AA Office will be newly delegated to the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Affairs Debra Fitzsimons.

“Ms. Oaks’ record is impressive, and we are looking forward to her coming on board,” stated Tseng. “I am confident that both Dr. Fitzsimons and Ms. Oaks, with their combined experience in this area, will take UH Hilo to the next level in equal opportunity, diversity, and equity initiatives and will offer training and workshops that the campus needs.”

In today’s Honolulu Advertiser:

KAILUA, KONA, Hawai’i — The Big Island may become the center of the universe for U.S. space projects. At least that is the vision of the director of a space research program at the University of Hawai’i-Hilo.

Frank Schowengerdt, director of Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, or PISCES, said the Big Island is the ideal spot on Earth for kick-starting NASA’s plans to put men and women on the moon and Mars permanently. “We’re going back (to the moon) and we’re going back to stay by 2018 or 2020,” he said. “We want a permanent presence on the moon, and PISCES has a permanent place on the Big Island.”

The PISCES program, which scored $400,000 last year from the Legislature, bills itself as an international research and education center for the development of technologies to sustain human life on the moon and beyond.

Its mission is to advance the settlement of space through partnerships with industry, academia, NASA and space agencies around the world, Schowengerdt said. Future funding likely will come from federal and state sources, as well as private donations and grants.

The program last month was instrumental in NASA’s successful tests of equipment to turn soil into oxygen and water on the slopes of Mauna Kea.

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The 19th century Native Hawaiian artist, after whom UH Hilo’s Hawaiian language immersion school in Keaau is named, now also has a crater on Mecury named after him.

From The Honolulu Star Bulletin:

Heavenly honor bestowed on Nawahi

The native of Puna was an artist, teacher, lawyer, publisher

When the Messenger spacecraft begins orbiting Mercury in March 2011, it will look down on “Nawahi Crater.”

A little smaller than Kauai, the crater is named for Kahooluhi Nawahi, also known as Joseph Kahooluhi Nawahiokalaniopuu.

The self-taught artist from Puna, who died in 1896 at age 54, was known as a Renaissance man with many talents and interests from art, law and teaching to newspaper publishing.

Jeffrey Gillis-Davis, University of Hawaii-Manoa planetary researcher and member of the Messenger space mission team, proposed Nawahi’s name for the crater in Mercury’s Calloris Basin after consulting the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

A Hawaiian language immersion school in Keaau on the Big Island, Ke Kula O Nawahiokalaniopuu Iki, also bears the artist’s name.

Cathrine Edmonds’s defense of her PhD thesis, “The Reliability and Validity of the Maori Languge Proficiency in Writing Test: Kaiaka Reo Year 8,” will be held Thursday, Nov. 20, 10:30 a.m. at University Classroom Building, room #123. All members of the university community are welcome to attend.

Ms. Edmonds will be the first student to finish a PhD dissertation at UH Hilo under the new PhD program in Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization at Ka Haka Ula o Keelikolani College of Hawaiian language.

An agreement between the Academia Sinica and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo was signed this week by Chancellor Rose Tseng during a trip to Taiwan hosted by Hawai‘i Governor Linda Lingle.

The Hawai‘i-Taiwan joint partnership in undergraduate education, community outreach and astronomy research, stemming from the Taiwan-American Occultation Survey, will facilitate the enhancement of current TAOS research capabilities in Hawai‘i and initiate reciprocal educational, outreach, and research programs.

The purpose of the TAOS project (http://taos.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw) is to measure directly the number of Kuiper Belt Objects in the outer solar system. This knowledge will help scientists to understand the formation and evolution of comets in the early solar system.

“The TAOS-Hawai‘i partnership will lead to an increase in the number of under-represented minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professions, and expand the ability and mission of the UH Hilo ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i to interpret the relationship between science and culture,” Governor Lingle said.

“Astronomy and space science have become significant activities generating income and employment in Hawai‘i,” said Ted Liu, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. “On the Big Island it is topped only by tourism. The Mauna Kea observatories bring in over $150 million dollars to the local economy and employ over 600 workers, including many kama‘aina.”

TAOS is an ongoing international research program led by the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics with a number of other institutions, including the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Taiwan’s National Central University (Institute of Astronomy), Yonsei University (South Korea), and, through this agreement, the newest member – UH Hilo.

Academia Sinica was founded June 9, 1928. As a prominent academic institution in Taiwan, Academia Sinica has two basic missions: conducting scientific research in its own institutions, as well as providing guidance, channels of communication, and encouragement to raising academic standards in the country.

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Teams of scientists from four universities, led by the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, are presenting a large-scale research concept to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in order to study traditional medicine. The universities involved are UH Hilo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rutgers University and Purdue University.

“Research is becoming more of a collaborative effort because of fiscal limitations and the complexity of problems we face,” said Dr. John Pezzuto (pictured), dean of the College of Pharmacy in Hilo. “It’s important for us to reach out to other schools to share our expertise and also to show we are a competitive force in the educational arena. It’s also an important step in gaining final approval in the accreditation process, which will take place when our first class graduates in 2011.”

Using advanced analytical technology such as X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy and bioanalytics, the researchers will investigate how characteristics of traditional medicines affect how they work in people. The relationships will be pulled together with informatics and bioinformatics, or the computational organization and analysis of the data. The researchers hope to fill a gap in how to identify the important elements of traditional medicine to treat serious diseases.

“Many traditional medicines have hundreds, perhaps thousands of years of history and it is almost certain that some of them could provide important leads for new drugs or new uses for old medicines,” Pezzuto said.

Team leaders from UH Hilo are Dr. Robert Borris, associate dean for research in pharmacy, and Dr. Kenneth Morris, professor of pharmaceutics. Faculty from the departments of biology and chemistry are helping to lead the effort, as well as other faculty from throughout the College of Pharmacy.

The NSF Science and Technology program is designed to support large-scale research across institutions to advance and create new science. This pre-proposal will be decided on after April 2009, and will be one of the many ways UH Hilo’s College of Pharmacy is building a strong research reputation in the global healthcare industry, Pezzuto said.

To help communicate this vision, Pezzuto is presenting an invited lecture, co-authored with Morris, to scientists at the Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. The conference, held in Washington, D.C. this week, is organized by the American Association for Cancer Research. Current work, conducted through a collaborative project involving UH Hilo College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, Scripts Institute of Oceanography and the University Illinois at Chicago, is funded by the National Cancer Institute. The lecture focuses on linking traditional medicine to advanced informatics, which is already used for the redesign of drug manufacturing and gene research.

Link to full story.