Testimony by Rose Tseng
Chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Presented before the Senate Committee on Education and
The House Committee on Higher Education
January 14, 2008
Hawai‘i State Legislature
Honolulu, Hawai‘i

Aloha. Chair Sakamoto, Chair Chang, Members of the Senate Committee on Education and of the House Committee on Higher Education, I thank you for the opportunity to testify regarding the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.

On behalf of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, I would like, first of all, to express my sincere appreciation to you for your investment in UH Hilo last year. Your support enables us to meet our commitment to offer our students excellent academic opportunities while making significant contributions to the economy and professional workforce on the island of Hawai‘i and throughout the state.

UH Hilo has evolved into a comprehensive university, with 36 baccalaureate and six master degree programs in liberal arts and professional areas. Yet UH Hilo preserves the ambiance of a small private college.

The positive difference is that UH Hilo is committed to being accessible to students of many varied and diverse backgrounds. Many of our students are the first in their families to attend college; many are holding down full-time jobs and raising children at the same time that they are pursuing college degrees; and many are from underserved rural communities of our island and state.

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Chancellor Tseng announced the appointment of Michael P. Crosby (at left) as UH Hilo’s interim vice chancellor for research.

The appointment is funded by the National Science Board for one year with an option to renew for an additional year. During this period, Crosby will be on a leave of absence from his current position as executive director of the NSB, which sets policies for the National Science Foundation and serves as an independent advisory body to the U.S. president and Congress on science and engineering research and education.

Dr. Crosby will be responsible for strengthening science and engineering research at UH Hilo, as well as developing the university’s research competitiveness.

Full press release here .

UH Hilo’s Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resource Center (center) is located at Hilo Bay. Photo by William Ing.

Tonight’s Focus on UH Hilo cable program will feature Kevin Hopkins, director of the Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resource Center and professor of aquaculture and Maria Haws, director of pearl research and training. Topics will be about the latest developments at the center.

The show airs live tonight on Channel 55 starting at 8 p.m. For those who do not have cable but would like to view this program, please contact the marketing and alumni office for a video copy.

Focus on UH Hilo is hosted by Chancellor Tseng and moderated by Ken Hupp. The show highlights UH Hilo programs and news, especially community partnerships and outreach.

Chancellor Tseng is welcoming hundreds of scientists, researchers and administrators to our island today for an impressive national conference.

The 20th annual Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research conference kicked off at Waikoloa and will continue through Friday. EPSCoR is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program designed to develop a state’s academic science and technology resources in a way that supports the creation of wealth and enhances the life of the state’s citizens.

Under the leadership of Chancellor Tseng, UH Hilo took the lead in 2001 and headed the drive to have Hawai‘i declared an EPSCoR state. Chancellor Tseng served first as chair and now as co-chair of the Hawai‘i EPSCoR State Committee that oversees and provides direction for the statewide program.

EPSCoR has brought over $40 million to the state for research in evolutionary genetics, ecosystem studies and cyber infrastructure.

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The National Science Foundation will hold the 20th National EPSCoR Conference Nov. 6-9 at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott hotel on the Big Island.

EPSCoR is the acronym for Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and the Hawai’i EPSCoR statewide initiative was founded and now is administered at UH Hilo.

The main portion of the conference consisting of several panel discussions will take place on Nov. 7 and 8. The session on the 6th is UH Hilo’s welcome reception with keynote speech from Edgy Lee, Founder and CEO of Filmworks Pacific. On the 9th will be business meetings of the jurisdictional project directors and administrators.

You can read all about the conference at www.epscor07.com .

“We’re hoping Hawai‘i has plenty of people in attendance,” says Terrilani Chong, NSF Hawai‘i EPSCoR project administrator. “There will be program officers from every directorate of the NSF there who will be available for questions, so it’s a great opportunity to interact with someone from NSF on a personal level.”

“Please try to attend,” she says, “and let’s show the nation what a great place Hawai‘i really is.”

For more info on Hawai‘i EPSCoR, click here .

Chancellor Tseng delivers Convocation at Ho‘oulu Terrace. Photo by John Oshima.

Aloha!

Today is the beginning of a new academic year. It’s exciting to welcome newcomers, and reunite with all of you, our university ‘ohana.

This week is busy with orientation activities. Thank you for your time helping students and new faculty. Your spirit of aloha makes UH Hilo a very special place. Before we introduce new members of our ‘ohana, I’d like to share some highlights of our university.

When I came to UH Hilo in 1998, I surveyed our university and local communities and together we made three major goals to achieve our Strategic Plan: 1) academic excellence, 2) enrollment growth, and 3) resource development.

We have all been working hard on all three. Thank you!

Academic excellence is our foundation. You are the best teachers, and your aloha spirit creates a very special learning environment.

Our island inspires the spirit of discovery, and many of our programs make the most of our living laboratory — culture, science, art, and more.

Student and professor collect data at the summit of Hualalai. Photo courtesy of Keaholoa STEM program.

At UH Hilo, we integrate science, culture and technology to prepare students for the 21st-century global economy and society.

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OHA gives $980,866 to UH Hilo culture education center

See full story at the Hawaii Tribune-Herald (external news site determines when link will expire).

Summary:

Na Pua No‘eau, a Hawaiian culture-based education center based at UH Hilo, has received a $980,866 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Summer 2007

UH Hilo celebrated 2007 Spring Commencement on May 12. It was a joy to see the support of friends, families and the community for our graduates. Many state and county elected officials also attended to honor our graduates. Keynote speaker was Jack Gifford, a pioneer in the analog microchip industry and founder of Maxim Integrated Products.

Each commencement is more exciting than the last with our growth of enrollment and degree programs. Not long ago, UH Hilo was a small liberal arts campus on a few acres. Now, we are a comprehensive university excelling in liberal arts, professional degrees and applied research with room to grow to 700 acres. We now have five academic colleges and offer 35 baccalaureate degrees, six master degrees and two doctorates.

Our master programs were established in response to the state’s social, economic and cultural issues. The university currently serves over 100 graduate students in the fields of China U.S. Relations; Counseling Psychology; Education; Hawaiian Language and Literature; Indigenous Language, Culture and Education; and Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science.

We just received news that the university’s College of Pharmacy has achieved the first step in the Pharmacy School Accreditation Process. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education has granted the College of Pharmacy Pre-Candidate Status. Our college is the first recognized by the ACPE to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in the State of Hawai‘i. It is expected to enroll an inaugural class of 90 students beginning this fall with 45 students from Hawai‘i and 45 students from the mainland and elsewhere in the world.

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Chancellor Tseng’s Remarks
National Science Board*
June 7, 2007
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Good morning and aloha. I’m delighted to welcome you to the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.

There are exciting things happening at our university, and more exciting things that we envision for the future.

UH Hilo has made a rapid transformation from a liberal arts undergraduate institution to a comprehensive university. Caring for and transforming the lives of our undergraduate students remains the soul of UH Hilo, but we have added opportunities for them with research experience and graduate study options.

The hallmark of UH Hilo is to integrate research and teaching. We believe this is an excellent model for all education, but especially so for the sciences.

Pacific peoples accomplished one of the greatest achievements of ancient times with their remarkable colonization of the Pacific. We try to tap into the science-based nature of Pacific cultures to make our science courses and research activities relevant for our students.

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Remarks by Chancellor Rose Tseng
2007 Spring Highlights
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Ho‘oulu Terrace

Aloha and Welcome to the Spring 2007 semester!

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us today. Kudos to you for advising and guiding our students as we open spring semester. I know you have been working hard to give our students a successful start. Please know how much I appreciate your dedication and commitment. This is what makes UH Hilo a very special place.

I am pleased to share with you our opening spring enrollment. We increased our count to 3,287, with a gain of 18 students or 0.6%. We are the only campus in the UH system to show steady enrollment increases every spring semester for the past nine years.

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