Chancellor’s Message
Chamber Connection

July 2009

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center helps prepare Hawai‘i’s youth for the global economy

Thank you for supporting ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i, which has become since its opening in 2006, a very important part of Hilo and the Big Island. Through hard work and collaboration with our community, the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo designed, built and now manages this extraordinary educational center.

‘Imiloa is a shining example of the university’s engagement with the island community, the state and the world. The center inspires the public, especially youngsters, to explore culture, science and technology. Each of you here has helped make it happen. Your aloha and support for ‘Imiloa has been overwhelming!

‘Imiloa has a special mission to engage youth in Hawaii with hands-on exploration of astronomy, together with Hawaiian language, navigational skills and indigenous culture. The resulting sense of pride and interest in science and engineering that ‘Imiloa instills are critical tools for preparing local young people to participate in the 21st century global economy.

As this column goes to press, Camp ‘Imiloa is underway. The After School Program focuses on science, math, culture and fun. Students explore such topics as the Geometry of Nature, Space Science and Astronomy, Chemistry, Electronics and Art, Inventions and use the latest in science kits and equipment.

‘Imiloa is touching the lives of many people:
• Thousands of K-12 students, and many school groups from around the state, have visited ‘Imiloa.
• A generous grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has assisted the center with its goal of reaching 100% of the island’s school-aged children by bringing them to ‘Imiloa to experience its exhibits, planetarium and educational programs.
• ‘Imiloa has become an important part of the Merrie Monarch Festival, with daily activities to support this important annual Hilo event.
• At ‘Ohana Discovery Days, sponsored by Earl and Doris Bakken, families learn together about Optics, Astronomy, and Wayfinding.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation credits the pilot project Adopt-a-Class, established in Hilo by Chamber member Richard Ha, as the primary motivation for the Moore Foundation to make the grant to ‘Imiloa. In the Adopt-a-Class initiative, community groups collaborated and adopted classes at Keaukaha Elementary School, where admission to ‘Imiloa allowed school children to visit free of charge.

The Moore Foundation grant helped generate even more community support for ‘Imiloa and science education on the Big Island. A good example of this support is a $9,500 donation from Subaru Telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory in Japan. The donation helped with matching funds for the Moore grant and supports a two-year program for all public and private K-12 school children on the Big Island to visit ‘Imiloa.

It’s been very exciting to watch ‘Imiloa grow! In the words of my good friend, Dr. Norio Kaifu of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Hilo is experiencing what he calls the “‘Imiloa Effect.”

‘Imiloa has truly become what Sen. Dan Inouye calls “a place of gathering, inspiration, and learning.” There is no greater champion for ‘Imiloa than Sen. Inouye. Through his vision and support, we now can all take pride in the fact that UH Hilo is home to this world-class center for cultural, educational and scientific exploration.

Mahalo to Chamber members for your generous support of ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center. When we all work together, great things happen!

Aloha,
Rose Tseng

Chancellor’s Message
Chamber Connection

June 2009

Celebrating Spring Commencement and a $1.5 million anonymous donation

UH Hilo celebrated Spring Commencement on May 16. 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.

Our keynote speaker was Jerry Yang, co-founder and Chief Yahoo at Yahoo! Mr. Yang also was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from UH. He really enjoyed becoming part of the UH Hilo ‘ohana!

Jerry has an impressive background as co-developer of Yahoo! in 1994 while working toward his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Stanford University. He was chief executive officer of Yahoo! in 2007-2009. He 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 as I knew he would, he delivered an inspiring and timely keynote to our graduates. He emphasized the importance of looking past adversity such as a down economy, reminding everyone, not just our graduates, that from adversity comes innovation and new ideas.

“Great companies, great ideas, products, even social movements have come about as people are throwing away the status quo and doing everything in new ways,” he said. “In some ways, there’s not a better time to be a graduate, to be part of this renewal.”

He emphasized hard work and perseverance, and encouraged our graduates to explore the world as much as possible. He told us he’d spent six months in Japan as a graduate student, making friends who later helped him start Yahoo! He said traveling changed his worldview on people, cultures, and ideologies.

These important concepts Jerry talked about—innovation, new ideas, hard work, a global perspective— are all activities and values we promote and cultivate in our students for just the reasons he cited. Our students are well prepared to address the challenges of a global marketplace.

“Information technology has flattened the world, and your UH Hilo education has prepared you well,” Jerry said in his keynote. “You need to appreciate how great your potential is, given the incredible tools you are blessed with.”

You can view Jerry’s entire address on video posted on my website.

In other news, I’m excited to report UH Hilo received an anonymous donation of $1.5 million. At the donor’s request, $1 million is designated for financial assistance and scholarships to all eligible students. An additional $500,000 is 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 that support student success.

UH Hilo is proud to be recognized with this wonderful vote of confidence in our ability to transform the lives of our students. The university 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.

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

Aloha,
Rose Tseng

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.

###

Link

“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

Message from Debra L. Fitzsimons, Vice Chancellor-Administrative Affairs

To the UH Hilo Ohana:

Approximately 91 cases of human swine influenza (or “swine flu”) have been identified in the US by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to date. While no cases have been documented in Hawaii, all members of the UH Hilo community are strongly encouraged to take preventative measures to ensure the safety of themselves and their families and friends. The University is currently reviewing its Pandemic Flu Plan and closely monitoring reports issued by local, state, national, and international governmental and public health agencies. In addition, the University works closely with Hawaii County Civil Defense and will notify the University Community should any emergency situation arise.

In the interim, all individuals are asked to practice good hygiene to reduce their risk of infection. Please review the following information:

The following everyday actions can help you remain healthy:
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze; throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
•  Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, especially after you cough or sneeze; alcohol-based hand cleansers are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands; bacteria and viruses can easily cause infections through these routes.

In addition, avoid close contact with infected or symptomatic individuals:
• Influenza is thought to be transmitted primarily from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing.
• If you contract an infection, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Furthermore, it is recommended that non-essential travel to Mexico be limited. More information and updates are available from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) websites.

Lastly, seek medical care if you feel sick.

If you develop flu-like symptoms AND:
• you’ve recently been in contact with persons with confirmed swine flu OR
• you’ve traveled to Mexico or to the mainland United States, OR
• you were in contact with persons who had febrile respiratory illness and were in Mexico or the mainland United States then CDC officials recommend that you see your health care provider as soon as possible.

If you have flu-like symptoms but you haven’t been in a high-risk area, you can still elect to see a health care provider. UH Hilo students can contact the Student Health Services to schedule an appointment by calling 974-7636 or visiting Campus Center 212 between 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM on Monday through Friday.

CDC Homepage

CDC Swine Flu Information Page

CDC Swine Flu Information Podcasts

CDC Swine Flu Information for Concerned Parents and Caregivers

CDC Travel Notices

Debra L. Fitzsimons
Vice Chancellor-Administrative Affairs
University of Hawai’i at Hilo
200 W. Kawili Street
Hilo, Hawai’i 96720-4091
phone: (808)974-7750
cell: (808) 430-0803
fax: (808) 974-7542
email: debra.fitzsimons@hawaii.edu

For more information, contact: debra.fitzsimons@hawaii.edu 974-7750

Have you ever wondered who to call when you see an injured turtle on the beach? Or how to culture a black pearl? How small is a fish that is too small to keep?

Find out the answer to these and other fascinating questions concerning the ocean surrounding us at the 3rd annual Ocean Day Hawaii, hosted by the University of Hawaii at Hilo Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC, pictured above) and Marine Science Department, in partnership with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant and Hilo Jaycees.

Admission is free for this family-friendly event on Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at PACRC on Kalanianaole Avenue in Keaukaha.

Ocean Day Hawaii is a community outreach event designed to increase public awareness of ocean issues such as conservation, ocean resources and ocean safety through fun, interactive displays, activities and booths. Over 1,000 people attended last year’s event. This year’s Ocean Day promises to be bigger and better, with additional and more diverse displays.

All ages will enjoy the hands-on activities prepared by UH Hilo Marine Science researchers and partners, including the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, Marine Mammal Response Network, Hawaii Wildlife Society and Mokupapapa. For the keiki, there are fishing games, touch-tank exploration and face painting plus crafts and activities, including a poi pounding workshop. Artwork of our coastal Hawaii nei by Keaukaha keiki will be displayed as well as underwater remote operated vehicles (ROVs) courtesy of local robotics groups. Site tours will also be given.

In addition to providing information on current topics such as why plastic is harmful to marine life and what we can do to help identify and control aquatic invasive species, other booths will focus on our coastal heritage here in Hawaii. Information will be available on how to get involved with beach clean-ups, what you can do to help preserve and protect our ocean resources, and how to gain a career in the ocean sciences.

There will be a welcome by Patrick Kahawaiolaa of the Keaukaha Community Association and UH Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng. For more information, e-mail Sharon Ziegler-Chong at ziegler@hawaii.edu or Michele Kubojiri at mkubojir@hawaii.edu or call 933-3289.