College of Pharmacy Dean John Pezzuto said the Walgreens gift will be used to help fund ongoing initiatives, such as student activities and faculty development. A permanent plaque commemorating the gift will be displayed in the College of Pharmacy.

“The College of Pharmacy is extremely pleased to accept Walgreens generous gift,” Pezzuto said. “As we celebrate the conclusion of our first year of studies, this gives us even greater confidence in our ability to train pharmacists who will enter the profession and help to improve healthcare throughout the State of Hawai‘i. We are very grateful and look forward to continuing our partnership with Walgreens for many years to come.”

Walgreens opened its first Hawai‘i store in November 2007 on Keeaumoku Street in Honolulu across from Ala Moana Center, and has announced plans to open additional 25-30 stores Statewide over the long term.

“Walgreens is proud to support the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy,” said Clark Fujihara, Walgreens district pharmacy supervisor for Hawai‘i. “I have met many of the students and I’m extremely impressed with their dedication and talent. As Walgreens continues to grow throughout the State, we hope many of these students will consider joining our company once they receive their doctoral degrees.”

The UH Hilo College of Pharmacy is the first accredited pharmacy program in the State of Hawai‘i. Its first class of 90 students started in August 2007, and is scheduled to receive Pharm.D. degrees in May 2011. They must then pass an examination to become a Registered Pharmacist. The College of Pharmacy has received over 1,200 applications for the second class of 90 students, which will matriculate in August 2008. The goal is to enroll about 350 students over four years.

“The progress of our College of Pharmacy has been remarkable,” said Chancellor Rose Tseng. “It is wonderful that we can finally offer students the opportunity to study pharmacy in Hawai‘i. This will lead to better healthcare in Hawai‘i and the Pacific. We are grateful to Walgreens for their generosity as a community partner helping to build this program.”

At the same event, Kerri Okamura, director of pharmacy at KTA Superstores, was honored as the College of Pharmacy’s first Preceptor of the Year. She received a plaque, and her name will be prominently displayed in the College. Okamura said she was thrilled to serve as a preceptor and to help educate this first class of students. She noted it has been rewarding to have the students learn the profession at KTA, and is pleased that local students can finally learn the profession of pharmacy in Hawai‘i.

The 21-student delegation from UH Hilo also represented the Republic of Congo exceptionally well. The team prepared for 30 contemporary world issues and contributed to the writing of well over 200 resolutions and reports. UH Hilo senior Matthew “Zeke” Bailey twice chaired the Security Council and was elected as a vice president of the General Assembly’s Executive Committee. Lisa Leffingwell, Kari Rolon, Greg Conner and Mia Munekata were chosen the outstanding delegate of their respective committees.

Ethann Oki served as team president, Amber Lee was head delegate, Bailey was the team’s business manager, and Leffingwell was secretary. Rounding out the team were Rolon, Connor, Munekata, Keshia Adolpho, Kensy Apaka, David Chinn, Matthew Czarnota, Laina Dunn, Noah Gomes, Leilani Josselin, Ryan Kanaka‘ole, Akea Kiyuna, James Kamaka Pili, Stacy Ruegilin, Cody Showalter, Kreesta Vesga and Asia Vanavichai.

The `Ōlelo Ola Oral Language Proficiency Project seeks to create a comprehensive system of services for the foundational grades K-3 to foster highly literate and orally proficient students in Hawaiian Language Immersion (HLIP) schools. The `Ōlelo Ola Project is primarily funded through a United States Department of Education (USDOE) Native Hawaiian Education Act Grant. The OHA funding is a supplemental grant to finance a research trip to New Zealand for the project team, which will include five master’s and doctoral candidates in Hawaiian Language and Education.

"The project team will be visiting Māori kura kaupapa schools across the country, and is looking forward to learning more about their most recent advances in program, curriculum and evaluation development of Māori language literacy," said Keiki Kawai`ae`a, programs director of the Hale Kuamo`o Hawaiian Language Center.

Skills acquired through the `Ōlelo Ola program will help teachers increase K-3 HLIP student oral proficiency levels, while boosting literacy achievement in both Hawaiian and English, raise the oral proficiency, professional knowledge and teaching skills of HLIP teachers, and help revitalize the Hawaiian language in the community beyond the classroom. Given its expected impact on the students’ families, `Ōlelo Ola is expected to serve in excess of 1,000 native Hawaiians.

A total of 448 students representing the College of Arts and Sciences (377), College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management (20), Ka Haka `Ula O Ke`elikolani College of Hawaiian Language (21) and College of Business and Economics (30) are candidates for various degrees or certificates.

Lau, who graduated with honors from Punahou School in Honolulu, earned her juris doctor law degree from the University of California’s Hastings College of Law, a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, and a bachelor of science degree from Yale University. She began her career as a corporate attorney in San Francisco and has been involved in finance, law, real estate development, investments and international business.

At HEI, Lau oversees the holding company for two major Hawai`i firms. Hawaiian Electric Company provides electricity for 95 percent of the State’s residents, while American Savings Bank is its third largest financial institution.

She has held numerous executive positions with HEI companies since joining Hawaiian Electric (HECO) in 1984, including, Treasurer of the parent company, Assistant Corporate Counsel and Treasurer for HECO, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of HEI’s international power subsidiary HEI Power Corporation.

Lau became Senior Executive Vice President and COO of American Savings Bank in late 1999. She was promoted to president and CEO in 2001 and held those positions until assuming her present duties in 2006.

Lau is one of just 26 female executives in charge of a Fortune 1,000 Company. She has been recognized nationally as one of the 25 most powerful women in banking by US Banker Magazine, has been ranked twice in the “Fast Lane” top five for transforming American Savings Bank into a fast growing player in Hawai`i’s business community, and was 2004’s “Business Leader of the Year” at the Pacific Business News Business Leadership Hawai`i event.

Active in community affairs, Lau has headed or served on the board of several educational and non profit organizations, including Kamehameha Schools, Punahou School, the Consuelo Zobel Alger and Maunalani Foundations, Charles Reed Bishop Trust, Hawai`i Bankers Association and Hawai`i Community Reinvestment Corporation.

Timothy Fallis, who is majoring in English literature and religious studies with a minor in philosophy, will deliver the student address.

Fallis has maintained a 3.93 GPA while balancing the dual responsibilities of a full-time student and a full-time machinist, making parts for instruments used by the Mauna Kea Observatories. His academic honors include the Presidential and Honors Program Scholarships, Martin Doudna Award, Big Island Federal Credit Union Academic Scholarship, and the English Department’s “Best Critical Analysis Award.” He has also been named to the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s List seven times, and completed the University’s Honors Program.

Fallis has been active in various campus and community endeavors, as a two-time team captain for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, and editor-in-chief of the Hohonu Academic Journal. His address will focus on the purpose of a college education and its implied responsibility.

For more information on Commencement, contact incoming Commencement Coordinator Judith Fox-Goldstein at 974-7555 or email commence@hawaii.edu. For special accommodations, contact Susan Shirachi at 933-0816 (V) or 933-3335 (TTY). Requests should be made at least ten business days prior to the event.

The one-year Moamahi project will revise and publish edition two of the Nā Honua Mauli Ola Hawai`i Guidelines book which will contain a new toolkit section for students, educators, schools and institutions, community and families.

“More than 10,000 copies of the original book have been disseminated and are now being used by schools and programs across the state, nationally and internationally,” said Keiki Kawai`ae`a, programs director of the Hale Kuamo`o Hawaiian Language Center. “In response to numerous requests, the revised edition will include a section on the cultural pathways, strategies and rubrics."

The project will also develop a team of culture-based/honua mauli ola teachers qualified to work in Hawaiian immersion settings, highly populated Hawaiian communities, and secondary education in Hawaiian studies and Hawaiian language Statewide through its Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program. Their task will be to initiate a new cohort during its phase one—Pale Kahikole, from June-July 2008.

Last December, Isemoto Contracting Company stepped forward with a $50,000 donation. Like the Taniguchi gift, funding will be utilized to build an endowment for each of UH Hilo’s five degree-granting colleges: College of Arts and Sciences; College of Business and Economics; College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management; College of Hawaiian Language; and College of Pharmacy. The funds will be used at the discretion of the deans of the respective colleges to support the recruitment and retention of faculty.

Isemoto Contracting has been involved in a number of construction projects over the years on the UH Hilo campus and is currently completing work on the new Student Life and Event Center, set to open this fall.

Isemoto Contracting is a major Hawai‘i Island general contractor headquartered in Hilo. Founded in 1926, the company is headed by Larry Isemoto and Leslie Isemoto, who serves as COO. The company regularly appears on Building Industry magazine’s “Top Ten” list in revenue generated by Hawai‘i contractors.

“This gift will have a transforming impact on UH Hilo because it responds to two of the University’s highest priorities: building our endowment and investing in our faculty,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng.

Dr. Emmeline G. de Pillis of UH Hilo's College of Business and Economics and Lisette G. de Pillis, the Norman F. Sprague Jr. Professor of Life Sciences and professor of mathematics chair at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif., are co-authors of "Are engineering schools masculine and authoritarian? The mission statements say yes." The article appears in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Vol. 1, No. 1, pages 33-44.

The co-authors, who are sisters, had business students read the mission statements of 20 engineering and liberal arts schools and then record their impressions of a hypothetical successful student at each institution. The hypothetical engineering students were assumed to be more forceful and less likeable than liberal arts students. In addition, for male subjects, the higher their own level of authoritarianism, the more likely they were to indicate that a successful student at an engineering institution was someone like themselves.

The authors conclude that some engineering schools have a culture of masculinity and hierarchy so deeply entrenched that they may have difficulty attracting and retaining a more diverse group of students.

Each year, approximately 100 two-year scholarships are awarded to eligible college sophomores, depending on final funding appropriations. As an award recipient, Yannutz will receive two years of academic assistance up to $8,000 for full-time study during the nine-month academic year, and a 10- week, full-time summer stipend-supported internship ($650/week) at a NOAA facility.

“I hope to use this award as a stepping stone for other opportunities with NOAA and to pursue a doctorate degree in marine biology,” Yannutz said. “Eventually, I’d like to conduct research on the Great Barrier Reef and help stop the exploitation of the world’s oceans through international collaboration.”

The internship takes place between the first and second years of the award and provides a "hands-on" multi-disciplinary educational training experience involving scholars in NOAA-related scientific, research, technological, policy, management, and education activities. Yannutz hopes to become involved in a scientific diving project in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or study shark behaviors on the Pacific Coast.

Yannutz has been active in numerous Marine Science Department activities. He has participated in various marine oriented events and activities sponsored by the Marine Option Program (MOP), the Hawai`i Marine Mammal Response Network, is a tutor for Marine Biology classes and has worked for various professors on their research projects. Among those recommending him for the award was Lisa Parr, instructor of marine science, who described Yannutz as a very sharp, tenacious and committed student.

“Brian’s work ethic, academic ability and drive are well known within the department,” Parr wrote. “He has a stated goal of attending the Scripps Institute for graduate school and is focused on making that goal a reality.”

The program, named after retired South Carolina Senator Ernest F. Hollings, was established to increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology and education, foster multi-disciplinary training opportunities, prepare students for public service careers with NOAA and other natural resource and science agencies at the federal, state and local levels of government, prepare students for careers as teachers and educators, and improve environmental literacy.

This year’s award for the Best Research Paper went to UH Hilo student Nathan Olsen, advised by Dr. Misaki Takabayashi, assistant professor of marine science. Olsen presented the results of a senior thesis study entitled, “Diversity and Localization of N-Fixing Bacteria in Corals: Challenging the Paradigm of Nutrient Limitation in Coral Reefs.” The evidence from Olsen’s study contradicts the well-established notion of nitrogen limitation regulation by zooxanthella productivity and provides an impetus for renewed investigation into nitrogen cycling in the coral reef ecosystem.

The Award for Best Poster went to UH Hilo students Nicholas Seferovic, Cory Hungate, Darren Roberts, and Gillian Wysock on a MOP internship project entitled, “Boat Building: Resurrection of a Lost Art.” This group of MOP students literally felt the ebb and flow of the oceans call, and undertook the process of building a boat out of a single sheet of 4 ft X 8 ft plywood by hand. Students were involved with the entire process from design, building, troubleshooting, and the final product, which was displayed during the symposium.

In addition, four other UH Hilo students presented their work at the MOP conference and were very well received, including Julien Christopher, Christeena Kelly, Sarah Rollings, and Kathy Seiber. Hungate and Seferovic presented individual research talks in addition to their group poster.

Each year students from MOP campuses across the UH System give formal presentations on their projects at the symposium. This year students and faculty were present from UH Hilo, UH Manoa, Leeward Community College, Windward Community College, and Maui Community College.

The UH Hilo MOP is a hands-on program open to students in any field of study who have an interest in the ocean. UH Hilo MOP is coordinated by John Coney, with the assistance of faculty advisors, Ms. Lisa Parr and Dr. Jason Turner. This is the 16th year that students from UH Hilo MOP have won the Best Research Paper Award at the Annual Marine Option Program Student Symposium in its 20 years of providing awards. The annual symposium rotates between UH campuses and will be hosted by UH Hilo in April 2010.

The Center was established to provide higher education opportunities in the previously underserved communities of North Hawai‘i. The NHERC scholarship fund has provided financial aid to two students enrolled in college level courses this academic year. Center officials hope to expand the number of students awarded tuition assistance in the future through both fund-raising events and direct donations to the scholarship fund.

NHERC is located at the site of the old Honoka`a hospital at 45-539 Plumeria Street. For more information, please contact Farrah-Marie Gomes at (808) 775-8890.