UH announces recipients of the 2007 Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation Award

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Arlene Abiang, (808) 956-5637
External Affairs & University Relations
Posted: Jun 7, 2007

HONOLULU — The University of Hawaiʻi has announced the recipients of the 2007 Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation Award for Faculty Service to the Community. The award recognizes significant contributions that strengthen ties between the university and the community. Established in 1997, it is presented annually to two faculty members (one female and one male) from Mānoa and two from other UH campuses. This year, two male recipients share the award from the Mānoa campus.

Linda Cox, community economic development specialist in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at UH Mānoa, is recognized for applying her expertise in community economic development to a number of issues. Cox‘s long record of community service during her tenure at UH includes assisting the community of Waianae in finding economic opportunities for residents, and assisting the Hawaiʻi Ecotourism Association in their efforts to further their mission with their limited resources.

Co-recipients and associate professors Carl Bonham and Byron Gangnes of the Department of Economics at UH Mānoa are credited with assisting in the establishment of the UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO) in 1997. UHERO is a widely recognized and respected economic research organization in the local community and outside of Hawaiʻi that provides a forum for interactions between key experts and interested citizens on matters related to the economic performance of Hawaiʻi and the Asia Pacific region. UHERO provides critical proprietary and non-proprietary economic forecasts and research to private and public clients. Most recently, Bonham and Gangnes provided an update of the 2000 UH economic impact study to bolster UH‘s centennial fund raising campaign. Their forecasts have become a standard feature at the annual meeting of the Hawaiʻi Economic Association. In addition, they are regularly asked to testify before legislative committees on economic prospects for Hawaiʻi.

Donnalyn Kalei, instructor/coordinator of the Administration of Justice Program at Hawaiʻi Community College, is honored for using her talents to enrich the community on the Big Island. Kalei devoted three uncompensated years planning the curriculum and development of the Substance Abuse Counseling Program, which is expected to be the first AS degree in Substance Abuse Counseling in the UH system, pending Board of Regents approval. As a grant writer, she received funding for $796,000 to build the Youth Business Center in Keaʻau, Hawaiʻi. Kalei continues to collaborate with various community organizations and projects that promote the prevention of substance abuse and the fostering of economic stimulation.

Roy Kamida, professor of accounting at Leeward Community College, is honored for his dedication and professionalism to his position. Kamida, who has assisted with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at the campus for the past 15 years and served as its coordinator for the last three years, trained and certified numerous volunteers so they can help prepare basic tax returns, free of charge, for community members who are unable to do their own returns or afford to pay for the service. He is also a hard working teacher who is an advocate for students. Kamida was recently awarded the 2007 Outstanding Post-Secondary Education Award at the Western Business and Information Technology Conference.

The recipients will be recognized for their contributions to the university along with other UH award recipients at a system-wide ceremony in September.

For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/about/awards/ching.php