New bachelor of science degree in marine science to be offered at UH Hilo

UH Board of Regents also accepts $671,000 in gifts to the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center and approves appointments to the Mauna Kea Management Board

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Carolyn Tanaka, (808) 956-9803
External Affairs & University Relations
Alyson Kakugawa-Leong, (808) 974-7642
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Posted: Jul 26, 2007

PEARL CITY, Oʻahu — At its monthly meeting held today at Leeward Community College, the Board of Regents (BOR) approved the provisional status for a bachelor of science degree in marine science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. The new degree, to be implemented in Fall 2008, will provide undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate studies a more comprehensive background in the natural sciences than the existing bachelor of arts degree in marine science, including upper-level required courses in the focal areas of marine biology, marine ecology and oceanography.

"Our new BS degree in marine science is a perfect fit for UH Hilo," UH Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng said. "We have always been blessed with the perfect location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and with our new Marine Science Building, we now have first-rate facilities to match our prime location and our dedicated and talented faculty."

As part of the plan, the existing BA degree, which has served well for a wide diversity of students interested primarily in the applied aspects of marine science, will be restructured to offer a multidisciplinary array of elective options with a balance of the traditional sciences and advanced courses in related disciplines so that a student may tailor their degree plan for a variety of career options.

In other action, the Board of Regents voted to accept a total of $671,000 in gifts to the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. The donors have been granted naming approvals of various facilities at the center in recognition of their commitments. The gifts include:


  • A $21,000 commitment from Sybil Kyi, Kenneth Wong Jr. and Sharlyn Rayment to establish the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center Landscaping Fund at the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, and in recognition, to name the ʻImiloa Canoe Garden the Betsy Nip Wong and Kenneth Aloiau Wong Canoe Garden in honor of their parents;

  • A $500,000 commitment from The Earl and Doris Bakken Foundation to establish the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center Education Fund at the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, and in recognition, to name the Traveling Exhibit Gallery the Earl and Doris Bakken Moanahoku Hall;

  • A $150,000 commitment from the Bank of Hawaiʻi Charitable Foundation as an unrestricted donation to the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center Enrichment Fund at the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, and in recognition, to re-name the gift shop the ʻImiloa Bank of Hawaiʻi Museum Store.



Also approved were the appointments of John Cross and Lisa Hadway to the Mauna Kea Management Board. Their appointments are effective October 1, 2007, through August 31, 2011.

Cross is the land manager for the Edmund C. Olson Trust II, a land trust that oversees more than 13,000 acres in the Hilo, Puna and Kaʻu districts. He has more than 16 years of land management experience on the Big Island, including serving as president of Mauna Kea Agribusiness and vice president for real estate for C. Brewer & Company. Cross also owns and operates a 13-acre farm in Hakalau located on the slopes of Mauna Kea.

Hadway is the manager for the Natural Area Reserves Program for the Hawaiʻi Island Branch of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, where she has worked for nearly seven years. One of the areas she oversees is the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve, which adjoins UH‘s Mauna Kea Science Reserve. Hadway has more than 10 years of experience and is knowledgeable about natural resource management, issues and concerns, particularly on the Island of Hawaiʻi.