Campus News

9-11 memorial yields culinary resources

Fern Tomisato, Dave Coleman and Diane Sakai with donated books

More than 800 books and videotapes have been provided for use by University of Hawai'i community college culinary students system-wide in memory of an acclaimed pastry chef who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center terrorist attack.

Heather Ho, a former Hawai'i resident, was pastry chef at Windows on the World. The gift in her honor, valued at more than $30,000, was made by the Honolulu chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, a professional organization of women in culinary-related fields.

Examining the books provided for Leeward’s culinary collection are, from left, Professor of Food Service Fern Tomisato and Librarians Dave Coleman and Diane Sakai.

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UH joins Hawai'i Arts Season

The University of Hawai'i System has joined other cultural and arts organizations in the state’s promotion of the first Hawai'i Arts Season, Feb. 27–May 2, 2004. The goal is to consolidate existing arts and cultural events within a defined time period for marketing to visitors looking for experiences beyond sun and surf.

UH-sponsored events, from Leeward Community College Theatre’s Dance Quake to Kennedy Theatre’s latest kabuki production, are included in the arts season calendar. The effort is being backed by Hawai'i Tourism Authority and Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau.

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Conflict resolution training provided in Thailand

Peace centers in Thailand and Hawai'i have joined forces to train Thai military, police, government, education and community leaders in conflict resolution techniques.

Vanchai Vatanasapt, of the Center for Peace Promotion at Thailand’s King Prajadhipok’s Institute, visited Hawai'i in November 2003 to observe school-based peer mediation programs and talk about the joint effort with the Program on Conflict Resolution at Manoa’s Matsunaga Institute for Peace.

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Sustainable exchange involves Costa Rica

In its first such agreement in Latin America, the University of Hawai'i has joined Costa Rica’s Earth University in a partnership focused on entrepreneurship and agricultural sustainability.

Maui Community College will host Earth University interns in Hawai'i and extend exchange opportunities to University of Hawai'i students system-wide. The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at UH Manoa will foster community interaction through outreach programs with the support of UH alumnus David Cole, president and CEO of Maui Land and Pineapple Co.

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West O'ahu hosts Aussie colleagues

A November 2003 symposium involving faculty from the University of Hawai'i West O'ahu and the University of Western Sydney College of Law and Business set the stage for wide-ranging collaboration between the two institutions.

Presentations on topics ranging from pay equity to sick building syndrome suggest areas for future joint research and faculty/student exchanges.

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Lease expands Moloka'i presence

Maui Community College will use 28 acres within the Moloka'i Agricultural Park for classrooms, offices, a greenhouse and storage facilities under a lease with the state approved in November 2003.

The college’s Moloka'i Agricultural Program offers an array of credit and noncredit courses for island residents. Farmland will also be used by the Maui program and for UH agricultural research and extension activities.

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Windward website wins national award

An interactive Web site on surfing created by participants in Windward Community College’s Upward Bound Program received a gold medal and was named Best of Contest in the TRIO ThinkQuest national competition.

The site, called Wipe Out features surfing history and personalities as well as tips and a guide to Hawai'i surf spots. It was developed by high school seniors Chantal Aquino from Kailua and Carlie Salomons from Kahuku.

Coach Michelle Hite (AA ’97 Windward; BA ’00 West O'ahu), an Upward Bound staff member, credits Windward with teaching her everything she knows about computers. Upward Bound helps students acquire skills and motivation needed to succeed in college.

Read more: Upward Bound

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Leeward students publish online

Leeward Community College’s popular and award-winning student literary and arts magazine, Harvest, is now available online.

Produced by students in the college’s magazine editing and production class, the publication includes poetry, essays, photography, paintings and digital media.

Read more: Harvest literary magazine

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Youngsters offered a glance at dance

As part of a dance education outreach program, University of Hawai'i at Manoa students spent six weeks teaching creative movement to elementary students like those at Star of the Sea Elementary (see photo).

Working with classroom teachers, the UH students incorporated state and national curriculum standards in literature, science and movement to create performances that delighted young performers and their parents.

The program is part of a series of dance classes focused on activities for youngsters, elders and disabled individuals. Some of the UH students will join Assistant Professor Kristi Burns in describing the experience at the Mar. 6, 2004, Governor’s Conference on Arts Education at Windward Community College.

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Youth wellness program expands

group of children listening to one adult

A free program that promotes a holistic approach to prevention and wellness will be able to serve more Waimanalo children, thanks to a five-year, $1.5 million federal grant to the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence.

Hui Malama o ke Kai provides services to more than 40 5th and 6th graders after school, when young adolescents are most at risk for exposure to drugs, alcohol and violence. The community-initiated program uses Native Hawaiian values to foster mental, physical and spiritual growth.

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Major grants enhance education

Nearly $2 million in federal funds will help the University of Hawai'i–West O'ahu expand academic and student services for underrepresented populations, especially Native Hawaiian and Filipino students. Plans include pre-college workshops, career development activities and expanded distance education offerings.

Native Hawaiian high school students on six islands will be encouraged to pursue natural and environmental studies and provided the necessary math and science preparation under a three-year federal grant of more than $2 million to be administered by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo’s Na Pua No'eau program.

The Center of Disability Studies in UH Manoa’s College of Education received $800,000 in federal funds to train teachers so Hawai'i school children with disabilities can spend more time in the regular classroom.

UH Manoa’s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene received $1 million in federal funds to enhance its primary healthcare nurse practitioner track.

A $420,000 Atlantic Philanthropies grant will build Vietnam’s English language capacity through a University of Hawai' Inter-University Center in Hanoi, specialized workshops in Hawai'i and graduate scholarships for Vietnamese students to pursue UH Manoa’s certificate in second language studies.

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How to use a financial calculator

A financial calculator is a valuable tool in figuring out the amount of installment loan payments, length of time needed to pay down a revolving charge account or impact of different down payments on monthly payments and total interest. But many people find all those coded keys daunting.

To help, the Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources’ family economics specialist has created "Financial Calculating for Home and Business." The free demonstration guide can be downloaded as a pdf, ordered by phone,
(808)956-7046 or requested via email ctahrpub@hawaii.edu.

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Handwashing reminder available

How important is hand washing? Twenty seconds with soap and hot water can reduce the risk of infections by half and gastrointestinal illness by 80 percent.

So Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, together with two state agencies and five trade associations, has created a sticker to remind food handlers (in 14 languages) to "wash your hands with soap before handling food and after using the toilet."

The sticker is available free to restaurants, schools, wholesalers, farms and other food-related establishments. Visit any Department of Health Sanitation Branch office or call (808)586-8000.

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Senior secretary retires

The University of Hawai'i has been an integral part of Harriet Yamamoto’s life. She found her career, husband Richard and an education for her children on the Manoa campus.

The McKinley High School graduate joined the UH staff at age 19 as the campus’ second traffic clerk and served as executive secretary to the administration’s second-in-command. She was believed to be the university’s senior-most staff member at the time of her retirement from the Manoa chancellor’s office at the end of 2003.

The campus changed a great deal during her more than four decades—including construction of the Stan Sheriff Center, where she works out every morning and avidly cheers the Manoa volleyball teams—but the historical problem of under-funding persists, Yamamoto observes.

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Spring commencement schedule

Ceremonies are scheduled on the following dates. For details, check with the campus or look for an announcement at www.hawaii.edu in early May.

Manoa—May 16
Hilo—May 15
West O'ahu—May 15 (tentative)
Hawai'i—May 14 (Hilo campus) May 15 (UH Center in West Hawai'i)
Kaua'i—May 14
Kapi'olani—May 13
Leeward—May 14
Honolulu—May 14
Maui—May 16
Windward—May 16 (tentative)

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