HPU Today - Spring2009 by Hawaii Pacific University

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President Chatt G. Wright

Spring 2009 Volume 10 Number 1

Associate Vice President Institutional Advancement Margi Ulveling

FEATURES

2 Reality Rocks

Managing Editor Lianne Yamamura

Six alumni entrepreneurs share their stories on starting their businesses

Associate Editor Susie Contreras

7 Out of Chaos, Opportunity

At the Pappas Entrepreneurial Leadership Series February 2009 event, Michael Paulin, chairman and founder Aqua Hotels & Resorts, and Patrick K. Sullivan, Ph.D., chairman and founder Oceanit Laboratories, Inc., discuss their strategies in response to the current economic crisis

Alumni Editor Kris Smith Story Editor Crystale Lopez Sports Editor John Barry Junior Editors Jayna Fleming Marcie Kagawa Shari Matsudo Copy Editor Judy LeDoux Database Managers Nancy Chancellor Ethan Wung University Graphic Design Todd Goya Kay Kasamoto Robert Kenny University Photography Crystale Lopez Steven Lum

HPU Today is published three times a year by Hawai‘i Pacific University, 1060 Bishop Street, Suite 400, Honolulu, HI 96813. It is distributed at no charge for alumni and friends. This is the Spring 2009 issue, Volume 10, Number 1. If you are receiving duplicate copies of the magazine, please notify the editorial office. Phone: (808) 356-5210 Fax: (808) 543-8079 E-mail: hputoday@hpu.edu Web site: www.hpu.edu/hputoday

On the cover: Entrepreneur Alex Reinprecht (B.S.B.A. Management ’96, M.B.A. Marketing ’99), shooting video at Diamond Head, O‘ahu, for his show Hawaiian Xtreme Sports TV Photo courtesy Darrell Wong

8 Need a J-O-B?

Human resource experts provide advice on maximizing your job search

DEPARTMENTS 10 On Campus 16 Sea Warrior Sports 17 University Friends 20 Class Links 24 Back Page

Reality

Rocks

These inspiring HPU alumni live the dream.

n this issue, we feature six alumni who started their own businesses soon after graduating. Four of these entrepreneurs used plans they completed in HPU business classes to start their companies or market themselves. All of them say their experiences at HPU have contributed to their success. From the Honolulu day spa owner to the couple who started an eco-tour business on a remote beach in Costa Rica, their stories are as unique as their businesses. Read on to be completely inspired. 2

hpu today

alex REINPRECHT

Alex Reinprecht (B.S.B.A. Management ’96, M.B.A. Marketing ’99) Hawaiian Xtreme Sports TV (dba ZON3 LLC)

immediately,” he says. “We gained a large following.” Monetary success, however, was slow to come.

Reinprecht continued his education, entered the master’s program, and wrote his thesis on advertising for the show. Using what he learned, he garnered sponsorship from Subaru, First Hawaiian Bank, Kawasaki, and Hawaiian Airlines. In 2004, Alex’s partner left the business and he continued on his own.

While Reinprecht earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration, he competed professionally in windsurfing. For fun, he and his friends began filming one another surfing. This eventually led to a freelance videography gig for surf show H30.

Today, the show is syndicated in Japan, Australia, South America, and the mainland. Reinprecht’s company produces Ocean Paddler TV, ads for Japanese energy drink Lipovitan, and Hawai‘i’s tow-in surfing world cups and canoe paddling races. He employs four full-time employees, two part-time salespeople, and freelance workers as needed, but still shoots many of the water sports himself. Visitors to his Web site, HawaiianX.com, view 80,000 videos each month.

lex Reinprecht has long had a passion for surfing, windsurfing, and other extreme sports. His childhood and teenage years were spent between Brazil and Germany and in 1993 he moved to O‘ahu to study business at HPU, partly because Hawai‘i is home to some world-class waves.

When H30 folded, Reinprecht saw an opportunity. The mainstream media considered extreme sports a punk kids’ thing and paid it no attention, he says. “But many people grew up doing extreme sports and I saw it as an untapped market.” With a partner, Reinprecht began producing Hawaiian Xtreme Sports TV, which first aired on OC16 in December of 1998. “It took off

stressful, and Reinprecht has worked as many as 96 hours without sleep. “When it’s your business, there are no excuses,” he says. “You have to deliver.” But it’s rewarding, too. “We created a niche that no one was doing,” he says. Maintaining success requires staying ahead of the game. “Transitioning to high-definition opened a lot of doors for us,” Reinprecht says. “There’s a demand for quality programming and not many suppliers.” He still surfs and windsurfs for pleasure, and currently enjoys deep-sea fishing from a jet ski. “We take poles, tow rescue sleds behind jet skis, and go 20 to 30 miles out to sea,” he says. He has caught mahi-mahi and ahi, but his goal is to land a marlin. Business-wise, Reinprecht dreams of cocreating a dedicated extreme sports cable network with similar producers worldwide. And if his past is any indication, he may just realize Xtreme success.

Making payroll, securing contracts, and being responsible for everything can be

SPRING 2009

ALUMNI ENTREPRENEURS

dean

Dean Fujioka (B.A. Environmental Studies and Information Systems ’02) Ingrid Seiple (M.A. Teaching English as a Second Language ’01) Venus Surf Adventures

ingrid

ean Fujioka and Ingrid Seiple enrolled at HPU with distinct plans. After earning a degree in environmental studies and information systems, Fujioka could work with Cisco to extend Internet connectivity to rural coastal areas, and with her degree in TESL, Seiple would open a language school somewhere. Different majors, but a common goal: Live, work, and surf abroad.

FUJIOKA

SEIPLE

Following graduation, they began driving down the coast from California, planning to work and surf their way to Chile. In Mexico, both applied as instructors/guides at several surf schools. “Not one got back to us,” Seiple says. An entrepreneur at heart, she suggested they open their own surf school. Fortified with a new vision, they started searching for a coastal place with an unspoiled natural environment, a challenging wave for them and an easy one for students, a hotel and restaurants, and no sand flies. By the time they got to Panama, they wondered if such a place existed.

Todd Van Patten (B.S.B.A. Human Resource Management ’05) Gone 4 Good Shred

prices, and on-site shredding. He also targeted smaller companies often neglected by his competitors.

odd Van Patten gets so excited about the success of his company, Gone 4 Good Shred, that “we actually have a rule at home that after 7 p.m., I can’t talk about it any longer.” He and fiancée Nicole Bell started the document shredding company in Richmond, Virginia, in late 2006 and have already sold their first franchise. Van Patten did not start out to be an entrepreneur. When he enrolled at HPU, his major was computer information systems. “But when I got to programming classes, I found I didn’t have the drive or the aptitude for the work,” he says. The business classes, however, fascinated him. He considered marketing, but after a few classes in human resource (HR) management he was hooked. “A big part of HR is teaching, and I was working as an instructor for the Navy, so I had built-in experience,” Van Patten says. Van Patten graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 2005, left the Navy a year later,

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VAN PATTEN

Bell’s job as a television reporter helped them gain recognition quickly at networking functions. “She’s the face of our company and pivotal to our marketing and overall image,” Van Patten says.

todd

and moved with Bell to Virginia, to work as an account executive for AppleOne, an employment agency. “Every day, I interviewed 15 to 20 people and checked their references,” he says. The job was fine, but Van Patten was not fulfilled. “All I could think about was working for myself. I wanted something I could call my own,” he says.

He and Bell put their heads together and finally settled upon document shredding. The competition was minimal and they had enough money to start and run the company for a year without borrowing. After purchasing a used shred truck, Van Patten differentiated himself from his competitors by offering faster turnaround, lower

Today, Van Patten and eight employees service 400 monthly clients and 150 annual single-purge customers. They shred and recycle nearly 30,000 pounds of paper daily. Van Patten credits HPU Professor Gary Waters’ small business management class with teaching him, step-by-step, how to start his business. “In his class, we got an imaginary $500,000 loan, had to come up with an idea, and complete business and marketing plans and all the paperwork required to open the businesses, including financial projections, a loan repayment schedule, and projected taxes and expenses,” Van Patten says. “I thank God every day that I took that class.”

On the last strip of coast, they stopped in Pavones, Costa Rica—and saw jungle and palm-lined beaches up against a world-class point break, a gentle wave inside the bay, and a small village with scarlet macaws flying overhead. They were home.

Though they will never be millionaires, they say their quality of life could not get much better. “We wake up each day surrounded by nature and get to surf every day,” Fujioka says. “We deal with an enormous amount of third world red tape, but it’s worth it.”

After creating a business plan, menu of activities, and Web site, Venussurfadventures. com, they opened Venus Surf Adventures, which features surfing, yoga, hiking, and Spanish lessons.

Besides, food tastes better prepared fresh with time to enjoy it rather than heated in a microwave, Seiple says. “And time is better spent doing other things than sitting in traffic or shopping for trendy consumer items.”

Both say their HPU educations have been invaluable, teaching them, for example, to take a stakeholder approach and involve the community and locals to methodically tackle complex problems without being overwhelmed, and to structure lesson plans for the activities they offer. They say there are tradeoffs to living in a remote paradise, but it has made them more responsible. “Whatever happens, we have to be prepared to deal with it,” Seiple says. “There’s no fire station and no big box store.”

Jennifer Greneaux (B.S.B.A. Marketing ’99, M.B.A. ’04) The Business Assistant and Ho‘onani Salon & Day Spa

“I

was the only American,” recalls Louisiana native Jennifer Greneaux of her first day in her first class at HPU. “The others were all international students. I learned so much from them about other cultures.”

In 2008, Greneaux welcomed partner Sharlene Watanabe into the spa business. Greneaux splits her time between her two businesses.

For her master’s project, she wrote a business plan, and used it to start her first company, The Business Assistant, after graduating in 2004. As owner and sole employee of The Business Assistant, Greneaux helps small business owners with payroll, accounting, computer installation, and system conversion.

Although, Hawai‘i’s economy is doing poorly right now, Ho‘onani has built a loyal clientele and business is steady. Greneaux attributes this to staying small and keeping prices affordable. She has also been able to attract tourists to the spa through membership in an online site called Spafinder.com, where visitors can order gift certificates for massages, facials, pedicures, and other spa services. “We get a fair amount of spafinder gift certificates and have received great reviews on their Web site,” she says.

In 2005, she bought a salon and reopened as Ho‘onani Salon & Day Spa. Starting with two staff members, “I gradually added on and made it a full-service day spa,” she says. Today Ho‘onani employs 20 independent contractors.

Ho‘onani’s Web site, Hoonanispa.com, offers a full menu of services and prices, as well as the convenience of printing or e-mailing purchased gift certificates as a quick gift option. Purchases of Ho‘onani’s online gift certificates tripled in 2008, Greneaux says.

While studying business administration, Greneaux also acquired valuable skills working her way through college as an administrative assistant, staffing supervisor, and computer systems implementation specialist. By the time she received her master’s in business administration, she was ready to strike out on her own.

The couple’s next goal is to build new facilities with guest accommodations and, while they wait for the government permits, they are outfitting a computer lab at a nearby elementary school. “It’s the only chance many of these kids get to use a keyboard and mouse,” says Fujioka, who hopes to improve the learning environment for the next generation.

The upside to being a business owner is having the creative freedom to push the business further. “The growth and potential is based on you and what you do,” she says. “And it’s nice to make a living at something you’ve created.” It’s a misnomer, though, that business owners can come and go as they please, says Greneaux. “You have to be there when people need you, so you’re kind of on everyone else’s time.”

jenn GRENEAUX

While she acknowledges the economic downturn could affect her business, she keeps in mind advice she received from a client. “Business will always fluctuate. When it’s good, it’ll go back down, and when it’s down, it will go back up.” In spite of the current business climate, Greneaux remains optimistic about her future. “I still have so much to learn, do, and offer,” she says.

SPRING 2009

ALUMNI ENTREPRENEURS

Brittany Yap (B.A. Journalism ’06, M.A. Communication ’08) UPROAR magazine

n Thursday nights, HPU adjunct Professor Brittany Yap teaches electronic journalism. Five days a week, Communications Specialist Brittany Yap writes press releases and e-newsletters for Senator Shan S. Tsutsui. And weekends and evenings, Publisher Brittany Yap does interviews, takes photos, writes articles, and lays out UPROAR magazine. It’s a good thing she’s only 24 years old.

it was getting little media attention,” Yap says. She decided to use an MMA magazine as the concept for her master’s project, which included production research, a business and communications plan, and a prototype. Having Jaber attend her master’s presentation made the experience extra rewarding. In the summer of 2008, reality went into hyper-drive. First, Yap and Jaber entered and presented the project at HPU’s first New Venture Challenge competition, winning an honorable

mention. Then they were invited to participate in Hawai‘i’s first MMA expo. “That was the push we needed to publish,” Yap says. Although she was interning for the AP at the time, she managed to write and lay out the first quarterly issue of UPROAR, which debuted at the expo at the end of June. Immediately afterward, she boarded a plane to New York to visit AP headquarters with 20 other interns from across the nation. Yap and Jaber are currently working on the fourth print issue of UPROAR, while also keeping Hawai‘i MMA fans informed with frequent updates to the online edition, UPROARhawaii.com. They are not getting rich. “But the magazine is paying for itself,” Yap says. Circulation is growing and some mainland venues have expressed interest in carrying the publication.

britt

YAP

The UPROAR Yap creates is not over designer jeans and trends in jewelry and shoes. It is all about MMA, or mixed martial arts. When boyfriend and co-publisher Hanalei Jaber began watching the sport with friends, Yap became interested, then knowledgeable. “Then I began to love it,” she says. At the time, Yap was studying journalism. She served as editor of HPU’s Kalamalama and, while earning her master’s degree in communication, interned for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, The Honolulu Advertiser, and the Associated Press (AP). In the Business of Communications course, Professor Larry LeDoux, D.A., faculty editor for Kalamalama, asked students to think of a niche. “Although MMA is popular in Hawai‘i,

hpu today

At 24, Yap has realized a dream. What next? “We’re taking it one magazine at a time,” she says. “Every issue, I’m grateful we got to create another one and touch more people.”

PAPPAS ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP SERIES 2009

Out of Chaos, Opportunity–A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs E ntrepreneurs are mavericks, risk-takers who love to ride the business roller coaster. During the current economic luge, some will plummet, others will survive, and some will emerge leaner, meaner, and more profitable. On February 27, at the first public event of the Pappas Entrepreneurial Leadership Series 2009, two entrepreneurs shared their strategies. Michael Paulin Chairman and Founder, Aqua Hotels & Resorts

• Stay positive. If someone won’t budge unless you subscribe to their way of thinking, say yes—with conditions—then negotiate. • Use your natural instincts. “Entrepreneurship is a voyage into the unknown,” Paulin says. patrick k. sullivan, PH.D. Chairman and Founder, Oceanit Laboratories, Inc.

Another important aspect of Oceanit’s company culture is its strategic principles, which are posted around the offices and referred to on a regular basis. They can be found at: www.oceanit.com/images/stories/ Introduction/oceanit_strategic_principles_ web.jpg Sullivan’s advice • Entrepreneurship is a lot of work. Some aspects must be fun for you. • Seek out chaos. It’s fertile with opportunities. Look for the customer’s pain. Their nightmare may mean work for you. • Cross-pollinate. Encourage people from different disciplines to share ideas. An Oceanit rule: Check egos, diplomas, and attitudes at the door.

Michael Paulin and HPU students

ichael Paulin began his career in 1964 renting Mediterranean villas to Hollywood clients, later expanding to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Hawai‘i. Paulin introduced the condotel and boutique hotel concepts to the islands and launched several successful hotel companies.

Initial success did not eliminate future challenges. Soon after Paulin sold Marc Hotels & Resorts for $6 million in stock to Sunterra, the company collapsed. “I literally lost everything and had to start over,” Paulin says. In 2001, he launched Aqua Hotels & Resorts, which comprises about 2,000 rooms on two islands. At the time of the lecture, it was operating at more than 90 percent capacity. At Aqua, employees are rewarded with the employee stock ownership plan. “We have 450 full-time employees, 450 owners,” Paulin says. Paulin’s Advice • Find a niche and stay in it, but continually change your product or service to meet market mutations. Identify change before it’s apparent. • Hire top people with ideas and experiences different from yours who want to share in your vision. Reward them with a piece of the pie.

Patrick K. Sullivan, Ph.D.

n 1985, after earning his doctorate in ocean engineering, Patrick Sullivan, Ph.D., founded Oceanit with about $100. Lacking research capital, Sullivan began solving clients’ “weird problems” and built a company culture around finding innovative solutions. Oceanit’s scientists, engineers, and technology specialists combine expertise to create “disruptive innovations” with varied applications, sometimes founding new companies around them. Hoana Medical, Inc., for example, was built around the LifeBed Patient Vigilance System, which wirelessly monitors patient’s vital signs. Oceanit has created technology that, after a missile is fired, detects a real warhead among the decoys. Other potential applications include sniper fire defense, collision avoidance in cars, and helping the blind see, Sullivan says. Because ideas can initially sound impossible to outside funders, the company supports selected employee innovations. “We’ve funded nine employee projects,” Sullivan says. “At least two have become much larger programs.”

• Find the “little dude,” the man behind the curtain posing as the Great Oz in The Wizard of Oz. “We’re predisposed to focus on what’s happening in front of the curtain,” Sullivan says. Talk to the person who faces the problem every day. • Know the win. Submit proposals targeted to the customer’s needs, desires, and motivations.

Pappas Entrepreneurial Leadership Series Sponsored by Marilyn and Jim Pappas, the Series enables students to meet entrepreneurs and gain insights for developing skills and the mindset essential to an entrepreneurial career. “This leadership series gives students an opportunity to learn about the positive values of tenacity, creativity, and hard work,” says Bee Leng Chua, Ph.D., executive director, HPU Entrepreneurship Center.

www.hpu.edu/entrepreneurship

SPRING 2009

Need a J-O-B?

Maximize your job search with help from four HR wizards.

hen the company Cheryl worked for as a human resources (HR) specialist went out of business, she had the unpleasant task of laying off the entire staff— including herself. “I literally shut off the lights and handed the key to the security guard,” she says. “I was the last one out.” A consequence of today’s economic malaise? Actually, that happened 12 years ago, to Cheryl Crozier Garcia, Ph.D., HPU associate professor of human resource management.

Target Your Job Search classified want ads job postings/agencies networking hire known entity By focusing on traditional methods of finding employment, job seekers may be left out of the running. Instead, consider less conventional ways of approaching a job search. Graphic from What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles, 2000, page 19

Aspects of the employment process have changed radically since then. “In those days, we were told to print our résumés on colored paper so that they would stand out,” she says.

Companies begin by looking for a “known entity,” explains Joseph Barrientos, director of HPU’s Career Services Center. He says more than 60 percent of jobs are filled internally and through network-referred contacts, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. “After exhausting all other resources, including recruiters, employers will run a classified ad,” Barrientos says. “It’s their last resort.” You can become a known entity through networking. However, take note, “you can’t pull out a bunch of business cards you received at a cocktail party and expect them to open their world to you,” says Marie Kumabe (M.A. Human Resource Management ’96), co-owner of Remedy Intelligent Staffing Honolulu, a temp-to-hire agency. “Like a friendship, a network must be nurtured and reciprocal.” That means staying in contact, expressing thanks, and initiating and returning favors.

“Like a friendship, a network must be nurtured and reciprocal.”

Today most job seekers scan employment postings online that typically include no contact number or company name. They send their résumés into cyberspace, and then, well, frequently they hear nothing back.

If you have had this discouraging experience, you are not the lone hitchhiker on the Internet highway. Most online job boards report a paltry one to four percent response rate, according to career coach and columnist Mary Elizabeth Bradford. Online listings account for only 10 to 20 percent of the available jobs. Most jobs, especially executive-level positions, are not advertised, she says, making it important to not use online job boards exclusively. You can improve your odds by putting yourself in the employer’s search path.

Your network can include friends and family, but according to Kumabe, more productive contacts include business associates and others met through professional associations, volunteer organizations, and temporary jobs. And do not forget your HPU professors, many of whom have strong contacts in the business community. Once scouting and networking have landed you an interview, it is time to wow your potential employer with your brilliance, charm, and savvy. Unfortunately, this is where many people run amok.

Your HPU Network HPU Connect: www.hpu.edu/csc. HPU’s online job board is open to alumni. To start an account, e-mail Ann Yap, ayap@hpu.edu.

HPU Alumni Chapters: www.hpu.edu/ alumnichapters. Connect and network with fellow HPU alumni. Chapters are located around the world.

HPU Alumni Global Network: www.alumni. hpu.edu. Stay in touch with Webcards.

HPU Center for Graduate & Adult Services: Thinking of returning to school? An advanced degree, online courses, and professional certificate programs are options to consider. Call 808-544-0279 or e-mail graduate@hpu.edu.

HPU Grad Tips: www.hpu.edu/gradtips. Receive job tips, résumé information, and professional advice. 8

hpu today

“I have seen the best-qualified people on paper lose the job in the interview,” says Crozier Garcia. Poor grooming, inappropriate attire, and failure to research the company beforehand are still surprisingly common. Candidates have also been known to greet interviewers with fist bumps and trendy handshakes, and ask right away about pay, benefits, and vacation time.

Once interested in an applicant, employers aggressively check social networking sites such as Facebook, Friendster, and MySpace, says Lerch. “We’ve excluded candidates because of what we’ve seen on their pages.” Inappropriate sexist or racist remarks and details of partying escapades are serious gaffes, but even the seemingly innocuous “25 things about me” can put employers off. Imagine reading “I’m always late,” or “I’ve never had a job I liked.”

HPU alumni, students, and faculty network at the fourth annual Professional Mixer at the Hukilau Bar & Grill in Honolulu on March 3.

The Internet allows employers to thoroughly check applicants’ credentials. Crozier Garcia says that a shocking 49 percent of people misrepresent themselves in some way on their résumés, according to research from the Society for Human Resource Management. “People fabricate degrees and inflate past positions,” Crozier Garcia says. “But recruiters scrutinize résumés thoroughly.”

“It’s a big turnoff,” says Gail Lerch (M.B.A. ’88), executive vice president of human resources and organizational development for Hawaii Pacific Health. “I want to know that you’re interested in doing the job, not in what the job can do for you.”

In addition to being honest, job candidates must appear confident and positive—even when they are not really feeling that way. “People who’ve been out of work for awhile or are changing careers sometimes present themselves as downtrodden,” Lerch says.

Because many experienced and well-educated people are currently looking for work, employers now have the luxury of hiring only the very best, Lerch says. “You have to tell me why you are the best candidate for the job.”

After Crozier Garcia got laid off, she kept busy with volunteer work while looking for a job. And after six months, she was hired by HPU. Her transition from HR practitioner to professor has been a happy one. “I love HR today as much as I did when I started 25 years ago,” she says.

Being the best means more than having the requisite education and experience. “Employers want people who can think critically, write and speak extremely well, be flexible, and adapt quickly to the work environment and task at hand,” says Crozier Garcia. Lerch suggests asking about the company’s vision, strategic initiatives, and current challenges; how the position contributes to the company’s mission; and technical aspects of the job. It is fine to ask about the company’s financial stability, and what the interviewer likes about working for the company and finds challenging.

It is a reminder that losing a job can be a catalyst to something better. Kumabe says she has witnessed many such success stories. “Sometimes people end up finding work they have more passion for, or that pays better,” she says, and reminds alumni, “Cream always rises to the top. If you know you’re good, nothing can stop you.”

Make it Count

Tips for a More Effective Job Search Search Make a list of the top 10 organizations you would like to work for and start there. Any job you take should move you closer to your career goals.

Résumé Customize your résumé to focus on your qualifications that fit the job you are applying for, and use current vernacular (i.e., “provided administrative support,” not “secretarial work”).

Referrals If you have completed a second interview for a position, e-mail referrals a copy of your résumé and the job description, so they can sell the employer on your fit for the job.

Changing careers Explain how your previous career enriches you as a candidate.

Staying current Take courses of concentrated study to fine-tune and upgrade skills.

Etiquette Send a thank you letter or card after each interview.

SPRING 2009

ON C AMPUS

Transcultural Nursing

Promoting culturally competent care, respect, and healing

fter the birth of their baby, a Hawaiian family asks to take home the placenta, considered biological waste by Western medicine. The hospital’s health care team is puzzled. They are unaware that in Polynesian culture, the placenta of the newborn is sacred and is often buried following a religious ritual.

people in their familiar living contexts,” says ReNel Davis, Ph.D., a director of Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Transcultural Nursing Center. To improve the health care of an increasingly culturally diverse population nationwide, the research and practice of transcultural nursing have become significant in training culturally competent professionals.

“One of the greatest challenges in health care today is to know and understand people in their familiar living contexts.”

An ill Vietnamese child is brought into the emergency room with bruising and red marks on the skin. Attending ER doctors and nurses immediately suspect child abuse. Unbeknownst to them, the child’s concerned parents have been practicing a traditional form of Southeast Asian healing involving vigorously rubbing a coin over the ill person’s body.

These examples of the health impacts of cultural differences can result in health disparities, poor health outcomes, and undesirable quality of care. “One of the greatest challenges in health care today is to know and understand

Photos courtesy of professors Dr. ReNel Davis and Jeanine Tweedie

Developed in the 1950s by pioneering nurse and cultural anthropologist Madeleine Leininger, Ph.D., Transcultural Nursing has emerged as a major research field and practice in nursing to use knowledge based on peoples’ cultural values, beliefs, and practices. Davis, a recognized expert in the field of transcultural nursing, says that care, respect, and healing are understood from a patient’s point of view and delivered within the context of a patient’s beliefs and health practices. Knowing the health practices of different cultures is only the start. It extends to how patient and practitioner communicate and

Dr. ReNel Davis, associate professor of nursing and a director of HPU Transcultural Nursing Center; Dr. Dula Pacquiao, Transcultural Nursing scholar and director of the Stanley Bergen Center for Multicultural Education, Research and Practice, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Nursing; and Dr. Randy Caine, dean and professor, HPU School of Nursing

takes a truly holistic view of patient care, encompassing ethnic, gender, age, and socio-economic differences. In Western medicine, for example, a physician or nurse establishes rapport and expresses concern for a patient by making eye contact and through physical contact. But in Native American, Arab, and Asian cultures, direct eye contact may be considered aggressive and impolite. In some Asian cultures, it is frowned upon touching a person’s head, believed to be a source of strength. Verbal communication—vital in accurate diagnosis and treatment—can be met with patient silence as a sign of respect in Vietnamese culture. For Western-trained medical personnel, however, patient silence is often uncomfortable and may suggest a lack of interest or caring about one’s own welfare.

A Center in the Pacific HPU’s Transcultural Nursing Center, focusing on education, practice, and research/ dissemination, was established in 2002 as a major nursing initiative in response to these needs and issues. Providing a comprehensive, multidimensional, and community-based approach, it is one of Transcultural nursing students and faculty at Pu‘uhonua O Honaunau on the Big Island

hpu today

ON CAMPUS

only a few transcultural nursing centers of its type and scope in the nation. In 2005, HPU received a major federal grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to expand the Center and take advantage of Hawai‘i’s diverse population and unique geographic location to promote the delivery of culturally competent nursing care. With guidance from a community advisory board representing major local hospitals, community-based organizations, and other health care groups, the Center provides planning and collaborative opportunities targeting Hawai‘i and the Asia/Pacific area. Its research aims to promote understanding of the challenges of the health disparities of diverse populations in the region, as well as evaluating the ability of local health services to deliver culturally competent care.

Part-Hawaiian Luisa Finau, a 2008 HPU BSN graduate and only the third recipient of the Transcultural Nursing Certificate, is part of a new wave of young, culturally competent nurses. Finau participated in the Center’s cultural immersion classes at Pu‘uhonua O Honaunau Historical Park to learn more about her Hawaiian culture. “I learned to not take things for granted, to make no assumptions. Transcultural nursing encourages students to go the extra mile, to open their eyes, and rephrase their words. It reminds us of the whole point of nursing, of making the connection to provide care and comfort to a patient,” says

It offers the nation’s first undergraduate Transcultural Nursing Certificate program, as well as providing education and training for nurses in the community and outreach programs to local high schools on nursing as a career. In addition to Students in a Hawaiian hale (house) being instructed in how to make regular clinical experitraditional Hawaiian crafts ences in local communities, nursing students have engaged in Finau, who works as a community health cultural immersion classes at Kalaupapa, nurse for homeless clients at the Waianae Moloka‘i’s Hansen’s disease patient settleCoast Comprehensive Health Center. ment; Montana’s Blackfeet Indian ReservaDavis is quick to point out that transcultural tion; and Kona’s Pu‘uhonua O Honaunau nursing is “not that simple.” Ethical conflicts Historical Park (Place of Refuge). can arise from imposing Western medical practices that conflict with a patient’s Meeting the Need, traditional beliefs. Attracting more nurses, Facing the Challenge like Finau, to diversify the workforce and Transcultural nursing’s growth in recent enable more non-English speaking clients years comes in response to more ethnito navigate the nation’s complex health care cally diverse demographics nationwide and delivery systems are among the significant the well-documented research on the link challenges for transcultural nursing. between the lack of culturally competent health care professionals and the health “Nurses as healers must discover and disparities among many ethnic and cultural understand the cultural meanings that groups. The overall need to improve the patients bring to their care and to respect quality and outcomes of health care in the nontraditional healing methods, so Western U.S.; and new government mandates in regand Eastern medicine can complement ulations and accreditations now emphasize one another for the better health of our culturally appropriate health care delivery. community,” says Davis.

Destination: Philippines

n May 2009, seven HPU nursing students will venture to the Philippines and make history as participants of the first HPU international clinical experience in transcultural nursing. Coordinated by HPU community health faculty member Ines Bejarin Finin, a native of the Philippines, the intensive two-week program in Baguio City, and the adjoining La Trinidad municipality, will have these students working alongside public health nurses. “Our students will be hands-on, providing direct services, while learning how health care is delivered in the Philippines,” says Finin, a former public health nurse with 31 years of experience. She hopes this clinical experience will be the first of many foreign clinical nursing placements abroad. Working with local government officials, Finin has arranged for the students to accompany Filipino nurses, nurse midwives, medical health officers, and sanitation inspectors. The students will complete their clinical requirements for graduation with this international program. “Our students will not only learn to integrate their coursework and bring their cultural insights back to Hawai‘i, but, in turn, they will offer their Western knowledge and care to Filipino patients. It’s a win-win all around,” says Finin.

SPRING 2009

ON CAMPUS

From the HPU Bookshelf Custer and His Times: Book Five By: John P. Hart, Ph.D.

r. John Hart, College of Communication professor, edited Custer and His Times: Book Five. Commissioned by Little Big Horn Associates, the series is designed to present the most recent research about the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the times in which George Armstrong Custer lived and its legacy. “Volume Five contains cutting edge essays, many written by preeminent Custer scholars,” says Shirley Leckie, author of Elizabeth Bacon Custer and the Making of a Myth. “It will prove especially rewarding for readers eager to learn the most current thinking on Custer’s role.” “Custer’s Last Stand” is said to be the most written about and painted battle in American history.

“The continued interest in Custer is because the colorful and controversial commander remains the symbol of the U.S. Frontier Army,” says Hart. Hart’s scholarly research is in the area of myth in popular culture. He has been invited to testify before the United States Senate and the National Parks Service regarding public policy issues of the naming of national monuments. Additionally, he was a featured guest on the History Channel’s Live from Pearl Harbor, the Emmy-nominated special.

Guderian: Panzer Pioneer or Myth Maker? By: Russell A. Hart, Ph.D.

iographers and historians have lionized Heinz Guderian as the legendary father of the German armored force and a brilliant practitioner of blitzkrieg maneuver warfare in the Second World War. Dr. Russell A. Hart, associate professor of history and diplomacy and military studies program chair, published Guderian: Panzer Pioneer or Myth Maker?, to argue that Guderian created this legend and to more accurately account for the man’s career and accomplishments. The best example of this was Guderian’s self-serving post-war memoir, Panzer Leader, which was widely read

hpu today

and taken to be a definitive account of his contributions to armored warfare. While he was a military commander of some talent, he emerges from Hart’s book as a rather unsavory character willing to lie about his exploits, steal credit from others, and cozy up to Hitler. Hart’s work raises several important questions about our understanding of the Second World War and the study of history itself, including rethinking the conventional worship of German military superiority and the use and limitations of using memoirs to reconstruct the past. Russell Hart is a World War II specialist, with particular emphasis on the European theatre.

SQL for Microsoft Access 2nd Edition By: Cecelia L. Allison

esigned to guide users in getting the most out of Microsoft Access through the use of Structured Query Language (SQL), Cecelia L. Allison’s (B.S.B.A. Finance ’97, M.S.I.S. ’99) production of SQL for Microsoft Access 2nd Edition provides step-by-step examples demonstrating how to use SQL script to create tables, add records to tables, and retrieve and manage records. Readers also learn about calculated fields, Access projects, and the integration of SQL script in VBA and ASP code.

SQL is the industry standard database programming language. It is used to create databases, manipulate and retrieve data, and provide security for relational databases. With her background as a software tester and technical specialist, Allison has created a book that allows readers to explore the basics of SQL and test their knowledge and comprehension with end-of-chapter quizzes and projects. Allison is an author and online professor. She wrote and facilitates an online SQL course titled Introduction to SQL that is offered through hundreds of educational facilities worldwide, and also teaches online technical courses for ITT Technical Institute and Park University. She is currently pursuing a doctor of business administration degree.

Together We Make a

Difference

Alumni, monthly giving is one of the easiest ways to support HPU! What is monthly giving? Monthly giving allows you to spread your gift to HPU over the course of a year— or longer. Your monthly or quarterly gift is automatically charged to your credit card or deducted from your checking account and designated for the HPU gift fund of your choice. Etsuko’s Story Etsuko Hashimoto, a 2002 M.S.I.S. graduate of HPU, was an annual HPU donor who decided to take advantage of the monthly giving option. “Starting this new payment option was very easy and I definitely feel more connected to HPU because I see ‘HPU’ on my credit card statement every month.”

“It really makes me feel good to know that I am giving back to the school that gave so much to me.”

Etsuko got her job as a quality assurance engineer at Ariba, Inc., a software company in Silicon Valley, through a job fair she attended while at HPU. She works in a multicultural environment and credits her experience at HPU with helping her to be able to work with people who come from different backgrounds. “I will always remember HPU for its diversity, with students from all over the world. The experience was so unique and the annual Intercultural Day was always amazing. I learned about a variety of cultures and learned to appreciate my own cultural uniqueness.” Etsuko reflects, “If I hadn’t attended HPU, if I hadn’t gone to that job fair, I might not have a great job in the United States. It really makes me feel good to know that I am giving back to the school that gave so much to me.” So how do you begin monthly giving? • By credit card: Fill out and return the attached envelope authorizing monthly or quarterly gifts by credit card—or do it online at www.hpu.edu/onlinegift. • By checking account: Fill out and return the attached envelope authorizing monthly transfers from your checking account and enclose a voided check. Please join Etsuko—support HPU monthly and make a difference year-round!

View your gifts at work: www.hpu.edu/sharkyfund

SPRING 2009

ON CAMPUS

Novelist and Filmmaker Ruth Ozeki Discusses Hybridity

n November, the Hawai‘i Pacific University Reads: 2008–2009 Common Book Program hosted a lecture by novelist and filmmaker Ruth Ozeki. The award-winning Japanese-American author discussed hybridity as it applies to literature, culture, agriculture, and people, and described the process of transforming research into fiction. The lecture was related to the HPU Reads common book selection for the year, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan. The author describes the omnivore’s dilemma as the problem of finding the perfect meal in a fastfood world. He investigates what we eat and where it comes from by tracing food from its origins to the table. “Students were able to hear about the many connections between science, social science, and the humanities, as Ozeki explained concepts of hybridity in plants and people, including President Obama, and the author herself, who is Japanese and American,” says Phyllis Frus, Ph.D., Common Book chair. The 2009-2010 common book selection is Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. HPU Reads and related events are supported by a grant from the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities.

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Supporting Scholarship American Carpet One Foundation established an annual scholarship to provide opportunities to HPU students pursuing a career in business. David K. Arita, president of American Carpet One, believes that everyone deserves a good education. He encourages students to enjoy and take advantage of their college experience. “The more knowledge you have, the more confidence you’ll have to excel in the work force,” says Arita.

Take a bite of the NEW Sea Warriors logo On January 22, Hawai‘i Pacific University launched its new athletics logo to much critical acclaim. “We are very excited about having this new logo,” says HPU Athletics Director Darren Vorderbruegge. “There is a University logo which will remain in place, but we wanted to create an image that will be tied solely to athletics.” A committee comprised of HPU students, staff and faculty members, aided by several graphic artists and the input of coaches, was formed nearly a year ago for the sole purpose of developing an image identifiable with HPU athletics. Lauren Conching, HPU’s coordinator of athletic marketing and a logo committee member, has already seen the success of the launch. “On a daily basis I see students wearing HPU apparel with the new logo, which is helping to promote this new symbol of HPU athletics. Our ultimate goal is to have the entire state, and even the nation, associate this shark image with HPU athletics.” Although the University’s student life mascot, Sharky, has long been included in athletic activities, no image, person, or animal is universally associated with “Sea Warrior” athletics. During committee meetings the shark became the image of choice among members. “Over the years, the symbol of the shark has evolved as a representation of our athletics program through various promotions and the existence of Sharky,” says Vorderbruegge. “The shark is an important fixture in Hawaiian culture, and we are proud to have it reflect the student athletes at HPU.”

ON CAMPUS

August 2008 Commencement

Upper left: Valedictory speakers Nicole Hewson (M.Ed. Secondary Education), Clifford Lucente (B.S.B.A. International Business), and Alicia Williams (B.S. Biochemistry) Left: John R. Fleckles, Ph.D., commencement speaker and Fellow of the Pacific Award recipient, and HPU President Chatt G. Wright

Photo courtesy of The Pictureman of Hawaii

January 2009 Commencement

Commencement speaker, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann

Valedictory speakers Thomas Bratton Whitney (B.S. Applied Mathematics), Sabrina Nodine (B.S.B.A. Finance), and Dustin Lopiccolo (M.S.I.S.)

SPRING 2009

SEA WARRIOR SPORTS

Teamwork on the Green

orking in the shadows of the Ko‘olau Mountains, improving their game each day, evolving from a group of individual talent into a team— these are the inner workings of the Hawai‘i Pacific University men’s golf team.

Connor Rumpf

The team is led by Athletics Director Darren Vorderbruegge, who assumed head coaching duties in January 2008. At the beginning of the spring 2009 season, he spoke with HPU Today on coaching and the team. After coaching golf for a year, Vorderbruegge realizes what it takes to succeed at the collegiate level. “I have been playing golf recreationally for many years, and am aware that golf is both highly physical and mental,” says Vorderbruegge. “Golfers who are able to hold a high level of focus and concentration will more often find themselves on the winning end.”

the 2007–08 season,” comments Vorderbruegge. “We have an extremely balanced team. Any one of our golfers is capable of leading the team on a given day.” The Sea Warriors are 10 golfers strong and competed well in the 2008 fall season. In six matches versus BYU-Hawaii, HPU lost just once for a 4-1-1 record. The Sea Warriors, who in the past have placed as high as first in the PacWest Conference, concluded the season with a solid showing at the Dennis Rose Invitational on the Big Island.

Although golf is largely an individual sport, the players work together, with combined individual scores deciding team wins. Vorderbruegge, drawing from his 20 years of coaching experience, knows the value of the team. “We approach the season with the team in mind,” stresses Vorderbruegge. “I have been pleased with how our guys have encouraged and supported each other. I think they realize that the better we are as a whole the more they will be pushed to reach their capability.”

“We approach the season with the team in mind.”

Tim Galvan

Rich Tidman

Vorderbruegge sees this ability in many of his student athletes. “We have several young men who are showing promise to be exceptional golfers with their approach to the game and how they handle success and failure.” The HPU men’s golf program is now in its seventh year of existence and the 2008–09 Sea Warrior squad features a mix of returnees and new faces. “Senior Captain Tim Galvan is leading the team this year after redshirting

“We have five new members on this year’s squad,” says Vorderbruegge. “Justin Aragon and Charlie Renfro are in their first season with us and were teammates at Eastern Arizona Community College in Phoenix. We have two newcomers from England, Rich Tidman and Matt de Moraes, with our only true freshman, Connor Rumpf, from Oregon.” Also on the team are veteran returnees Hayden Farley and Adam Istvan. “Hayden returns for his third season at HPU and will be a great asset to the team,” says Vorderbruegge. “Adam is a Detroit native but played during high school at Seabury Hall on Maui.” Istvan has already made his stamp on the season, nailing a hole-in-one against BYU-Hawaii last September.

For the 2009 men’s golf team news, visit www.hpu.edu (path: Athletics > Men’s Sports > Golf ). 16

hpu today

Photos courtesy of Dayne Teves at D-Tech Hawai‘i

Darren Vorderbruegge

UNIVERSIT Y FRIENDS

You Can Change Someone’s World Jeanne Anderson is giving back to pay it forward.

omewhere out there, there are bright kids from West O‘ahu who have a strong aptitude and desire to learn, but lack the resources for college. They are the ones Jeanne Anderson hopes to benefit through the Jeanne Allan Anderson Family Scholarship at HPU.

Like many children from that area, Anderson also came from simple beginnings. She was raised by a single father, a bright and hardworking Scottish immigrant who was a CPA. He taught her to hunt, fish, and hike, and inspired her to excel. “He told me I could do anything I aspired to do, and the only one who could stop me was me,” Anderson says.

will perpetuate the cycle. “If I can give a full education to one child every four years, maybe they’ll do the same for others,” she says. Eligibility is limited to

incredible,” she says. “And I liked the students’ attitudes, enthusiasm, and discipline. Their outlook is so positive, and I think that’s attributable to Chatt [Wright], the people he surrounds himself with, and the teachers.” Education is the key to everything, Anderson says. “It’s important to learn as much as you can and give back to those less fortunate and try to guide

“If I can give a full education to one child every four years, maybe they’ll do the same for others.”

The end of the Great Depression was a time when women had few options and Anderson received no college education. But, she says, there were also fewer children born in that period and that helped those with good minds and determination to succeed. “Some of us on the merry-go-round of life took the brass ring and ran with it,” she says. Anderson inherited her father’s skill with numbers, an independent spirit, and $3,000 from her grandparents. At 21 years old, she moved to Hawai‘i. Four years later, she married a manager for a general contractor who later became a contractor and developer. Combining their assets, they began buying parcels of land for subdivisions and later homes and condominiums. Handling the contracts helped Anderson develop a solid business background and the foundation for a lifelong career in real estate. Anderson is a firm believer in giving back and a stalwart supporter of education. With scholarship funds at HPU, she accomplishes both, trusting that recipients who become successful

students from Nanakuli, Waianae, and Makaha because they often have fewer advantages than students in other areas. She established the endowed scholarship fund with an initial cash gift and made a designation to it through her estate plans. The fund will continue to grow, and in the future, income and interest from it will underwrite scholarships. Anderson chose HPU because she is impressed with the University’s programs. During a tour of the Hawai‘i Loa campus and HPU affiliate, Oceanic Institute, Anderson was especially fascinated with the marine biology program. “I saw the opportunities the kids have and the new things taking place with fish breeding, and I thought it was

them. If you’re fortunate enough to have money, start a scholarship fund. I’d rather my friends put money in the fund on Christmas and birthdays than give me more material things.” For information on how planned gifts benefit HPU and its students while possibly providing financial benefits to you and your family, please contact HPU Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement Margi Ulveling at (808) 544-0273, mulveling@hpu.edu, or visit www.hpu.edu/support. If you have already included HPU in your estate plans, please notify us so that we may acknowledge you and invite you to join our Legacy Society.

SPRING 2009

The President’s Fund

Supporting Global Education of HPU Students for 11 Years

n October, Hawai‘i Pacific University thanked its 2008 President’s Fund members at a dinner held at The Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu. In its 11th campaign year, a record $628,665 was donated by 148 participants, allowing HPU President Chatt G. Wright to identify further initiatives for this academic year. To date the campaign has raised more than $3.7 million to expand University programs and increase opportunities for HPU students.

3 The 2008 campaign was co-chaired by Larry Rodriguez, a founding member of the President’s Fund, and HPU trustee Christina Doane (M.B.A. ’04). “This year’s campaign had an excellent committee and my co-chair, Christina Doane, did an outstanding job of getting to individuals in our community when we were having some difficult economic times,” says Rodriguez. “I also want to say that the University has an outstanding reputation so people will give to organizations like these.”

hpu today

“HPU graduates have a global perspective,” adds Doane. “More importantly our 4 alumni care and understand how important it is to give back to the community and how they can have an impact.” During the program, HPU President Wright recognized William E. Aull for his 20 years of guidance and leadership as chairman of the HPU Board of Trustees. Wright announced that funds from the 2007 campaign were used to advance the University’s Entrepreneurship program through the HPU New Venture Challenge and launch the Master

of Science in Marine Science program based at HPU affiliate Oceanic Institute. A grant from Kamehameha Schools funded the development and delivery of an Indigenous Educator curriculum in the graduate Teacher Education program. In the Student Affairs area, campaign funds underwrote the International Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra performance tour to China and the opening of the new downtown campus Bookstore.

UNIVERSIT Y FRIENDS

“More importantly our alumni care and understand how important it is to give back to the community.” Christina Doane (M.B.A. ’04)

9 [1] Chatt Wright and Vi Loo [2] Bill and Dawn Aull and Nobuko and Allen Zecha [3] Puchi Romig, Bill and Jane Morris, and Janice Wright (M.B.A. ’96) [4] Paul and Lynda Heran and Joyce and Mike Ching [5] The HPU Dance Team congratulates Bill Aull on his 20th anniversary, serving as HPU chairman of the Board of Trustees.

[6] Charlie Salmon, Nery Heenan, Sue and Al Landon, and Virginia and Josh Watson [7] Chatt and Janice (M.B.A. ’96) Wright, Allen and Christina (M.B.A. ’04) Doane, Steve and Nan Baker, and Patricia and Larry Rodriguez [8] Shaunagh Robbins and Susie Fried [9] Chuck Sted, Helen Gary, Jean Cornuelle, Janice Wright (M.B.A. ’96), and Vivien Sted

“Over the years the President’s Fund has benefited our student body,” says Wright. “This is a time to reiterate by saying an enormous ‘thank you’ to the campaign chairs, Christina Doane and Larry Rodriguez, and also to our past co-chairs for their leadership of our President’s Fund campaigns.” Representing the School of Nursing, Vice President of Academic Affairs John M. Kearns, Ph.D., announced its new Dean Randy Caine,

[10] Reginald Robinson, Chaitali Patel, and Roberta and Denis Wong [11] Front: Clint Schroeder, Lee Webber, and Betty Ho; Back: Mark Platte, Brad (B.S.B.A. and B.A. ’85 and M.B.A. ’95) and Dale Harrison, and Neil Bellinger [12] Front: Jeanne and Robert Wilkinson, Dawn Aull, and Betty Wo; Back: Shelley Thompson, Tim Choy, and Helen Gary

Ed.D., and the School’s 25th anniversary in 2009. Kearns gratefully acknowledged the hospitals and health care facilities in Hawai‘i for playing a crucial role in the development of HPU’s nursing students. The evening included entertainment by HPU’s Chamber Orchestra and national award-winning Dance Team.

To join the President’s Fund or to learn more about past projects, visit www.hpu.edu/presidentsfund Attention Alumni: a generous friend of HPU is offering a challenge match in 2009. To find out more, visit www.hpu.edu/presidentsfund-alumni

SPRING 2009

CL ASS LINKS RUNNING HEAD_LEFT

@ denotes that the person is listed on the HPU Alumni Global Network e-directory.

1990

Avilla Williams (B.S.N.) has been selected to run the INTEGRIS Health hospital in Edmond, Oklahoma. The hospital, scheduled to open in 2010, will feature Edmond’s only birthing center and will add 40 hospital beds, an emergency room, and intensive care unit to the community.

@ Michael A. Ross (B.A. Political Science) completed his M.B.A. in Management and strategy from Western Governors University in December. @ Bernard Tan (B.S.B.A. Travel Industry Management ’96, M.B.A. Accounting) is the director of revenue management for the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts on Lana‘i.

1992

@ Corinne Gallardo (B.S.B.A. Computer Information Systems ’89, M.B.A.) has been selected as a member of the advisory board for the Hollywood NOTE Foundation (HNF) in Beverly Hills, California. She is the only Hawai‘i-based member on the board. HNF is a non-profit organization created to further promote and contribute to the global philanthropic endeavors of the Hollywood community. Corinne was also selected to serve on the board of directors for the O‘ahu Arts Center (OAC). OAC is dedicated to promoting the arts as an integral part of community and family life. Corinne is co-chair of the program committee and is responsible for organizing and implementing OAC’s art activities.

1994

@ Audrey (Dwan) Popoff (B.A. Social Science) and her first grade class took part in the Phillip M. Stokoe Elementary School No Excuses University program kick-off event. The objective of the program, being conducted by several schools in Riverside, California, is to make attending a college or university an option from an early age. Each class picks a university to research and study. Audrey’s class became “young Sea Warriors”.

hpu today

Li Lian Ang (B.S.B.A. Travel Industry Management) married Chad Little at the Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Resorts in Dubai on October 31, 2008.

1997 @ Mark Bell (A.A. Mathematics ’97, B.S. Computer Science) and his wife, Christy, welcomed daughter Alexis Ann Bell into the world on December 31, 2007. Mark was promoted to the position of executive vice president of operations at Digital Defense, Inc. in San Antonio, Texas.

1993

@ Atlas Insurance Agency, Inc., in Honolulu, has announced the appointment of Matthew Liew (B.S.B.A. Business Economics) as vice president of its Client Consulting Group.

1998

@ Sachiko Kusuda (B.A. International Studies) married Ko Oshiro (B.A. Teaching English as a Second Language ’00) last May. On September 21, 2008, they officially celebrated with family and friends in Naha, Okinawa.

@ While an undergraduate at HPU, Maja Turninski (B.A. Psychology) spent a summer working in an orphanage in Croatia and lost her heart to the needs of young people in this war-torn country. Since her summer at the orphanage, Maja has dedicated her life and studies to working with youth and helping children construct healthy personalities and life paths through work, school, and social networking. About four years ago, she moved back to Croatia to live and work with children through a non-governmental organization (NGO). She co-founded the Suncokret Centre for Community Development, an NGO in Gvozd. Photo: opposite, top left

1999

@ Jennifer Baker (M.B.A. Management) joined Bank of Hawaii’s Commercial Real Estate Loan Division in Honolulu as assistant vice president. @ Jens Holmer (right) (M.B.A. Marketing) and Peter Sahlberg moved to Hawai‘i’s North Shore in 1997. On their trips to campus, the two avid surfers discussed forming a Swedish surf travel company. The small personal classes at HPU were perfect forums to further

RUNNING HEAD_RIGHT CLASS LINKS

2003

@ Melissa McCracken (B.A. Journalism) moved back to O‘ahu with fiancé Kristopher Comerford after living in San Francisco and Tampa for five years. She accepted a job as the marketing coordinator for WATG architects in Honolulu. develop a solid base for their unique business idea. In a law class for example, legal matters about setting up a business abroad were investigated. In marketing classes, a communication plan for the surf travel company was developed. The feedback from professors and students helped the duo create their business plan. A couple of years later, their dream was realized and today, Surfakademin (www.surfakademin.se) is a leading surf travel company in

Scandinavia. They offer trips to Biarritz in southwest France during the summer and fall; Santa Teresa, Costa Rica in the winter; and Maldives in the spring.

Connection LLC in Honolulu and Nikola appears to have inherited his father’s love of cars at an early age.

@ Stefan Pampulov (B.S.B.A. International Business ’01, M.B.A.), Melissa Pampulov (M.A. Communication ’02), and daughter Isabella welcomed Matea Pampulov to their ‘ohana (family) on January 2. Isabella is very excited to be a big sister.

2000

@ Kris Dexter (B.A. Public Relations) is the advertising consultant for Pacific Business News in Honolulu. She and husband Jeff Dexter (B.A. International Studies ’01) took daughter Kylie on her first plane ride last Thanksgiving to the Big Island to visit Kris’s parents. While visiting they ran into Young-Shin Kubota-sensei— Kris and Jeff met in 1999 in Kubota-sensei’s Japanese class.

2001

@ Dragan Ijacic (B.S.B.A. International Business) and wife Leina celebrated son Nikola’s first birthday on November 5, 2008. Dragan owns Auto

@ Takamitsu Ogawa (M.B.A. Management) has been working at J.P. Morgan Securities in Tokyo, Japan, since last summer.

2002

Tobias Vogt (B.A. International Studies ’00, M.A. Diplomacy and Military Studies) has been accepted into a dual degree Ph.D. program in war studies with Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and King’s College London. While pursuing his degree he will continue to teach at the National Defense Intelligence College in Washington, D.C.

SPRING 2009

RUNNING CLASS LINKS HEAD_LEFT

2004

@ Hoala Landscape & Maintenance, a Ko Olina-based fullservice grounds and building maintenance company, has named Kaeo Gouveia (M.B.A.) as its CEO and general manager. In his new position, Kaeo will be responsible for overseeing 68 staff members, as well as business operations, ensuring quality service for existing accounts, and creating a strategic growth plan for the company.

@ Stephen Wong (B.S. PreMedical Studies) attends UH Hilo’s College of Pharmacy as a student in the class of 2012. The College held its White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage for first-year students in the program, on October 12, 2008.

2006

@ Christine Sharp (A.A. Justice Administration ’03, A.S. Military Studies, B.A. Justice Administration) graduated from California Western School of Law on December 19, 2008. She will be practicing business planning law and other business-related law in the San Diego area. She is engaged to Adrian E. Ybarra, a captain in the United States Marine Corps. They will wed in October.

@ Jonathan Whitman (B.S. Pre-Medical Studies ’02, M.B.A. Accounting) and his wife, Sheila (Bayao) Whitman (B.S.B.A. ’04), welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Jase, to the world on July 5, 2008. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area where Jon works as an internal management consultant for Kaiser Permanente. Sheila works for Bank of America as an officer treasury analyst.

2007

@ Steve Castonguay (B.A. Political Science ’04, M.A. Communication) held a roundtable discussion, India and Diplomacy in a new World Era: An Insider Perspective, on December 9, 2008, for HPU alumni and students. Steve, the vice consul and second secretary for the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, was in Honolulu on vacation.

@ Ivy Lin (B.S.B.A. Travel Industry Management) was awarded manager of the quarter at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki for the fourth quarter of 2008. She was promoted to assistant front office manager.

@ Jennifer Weisman (B.S.B.A. Finance) has accepted an audit position at KPMG in San Diego; she will start in the fall. She finished her Master of Arts degree in Applied Economics this past December at San Diego State University. Jennifer credits the knowledge she gained in her HPU audit class and the accounting club for her success. @ Tarek Tom Willeby (B.A. Communication ’99, M.S.I.S.) and wife, Karen, welcomed Naila Mari Willeby to their happy Honolulu family on April 17, 2008.

2008

@ Caitlin Macy (B.A. Psychology) was awarded the Kay Wilson Leadership Award for Outstanding Chapter President in August 2008 at the American Psychological Association convention in Boston, Massachusetts. The award recognizes her service as president of the HPU Chapter of Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology. Photo at left (L-R):

Bob Cyboron, Steve Castonguay, Dr. Carlos Juarez, and Dr. John Barnum

Aloha Alumni, In these challenging economic times, we strive to work smarter and greener. You can help by sending us your e-mail address. It will allow us to stay better connected with you. Thanks for your help in this matter. Send your e-mail to alumni@hpu.edu Note in subject line HPU Today

hpu today

Kris Smith (B.A. ’95, M.A. ’97) HPU Alumni Relations Coordinator

Alumni Connections Mahalo to HPU alumni who support and stay connected with their alma mater!

RUNNING HEAD_RIGHT ALUMNI EVENTS

Honolulu

The Hawai‘i Loa campus Charrette Group met in January to review plans for the phase one expansion project. Pictured are alumni members Stefan Pampulov (B.S.B.A. International Business ’01, M.B.A. ’03), Armi Oliver Farinas (M.B.A. ’93), Barbara Ideta (B.S.N. ’89), principal architect Francis Oda, and HPU trustee Dr. Allen Zecha.

Northern California

Trina Maltsberger-Araby (B.A. Psychology ’00) helped at the Diablo Valley College Transfer Fair in September 2008.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (above)

Chapter members got together to network in December 2008.

Tokyo, Japan (left)

Our alumni took the time to promote HPU by participating in the MBA Fair in November 2008.

SPRING 2009

BACK PAGE

Meet Your Alumni Chapter Coordinator–Evelyn Barfield Evelyn is the district safety officer for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in Fresno. She serves on the board of directors for the local Society for Human Resource Management chapter. “Northern California is rich with diverse cultures, flora and fauna, and good eats,” says Evelyn. “It makes a beautiful backdrop for HPU grads to network while attending trips to Lake Tahoe, the [Napa Valley] wine country, and Yosemite.” Evelyn Barfield (B.A. Communication ’00), Northern California Chapter, evelyn@alumni. hpu.edu

Alumni chapters are located around the world.

Celebrate

To find the one nearest you, visit www.hpu.edu/alumnichapters.

your success in style and order your 2009 Senior Class T-shirt! Visit www.hpu.edu/seniorT to order yours today!

Take Advantage of Your Alumni Benefits • Alumni Global Network membership – www.alumni.hpu.edu • 20 percent off Bookstore items featured in alumni section – www.hpu.edu/bookstore • Career assistance through HPU Career Service Center – www.hpu.edu/csc Visit www.hpu.edu/alumnibenefits to see other benefits HPU has to offer you.

hpu today

A Graduate Degree @ Your Fingertips ONLINE GRADUATE DEGREES: � Master of Science in Information Systems � Master of Arts in Organizational Change � Master of Arts in Human Resource Management

www.hpu.edu/grad ONLINE GRADUATE CERTIFICATES: � Consulting � Decision Science � Human Resource Management � Information Systems � Knowledge Management � National and Community Change and Development � Organizational Change and Development � Software Engineering � Telecommunications Security

www.hpu.edu/certificates Get where YOU want to go

Hawai‘i Pacific University CENTER FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

SPRING 2009

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1050 HONOLULU, HI

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT 1060 BISHOP STREET, SUITE 400 HONOLULU, HI 96813

green blue ?

What is

and

all over

The new HPU Bookstore! n celebration of the new Downtown bookstore, alumni will receive 20% off all regular- priced sweatshirts through July 31, 2009.

HPU Bookstore 1132 Bishop Street, Suite 120 Honolulu, HI 96813

www.hpu.edu/bookstore

Discount is only available for online purchases. Please use code ALUMANMA at check out.