Chaminade University of Honolulu

University Communications & Marketing

GM of Tissue Genesis Discusses Philanthropic Values in Business

The Hogan Program had another memorable evening! This time, with guest speaker Anton Krucky, co-founder, President and General Manager of Tissue Genesis (TG), leading authority in adipose cell therapy and delivery systems.

Bo Dydasco and Anton KruckyTG’s technologies have flown on 18 space shuttle missions for NASA and are currently being used to treat patients in 6 human clinical trials here on Earth. TG strives to provide wealth within the community and to change lives through clinical trials such as muscle regeneration, cosmetics, and even research of the behavior of live tissues in a microgravity environment. TG also creates opportunity for Hawaii’s brightest.

The clear philanthropic values that underlie TG are phenomenal examples of the Hogan Entrepreneurs’ motto of “doing business things that make social sense, and doing social things that make business sense.”

Anton’s presentation was full of valuable life lessons and anecdotes. A few of which includes:

1. Thinking outside the box—create something outside of this world even if it’s something microscopically smaller than the world. Create rules that people want to play in.
2. Avoiding the paradigm blocker—don’t think you know it all. Keep your eyes open. Otherwise, you limit your potential to learn great things.
3. Finding your why—when you think of an idea, think of something that will give you energy.
4. Understanding servant leadership—leaders who push people up are the ones to follow. Sincerity sells. Listen well and care for your people.

He also shared with us the key elements to TG’s business plan which includes participating in high growth industry, choosing location that requires an institute of higher learning, protecting investments, and having sufficient capital.

Anton ended the session with the three steps to embarking into a new venture. First is to ask yourself, “what is it that you want to do?” Then, figure out what it is that you are willing to give up, and lastly, just do it!

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Bonita Dydasco
Speaker Session with Anton Krucky

Finding Your Passion and Creating Your Business Around It

It was an honor to hear from Shelley Wilson, President of Wilson Care Group, Hawaii’s largest private-duty home health care service provider.

Shelley Wilson and Kalei EhlersHaving grown up from a farm in Iowa, Shelley wanted more out of life and joined the U.S. Army after graduating from high school. Shortly after joining the military, she was involved in a car accident that broke bones in many parts of her body. She was only 18 years old and was hospitalized for a year.

Time is precious and with a second chance in life, Shelley wanted to make an impact. It is through her journey to recovery when she realized how important good quality home care can change the course of someone’s life. She finished her recovery at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. The bond in Hawaii and the Ohana spirit inspired Shelley to start her first company, Wilson Homecare. Now, Wilson Homecare and Wilson Senior Living comprise Wilson Care Group.

Shelley also spoke about her company’s mission and culture. Everyone who works at Wilson Care Group must have the passion in taking care of others. In Wilson Care Group, everyone has a voice. Shelley listens to her employees and welcomes different perspective and ideas. She also encourages her employees to have fun and at the same time, taking the job seriously.

Shelley closed the session with a few Keys to Success:
1. Find your passion as it will drive your mission in life.
2. Create your own journey/story, and be your own person even if you have to start at the bottom.
3. Be optimistic. Whatever you do in life, have a mindset that you will be 100% successful. Be open to failure . This is when you gain knowledge about yourself and grow.
4. Don’t listen to the naysayers. You are the only cheerleader that you need. You cannot count on others to determine if you are going to be successful or not.
5. Hustle to make things happen and be resourceful. Life is a grind.

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Kalei Ehlers
Speaker Session with Shelley Wilson

Sticking to Business Fundamentals

This past Wednesday’s Hogan speaker session was a memorable one! We heard from a successful entrepreneur who found motivation and a more positive outlook in life when he broke his neck and was paralyzed at a young age. He lifted weights, participated in marathons, and continued to risk it all.

Mike IrishThis inspirational individual was Mr. Mike Irish, Hawaii’s “kim chee king,” and CEO of Halm’s Enterprises and Diamond Head Seafood Company.

As a businessman, Mr. Irish is always driven to succeed. He has found success in real estate, the hotel industry, and in his latest pursuit of the kim chee industry. His path in entrepreneurship began with his father’s business ventures in real estate.

His presentation was focused on his personal accounts of the value of sticking to business fundamentals. Many of the local products that the people of Hawaii had grown up with were run by family owned businesses. Family members who had grown and moved on to other things approached Mr. Irish to hopefully sell their business and perpetuate their products.

The majority of his successes were founded upon the creation and maintenance of demand for his products and services, as well as the network he was able to build.

We had an amazing time with Mr. Irish. He provided us with an enlightening look into how business is done well in Hawaii. His motto is “the harder you work, the luckier you get!”

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Clarke Velasco
Speaker Session with Mike Irish 2/14/18

First Employer Breakfast Strengthens Chaminade’s Partnerships With Local and National Companies

To better connect Chaminade University with local and national companies, the campus Office of Advising and Career Development recently hosted its first Employer Breakfast at Clarence T.C. Ching Hall.

The event drew 68 visitors – including human relations managers – from companies such as Bristol Hospice Hawaii, Aflac Hawaii, Whole Foods Market and ProService Hawaii.

Career Specialist Megan Robison, who organized the breakfast, said the gathering was a way to “connect with employers face-to-face, to let them know what was happening with the university and how they could partner.”

“We spend so much time connecting electronically,” Robison said, “and I wanted the in-person connection. This will create more meaningful relationships with our employers and hopefully set us apart from other institutions on island.

“From these connections, we hope to facilitate relationships that will provide future internship and job opportunities for our students,” Robison added, “while helping employers participate in career-related events at Chaminade.”

Robison noted that reaching out to employers is often “confusing and daunting” for students.

“If we create partnerships with reputable employers across many industries, we make the connection piece that much easier for students,” she said, “and we assist in filling workforce needs for our employers. It’s a win-win situation.”

Establishing these partnerships will also help Chaminade create an Employer Advisory Board that will share best practices from various industries and thereby assist faculty and staff in developing career-ready students.

“My biggest goal is to get our name out in the community,” Robison said. “Chaminade University has amazing students. We are worth talking about and our students are worth hiring!”

HUMAN OR ANIMAL BONES? LECTURER CARLOS GUTIERREZ SHARES HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE WITHOUT DNA TEST

When crime scene investigators discover small bone fragments, it’s often difficult to initially determine if the remains are animal or human. Conducting a costly and time-consuming DNA analysis in a laboratory is one way to resolve the question. Or, as Chaminade University lecturer Carlos A. Gutierrez points out, a much simpler and far less expensive examination could reveal the answer on site that same day. Gutierrez specializes in forensic microanthropology, a new field of study with broad implications for crime scene investigators around the world – especially those working in economically disadvantaged countries and in small towns with limited resources. As part of his research, Gutierrez developed a bone identification technique involving polarized microscopy analysis. Carlos A. Gutierrez (NSM, Forensic Sciences)“You can get very good information and quick answers for families,” according to Gutierrez, who earned a master’s degree in Forensic Sciences from Chaminade in 2016. “If the bone fragments are from a human, you go to the next step – DNA analysis.” But if the remains are from an animal, he said, the probe can stop there. “Lots of police departments could use forensic microanthropology for crime scene investigations,” Gutierrez added. “That’s my goal – to spread the word.” Along with spreading the word among Chaminade students, Gutierrez recently presented his research and conducted workshops at the third UCENM International Forensic Sciences Conference in Honduras, and at the fifth Forensic Sciences, Law and Public Safety International Conference in Acapulco, Mexico. Before coming to Chaminade, Gutierrez served as director of a criminalistics laboratory in his native Chile, where he notably led efforts to identify victims of two massive disasters. One tragedy involved a deadly fire in 2007 at a hostel in Punta Arenas, and the other was a 2010 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the city of Constitution. Two years ago, Gutierrez and his wife Ana Acuna founded Honolulu-based True Forensic Science, LLC with guidance from the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program at Chaminade. Their company provides training, consulting and products in the forensic sciences, especially for clients in Latin American countries. Chaminade University’s Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics offers a bachelor of science degree and a minor in Forensic Sciences. Students enrolled in these programs can prepare for careers in biology, medicine, pharmacy, anthropology, criminal justice, psychology, law and other fields.

Chaminade Holds Inauguration for 10th President, Lynn M. Babington, Ph.D.

Chaminade University is relevant, innovative and contributing to the betterment of society. Those are the three pillars of Dr. Lynn Babington’s vision for the institution she now leads. Babington outlined that future at her inauguration ceremony January 20 at the Richard T. Mamiya Theatre, during which she was formally installed as the university’s 10th president in front of an audience of religious leaders, community dignitaries, and university regents and faculty. In her inaugural address, Babington made clear that in forging an ambitious and bold path forward, Chaminade — celebrating its 62nd anniversary in 2018 — isn’t seeking to forget its rich heritage or leave behind its Marianist traditions. At the same time, she said, Chaminade must lean into headwinds and make no small plans in an increasingly competitive landscape. “We are driven by a deep commitment to reach new heights,” she told attendees. “Unified together, we will find ways to not only meet the high expectations we have for ourselves, but exceed those our community and our world have for us. Because if not us, then who?” Babington started at Chaminade on August 1 after serving as interim president and in other leadership roles at Fairfield University in Connecticut. In her first few months at Chaminade, Babington sought to focus on listening — to all sorts of university stakeholders— about where the institution is, what makes it special, and where it should be headed in the 21st century. And even as she’s pledged to usher in a new era of innovation, growth and opportunity, Babington has stressed that she intends to only further strengthen Chaminade’s core mission — to serve as a service-oriented institution focused on social justice, building community and preparing tomorrow’s leaders to take on some of the world’s greatest problems. That commitment to honor the past while looking ahead to the future was on display at the inaugural mass and installation celebration — and the pa’ina festivities that followed, where scores gathered at Chaminade Plaza for an afternoon of food, fellowship, gift giving and hula. At the inauguration, several symbolic items were presented to Babington, including the university’s presidential medallion, made of kukui nut and suspended on a four-strand Niihau shell lei. Fr. Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, S.J., staff chaplain of Fairfield University read a poem he wrote asking God to guide Dr. Babington and to let “all our spirits mingle and soar as we reach for truth, wisdom, justice and peace.” Bro. Ed Brink, Chaminade’s Vice President of Mission and Rector, present a framed blessing from Pope Francis, wishing Dr. Babington a successful tenure as president. The Marianist Province of the U.S. gave Dr. Babington a depiction of Our Lady of the Pillar, one of only three like it in the world. The other two are housed at Chaminade’s sister schools — the University of Dayton in Ohio and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. Presenting the depiction were Dr. Steven R. Neiheisel, executive director of the Association of Marianist Universities; and the presidents, Dr. Eric F. Spina of University of Dayton and Dr. Thomas M. Mengler of St. Mary’s University. Also presented to Babington: A royal walking stick with a strong link to Chaminade’s roots. Brother Dennis Bautista, a Chaminade University alumnus and a professor at St. Mary’s University, told inauguration attendees the walking stick engraved with King David Kalakaua’s name was found in the national archives of the Marianist Province at St. Mary’s. In fact, it was discovered in the Brother Gabriel Bertram Bellinghausen collection at the archives. Bellinghausen was part of the first group of Marianists to come to Hawaii in 1883, became the first director of then-Saint Louis College (later Saint Louis School and Chaminade), and struck up a friendship with the king, who would attend plays and other events on campus. “Since walking sticks … had been presented to those entrusted in leadership positions as symbols of authority,” Bautista said, “we felt that it would be appropriate for the king’s walking stick to come full circle — from Brother Bertram to Dr. Lynn Babington and return the royal artifact home to Hawaii.” At the inauguration, the Kalakaua walking stick was ceremonially presented to Babington before it was formally gifted to ‘Iolani Palace for public display. Before the presentation of gifts, Babington sought to outline her vision for Chaminade. She said the university must be “excellent and relevant,” underscoring the value of its educational opportunities to current — and prospective — students and the community. It must also be innovative, seeking out partnerships and looking for opportunities to grow. And it must always seek to contribute to the common good, to make life better for others. “Higher education with a higher purpose is the life led here at Chaminade,” she said, in her inaugural address. “Our faculty and students are involved in not only community service but … opportunities to engage with and give back to the community as part of their course work.” Her words spurred a standing ovation. And the occasion of her inauguration also inspired poetry — literally. At the inauguration day’s pa’ina celebrations fronting Sullivan Library, Dr. Allison Paynter stepped up to the microphone to recite a poem she wrote to mark the day called “Hopscotch” that begins like the playground jumping rhyme but then takes listeners on a journey with Babington. The associate professor of English at Chaminade read, referring to the president: Now, she feeds her soul on the aina embraces a new ohana commits to living pono brandishing her own sword of inspiration on this mighty hilltop.
For more of the Presidential Inauguration highlights, click here. Watch the Inaugural Mass and Installation here. Read Dr. Babington’s inaugural address here.