Chaminade University of Honolulu

Behavioral Sciences

Chaminade Launches Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy Program

couple holding hands during marriage therapy

To help meet a critical need for mental health services, leadership and program administration in Hawaii, Chaminade University has launched a new Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT) program and is already receiving applications for the inaugural cohort—whose members will begin instruction in Fall 2022.

The doctoral degree received WASC accreditation, in recognition of the high quality of academic preparation and rigor for participating students, said the program’s director Dr. Blendine Hawkins.

Hawkins, an assistant professor of Psychology at Chaminade and a licensed marriage and family therapist, said the graduate degree will welcome students with diverse educational and professional backgrounds, including in psychology, counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy. Applicants must have a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or completed coursework sufficient for MFT licensure. They also must be clinically active or be working to achieve licensure.

“We want to take their skills to the next level as they become expert clinicians, serving Hawaii in a culturally sensitive way,” she said, adding that the degree will prepare students for leadership, supervision and consultation, teaching in higher education, and for program administration.

“Hawaii has a dearth of experts in this field,” Hawkins said. “This program is about helping the next generation of marriage and family therapy clinicians build their skills. We think with the family in mind all the time and that’s really what sets us apart. Our prime purpose is to strengthen those connections, to honor families, to look at those areas of hurt and pain, and to help people build resilience.”

The Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy will be delivered fully online, with both synchronous and asynchronous classes. With 10-week terms, students can complete their degree in as few as 36 months.

The degree, the only one of its kind in Hawaii, is also practice-focused and designed for working professionals. The cohort system allows participants to make progress toward their degree as a team, Hawkins said, supporting one another and building strong relationships along the way.

As part of the degree, participants will complete a dissertation and be encouraged to select an action research project focused on hands-on learning and maximizing their positive impact. “Students will be able to conduct their dissertation research in their workplace or as part of a clinic experience, understanding how to better help their clients and evaluating programs,” Hawkins said.

Chaminade President Lynn Babington, PhD, said the doctoral degree helps to meet a strong need for marriage and family therapy clinicians operating at the highest levels of the discipline. “The Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy is all about leadership and preparing students to take the next step in their careers so they can better advocate for families and build healthier family units which in turn positively impacts our community,” she said.

“Service and social justice are at the foundation of this degree, aligning with our broader Marianist values at Chaminade that seek to educate the whole person and help students pursue positive change.”

Dr. Dale Fryxell, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, added that the professors serving the program were hand-picked and are all experts in their field. “These faculty-mentors are not only well-versed in theory but in practice, bringing decades of experience to the program,” Fryxell said.

“They are perfectly suited to supporting our DMFT participants as they build on their professional identities in advanced levels of clinical intervention and also grow adept at systemic leadership, program building and consultation to practitioners, nonprofit organizations and healthcare entities.”

Hawkins said the program is designed to appeal to a wide range of students, including mid-career professionals and those who have just completed a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Participants, she added, will have access to a strong network of support from faculty members, program advisors and Chaminade support staff. Hawkins also said the coursework—like the dissertation—is designed to stress experiential learning, skills building and leadership development.

“They’ll have opportunities to hone their skills in real-world settings, weaving in unique challenges, complexities and nuances present in Hawaii,” Hawkins said. “And at every turn, we will employ a socially just, informed lens to working with clients while recognizing no two families are alike.”

Celebrating Student Research at Na Liko Na’auao 2022

Participants of the 2022 Na Liko Na'auao Symposium

Interpretation of Multidimensional Chromatographic Outputs by Non-Specialists.

Decolonizing Methodologies in Research.

Native Hawaiian Traditional Medicine and its Effects on Inflammation of WISH cells.

Those titles are a mouthful. They also represent just a handful of the hefty research topics undergraduate and graduate scholars at Chaminade discussed at this year’s Na Liko Na’auao Symposium, an annual event dedicated to showcasing student scholarship across disciplines.

Na Liko Na’auao is in its 20th year at Chaminade and gives its student participants an opportunity to showcase their academic and creative work. After going virtual for the last two years, the event on April 8 was held in person at the Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center.

And in another twist, students got the chance to discuss their research posters and give oral presentations. Participants also came from across fields, including Psychology, Environmental + Interior Design, Data Science, Biology and Nursing—to name a few. Topics explored by students ranged from research into forensic science and body decomposition to the use of statistical models to detect malicious internet traffic.

Amber Noguchi, the director of Chaminade’s Undergraduate Research and Pre-Professional Programs, said expanding participation at the symposium to graduate students was a natural step given the numerous master’s degrees offered at the university on top of three doctoral programs.

Student presents her research poster at Na Liko Na'auao Symposium

In her opening remarks, Noguchi also gave special recognition to the founders of the event: the late Henry Gomes, who was director for Native Hawaiian Partnerships at Chaminade, and Patti Lee-Robinson, former director of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research.

“They had a vision to create a venue to celebrate student scholarship,” Noguchi said.

Also at the event, President Lynn Babington announced the recipient of the 2022 President Sue Wesselkamper Award, which recognizes a student at Chaminade who has demonstrated both outstanding scholarship and extensive service to the community and to the university.

As Babington explained to attendees, Wesselkamper was named Chaminade University’s eighth president in 1995 and was the first woman to head a four-year university in the islands. The award in her name was endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clark, and recipients are nominated by faculty members.

This year’s awardee: Nainoa Gaspar-Takahashi, a junior at Chaminade who is majoring in Nursing.

Nainoa Gaspar-Takahashi and Dr. Lynn Babington

Gaspar-Takahashi has a strong record of academic scholarship, including research into the integration of Native Hawaiian and Marianist values in student success. In 2020, he co-wrote an article that was published in the Asian Pacific Islander Nursing Journal. He is also a member of the Student Nurses Association and is a peer leader in the Kokua Kakou nursing enrichment program.

His central goal is to make a positive difference in the community, especially in the Native Hawaiian population, and so he is pursuing a career in nursing and hopes to serve in an intensive care unit or emergency room. He also wants to eventually seek a master’s degree in Nursing and continue research projects aimed at improving the healthcare system in Hawaii and the quality of care provided to all patients.

Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe, a professor of Nursing who nominated Gaspar-Takahashi for the prestigious honor, applauded his “impeccable work ethic” and said he is a joy to collaborate with.

From Chaminade to the Hiphop Archive

Dominique Bocanegra '13 in the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard University

Dominique Bocanegra ‘13 will never forget the advice that changed her life. It was from an inmate.

Bocanegra had just graduated from Chaminade University with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, returned to her hometown of San Francisco and landed a job at a jail helping inmates to transition back into the community. The work was challenging: recidivism rates were high and success stories rare.

One day, Bocanegra was working with an older man who was just about to be released and — she believes looking back on the moment now — he likely caught onto just how much she was struggling with her role and how little she could do for men trying to begin their lives again in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

“He told me, ‘Dominique, if I had had someone like you when I was young, I probably wouldn’t have lived the life I lived,’” Bocanegra recalled, in a recent conversation with Chaminade Magazine. “He was telling me to work with youth. To let them know this — in jail — is where you don’t want to end up.”

The inmate’s words inspired Bocanegra and started her on a journey that would take her to the Episcopal Service Corps, grassroots work with youth in communities and finally to Harvard University, where she now helps to oversee an innovative project to archive hip-hop’s rich and ever-evolving story.

Looking back on her path to one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, where she serves as administrator of the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute and works with a team of rising researchers and young scholars, she credits her time at Chaminade with helping her realize the importance of service and reflecting on the positive change just one person can make in the lives of others.

“The Marianist heritage and values. Campus Ministry. I remember that being a big pillar of my experience at Chaminade — finding ways to reflect,” she said. “The service, the search for justice and peace, I believe that was something really engraved in all of our teachings at Chaminade.”

Finding her way to Chaminade University
Dominique Bocanergra '13 with softball teammate on senior day

Bocanegra grew up in a little town in California called Brisbane (population: 4,000). It’s outside San Francisco and was the kind of place where a kid could be a kid. She grew up playing lots of sports, but it was soccer that she really loved. And it was soccer that would take her to Hawaii the first time.

Bocanegra was in fifth grade and traveled to the islands for a soccer tournament. She ended up not staying in Waikiki, but at a friend’s family home in Nanakuli. The surroundings and ambiance were everything that she’d imagined: sunny days, balmy nights and the food! She felt right at home.

“That was the start of the story,” Bocanegra said.

Years later, in high school, she was pondering where she wanted to attend university. She knew she wanted a campus with small class sizes and a strong criminal justice program. It was about that time that Chaminade made a visit to her campus. After sitting down with an admissions counselor, one on one, she knew she’d found the right place. “I felt like everything was individualized,” she recalled.

Dominique Bocanergra '13 receiving the Founders' Award, standing with Bro. Bernie Ploeger and Fr. George Cerniglia

More than that, Bocanegra said that from her first day at Chaminade she felt like she was part of a family. And there was rarely a moment where she wasn’t growing as a student and a person. She walked onto the soccer team in her first year and later played on the softball team and became president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also participated in the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program and Campus Ministry.

Bocanegra acknowledged that she did feel homesick during that first semester at Chaminade. But support was never too far away. She fondly remembers one afternoon when a fellow student-athlete grabbed her and some other friends and headed up to the North Shore. It was during that excursion Bocanegra realized that she needed to enjoy the gift she’d been given and come out of her shell.

“I told myself, ‘I need to see what Hawaii has to offer,’” Bocanegra said. “It really helped me out.”

It also drove her to better understand Chaminade’s mission. As she sought to build on her own knowledge and consider her future career options, she started to ask herself, “How can I be of service doing the most justice I can? It was such a big part of Chaminade, including Campus Ministry.”

From Chaminade University to the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute
Dominique Bocanergra '13 with her peers in the Episcopal Service Corps

After graduation and that life-changing advice from an inmate, Bocanegra turned her attention to youth-focused initiatives. She enrolled in the Episcopal Service Corps, living on a stipend and seeking to help build better communities. After serving in Los Angeles, she moved to Boston with the Corps.

She later transitioned into part-time youth ministry and sought additional work at universities.

It was actually through a temp service that she landed a job at Harvard. Not long afterward, she was offered a full-time position at the Hiphop Archive, a center for exploring the scholarship and teachings of the hugely-popular musical genre. “It’s a complete lifestyle,” Bocanegra added. “A celebration of poetry and art. It has solely come out of the United States and spread around the world.”

In her current role, she works with a host of research assistants on new initiatives and develops community service projects aimed at engaging, inspiring and empowering youth. “As a hip-hop listener, I can tell you … it’s always had an undeserved negative connotation. Some call it ghetto music,” she said. “That’s inappropriate. Hip-hop music is a way to understand and celebrate modern America.”

Dominique Bocanegra '13 in the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard University

Bocanegra added that it is so important that an institution like Harvard show its support for this artistic movement, not least of which because of the message it sends to young people. “We’re taking this research and using it for community-building activities. That’s so powerful,” she said.

And wherever Bocanegra goes, she brings Hawaii (and what she learned at Chaminade) with her.

“A big part of my job is to bring the aloha everywhere,” Bocanegra said, adding that she’s become known as the woman who wears aloha shirts and throws shakas. “It’s just letting folks know there are different ways to the world and that a smile is often the start of important conversations.”

Paying it forward

The 2013 graduate also stays connected to Chaminade through friendships with other alumni.

She’s remained very close to two fellow Silverswords — also former student-athletes — and they’re hoping to spearhead the start of a scholarship for student-athletes at the University. “We’re trying to find ways to be good stewards for the future. How can we give our time, talent and treasure?” she said.

That’s also got them looking ahead to their 10-year reunion, which they hope to hold on campus.

As she reflects on her time at Chaminade, she said her biggest takeaway was the power of the aloha spirit. “There’s nothing that can top my experience at Chaminade more than walking away with my love for others — the people, the place and staying true to that aloha and that mission every day,” she said.

Bocanegra added her message to current students at Chaminade is one of strength in fellowship: “You’re part of a bigger community, whether it’s those who came before you or those who will come after you. You are there to receive and then leave something even better for the next students.”

And that, she said, “is what countless Chaminade alumni have tried to do for you.”

Immersive Experiences Through Summer Institutes

Dozens of Hawai’i public high school students converged on Chaminade’s campus over the summer for a host of immersive learning opportunities—trying their hand at everything from spoken word poetry to marine conservation to designing a safehouse for a zombie apocalypse.

Chaminade’s Summer Institutes 2021 offerings, part of the University’s ongoing commitment to early college programming, gave rising juniors and seniors at two public high schools the chance to do a deep dive into disciplines of high interest.

The intensive, 10-day courses were free to McKinley and Kaimukī high school students and also included standalone college preparatory sessions on how to pay for higher education, apply for financial aid, select an academic pathway and build leadership skills.

Dr. Janet Davidson, Chaminade Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, said 37 students participated across five Summer Institutes courses. The offerings were made possible in part thanks to a US Department of Education GEAR UP grant.

Davidson said GEAR UP is focused on boosting college attendance among low-income students. To promote that goal, she said, the Summer Institutes program at Chaminade offered participants a high-quality, engaging college-level experience.

“The students had rewarding experiences on our campus—with each other and with their faculty and peer mentors,” Davidson said, adding that enrollees also benefitted from co-curricular sessions with the University’s advising, financial aid and admissions offices.

“Through our Summer Institutes, we aimed to support the academic growth of students, but also provided a series of college readiness sessions. We look forward to growing on our successes this year and provide even more institutes next summer.”

Doing It Yourself: A New World
high school students working together on a business plan project during the business summer institute

Among the available academic sessions was a course—taught by Accounting Professor Aaron Williamson—on entrepreneurship, business modeling and communication skills. “Doing It Yourself: A New World” also included an emphasis on leadership and team building.

Williamson said he wanted the immersion program to give students a “taste of what business really is. At its root, business is the thoughts, dreams and initiatives of a multitude of folks from history to present who simply had an idea and acted on it.”

He added that he was most excited to watch students tap into their passions and personal interests—and then figure out how to direct that energy into a business plan.

“I fully expect to be walking into a few of their establishments one day,” he added.

Word Wizards: The Magic of Poetry and Hip Hop
high school students at the museum of art during a field trip for the english summer institute

English Professor Dr. Allison Paynter drew from English 256 (Poetry and Drama) to design her summer institute course entitled, “Word Wizards: The Magic of Poetry and Hip Hop.” In addition to analyzing hip hop lyrics, traditional poetry and verse-driven dramas, students wrote poetry and then put on spoken word performances.

Paynter, herself a performance poet, said she most enjoyed seeing her student participants collaborate with one another on writing.

“I also loved watching my students perform their original poetry during our Spoken Word event,” she said. “I would like to believe each student felt empowered through the process of writing creative pieces.”

Marine Science Immersion
high school students at the beach looking at marine life during the marine science summer institute

Dr. Gail Grabowsky, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade, co-taught a “Marine Science Immersion” summer course with Dr. Lupita Ruiz-Jones, an assistant professor of Environmental Sciences. Students in the session spent the first week exploring the ocean environment from the perspective of a marine scientist and the second considering the impacts of humans on marine ecosystems.

Participants spent time in the classroom, lab and, of course, the ocean.

Ruiz-Jones said students took field trips to Waimea Bay, Sharks Cove, Makapuu, Makaha and Ala Moana Beach. They even took a walk from campus to nearby Pālolo Stream, inspiring three students to return the following weekend for a stream cleanup project.

Grabowsky said a central takeaway of the course for students was just how incredible marine systems are—and how important they are to preserve.

“I wanted them to walk away with a knowledge of the ocean, of course, but also a feeling that college is wonderful and an understanding of how it works,” she said. “I hope they all came away loving Chaminade!”

Psychology Studies

Psychology Associate Professor Dr. Darren Iwamoto led a course in Psychology Studies, challenging students to take a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness to understand the importance of mental health in everyday life.

Iwamoto, who is clinical director of the School Counseling and Undergraduate Psychology programs at Chaminade, said he kicked off the course with two questions: Why do we do what we do? And why do we think what we think?”

It was through those lines of inquiry that Iwamoto encouraged students to consider how they tackle stress, handle change and plan for the future—and how they might apply new and healthier coping strategies in their own lives to promote personal wellbeing.

“It was so memorable to watch so much personal and academic growth in just two weeks,” he said, adding that he also learned so much about his own teaching from the experience.

“I had to learn different strategies of student engagement because I didn’t have grades being the underlying motivator,” he said. “I really like how this Summer Institute flowed and how students experienced psychology versus being told about it.”

Visualizing the Future
high school student working on their zombie apocalypse safehouse during the art and design summer institute

The fifth offering over the summer was called “Visualizing the Future.”

Dr. Junghwa Suh, an associate professor of Arts and Design at Chaminade, led the course—modeled after Art 103 or Visual Design. Students were introduced to the power of visualizations and used problem-solving skills and design tools to create models.

After learning the basics of hands-on modeling tools, Suh set the students to work in groups to create a zombie safehouse—yes, you read that right. Suh said the engaging project required students to think about space planning while trying to figure out how to protect the safehouse’s occupants from a decidedly horrific fate.

“I wanted my students to get a clear and dynamic overview of arts and design, see the connection of arts and design to various disciplines … and use their creativity and logical processing to execute design solutions to given problems,” she said.

Suh added that the students’ final safehouse designs were impressive.

“I hope these creative minds gained some new perspectives in arts and design and understand various possibilities they can pursue with this study,” she said.

And she’s already looking forward to next summer’s courses. “It is so beneficial for students to see how different disciplines come together to solve world problems,” she said. “These types of institutes help high school students in making decisions on what they want to study.”

Dr. Joseph Allen: Reevaluating Our Criminal Justice System

What does it look like to pursue social justice in the American justice system? 

Joseph Allen

Social justice movements across the US have prompted many to ask that question—and then quickly realize the answer is far more complicated and nuanced than they initially imagined. But that, says Dr. Joseph Allen, shouldn’t deter us from doing the hard work of reevaluating our criminal justice system.

The director of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Chaminade notes that critical research into the justice system is unpacking the actions of law enforcement agencies and how they can develop policies and practices that serve to protect communities while also committing to fairness and transparency.

Unfortunately, Allen notes, there are no quick fixes in this regard.

That’s because injustice isn’t hidden in a single institution or policy—or person. But Allen, who is also an associate professor at Chaminade, believes action research and dialogue across communities can help to drive positive change and highlight constructive and proactive (rather than reactive) solutions.

Allen recently sat down for a conversation on the justice system, the long history of social justice movements in the US and recent changes to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Studies program that reflect modern developments and academic inquiry around the justice system in America.

How has crime changed over the past few years?

It really hasn’t changed a lot recently. Overall, crime rates are down almost across the board, and they have been on a general decrease over the past 25+ years. The rates of crime we are experiencing today are similar to the rates of the 1960s-1970s. This is hard for most people to reconcile because crime is, more often than not, the lead story on much of our news and media feeds. But, it’s true. Again, everything today is generally low, to begin with. That said, we have seen a slow down in the decreases in aggravated assault and sexual assault — these have leveled off a bit over recent years.

Our official crime data (via the FBI) lags behind about a year or two due to the large data compilation and analysis efforts. So, our most recent data comes from 2019. Data and trends will be interesting to see for 2020 and 2021 when they come out. Due to the pandemic, I expect what could be a noticeable drop in crime overall (as opposed to the general gradual decreases). I then expect that this will “correct” itself a bit in 2021 and increase to “expected” levels. 

Early indicators from the recent year and a half point to potential increases in domestic violence, substance abuse, and cases involving mental health. Albeit rare, we have seen some increases in gun and mass or workplace shootings. Lastly, white-collar and computer crimes are becoming more sophisticated and put those of us who are online at increased risk of having our personal information stolen or compromised. Many large corporations, online platforms, and government agencies have been hacked in various ways and are really in a struggle to keep up with digital security concerns. We each need to do our part and be safe when online.   

How does social media play a role in criminal justice?

Social media spreads word of events far and wide, especially if the news is sensational. This is good for simple news and awareness, but I think it unnecessarily creates increased levels of fear and anxiety in all of us when it comes to extremely unlikely events. Rare events are taken out of context and we tend to feel more vulnerable. This is in spite of the probabilities of these rare events happening to us being very minuscule. It is good that we learn from these events that are often tragic, but we need to keep in perspective that, again, we’re essentially living 1960s/1970s rates of crime. 

How has accountability changed?

With increased information, we become exposed to things that we may not have had in the past. Smartphones and social media have been the driving forces behind the amplification of this effect. To this end, we are all to some extent put under more pressure to act and behave accordingly. More so now than in the past, the criminal justice field has been forced to reflect on its policies and procedures. This has been the most noticeable in law enforcement due to several high-profile national cases. To say that many or even most of these cases were as “cut and dried” as some think, I believe is an understatement, but the truth of the reality is that there is almost always something to learn about, clarify, or update professional training when it comes to policies and procedures. These unfortunate incidents have made jurisdictions and agencies reevaluate legal policy and sometimes change procedures, especially when engaging citizens physically.

As for body-worn cameras (BWC), when I last studied the topic, a few things struck me as interesting. First, there was hesitation among most officers when first using body cameras (e.g., some felt that they would not react as instinctively and that the camera may put them at risk). Second, after using the cameras and getting used to them, most officers welcomed their use (e.g., could corroborate evidence, fewer complaints, less unfounded lawsuits). Third, everyone acts a bit “better” when they know the camera is on, both the officer(s) AND the individuals being engaged by the officer; in other words, things tend to not escalate as much with cameras in use. Lastly, and probably most importantly, is that the public felt that by putting BWCs on officers, there would be more transparency. This last point is vital when it comes to the citizenry trusting those charged with enforcing and carrying out the law.

When it comes to law enforcement, does a “bad egg” reflect that entire organization?

Law enforcement is not a profession for the weary. You must be prepared to face dangerous situations and dangerous people. When these things come together, the likelihood of someone having been victimized and there is a confrontation with police increases, and sometimes things can escalate. Mistakes can happen, whether it be the officer’s decision or following a bad policy/procedure, or something that is unclear or leaves a lot to interpretation. The leaders in our law enforcement field definitely feel the pressure to “get it right.” And I think that the vast, vast majority of the rank and file feel the same way, too. So, going back to the question, “does one bad egg [or incident] reflect the rest of the force?” To this, I say unequivocally, “Absolutely not.” No field is perfect, and you will always have bad actors or unfortunate incidents. To some extent, and rightfully so, I think that law enforcement gets put under the microscope at a higher magnification due to the core elements of being representatives of the law who are charged with protecting the public and property and serving the citizenry. In terms of government agencies and performance, the criminal justice system/field needs to continue to evolve and change so that integrity and trust are maintained, and results are shown. The police and other law enforcement agencies are not “off-the-charts bad” when it comes to efficiency, decision-making, and leadership. Like any other government agency and oversight, some cases bring about much-needed change and we all should agree that the law should apply to everyone equally, with law enforcement being held to the highest standard.         

Over the past few years, there has been more interest in criminology and criminal justice programs—why do you think that is?

The main thing that I see from students and those entering the criminology and criminal justice field is a desire to help make communities safer and our society a better place. The range of positions run the gamut from law enforcement to legal work to corrections and treatment to things like working with underserved or marginalized populations (e.g., children, impoverished, homeless, substance abusers, offenders looking to get back on the right path). Also, there is always the presence of preventing people from becoming victims of crime and to help them if they do end up being victimized. So, prevention and treatment efforts across-the-board and increased investigation/legal efforts are stressed in order that we have less crime to begin with, that the crime we do have is accounted for and there is a proper balance of treatment and justice for offenders in order to have less repeat offending in the future.

Those who are looking at the field nowadays I think feel a bit more extra pressure to hold their positions with the highest level of integrity. Additionally, I feel some who have entered the field recently or are looking to enter the field in the future are also looking to be part of changing things for the better. For what it’s worth, I think now and going forward is a great time for going into the field. There will continue to be bumps in the road, but our students will undoubtedly be part of needed changes in the system.    

Chaminade’s Criminology and Criminal Justice department updated its master’s program (M.S. Criminal Justice Studies). How does the new curriculum respond to the current criminal justice environment and community needs? 

During this past year, we updated our Master’s degree program in CJ. Previously, it was known as the “Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration.” It is now the “Master of Science in Criminal Justice Studies.” In general terms, we’ve made our curriculum more contemporary with a focus on not just the advanced pillars of the field, but also on contemporary issues that are entrenched in the criminal justice landscape today—ethics, research, civil rights, forensic psychology, terrorism, cybercrime and trauma and crisis intervention. The field is broadening from law and order to a sort of safety net for a host of social issues; those in the field, especially on the frontlines, dealing with a wider array of matters than in the past. This also includes more emphasis on the front-end (prevention efforts) and the back-end (treatment and reintegration). We feel that our curriculum better reflects these shifts in the field.

Lastly, on a practical note, a master’s degree gives students a leg up when they enter the field and during their careers. As things in the field open up as the mass exodus of the Baby Boomer generation continues to occur, advanced degrees will separate one from their peers even more. For entree into the field, a master’s degree will often help in terms of being able to substitute for years of experience (e.g., common is equivalent to 2-3 years of experience). Then, once in the field, opportunities that require or desire a master’s degree will come up; moreover, advancement and promotion in certain fields can get pushed up or given advantages because of the advanced degree. As time goes on and one becomes more entrenched in their career, a master’s degree in today’s work field is seen as a must if one is being considered for higher-level positions (e.g., director, supervisory, managerial). I feel that the “payback” or return on investment from obtaining a master’s degree is high in the long run for graduates; roughly a little over a year of studies will put the graduate in an advantaged position for the rest of their careers.

Alum and Domestic Violence Advocate Stresses Self-Care

Luana Moreno, BA Religious Studies '17

Luana Moreno ’17 practices what she calls little “acts of self-care” every day.

It’s how the Hawaii Domestic Violence Action Center advocate ensures the difficult emotional and physical trauma she helps other people process doesn’t begin to impact her own mental health.

It’s also how she makes certain she can continue to be there for them, week in and week out.

When things get a little too heavy, she takes a walk. Treats herself to a coffee. Picks up her coloring pencils. Sometimes, all she needs is to go outside, take in a deep breath and enjoy the sunshine.

“You can’t help other people become better if you are not helping yourself,” said Moreno, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies with a minor in Psychology from Chaminade.

Moreno, who is originally from San Diego, California, knew at an early age that she wanted to find a career that would allow her to help others—like she and her mother once needed help.

“I was raised by my mom, who showed me that there are ways to leave and survive abusive relationships,” Moreno said. “My work goes hand-in-hand with my journey because it has allowed me to learn and heal as well as help other survivors learn and start their own healing journey.”

When she was in high school, Moreno stumbled across Chaminade as she was looking online for potential universities to attend. She immediately felt a connection with the school—not least of which because of her name. “My great-grandparents’ best friends were from Hawaii and that’s how I got my name, Luana,” she said. “My great-grandmother was never able to come here and when she passed away I wanted to accomplish her dream and give more to the special place that provided me my name.”

Luana Moreno, BA Religious Studies '17, playing softball for Chaminade

Moreno jumped at the chance to play softball for Chaminade.

And she was delighted that she could pursue the subjects she was interested in at the University.

She combined Religious Studies with Psychology because she wanted to learn more about the impacts of trauma on people’s lives and unpack how belief systems can help people through difficult experiences.

“Having a religious upbringing, I was taught to see trials as a piece of a bigger picture, where you learn lessons and come out of it better and stronger,” she said.

“I wanted to know more about why and what people believe and how it can help throughout life.”

Moreno added that her Religious Studies degree gave her a broader perspective on the world, too. “The inclusive knowledge of religion, spirituality and psychology allowed me to approach people in crisis in a kinder and more effective way,” she said. “It made me more accepting and open to people.”

It was actually through the pageant world that Moreno found her role in domestic violence.

She was part of the Miss Latina Hawaii Scholarship Organization and learned about the Domestic Violence Action Center from a friend she was coaching high school softball with.

As part of Miss Latina Hawaii, she was challenged to think about her social impact.

And so she started to volunteer with the action center. In short order, she was offered a full-time position with the nonprofit as a campus survivor advocate. 

Her advice to others seeking careers in advocacy is simple: “Self-care! Self-care! Self-care!”

That’s an especially important lesson, she adds, amid the pandemic—which has left many more members of the community in need of social services. “Be mindful of how heavy the work can feel and find an outlet that helps release the emotions that can be held giving to others,” she said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the Hawaii Domestic Violence Action Center helpline at (800) 690-6200 or text (605) 956-5680.