Chaminade University of Honolulu

Behavioral Sciences

PPE for Queen’s Medical Center

CTRAC created PPE donated to Queen's Medical Center

The Castle Teacher Resource Activity Center (CTRAC) in Chaminade’s School of Education and Behavioral Sciences recently donated 62 face shields to nurses in the Trauma Unit at Queen’s Hospital to use as protection while treating patients with COVID-19.

CTRAC created PPE donated to Queen's Medical Center

When Chaminade staff approached Graduate Assistant Veronica Haskell about using the CTRAC equipment to create face masks, she immediately got to work creating a prototype. With a successful prototype in hand, she went into production and produced the face shields using the center’s 3-D printer and laser cutter.

Haskell, a graduate student in Chaminade’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, has worked at CTRAC for less than a year. She has learned to master both the 3-D printer and the laser cutter in that short period of time and has been invaluable on numerous projects, including this one.

CTRAC created PPE donated to Queen's Medical Center

CTRAC was established nearly 10 years ago through generous funding from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation, and provides a much-needed space for students to study, relax, create and socialize. The center was turned into a maker’s space in 2018 and now houses the 3-D printer and laser cutter, both of which are available for student use.

Haskell worked with Dr. Elizabeth Park, associate professor of education at Chaminade, and Dr. Amber Noguchi, director of Undergraduate Research and Pre-Professional Programs at Chaminade. Together, they were able to coordinate the delivery of the masks to Queen’s in a contactless drop-off on June 1, 2020.

Working on the Frontlines

It’s Monday, and Ann-Janin Bacani arrives at work around 8:15 a.m. She covers herself head to toe in personal protective equipment (PPE), and heads into the lab.

Ann-Janin Bacani '18

The Chaminade alumna checks each coronavirus testing swab that arrives—it’s essential to enter them into their database before proceeding. She ensures they each have proper approval from the state epidemiologist, and then she gets to work.

Each coronavirus test swab is analyzed for the virus through a lengthy process. First, the RNA is extracted from the virus. Then, it is converted to DNA. Finally, using a real-time, reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machine, the DNA is copied and amplified to identify the presence of 2019-nCoV genes. If the genes are present, the test is considered positive.

Bacani is a microbiologist in the Biological Response Section of the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Laboratory and Preparedness Response Branch.

Initially, she worked with the Food and Drug Administration to test food samples for salmonella and listeria. But when COVID-19 hit in January, Bacani’s lab was the first in the state of Hawaii to be approved to analyze test results.

At first, it was nerve wracking. There was a lot of initial uncertainty and risks. So much about the disease was unknown. But the department was quick to react.

“I was fully trained by highly trained microbiologists in my section and we were provided with the proper PPE to work the virus,” says Bacani. “That put my mind at ease while working in the laboratory.”

Ann-Janin Bacani '18 and her co-workers showing their lunch their received from donors
(L-R) Ayana Garnet, Ann-Janin Bacani ’18 and Drew Kuwazaki receiving their free ‘thank you’ bentos from the Hawaii Government Employee Association

As part of the Biological Response Section, the Waipahu High School graduate is part of a team of epidemiologists, physicians, microbiologists and officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration tasked with providing rapid response to bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks or any other public health emergency.

Their COVID testing lab serves all of Hawai‘i and many of the outer Pacific Islands as well. Bacani sees it as a chance to serve her community.

“It has always been my vision and goal to be able to give back to my community,” says Bacani. “From my early years at Chaminade University, I have wanted to provide and bring quality care to underserved populations.”

Bacani graduated from Chaminade University in 2018 as a biochemistry major with a minor in psychology.

She attributes a lot of what she does now to her time at Chaminade. It was through a Chaminade classmate that she initially found the position at the Department of Health—Alexis Young, another Chaminade alumna, is also a microbiologist at the department.

A graduate of Waipahu High School, Bacani was introduced to Chaminade University at a college fair field trip. Her dream was to become a pharmacist, so she chose Chaminade for the highly regarded STEM program. 

Her next four years were filled with leadership roles, clubs, research opportunities, premedical summer programs, travel to conferences and more. And while she didn’t always recognize it at the time, everything she learned was preparing her for her role today.

“Turns out, a lot of the things we all thought we wouldn’t need to know were things we later found to be very helpful,” she admits.

Perhaps her biggest lesson was understanding just how important it is to follow precise laboratory techniques and best practices—for a patient relying on a diagnosis, it can be life-changing.

“The human aspect of a clinical sample is more than just the volume in a tube,” says Bacani. “It’s the impact that the sample has that is important, which makes all of what I do as a microbiologist worthwhile.”

And the impact of what she does every day is not lost on her.

“Our job is so meaningful right now, as it is an essential task that allows people to know whether or not they have contracted the coronavirus,” explains Bacani. “It is so important to understand the precise laboratory techniques, tests and best medicinal approaches that allow for a patient’s life-changing diagnosis.”

While she has been honored to serve her community on the frontlines of this pandemic, Bacani’s ultimate goal is still to become a Doctor of Pharmacy. She’s humbled by the power drug interactions can have on a patient’s life, and wants to become a clinical or hospital pharmacist. She plans to start at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at University of Hawaii at Hilo in the fall.

Student’s Heritage Motivates Academic Journey

Chaminade junior Alexis Lambert loves to see history come alive through culture.

Alexis Lambert - online undergraduate student majoring in psychology

And so when her professor tasked her with writing a research paper for History 201, a course that explores America through the Civil War, she knew exactly what she wanted to write about: Her people.

Lambert, 21, is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

She was born and raised in Cherokee, North Carolina, and still lives on reservation land there with her mother and two younger siblings. It seems a world away from Chaminade, but Lambert says the university’s online program has turned out to be a perfect fit for her—and her studies.

Alexis Lambert - online undergraduate student majoring in psychology

Lambert first applied to Chaminade while still in high school, but then decided to attend her local community college for two years. After receiving her associate’s degree, she was looking for an online bachelor’s degree program that would allow her to stay in Cherokee while also getting access to quality educational programs. She remembered what she’d read about Chaminade and decided to apply again.

“Everything fell into place,” she said.

Lambert is now majoring in Psychology and pursuing a minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Chaminade.

She dreams of bringing her unique perspective to her future profession just as she brings it to her courses today. “I love my culture and cannot imagine growing up any other way,” she said. “We have pow-wows and festivals that celebrate our food and culture all throughout the year.”

For History 201, Lambert worked with adjunct Professor Willis Moore to tell the story of her people before 1865 into present day. The paper explores what the Cherokee people have gone through—and how they have survived to keep their traditions, customs and language alive for future generations.

It also unpacks her tribe’s laws and political structure, comparing them to the US government.

Lambert said she jumped at the opportunity to write the paper for a simple reason: “I want more people to know about my culture and to know about the other side of history—the one that is not in the books. Cherokee is a federally recognized tribe in the US. We have our own laws and land.”

Lambert said she’s come a long way—and is looking forward to graduation and beyond.

She’s interested in becoming a clinical psychologist or a forensic psychologist. Whatever she chooses, she’s confident that she’ll get there because of having her foundation rooted at Chaminade. “I love it here and cannot wait to learn more,” she said. “I am very happy right now and very proud of myself.”

Psychology Meets Design

Interior design is about space planning, lighting, architecture and the environment.

But ultimately, Dr. Junghwa Suh likes to tell her students, it’s about people. How people live, work – and play.

And this year, the associate professor of Environmental + Interior Design at Chaminade, took that lesson to new lengths with an innovative collaboration that weaved in key principles of psychology.

For the project, Suh partnered with Dr. Blendine Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Psychology.

Environmental + Interior Design and Psychology students presenting their interdisciplinary projects

Together, they tasked PSY 321: The Psychology of Personality students and EID 200: Introduction of Interior Design students with working side by side to analyze the character and personality traits of their clients to envision a truly person-centered home – complete with a unique design feature.

And the project had a fun twist: The so-called “clients” were actually characters from “The Office.”

So one group of psychology and EID students designed a home for Angela Martin, head of accounting on the show and known for more than a few eccentricities, including treating her four cats like her children.

Another designed a living space for Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell), the boss of the paper distribution branch featured in the show who – rather oddly – fancies himself a skilled performer.

The two professors came up with the idea for the project while Suh was visiting Hawkins’ class for a peer teaching observation. Afterwards, the two were chatting and Suh mentioned just how relevant psychology is to the field of interior design, especially when thinking about living spaces.

Environmental + Interior Design and Psychology students discussing their interdisciplinary projects

“Together we came up with the idea that it would be interesting to have psychology and design students collaborate,” Hawkins said, “by bringing the learning from their respective field into a culminating project” and having students from each field serve as experts to their peer counterparts.

The professors launched the project in the fall, both classes coming together frequently to build a foundation of knowledge in psychology and interior design, then to apply what they’d learned and finally to present their final projects – those client-centered living spaces – at the end of the term.

The psychology students were tasked with “developing a deep understanding” of their “Office” character and communicating that analysis to their design colleagues. The design students then used the analysis from their peers to develop a living space that truly incorporates their character’s traits.

The professors said the project was a hit with students, who appreciated the chance to learn about another field of study, apply it to their own – and, of course, watch some episodes from “The Office.”

Environmental + Interior Design and Psychology students discussing their interdisciplinary projects

Environmental Science student Noah Lorenzo ’21 was among the psychology students and said he enjoyed working closely with students from different majors and applying the theories he learned in a concrete way – to a home designed for a client. “My biggest takeaway from this project is seeing that it is possible for two different majors to collaborate on a single project,” Lorenzo said.

He added he’d love to see more interdisciplinary collaboration in other classes.

“It was interesting because I took the class to learn why people act a certain way,” Lorenzo said. “This project was fun because we did just that and applied it to a realistic setting.”

Suh said the interdisciplinary project had its challenges, especially as students sought to better understand their counterparts’ fields of study and incorporate them into their own. “We were able to witness the benefits of this collaboration,” she said, adding that she and Hawkins also learned a lot along the way – and are already thinking about how to bring their students together again.

Environmental + Interior Design and Psychology students presenting their interdisciplinary projects

Putting Down “Roots”: PsyD Program is Here to Stay

The next time you walk by Brogan Hall, look for the young kukui nut tree on the building’s mauka end. 

The tree — traditionally a symbol of enlightenment and spiritual guidance — was planted to celebrate the new permanent home of the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology degree program at the Hawaii School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University.

The program’s faculty, staff and students attended the tree planting on November 6.

Dr. Sean Scanlan, director of Chaminade’s Psy.D. program, said the kukui nut is the perfect representation of the Clinical Psychology program at Chaminade. He added that the tree was planted following a suggestion from a student in a place where it will have lots of room to grow.

“The kukui tree was used by Native Hawaiians for candlelight and has become an emblem of the importance of seeking out opportunities for personal and academic growth,” Scanlan said. “As a symbol of enlightenment, the kukui tree we’ve planted at Brogan Hall will continue to grow and thrive in the years and decades ahead just as the Clinical Psychology program will flourish at Chaminade into the future.”

During the small ceremony, the students added soil to cover the kukui tree’s roots as a symbol of being the basis for the program to grow. The Psy.D. faculty and staff then poured water from an ipu as a symbol of their role in instructing, mentoring and supporting the students.

In March, Chaminade University announced it would host the Hawaii School of Professional Clinical Psychology Psy.D. program following the abrupt closure of Argosy University. Chaminade immediately welcomed approximately 100 students and faculty members into the program as it worked to ensure a seamless transition for those working toward their doctoral degree – and those helping them get there.

Today, the Psy.D. at Chaminade is a five-year, intensive program designed to build students’ skills and knowledge as they train to become clinical psychologists. Early courses in the program provide the foundation for the field, while later classes focus on therapy, research training and an internship.

Dr. Lynn Babington, Chaminade president, said serving as a hub for high-quality mental health instruction – and a source for excellent mental health providers who will serve their communities – is in line with the University’s mission to work every day to change the world for the better.

“The planting of the kukui nut tree at Brogan Hall is a powerful symbol that underscores our commitment to ensuring the Psy.D. program at Chaminade continues to grow and meet the mental health needs of our state,” she said. “We are excited about the next steps in building out this program and can’t wait to see how psychologists trained at Chaminade impact people’s lives in positive ways.”

For more information on the Psy.D. program at Chaminade or to apply, click on the Psy.D. program page.

Graduate and Undergraduate Student Recognized at “Top Cop” Event

Two Chaminade students were recognized recently at the “Top Cop” Law Enforcement and Security Awards, an annual event aimed at celebrating those who work to make their communities safer.

Top Cop 2019
L-R: Dr. Joe Allen, Dr. Kelly Treece, Jesus Moreno (MSCJA student), Dr. Ronald Becker and Andres Victoria (Criminology and Criminal Justice student)

Jesus Moreno, a Chaminade graduate student, was awarded the Anton Financial Scholarship after outlining his studies in criminal justice and detailing what he plans to do after graduation.

Undergraduate student Andres Victoria, meanwhile, took home the ASIS Hawaii Chapter award. Victoria is seeking his bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Chaminade online.

Both students received $1,000 cash scholarships.

The “Top Cop” awards banquet was held October 24 at the Ala Moana Hotel. The event is held annually to “promote, encourage and recognize excellence in the field of law enforcement and security in Hawaii.”

To be selected for the scholarships, Moreno and Victoria also had to submit letters of recommendation and be actively enrolled in a criminal justice program.

Worth noting: Chaminade’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program is the largest and oldest in Hawaii, and the University offers several degree options for those interested in pursuing careers in the field.

In addition to on-campus programs, students can seek Criminology and Criminal Justice undergraduate and graduate degrees entirely online.

Whether on campus or online, the degrees prepare students to pursue careers in law enforcement, public safety, criminal justice or graduate studies in law or criminology research.