Chaminade University of Honolulu

Campus and Community

Chaminade’s Advancement Team is on a Mission to Build Relationships

Gary Cordova, vice president of Advancement at Chaminade, says his job—and the work of his five-member team—is all about building strong relationships. With alumni, with members of the broader community and with others who understand and believe in Chaminade’s strong social service mission.

Chaminade's Advancement team photo

“We have immediate needs for the university, but relationship building is in the long view,” Cordova said. “The engagement approaches have to be individualized—it’s not a one size fits all. Philanthropy is so impactful in the lives of our students and we need to ensure we’re conveying that message.”

Cordova took over his current role at the University in July 2020, bringing more than 20 years of experience in public and private universities and independent private schools. And he’s hit the ground running, bringing on team members to stabilize what he calls the three-legged stool of advancement.

Two of those legs are enrollment management and public funding.

The third leg—private philanthropy—required significant short- and long-term strategic planning.

“That’s where we come in,” Cordova said, of his office, adding that one of his top priorities has been beginning the work of building a strong alumni outreach program and conducting relationship-building with community philanthropists who share and understand Chaminade’s mission.

Data science students in classroom

That work has already paid off.

Cordova said the University’s Chaminade Fund, which offers direct aid to students, saw an increase in support during last academic year and beat previous records. The help, he added, was more needed than ever as many students and their families struggled financially because of the COVID pandemic.

Serving with Cordova in the Advancement office are:

  • Jill Higashi, assistant vice president of Advancement
  • Jeanne Lum, ‘05, MBA ‘07, director of alumni relations
  • Kendra Sia, director of the Annual Fund
  • And Joanne Nakano, executive assistant to the vice president

It’s been Lum, working closely with other members of the team, who has sought to build an alumni network from the ground up. Cordova said reconnection and engagement are key to bringing Chaminade graduates—no matter when they got their degrees—back into the fold.

Chaminade alums at the alumni reunion in 2019

Perhaps most importantly, Cordova added, alumni need to be reminded of their warm memories of Chaminade and that whatever they give back to the institution (in treasure or time) is so very valuable.

“Universities with very strong alumni programs have very strong endowments. Because they are engaged and they believe in the engagement,” he said. “We need to reimagine our alumni program to reach a varied alumni community. We need to engage our alumni in the life of the university.”

To help do just that, Lum has created an Alumni Council made up of graduates across the decades.

She has also sought to set up exciting opportunities for alumni to offer networking and career development opportunities to current students, and has begun to bolster outreach and communications with alumni about upcoming events and initiatives at the University.

“We want people to remember why they love Chaminade so much,” she said.

Cordova added that alumni relations don’t begin at graduation. The Advancement team is seeking to build bridges between alumni and current students so that both groups feel like they’re part of the same family—“this culture of connectedness that’s got them bleeding blue and white.”

The same goes for broader philanthropic outreach, Cordova said.

He said his team members have sought to strengthen relationships with those who have already given to the university, offering not only their gratitude but important details about where their donations went and how much of a difference it made in the lives of students and their academic journeys.

“How do we create systems that can intentionally engage with our supporters? That’s an important question for us in our planning and outreach,” Cordova said. “When we are reporting the effectiveness of a gift over time—helping donors understand the power of their contribution—we are creating a stronger relationship and potentially creating a cycle of philanthropy that never ends.”

Chaminade University’s “Community First” Approach Sparks an Innovative Data Science Collaboration

A Collaborative Vision: Waianae Coast Community Scorecard and Dashboard Project

As part of an innovative partnership, Data Science students at Chaminade University are teaming up with community groups in the Waianae Coast to develop a Waianae Coast Community Scorecard and Dashboard. This project is designed to be regularly conducted to measure community sentiment and report results that are easy-to-use, meaningful and actionable. The results will shine a spotlight on areas of opportunity and community wellbeing, and will help prioritize initiatives. Dr. Helen Turner, vice president of Chaminade’s Center for Strategy and Innovation and faculty of the Data Science program says, “this project is part of a broader vision that embraces Chaminade University’s ‘community first’ approach and the work done at the Center to foster an Innovation Moku in the Waianae Coast to build a refreshed economic reality that is resilient and fits with community priorities and wishes.”

This project is advised by Dr. Rylan Chong, director of the Data Science program and assistant professor at Chaminade University and by Joseph Lapilio, the executive director of the Waianae Economic Development Council and Waianae Moku Navigators.

Joseph Lapilio says “the Waianae Moku Navigators, made up of more than two dozen community organizations, is excited about the Chaminade Innovation Moku partnership and the prospect of having a reliable—and replicable—tool for gauging public opinion, welfare, wellbeing and key quality of life metrics in the Waianae Coast. A lot of what we do now is based on anecdotes or emotional reaction to issues going on. But actual data,” Lapilio said, “has power that could incite real action.”

The Partnership: Working, Learning, and Growing Together

The Waianae Coast Community Scorecard and Dashboard project was first piloted in fall 2020 and continued through spring 2021. Students enrolled in the Data Science 301: Community-Engaged Computing class worked with the Waianae Moku Navigators and the Waianae Economic Development Council to create an initial scorecard and dashboard.

Lapilio said he’s been “very impressed with how hard Rylan and his students have worked on the project. Rylan has been extremely open to community input,” he said. “Our long-term goal is not only in terms of a scorecard. It is also in terms of—how do we connect community members to data collection so it is more than just us? How do we work together? How do we connect?” The scorecard hasn’t merely been an academic exercise, but a growing experience for Chaminade students and for members of the community. “They need to be able to engage with the community, to see the community as a partner in this work,” Lapilio said.

The next step for this project is launching the initial scorecard to a test group before taking the scorecard community-wide to collect responses. The scorecard incorporates a host of data points, including information on food security, household income, housing, health, feelings about safety, technology infrastructure and acceptance, and a sense of belonging.

The Experience: Hands-On, Collaborative, Meaningful

Dr. Gail Grabowsky, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade  says, “real-world projects and partnerships like the Innovation Moku get our students involved and allows them to apply their data science skills in a collaborative environment to address the wellbeing of their communities.” Chong adds, “the Waianae Coast Community Scorecard and Dashboard project is about providing the students with a taste of what data science can actually do and the positive impacts they could have in the Data Science discipline.”

Students participating in this project say the effort has been fulfilling.

“My biggest takeaway from the project was how far-reaching an effect data science can have,” Chaminade Data Science senior Aaron Walden said. He assisted with the effort in Fall 2020 and said it helped him understand how “data science can be used to identify community initiatives.” The scorecard, he said, “is a tool to visually see trends to support prioritization of the community initiatives.”

Senior Hunter Yamanaka, who is majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Data Science, also participated in the scorecard and dashboard project in Fall 2020. He said “working with the community while digging into the numbers helped him understand how similar efforts could benefit organizations and the public. Data Science has endless ways of improving society,” he said.

“For instance,” says Data Science major Taylor Ishisaka, “data science can turn lists of data points and numbers into something visual and meaningful that everyone can understand. It can shape how we see the world.” Ishisaka, who participated in the scorecard and dashboard project Spring 2021, said “it has been eye-opening to see how much work and collaboration goes into a project like this.” Data science in Hawaii and the Waianae Coast Community Scorecard and Dashboard project is more than collecting data, programming, and analyzing data. When data science is applied to this project, it’s clearly a powerful discipline that can be applied to any field, provide a platform for a community to voice their opinions, inspire discovery and innovation, connect communities, and has the potential to confirm or make ethical societal or policy changes. As Ishisaka and Lapilio said, “when it comes to data science, the possibilities are endless, with real potential for inciting action and implementing positive change in our communities.”

Kosasa Foundation Awards Grant for Emerging Scholars Program

Through the Center for Strategy and Innovation, Chaminade University recently received a $25,000 grant from the Kosasa Foundation to support its Emerging Scholars pilot program aimed at promoting pathways to college for rural high school students on Kauai. The first cohort of students will begin the year-long program in the fall.

Prior to the pandemic, Chaminade offered a number of early college programs as part of the statewide Hawaii P-20 initiative promoting pathways to college. When the University pivoted to online learning, dual-enrollment and pre-college courses were canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Chaminade has revamped and redesigned its college readiness programs to be offered online or through a mixed online/in-person format.

There will be two types of Emerging Scholar programs: 1) a non-credit Summer Institute for high school students, which will mostly be paid for by the federal college-readiness initiative, GEAR UP, and 2) an academic year dual-enrollment program for high school students to take courses and receive both high school and college credits that can be used toward a college degree.

“We are excited to initiate this pilot program for Kauai students this fall,” said Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington. “The pandemic has created significant educational challenges for those residing in rural areas, including the neighbor islands. A lack of technology and broadband access has made online learning difficult for many students. The Emerging Scholars program will ensure students who are disproportionately disadvantaged by distance learning will have everything they need to excel online.”

Program administrators have identified a basic technology package—laptop, headphones, storage and backup—that will be provided on loan to its high-need college students, including those in the Emerging Scholars programs.

During the program, 40 students from Kauai high schools will take four dual-enrollment, introductory courses each semester. The courses will be enhanced with guest speakers who will participate in each course. Faculty will fly to Kauai to physically meet the students prior to each semester start. At the end of the year, Chaminade will fly the participating students to Oahu to stay overnight in the residence hall. During their stay, they will meet with advisors and faculty from each division, and participate in college prep workshops.

Chaminade is reimagining the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to adapt to changing learner needs, and to rethink and transform approaches to higher education. This program seeks to provide students on Kauai with new opportunities and ensure success in pursuit of learning.

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Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society.

Blessing Our New EdD Program

Doctor of Education inaugural cohort

The gathering celebrated the end of a long journey—and the beginning of so many others.

In a special ceremony on campus recently, some of the members of the inaugural cohort of Chaminade’s Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership for Adaptation and Change joined with faculty members, administrators and others to mark the much-anticipated kickoff of the new program. 

Kumu Keahi Renaud delivered a Hawaiian blessing followed by Father Marty Solma, SM, Chaminade’s chaplain, who led attendees in prayer. Several Chaminade administrators then took to the microphone to touch on just how much planning and commitment it took to make the day a reality.

Speaking to incoming cohort members, Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington said that the new doctoral degree program is “all about leadership.” She continued, “You come from such different perspectives. The richness of your learning together will be something very, very special.”

Indeed, the 33 members of the program’s first class hail from a diversity of backgrounds and professional interests. Dr. Hans Chun, director of education leadership programs, added there was particularly strong interest in the program in Hawaii. The majority of participants are in the islands.

Doctor of Education commemorative pin

The first term for the doctoral students, who will be learning fully online, begin July 6.

At the ceremony, students were given a commemorative coin with the Chaminade seal to mark the special day along with a kukui nut lei, signifying wisdom and enlightenment. Dr. Dale Fryxell, School of Education and Behavioral Sciences dean, also dedicated a turtle-shaped bench honoring the launch. He said the turtle represents knowledge and he hoped the symbolism inspired the doctoral students.

Dr. Lance Askildson, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said the journey students are embarking on is an exciting—and important—one. The program’s inaugural cohort will learn, work, and grow together over the course of three years, the expected completion time for the degree.

Askildson said the doctoral program is focused on leadership development across disciplines.

“But it’s also about leadership by some very courageous faculty and administrators—to bring this program forward after a number of years of advocacy,” Askildson said, speaking to the group. “The legacy that underlies … Chaminade University is of a brand of education holistic in nature, dedicated to educating the whole person, but driven by something more than just a transaction of knowledge.”

He said that individualized, whole-of-person experience is integrated into the program’s very curriculum.

And that, he added, is exactly what attracted so many professionals to the program.

To those incoming students, he said, “I applaud you and I congratulate you.”

Second Chance Pell Program

Following federal approval, Chaminade University will launch an innovative “second chance” Pell Grant program this fall that will give Halawa Correctional Facility inmates an opportunity to earn an associate’s degree in Business Administration.

While the Pell Grant will not fully cover the cost of tuition and fees, generous donations from Atherton Family Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank and Sidney Stern Memorial Trust to the University, will help fill some of the financial gaps to make the program a reality for the students.

As part of the initiative, inmates will be eligible for federal Pell Grants in order to seek the degree. The US Department of Education invited Chaminade to submit an application for its Second Chance Pell Experiment in January 2020, which waives Pell Grant restrictions for incarcerated students.

And this spring, the federal government gave Chaminade the green light to move forward.

“We are proud to offer this new Second Chance program to incarcerated students at Halawa Correctional Facility, giving them an opportunity to build their skills so they can seek to rebuild their lives,” said Dr. Janet Davidson, Chaminade’s Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. “We cannot thank all our donors enough for their generous support of this program and are also incredibly appreciative of our strong partnership with the Hawaii Department of Public Safety.”

The program will officially launch August 23, with a cohort of 15 to 20 students.

Chaminade professors will deliver instruction in a hybrid model—with in-person classes and supplementary learning through an online platform. In order to participate, the professors are getting special training from the state so they can safely teach at the medium-security prison.

The University is offering incarcerated students a significantly reduced tuition rate; with their Pell Grant awards, they will not be responsible for any out-of-pocket costs. Meanwhile, correctional staff are evaluating prospective students for college readiness, using various reasoning assessments.

The associate’s degree itself will be 60 credits, and take about two years to complete. In addition to completing their general education coursework, the students—attending full-time—will tackle Business Administration courses that cover everything from accounting to statistics to macroeconomics. “Students will move through the program as a cohort, graduating after two years with an associate’s degree in Business Administration,” Davidson said. “We are looking forward to working with this community to help them expand their skills so they can access new opportunities.”

Maryknoll School Teacher Receives Teacher of the Year Award

Hawaii Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year awardee Mary Vannatta

From working late to offer one-on-one tutoring to incorporating exciting new digital tools into her classroom to inspiring students to be passionate about learning, Maryknoll School seventh-grade math and religion teacher Mary Jane Vannatta goes above and beyond to make sure her students succeed.

And all that hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially during the pandemic.

For her selfless dedication to students and tireless mentorship to fellow educators, the 40-year veteran of Hawaii Catholic schools was named the 2021 Hawaii Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year.

After being honored in a virtual ceremony May 27, Vannatta received the award in-person June 2.

Hawaii Catholic Schools Teacher of the Year awardee Mary Vannatta

In addition to accepting the Golden Pineapple Trophy from Chaminade University, Vannatta was awarded $1,000 from John C. and Marilou Brogan through Chaminade, a one-year car lease from Aloha Kia and $1,000 in gas gift cards from Hele-Par Hawaii. The Augustine Education Foundation also awarded $1,500 to Maryknoll School for faculty appreciation in recognition of Vannatta’s achievement.

Nominators said Vannatta is a caring, loving educator whose world revolves around her students.

One said that she incorporates a host of different tools to ensure students thrive in the subjects she teaches, including math. And during the pandemic, her workload increased exponentially as she learned new devices and programs to teach both distance learning and in-person students at the same time.

What she doesn’t know how to do, the nominator said, she’ll figure out so she can help her students.

Another nominator said Vannatta never hesitates to put in extra time for students—before school, after school and with remote help at all hours. If they need help, she’s there for them. And she’s done the same for her fellow educators, including as a mentor to new teachers and grade level chairperson.

Vannatta is an active member of the broader school community and of her parish.

And she can often be spotted at school events, many of which she has helped to plan.

Vannatta is also a lifelong learner, frequently attending professional development opportunities, looking to improve her religion instruction. She has completed courses to reach the Master Catechist level as she seeks to help guide her students to be thoughtful, ethical citizens of strong moral character.

Mary Jane Vannatta was also featured in MidWeek. Read the article here.