Chaminade University of Honolulu

Education

HaSTA Conference

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Sixtieth Annual Conference themed ‘Aina, A.I. and the Next Generation of Science Teaching’

After attending a series of workshops over the summer, Shawna “Kumu” Nishimoto, Tina Chan and Clarissa Tores developed engaging curriculum for their students, teaching them the importance of place-based/‘āina-based learning, especially as it relates to our ahupuaʻa.

In a breakout session during the 60th Annual Hawai’i Science Teaching Association (HaSTA) conference, the three middle school educators presented “Creating Stewards of the ‘Āina,” an hourlong discussion that focused on incorporating Native Hawaiian practices into the field of science.  

“Attending the M2M:WET, which stands for ‘Mauka to Makai: Watershed Experience for Teachers,’ helped me deepen my knowledge of watersheds and our ahupuaʻa system,” said Nishimoto ʻ22, who teaches at Ilima Intermediate School. “In this six-day, eighth-grade unit, students had to investigate the ability of tilapia to survive in different types of water to develop an understanding of adaptations and natural selection.”  

Bringing the tilapia to the classroom and separating them into three different aquariums—some in fresh water, others in salt water and the third in brackish waters—Nishimoto had her students test the waters’ salinity with a Monitor Test that she learned how to use during Chaminade’s M2M:WET workshops.  

HaSTA communications director Gail Peiterson, left, and Dr. Katrina Roseler at HaSTA’s 60th Annual Conference at McKinley High School.

“They all said ‘No Way!’ How could the tilapia survive in salt water,” Nishimoto told attendees. “It really engaged them because it opened a lot of self-questioning and peer-questioning.”  

Thanks to a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Chaminade’s Teacher Preparation Programs Director and Education Associate Professor, Dr. Katrina Roseler, and Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor, Lupita Ruiz-Jones, Ph.D., were able “to enhance the capacity of Hawaii’s secondary science teachers to engage their students in ahupua‘a education and cultivate stewardship.”    

The summer workshops aligned with NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education (B-WET) initiative, an environmental education program that promotes place-based experiential learning for K–12 students and related professional development for teachers.  

“If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to take your students to Kapapapuhi Point (formerly called West Loch Community Shoreline Park), where they can help restore vegetation, remove invasive species and learn about the mo‘olelo of the place,” said Chan, who teaches at Highlands Intermediate School. “The goal is to create future stewards of our ‘āina.”  

In her “Malama ‘Aina—To Care & Honor The Land,” Clarissa Torres detailed the learning outcomes for her Mililani Middle students. At the end of her class, she said they should be able to define or explain the term ahupua‘a; describe the  Native Hawaiian’s view of the importance of streams; observe positive and negative human impact on ecosystems; and create their own solutions based on their new knowledge of ahupua‘a systems.  

Running through her PowerPoint presentation, Torres stopped on a slide with a salmon image that linked to the “Salmon Survival Board Game” developed by NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. “The salmon could easily be substituted with one of our local indigenous fishes,” says Torres, ’20 (Bachelor’s in biology) and ’22 (Master of Arts in Teaching). “The dice game goes through the life cycle of the salmon and shows the many manmade and natural challenges throughout their lives. It really brings into question what we could do to help fish, in this instance salmon, survive in the open waters.”  

Although they weren’t presenting at the Saturday morning conference, Chaminade students Paige Garcia ’24, Gabe Zapata-Berrio ’24, Naomi Noguchi ’24, Madisyn Polendey, ’25, Kylie Ye ’25 and Kelsey Davidson ’24, attended the “‘Aina, A.I., and the Next Generation of Science of Teaching” to build connections with other educators.  

“It exposes us to teachers who are already in the field,” Garcia said. “We get to network and learn about resources that we might not be aware exist.”  

Also present was Jessica Mountz, a participant in the M2M:WET summer program. “The main drive for participating in the workshops was to better understand Hawaii culture and its relevance in teaching science,” said the Hanalani Schools high school teacher. “It was also a great avenue to connecting with other teachers and resources.”              

Back to School

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First cohort of Mu’o Scholarship recipients begin their journey to a teaching career

Efforts to address Hawaii’s teacher shortage have come in all different forms, from monetary incentives to scholarships. Recognizing the critical need for early education teachers in Hawaiʻi, Chaminade University and Kamehameha Schools have established the Mu‘o Scholarship, an innovative and community-focused teacher prep partnership that will provide tuition funding to educate, train and prepare aspiring teachers to lead Hawaii’s classrooms.  

“By providing these scholarships, we’re removing barriers that too often hinder many working adults in the state from obtaining a bachelor’s degree while still maintaining family and work commitments,” says Chaminade University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D. “Mu’o means to bud, and we believe our Mu’o Program will allow us to grow teachers, to bud teachers who will positively impact our communities through their teaching careers for generations to come.”  

This month, the first cohort of 49 Mu‘o Scholarship recipients began their path toward earning their teaching degrees. Of the 49 new students, 32 of them identified as Native Hawaiian, which matters because, like elsewhere around the country, the public education teacher workforce in Hawaii does not mirror the diversity of the student population. New York Times writer Claire Cain Miller cites research that says “students tend to benefit from having teachers who look like them, especially nonwhite students.”  

To address Hawaii's teacher shortage, Chaminade University and Kamehameha Schools have introduced their own new carrot: an innovative and community-focused teacher prep partnership that will provide 150 Muʻo Scholarships to educate, train and prepare aspiring teachers to lead Hawaiʻi’s classrooms.
Vice Provost Janet Davidson welcomes Muo scholars.

The same research shows that students perform better when they have teachers who reflect their race and gender, particularly in disadvantaged, high minority areas. However, this leads to another question: Do teachers who have a better cultural understanding of their students tend to stay longer in their roles? In Hawaii, the short answer is yes.  

“From Hanapepe to Hilo, we want to provide pathways to a college degree, and we believe that our Mu‘o Program will allow us to do that,” says Janet Davidson, Ph.D., Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. “By increasing opportunities for culturally relevant professional development, we significantly increase students’ success, and we see our students succeed to degree completion.”  

The Mu‘o Scholarship recipients also come from four of the major islands, with 14 from the Hawaii Island, 28 from Honolulu, eight from Kauai and five from Maui. Students’ majors also vary, with one concentrating on secondary education and another in elementary education, and the rest are majoring in either Early Childhood Education or Early Childhood Education with Montessori Credential.  

“We did some surveys and early childhood educators indicated their life situations didn’t allow them to take in-person courses,” says Dr. Elizabeth Park, Associate Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education with Montessori Credential. “So what we did was spend the energy and the time to design robust online courses to meet the needs of our educators.”      

Chaminade’s online bachelor’s degree program is designed for working adults in Hawai‘i who may already be serving as a teacher’s aide or, currently, in a similar position. The online delivery format will allow students to continue working while pursuing their bachelor’s degree. Program information is available and applications for the scholarships are being accepted. This transformative program is 100 percent online, with a requirement to complete a student-teaching track. Students will be paired with an academic advisor to guide them on the road to graduation.  

“Chaminade and Kamehameha Schools deeply value education, and we know a teacher-prep program, like our Mu‘o Program, will help address the teacher shortage here in Hawaii,” Davidson says. “And we know that education, especially from early childhood, has such a positive impact on our kids, their families and the community.”

Faculty Award Winners

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Faculty Institute Awardees Drs. Chong, Halston and Mukina honored for their work

Acknowledging the tragedy that befell Maui residents and visitors alike, Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington asked faculty and staff to take a moment of silence to honor the victims of the worst natural disaster in U.S. history in more than a century. “Let’s keep them in our thoughts and prayers today and in the coming days,” she said, before delivering her welcoming remarks.

As the new academic year begins, Babington first looked back at the University’s many “points of pride” during the past year, including another successful Commencement at the Waikiki Shell, as well as the inaugural graduation ceremony of eight Halawa Correctional Facility inmates. It was indeed, as she said a “chicken-skin moment” for all those in attendance.

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington delivered a welcoming address to faculty and staff on the Sullivan Family Library Lawn.
Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington delivered a welcoming address to faculty and staff on the Sullivan Family Library Lawn.

Looking ahead, Chaminade University will welcome one of its largest incoming classes of new students with a projected 1,572 undergraduate students and 642 graduate students for a total of 2,214 student enrollment. The incoming class of freshmen and transfer students amounts to 481.

“This will be one of the largest incoming classes in recent history,” Babington said. “It’s gratifying to see so many local high school graduates and others selecting Chaminade as the institute to pursue their higher education. We also have the highest graduation rate of Hawaiʻi colleges, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and that’s something of which we’re really proud.”

During lunch at the Sullivan Family Library Lawn, Jim Heller Sutton, Assistant Provost for Faculty Development and Director, Center for Teaching & Learning, was proud to announce the three faculty winners of the Chaminade University of Honolulu (CUH) Excellence in Teaching Award, the Fr. John F. Bolin Excellence in Scholarship Award and the Dr. Joseph Allen Collegiality Award.

Education Assistant Professor, Travis Mukina, Ph.D., was honored with the CUH Excellence in Teaching Award, recognizing his approach to teaching mathematics that involves challenging and reshaping students’ pre-conceived beliefs about the subject.

“My goal is to ‘un-teach’ the negative beliefs that students hold towards math,” Mukina said. Rather than traumatize them, I want to ease their fears of numbers and calculations, guiding them to find their own solutions.”

Faculty members gather for a group shot on the steps of Eiben Hall.
Faculty members gather for a group shot on the steps of Eiben Hall.

“Clearly, Dr. Mukina is making a positive and lifelong impact on his students,” wrote Katrina Roesler in her nomination of Mukina. “And it is our great privilege to present him with this award.”

Designed to recognize a full-time faculty member for achieving excellence in scholarship, the Fr. John F. Bolin Excellence in Scholarship Award went to Dr. Abby Halston, Ed.D, NCC, LMFT. Dr. Halston’s research philosophy centers on the transformative power of scholarly inquiry and mentorship for academic and personal growth. Embracing collaboration and a student-centered approach, she fosters an environment that encourages critical thinking, ethics and creativity in research.

“She is dedicated to mentoring undergraduates, providing meaningful research experiences and empowering the next generation of scholars,” said Dr. Darren Iwamoto, who nominated Halston for the award. “The Fr. John F. Bolin Excellence in Scholarship Award recognizes a faculty member with a clear research philosophy who has advanced knowledge in their field, and it is our pleasure to recognize Dr. Halston with this award.”

Data Science Program Director and Assistant Professor, Rylan Chong, Ph.D., was honored with the Dr. Joseph Allen Collegiality Award, recognizing his extensive engagement with fellow faculty members, and his mentorship, collaboration and teamwork across a wide array of university activities, including research endeavors and curriculum development.

“His collegial work spans student programs, admissions, advising, faculty policies, career development, and community outreach, exemplifying his clear role in promoting Chaminade’s mission and values,” said Laura Tipton, a former Chaminade Data Science, Analytics, and Visualization Assistant Professor. “Dr. Chong’s wide-reaching involvement in the institution and his investment in developing relationships within the university ‘ohana has made a significant impact at Chaminade. I can think of no one more deserving of a collegiality award than Dr. Chong.”

Chuuk Commencement Ceremony

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CCPI graduates give back to Federated States of Micronesia communities

Chuuk has been previously called many names—officially and unofficially. It was previously named Truk until 1990, and labeled as the Imperial Japan’s “Gibraltar of the Pacific” and even the Pearl Harbor of the Japanese during World War II. But today, the tiny island of just 49 square miles—smaller than Haleakala National Park—is known as one of the four states that comprises the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM); the others being Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap.

Chuuk is also where Chaminade University entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Caroline College and Pastoral Institute (CCPI) in Weno. Since 2010, Chaminade has played an outsized role in educating not only Chuukese, but also island residents in the five different regions within Chuuk State—Northern Nomwoneas, Southern Nomwoneas, Faichuuk, Mortlocks and Northwest.

Graduates during the Commencement Ceremony at CCPI in Weno.

In his opening remarks during the CCPI Commencement Ceremony, Chaminade Provost and Senior Vice President, Lance Askildson, Ph.D., told the graduates that this moment is a recognition of both their success in completing their college degree, and an important inflection point in their lives and the future possibilities that are now available to them.

“Now is the time to reflect upon not only how far you have come, but why you began this important journey in the first place,” Askildson remarked. “Your degree means more opportunity and independence; more career and professional advancement possibilities; greater financial autonomy and self-determination; and the potential for new responsibility and leadership in both your professional and civic lives.”

In total, 11 students earned their Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (BAEEO) and 49 graduated with their Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts (AALA) this year. It’s a noteworthy achievement, given some of the obstacles that students have had to overcome.

“Many of our students lack the necessary technology or internet access to participate and complete their courses,” said LJ Rayphand, Dean of Outreach Education at CCPI. “CCPI and Chaminade provide the technology and the physical spaces that our students can access and participate in their courses. 

“Even though these are online courses, a distance course facilitator is assigned to each of the classes to provide additional support to both students and instructors,” Rayphand added. “Evening transportation is also provided to afternoon/evening students who reside outside of town.”

Caroline Islands Bishop Julio Angkel addresses graduates during the Commencement Ceremony.
Caroline College and Pastoral Institute President Fr. Rosendo Rudolf addresses graduates during the Commencement Ceremony.

Chaminade’s support of CCPI for the past 13 years has helped, not only increase the number of individuals with college degrees, but also produce knowledge and skillful individuals who contribute to the local economy. Most of the graduates now work with the Chuuk State Department of Education as classroom teachers, specialists and program coordinators. And a good number of them have been hired in health-related fields, social services, finance, legal services and, of course, the private sector, like United Airlines.

“As a developing state or nation, these new graduates have a lot to offer to their community, the state of Chuuk and to FSM as a whole,” Rayphand said. “They will fill job opportunities that will make a huge difference in our community. Many of them work on the frontlines in areas that matter most to our people and our places in Micronesia.”

In his closing remarks, Askildson shared a quote from the personal journal of American poet and environmental writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who once wrote, “The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means to an education.”

“What Emerson meant was that a true education is not (only) what you learn with us, it’s what you learn about yourselves and take with you to embark upon a lifetime of learning and growth thereafter,” Askildson said. “That is the legacy that we gift to you today … and one that will continue your human journey to greater insights and contributions far into the future. In you, we invest our great hope and aspirations for your success and a better future for us all!”

Silversword Reunion Blooms

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Criminal Justice alumni reunite at Vi and Paul Loo Student Center

Dr. Greg Mark makes it clear that Criminal Justice reunions involve more than just those who may have been one-time dorm mates or who may have taken classes together. Because attendees come from varied disciplines with different majors, the event holds a lot more meaning and makes for a qualitatively powerful experience, according to Mark.

“There’s lots of spirit and camaraderie,” says Mark, a former Criminal Justice professor with Chaminade from 1977-1989. “I’ve been involved with a couple of reunions, one eight years ago at The Willows and a second on campus, which took place right before COVID.”

When Mark taught at Chaminade, the program was called Justice Management until he took over the chairmanship of the department. Because he obtained his doctorate in Criminology—a degree not many people in the country held at the time—and simultaneously taught Ethnic Studies, the then young 20-something-year-old professor decided to change the name to Criminal Justice, which was more accurately reflective of what they were teaching at Chaminade.

Dr. Babington welcomed Criminal Justice alumni and faculty back to campus.
Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., welcomed Criminal Justice alumni and faculty, including, from left Pulasi “Sam” Puletasi, Frank Okamura, Kevin Shimoda and Dr. Greg Mark.

“I took fragments of Management Justice and developed a criminology curriculum,” says Mark, who recently attended a Criminal Justice mini reunion held at the Vi and Paul Loo Student Center on campus. “It was a very exciting time to be part of the Chaminade faculty.”

A Criminal Justice major who graduated in 1986, Frank Okamura remembers taking Mark’s Criminal Justice Agencies class and describing him as fair and just like “one of us.” This may be true since some of the students—like Okamura, already a father of two and working as a U.S. Customs Service Inspector and bartender—were closer in age to Mark.  

“I think he (Mark) felt sorry for me because he named me ‘Outstanding Student’ or something like that,” laughs Okamura, who also attended the recent reunion on campus and had a chance to spend some time with his former professor. “I really enjoyed his class, which provided me a better understanding of the different law enforcement agencies.”

A tight-knit group, Criminal Justice alumni members will often socially meet either for lunch or dinner, reminiscing about their days as Silverswords, updating each other on their kids and grandkids, and their achievements since graduation.   

“During my time at Chaminade, we did so many things together, which brought us closer together,” says Mark, referring to students and faculty. “There was a lot of aloha among people in the department and it was a dynamic time.”

At the mini reunion, Okamura was impressed that Chaminade President, Dr. Lynn Babington,  had showed up to welcome them back to campus, making them all feel like they were home.

“Chaminade provided me with a path that I would have never known,” says the 62-year-old retiree and grandfather of five grandkids. “Whenever I needed help, my professors were always there; they were always so supportive and attentive. I am just so appreciative and grateful for my time there.”

Asked if they plan to attend the October Silversword Reunion, Okamura and Mark unhesitatingly said “Yes.” “It will be another chance to talk about each other and some of the work we did together,” Mark says. “Teaching at Chaminade was a great experience. It’s where I grew up professionally, and it’s where I developed my academic and administrative skills.”

NOAA B-WET Grant

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Managing Hawaii’s Watersheds

The first field site to Paiko Lagoon provided a chicken-skin moment when a longtime resident of the area, Kai Hoshijo, a volunteer crew member with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center, reminisced about the stories of her youthful days spent at the Wildlife Sanctuary in East Oahu, evoking a navigator mindset of observance and respect for the ‘aina (land).

“Kai grew up in Niu Valley and was telling a story in context of the sanctuary’s meaningful location,” recalls Katrina Roseler, Ph.D., shuddering while she remembered that exact moment. “It was the perfect start to our two-week workshop, demonstrating the reverence of place.”

Thanks to a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Roseler and Environmental Sciences assistant professor, Lupita Ruiz-Jones, Ph.D., were able “to enhance the capacity of Hawaii’s secondary science teachers to engage their students in ahupua’a education and cultivate stewardship.” Ahupua’a is a Hawaiian term for a large traditional socioeconomic, geologic and climatic subdivision of land, which consists most frequently of a slice of an island that went from the top of the local mountain (volcano) to the shore, often following the boundary of a stream drainage.

Cultural Engagement Specialist, Kahoalii Keahi-Wood points out limu near the shoreline of Diamond Head.
Cultural Engagement Specialist, Kahoalii Keahi-Wood points out limu near the shoreline of Diamond Head.

The summer workshops align with NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education (B-WET) initiative, an environmental education program that promotes place-based experiential learning for K–12 students and related professional development for teachers.

“We had our own play on acronyms with B-WET,” says Roseler, the grant’s Co-Principal Investigator. “We appropriately named our program M2M:WET, which stands for Mauka to Makai: Watershed Experience for Teachers.”

Much like B-WET, M2M:WET aims to foster the growth of new, innovative programs, and encourages capacity-building and environmental education partnerships.

During the field experience, teachers explored two primary questions: 1) How do we determine the health of our watersheds (ahupua‘a); and 2) How can educators engage students in thinking critically about the flow of water and cultivate a sense of stewardship for Hawaii’s watersheds?”

“My observation of the participating teachers was that they were super excited and nerdy in a positive science way,” says Ruiz-Jones, the grant’s other Co-Principal Investigator. “They were like kids on field trips, and eager to use some of the equipment we provided, like the GoPro, water test kits and water loggers, which is an instrument that automatically and continuously records fluctuations in water level.”

Participants visited Lyon Arboretum for one of their many workshops.
Participants visited Lyon Arboretum for one of their many field trips.

The outcome of the workshops helped inform teachers how to bring their field experiences into the classroom and their curriculum. They gained skills in environmental data collection, lab protocols, data analyses and data visualization. Water samples were gathered at the various sites and analyzed for nitrogen compounds, sulfate, phosphate and silica, using an automated spectrophotometry, as well as SEAL AQ400 chemistry and equipment. And they also collected water temperature data with the HOBO Tidbit temperature logger and learned how to use readily available water test kits.

Among the 16 K-12 teachers, Christina Chan of Highlands Intermediate School says she decided to participate in the program because she focuses on watersheds, which is one of her primary foci for her CTE (Career and Technical Education) class next year.

Chan adds that she learned about the use of five different field sites for studying the watershed; how to use a HOBO, GoPro and other devices for sampling water in the watershed; different pedagogy and Understanding by Design models; and making connections with other teachers and ideas on how to share watershed information.

Hanalani Schools’ Jessica Mountz opted in because she wanted to connect with other science teachers on Oahu and the Neighbor Islands, reasoning that in her 20 years of teaching, she found that collaboration with other teachers has been the most valuable tool in her professional growth.

Participants learned how to collect data during the M2M:Mauka to Makai workshops.
Participants learned how to collect data during the workshops.

“At the end of each day, I went home with so many lesson ideas my head was sometimes spinning,” says the high school science teacher. “From Wayfinding/ Navigation to Ahupuaʻa of Hawai’i, I plan on developing curriculum for my Biology and Advanced Placement Biology students that not only meets Science Standards (Next Generation Science Standards and College Board), but incorporates Hawaiian culture and empathy.  I look forward to continuing conversations and collaboration, not only with the other science teachers from the M2M:WET workshop, but with the faculty/staff at Chaminade University, Huli, and Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center.”

Since its inception in 2002, 929 B-WET grants have been awarded for a total of $117 million.  The B-WET program currently serves seven regions of the country: California, Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii, New England and the Pacific Northwest. Regional B-WET programs provide tailored grantee support and capacity building. This allows B-WET to include place-based STEM resources and expertise, and respond to local education and environmental priorities.

“The goal is to provide support for our K-12 science teachers so they can teach their students to become the future stewards of the land,” says Ruiz-Jones, with Roseler adding that they “hope to engage the students to appreciate the mauka to makai value of their ahupua‘a.”