Chaminade University of Honolulu

Faculty

Building a Framework for School of Nursing Excellence: A Marianist Way

Chaminade Nursing Professor Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe presented her research on building a Marianist framework for nursing education at a national conference in the nation’s capital recently.

Edna Magpantay-Monroe

More than 2,000 nursing professionals attended the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society biennial conference in November. Magpantay-Monroe was among those invited to present her research in a poster presentation. She also attended the conference as a nursing honor society delegate.

Magpantay-Monroe’s research came out of an 18-month project with the Sigma Theta Tau International’s Emerging Educational Administrator Institute, a highly-selective program designed to mentor experienced faculty who aspire to become administrators in higher education.

Her research project ― “Building a Framework for School of Nursing Excellence: A Marianist Way” ― focused on the unique ways Marianist institutions like Chaminade University can prepare aspiring nurses for successful and fulfilling careers in healthcare and inspire them with a strong public service mission.

Magpantay-Monroe is a founding faculty member at Chaminade’s Honolulu School of Nursing, and has more than 30 years of experience in the field. Her research focuses on emotional intelligence, mindfulness and coaching, along with a number of patient-centered areas in healthcare. She also serves in a number of professional organizations, including Sigma Theta Tau International’s Hawaii chapter, which was founded in 1978 and is comprised of members at nursing schools statewide.

“Forensic Microbiology” Goes International

In 2017, Chaminade Professor Dr. David Carter co-authored a textbook on the emerging (and groundbreaking) role of microbes in forensic science. Three years later and “Forensic Microbiology” is not only a seminal text in the field, but an Arabic version is slated to be published in December 2021.

Dr. David Carter

Carter, director of the Forensic Sciences program at Chaminade, co-wrote and served as one of the book’s four co-editors to focus on the emerging role of microbiology in forensic science investigations.

As he notes, microbes (or microorganisms) don’t replace more mundane forms of evidence – think fingerprints or cell phone records – but they can prove vital in establishing a cause of death, estimating when a person has died, and analyzing changes to a body after death along with evidence at a scene.

Using microbes – one of the “trendiest” areas of forensic science – can involve cutting-edge DNA analysis or tools and procedures that were invented more than a century ago, Carter previously told Campus News. ““There were folks using microbes in the 19th Century as evidence,” Carter said, adding that some of those techniques were forgotten and then recently unearthed to determine their efficacy.

Why microbes? Because they’re “present everywhere a human goes,” Carter said.

They’re always on us – and in us – “and not all forms of evidence do that.”

Forensic Microbiology Book

The planned Arabic translation of “Forensic Microbiology,” which is already in use at institutions nationally and around the globe, underscores the growing utility of microbiology in forensic science – and how Chaminade’s Forensic Sciences program is at the forefront of that effort.

Indeed, the focus of Carter’s research is the structure and function of the postmortem human microbiome and the process of human decomposition, especially in tropical environments. In his decades of work analyzing crime scenes, Carter has consulted with investigative agencies around the globe, published in high-profile scientific journals, and served as a leader in the academic field.

He has also mentored scores of Forensic Sciences students, including two Chaminade University graduates who contributed to “Forensic Microbiology”: Emily Junkins (’16) went on to pursue a doctoral degree in microbiology while Whitney Kodama (’17) joined the Honolulu Office of the Medical Examiner.

Dr. Eurina Cha Receives Bright Society Award

An international organization on a mission to promote peaceful, healthier communities recently honored Chaminade’s Associate Professor Dr. Eurina Cha for her years of work in public and community health.

Dr. Eurina Cha receives 2019 Bright Society Award

Cha was the recipient of the 2019 Bright Society Award from the Global Cooperative Society International-Hawaii chapter. Leaders from the non-governmental organization presented Cha with the honor at a special gathering in December at the Waialae Country Club.

Global Cooperative Society (GCS) was launched in Korea and is well-known across Asia.

A number of Korean and Korean-American community leaders attended the GCS awards ceremony, including representatives from the Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Korean Association, National Unification Advisory Council, and Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu.

Dr. Eurina Cha receives 2019 Bright Society Award

Ronald Moon, former chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court, presented Cha’s award.

Cha, a certified advanced public health nurse, has more than 25 years of experience in nursing and frequently volunteers her time at community events. She’s also the lead faculty member at an annual event on Hawaii Island that provides health screenings and education in a culturally sensitive way.

The Bright Society Award is presented to community leaders working to make society “brighter.”

Cha said she was honored to receive the award. In her acceptance speech, she said, “I shared my pride in being a nurse educator at Chaminade and public health professional to serve the community, particularly Korean-American communities, to promote a happier and healthier community.”

From Hawaii to Scotland: Chaminade Holds International Conference

What connects Hawaii and Scotland?

You might assume the answer is not much. But an international conference held at Chaminade University over the summer underscored just how much the two locales share – and how indigenous writers from Scotland and its isles and the Hawaiian Islands have much to learn from each other.

From June 28 to 30, the University hosted the International Association for the Study of Scottish Literatures conference, welcoming researchers from around the globe to hear illuminating lectures around the theme, “Scotland and the South Seas: Writing the Wide Pacific.” The conference focused on how Scottish and Pacific literary works influenced each other thanks to rich cultural exchanges.

Chaminade’s Division of Humanities and Fine Arts professors Dr. Allison Paynter and Dr. Richard Hill served as key organizers for the conference, partnering with historical organizations from across the state to offer plenary sessions that took their inspiration from author Robert Louis Stevenson’s writings and travels across the Pacific, including Hawaii. The conference also featured two leading scholars of Stevenson, Roslyn Jolly (University of New South Wales) and Penny Fielding (Edinburgh University).

As part of the conference, Chaminade’s Sullivan Family Library worked to bring Stevenson’s stories to life, coordinating with Hawaii artist Solomon Enos and others to create pieces inspired by his many writings.

Paynter and Hill said the conference was so rich, they’re planning to write a book about the takeaways.

Also over the summer, Paynter was named a James Weldon Johnson Foundation artist-in-residence. The foundation seeks to advance Weldon’s legacy through educational, intellectual and artistic works. Weldon was an author, diplomat, attorney and strong advocate for social justice.

2019 Fr. John F. Bolin Excellence In Scholarship Awardee

Dr. Junghwa Suh kicks off every semester with students by sharing this quote: “Happiness is the new rich. Inner peace is the new success. Health is the new wealth. Kindness is the new cool.” – Unknown.

Dr. Junghwa Suh

Suh, an associate professor of Environmental + Interior Design at Chaminade, said her goal is to help students understand that success in life comes from “embracing differences,” helping those around you grow right along with you and working to be thankful every day for all that you have.

Those are lessons Suh also takes to heart in her own work.

And her commitment to not only her research but the craft of teaching has earned her this year’s prestigious Father John F. Bolin Excellence in Scholarship award, which recognizes full-time faculty who have made notable academic and professional contributions to the University.

Suh, who received her doctoral degree in Architecture from the University of Hawaii in 2013, has an interdisciplinary background that also includes research in interior design, mathematics and fine arts.

She said in her teaching, she’s sought to challenge students to see the relationships between architecture and the urban-scape with sustainable, interdisciplinary and tech-driven design strategies.

“I encourage our students to think about design with people, culture, climate, and environmental contexts in mind,” Suh said, adding that she wants to help students become versatile designers who can connect the theory they learn with innovative practice. “It is crucial to educate our future designers to analyze and synthesize design solutions in the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way.”

Suh helps bring theory alive with innovative techniques of her own.

She uses digital and social media tools with her students, seeks to extend learning outside the classroom, incorporates hands-on and project-based learning into lessons, and looks for opportunities that allow students to learn from each other as they think through a tough problem.

Suh is also passionate about fostering empathy in her students. They have to understand that design really is about people. Once they do that, “they are better able to understand the project and clients.”

As part of receiving the Bolin award, Suh received $1,500 and her photo displayed permanently in the Sullivan Family Library. But the real reward, Suh said, is the recognition and support from her colleagues.

“My time at Chaminade University has been a period of tremendous growth as a versatile instructor, curriculum and course designer, and scholar in innovative research, creative activity, and service,” Suh said. “This recognition encourages me to do more meaningful and innovative work for our students.”

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.