Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Veterinarian Internship takes Biology Student to South Africa

Izzie Krupa '22 helps with taking care of a lion during her South African veterinarian internship

Getting chased by a rhino – that’s something Izabelle “Izzie” Krupa ’22 will never forget.

It’s one of the answers she gives when asked what she did over the summer.

“Oh, nothing less than an internship in South Africa for young people interested in becoming veterinarians,” she’ll answer. In addition to taking care of cows and goats and chickens, plus a few dogs and cats, Krupa got to help draw blood from penguins, assist in medical procedures on lions and cape buffalo, and capture wildebeest and antelope. And, of course, there were the rhinoceros, Krupa said. They needed to be sedated and fitted with tracking collars. And one woke up just a bit too soon.

Krupa was never in danger, but she was left with a great story to tell.

And great experience to share.

Krupa, a senior majoring biology with a cellular and molecular concentration, jumped at the chance to apply for the summer internship after hearing about. She got back to Hawaii a week before the Fall 2021 semester started, and said the opportunity helped her solidify her choice to pursue a future caring for animals.

“For the small and large animals, we visited high-need townships and provided free veterinary care for animals whose owners couldn’t afford to go to a clinic,” she said. “Flea- and tick-borne diseases are very prevalent so we provided free flee and tick prevention to all of the dogs and goats we could catch.”

Krupa said that while the experiences with African wildlife—those penguins and lions and rhinos (oh my!)—were incredible, the most transformative part of the internship was working closely with residents. During her time in South Africa, she said, she not only gave but received. 

“I loved going to those communities, using my skills and knowledge to help those in need and also getting to talk to the locals and learn more about their culture,” Krupa said. “I learned so very much.”

Izzie Krupa '22 posing for the camera with other Chaminade Silverswords after an intramural volleyball game

Krupa came to Chaminade from a Marianist high school in Omaha, Nebraska and was “pleasantly surprised to find that Chaminade had the same welcoming spirit.” She added, “I immediately felt like I belonged here and a part of the strong community that’s been built here at Chaminade.”

In addition to balancing a full course load, Krupa is on the “animal care team” and a receptionist at a veterinary clinic in Windward Oahu. And when she’s not busy with her studies or work, she’s active on campus. She participates in Campus Ministry and the Filipino Club, and plays intramural volleyball.

How does she do it all?

“A lot of time management,” she quipped.”

With all that she’s done (and is doing) at Chaminade and beyond the classroom, she’s excited to see where the next chapter takes her after graduation.

Dr. Lorin Ramocki and Dr. Katelyn Perrault Recognized for their Passion and Innovation in Teaching

Motivated. Innovative. Passionate. A trailblazer.

Those were some of the words used to describe this year’s faculty honorees of the Chaminade Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship awards, which recognize those going above and beyond to ensure student success in the classroom and contribute to their area of study in meaningful ways.

Lorin Ramocki

Dr. Lorin Ramocki, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, received the Chaminade’s 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award for her tireless work to create hands-on simulations that promote “learning by doing.”

The simulations—which ranged from a mock homeless camp on campus to a COVID vaccination clinic to an “unfolding case study” into a Hepatitis A outbreak—were especially vital during the pandemic because COVID made some community placements for Nursing students impossible.

“The COVID pandemic created a loss of clinical rotations in both hospitals and community settings and faculty pivoted to simulation on campus as well as supporting COVID vaccination efforts,” said School of Nursing and Health Professions Dean Rhoberta Haley, PhD, who nominated Ramocki for the award.

Haley said Ramocki ensured experiential learning continued for students during the pandemic. “Dr. Ramocki is a truly creative, innovative, motivated, and effective teacher,” Haley said, “who makes Public Health content and clinical experiences come alive for each of our Nursing students.”

Ramocki said she is honored by the recognition and takes joy in using her creativity to develop “engaging learning environments to give students the best experience possible.” She added that her teaching philosophy is rooted in “developing a community within the classroom.”

“My philosophy on teaching students is really embedded in trying to inspire them to find their own interests—and then connect it back to something in public health to help them enhance their understanding and how they can impact the health of their own communities,” she said.

Katelynn Perrault

Meanwhile, the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ Dr. Katelynn Perrault was recognized with the 2021 Fr. John F. Bolin Excellence in Scholarship Award for substantial contributions to her field of study. The associate professor of Forensic Sciences and Chemistry was also recently honored with the John B. Phillips Award, which recognizes early career researchers who are making advancements in the field of two-dimensional gas chromatography, which involves separating chemicals present in complex samples.

Perrault is studying odors produced by bacteria associated with decomposing bodies.

Dr. Hans Chun, director of Education Leadership Programs at Chaminade, nominated Perrault for the honor and said she has been a “trailblazer in research” since she arrived at the University. “Kate embodies the concept that teaching and research are not mutually exclusive,” Chun said.

Chun also said her work has helped to “raise Chaminade’s scholarly profile.”

Perrault said receiving the award is a “landmark moment for me” at the University and has driven her to reflect on her work—and on the work of the student researchers she is mentoring. “Seeing their contributions to science recognized gives me great joy as a mentor,” she said. Perrault added that while many people think of research as something that’s done outside of the classroom, she sees it as something central to classroom learning. “Great things can be accomplished within a class when students are set with the task of creating new knowledge on their own accord. There is something about that experience that cannot be learned in any textbook.”

Chaminade University’s Healthcare Simulation Program Receives Provisional Accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare

After a thorough evaluation, Chaminade University’s School of Nursing and Health Professions’ simulation program has received provisional accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). Accreditation recognizes the school’s expertise in simulation and its ability to meet SSH’s high program standards. 

“Provisional accreditation is very important for our School,” said Rhoberta Haley, PhD, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions. “We’re excited about our simulation program, as this type of hands-on learning brings curriculum to life and underscores its relevancy. The real power is in their immersive nature. In a simulation, students are embracing their roles as critical thinkers, as clinicians and as team-based collaborators.”

Recent simulations have included a mock COVID vaccination clinic, a mock encampment of people experiencing houselessness that gave nursing students vital experience “treating” patients who are living on the streets, and a fast-paced epidemiology “unfolding case study” that tasked students with working out the source of a simulated Hepatitis A outbreak with 25 mock patients, each with unique health stories.

The simulation program’s evaluation process included an accreditation application review, detailed review of Chaminade’s simulation program, a virtual site visit with the SSH Simulation Accreditation Review Team and accreditation committee decision. The school will apply for full accreditation in approximately two years. 

SSH and its accreditation process seeks to improve performance and reduce errors in patient care through the use of simulation. The Society promotes improvements in simulation technology, educational methods, practitioner assessment and patient safety that lead to better patient care and improved patient outcomes.  

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Chaminade University of Honolulu believes in the power of education to drive positive change, broaden perspectives and deepen our understanding of one another. With an emphasis on transformative service-learning experiences, we prepare students to serve as tomorrow’s leaders, inspiring and challenging them to use their minds and their hearts to help build stronger and more just communities. We are proud to serve as Hawai‘i’s only Marianist university, and rely on these values to guide us in delivering a high-quality education with an individualized approach and a focus on excellence, innovation and change. Established in 1955, we offer more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs, including doctoral degrees in education, psychology and nursing practice. Learn more at chaminade.edu.

Hokulea Navigator and Environmental Lawyer in Training

Lucy Lee '23, environmental studies major on Hokulea smiling at camera

Over the summer, Lucy Lee ’23 was one of five student navigators invited on a training expedition of Hokulea and sister voyaging canoe Hikianalia to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

One of their big challenges: use traditional Polynesian navigation techniques to find Nihoa island.

How tough is that? Lee said Polynesian Voyaging Society President and Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson has compared the task of navigating to Nihoa—with an area of just over a third of a mile—to departing from Hawaii Island’s south shore and finding something about half the size of Diamond Head.

So … pretty tough.

On the day they were set to arrive at Nihoa, Lee had the midnight to 6 a.m. navigation run.

“I was really nervous because we wanted to be at a certain place at sunrise,” the Chaminade Environmental Studies major said. Once Lee conducted some calculations as day broke, she and the other student navigators concluded they were close to where they wanted to be.

They woke Thompson up to share the news and he didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.

Lucy Lee '23, environmental studies major navigating on Hokulea

“He smiled. We were about a degree and a half off (course)—about as close as you can get without using modern tools,” said Lee, adding that her first deep sea navigation on Hokulea was an awe-inspiring experience. “Papahanaumokuakea is not a place people typically get access to. It’s super special. I think going anywhere by canoe is awesome, and pulling Nihoa out of the water was definitely the highlight.”

While the Papahanaumokuakea voyage was a major milestone for Lee, it’s also only a start. She is training to navigate during Hokulea’s next major voyage: a 41,000-mile trek to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean, stopping at 46 countries, 345 ports and 100 indigenous territories.

The launch date is tentatively set for summer 2022.

The Pacific Voyaging Society has called the massive expedition, coming on the heels of Hokulea’s worldwide Malama Honua voyage, an opportunity to focus on the vital importance of oceans while developing young crew members, navigators and leaders. Lee said she’s honored to be training as a student navigator, “learning and watching and being taught what it takes to be on the crew.”

“It’s learning how to change lines, how to change knots. But it’s also learning what it means to be a helpful and active crew member,” added Lee, who had only navigated on inter-island and coastal sails before the 10-day voyage to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. “I feel very fortunate to be … learning the skill and the art of traditional Polynesian navigation.”

And she’s balancing all that learning on the water with her studies at Chaminade.

Lucy Lee '23, environmental studies paddling on Hikianalia

“School is really important for me,” said Lee, who graduated from Kamehameha Schools and is interested in going into environmental law. She said she chose Chaminade because she wanted to stay in Hawaii and was interested in a university with an individualized approach to instruction.

Lee said she applied and got into several colleges on the mainland but knew they weren’t a right fit. “You know in all those cliché college movies where they walk into the lecture room and there’s like 200 people?” Lee asked, laughing. “I was like, that’s not for me. I like how Chaminade is small.”

Lee was also interested in an option that wouldn’t break the bank.

At Chaminade, she is receiving the Regents Scholarship (a merit scholarship), which covers about half of her tuition.

And, Lee said, she was looking for an environment-focused program that incorporated policy and advocacy. The Environmental Studies program at Chaminade was perfect. Lee said her ultimate goal is to offer legal expertise and representation to sustenance fishing and farming communities in Hawaii.

“They are ingenious, but they struggle in literacy when it comes to law and defending themselves in justice systems,” she said, pointing to decades-long legal challenges over water rights for small farmers on Maui. Lee added, “I started hearing about that case when I was in elementary school.”

But before heading to law school (and after graduating from Chaminade), she’ll be taking a break.

Because around that time, she plans to be sailing on Hokulea—on its pan-Pacific voyage.

Chaminade University No. 21 in Annual ‘U.S. News’ College Rankings

Chaminade University was again recognized as a top regional west university in the annual U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 Best College rankings. U.S. News and World Report produces the longest-running assessment of U.S. colleges and universities. The most recent rankings assessed 1,466 universities on 17 measures of academic quality.

The latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, released September 13, placed Chaminade University No. 25 in Regional Universities West, moving up four spots from 2021. Chaminade shares the No. 25 spot with California State University, Monterey Bay.

Chaminade University was also ranked No. 21 as a Best Value School. The ranking is based on four indicators:

  • academic quality;
  • percentage of all full-time undergraduates receiving need-based scholarships or grants;
  • average discount from the school’s total sticker price for full-time undergraduates; and
  • among 2020–2021 full-time undergraduates who received need-based aid, the percentage of that group that who also received a grant or scholarship—aid that students don’t have to pay back. 

U.S. News and World Report also recognized Chaminade University this year as a Top Performer on Social Mobility at No. 38. The Social Mobility ranking is measured by the percentage of students who received federal Pell Grants graduated. Chaminade shares the No. 25 spot with Sul Ross State University.

In individual program rankings, Chaminade’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program ranked in the top 42% at No. 288 out of 690 schools. Chaminade’s Nursing program launched in 2010 with its first cohort graduating in 2014.

U.S. News and World Report is now in its 37th year of ranking colleges and universities. The rankings evaluate more than 1,400 colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, undergraduate academic reputation, social mobility, graduation rate performance, faculty resources and alumni giving.

In August, Niche released its 2022 Best College Rankings. Chaminade University was ranked:

  • No. 1 Best Value Colleges in Hawaii
  • No. 1 Best College Locations in Hawaii
  • No. 1 Colleges with the Best Student Life in Hawaii
  • No. 51 Best Colleges for Criminal Justice in America (top 8%)
  • No. 123 Best College Locations in America (top 8%)
  • No. 138 Safest College Campuses in America (top 10%)
  • No. 176 Most Diverse Colleges in America (top 11%)

Passion for Montessori Lands Alumna Coveted Research Position

Emily Yerington, MAT '19, smiling at the camera with a floral background

Emily Yerington, MAT ‘19, has fond memories of the Montessori school she attended as a child. Now, she’s on a mission to add to the body of knowledge about the educational philosophy—known for its focus on student-guided learning—as part of a journey that’s taken her from Chaminade to Harvard.

Yerington enrolled at Chaminade’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program with a concentration in Montessori education after seeking more information from several universities that offered what she was looking for: a graduate degree with both Montessori and state teaching credentials. “I didn’t know much about Chaminade’s program,” said Yerington, who was living in Washington, D.C. at the time. “But they personally reached out to me, answered all my questions, and made sure it was a good fit.”

As part of Chaminade’s MAT program, Yerington attended class online and then participated in summertime sessions on Chaminade’s campus with other members of her cohort. She said those in-person opportunities really made a difference, allowing her to get field experience, learn more about the educational passions of her peers and build strong relationships with her professors.

Emily Yerington, MAT '19, wearing a Chaminade shirt and smiling at camera

Among those professors: Dr. Elizabeth Park, the director of Chaminade’s Early Childhood and Montessori programs, who couldn’t be prouder of all Yerington has accomplished since graduating from the university. She said it has been especially wonderful to see someone who was educated in the Montessori approach pursue research questions about Montessori education. “Seeing how she approaches learning was just very striking for me. This philosophy really works,” Park said.

The Montessori approach to education, developed by Italian doctor Maria Montessori, seeks to put children at the center of their learning. “She believed every child had their own pace of development,” Park said. “She also really believed in the importance of helping students become independent.”

It’s an educational philosophy that Yerington has seen the benefits of firsthand.

After graduation from Chaminade, Yerington started teaching at a public Montessori school in her neighborhood. It gave her the real-life knowledge she needed to take her next step: returning to school to pursue research into the effectiveness of Montessori education. She applied to a master’s degree program at Harvard, seeking references from Chaminade professors, and was accepted. She recently graduated with her Master’s of Education in Human Development and Psychology degree.

Emily Yerington, MAT '19, sitting with a student teaching

And after completing that program, focusing on Montessori educational practices along the way, Yerington landed a coveted research position under a Harvard professor at the Boston Children’s Hospital’s Nelson Laboratory, where she is currently studying cognitive function in children from infancy to age three. The goal: to develop an assessment at the earliest years of development, when interventions are most effective.

Yerington is also planning to pursue doctoral studies to further delve into research of Montessori programs, especially now that more are offered in public schools. “Now that we have more of these programs, I want there to be more evidence about how effective or ineffective they are,” she said.

While Yerington said she’d never heard of Chaminade before she found its MAT program with a Montessori concentration and applied, she is so happy she attended. “I tell everyone how much I loved Chaminade,” Yerington said. “I’ve been to three universities, one of which is probably the most well-known in the world. But I was absolutely best supported at Chaminade.”

She added, “That level of support, it came from everyone. It’s a high-quality education.”

That’s music to Park’s ears.

“I feel like a proud mom,” she joked. “Emily is so incredible, and I am so happy we were able to contribute to her success, even just a little bit. I cannot wait to see what she does next in her research.”