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Chaminade University No. 20 in Annual ‘U.S. News’ College Rankings

September 12, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University is proud of another strong showing in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings, which once again named Chaminade among the top regional universities in the West.

In the 2022-2023 rankings, Chaminade clinched the no. 20 spot in the regional group.

That’s up from no. 25 in 2021-2022.

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington said the ranking underscores the university’s strong commitment to academic excellence, rigor and innovation. “Our team of faculty and staff members work incredibly hard to deliver on our service-focused mission and ensure our students can reach their goals,” Babington said. “Chaminade’s Best Colleges ranking is a testament to their unwavering dedication and tireless efforts to put Chaminade’s pledge to the community into action.”

Meanwhile, Chaminade also jumped up in the rankings as a “best value” option—securing the no. 11 spot (from no. 21 last year). In the “best value” ranking, U.S. News & World Report assessed universities not only on academic quality but on the availability of need-based grants, scholarships and other aid.

Chaminade was also ranked no. 28 for “social mobility” (from no. 38 in 2021-2022).

The ranking measures the percentage of Pell Grant students who graduated.

The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings include assessments of approximately 1,500 U.S. colleges and universities. The rankings—in their 38th year—evaluate campuses 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, retention rates and faculty resources.

Chaminade’s undergraduate Nursing program, which launched in 2010, was also recognized. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program was named among the best in the U.S., ranking in the top 42%. The school secured the no. 293 spot among nursing programs out of some 690 schools nationwide.

Chaminade University Receives Multiple Grants for Educational Scholarships

September 9, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University recently received three grants totaling $45,000 to fund scholarships for the 2022-2023 school year. The grants include:

Antone and Edene Vidinha Charitable Trust – $20,000

Established to benefit the people of Kaua‘i, the Antone and Edene Vidinha Charitable Trust granted $20,000 to provide monetary assistance to Kaua‘i residents in financial need attending Chaminade University. Scholarship funds may be used toward tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for the enrolled courses.

Frederic Duclos Barstow Foundation – $15,000

The Frederic Duclos Barstow Foundation awarded Chaminade $15,000 for scholarships for scholarship/tuition aid to second-year students from American Samoa who have financial need and are full-time students enrolled in an eligible field. Eligible fields include business, finance, library science, psychology, computer science, health care, math, science, nursing, hospitality, and education. The purpose of the Foundation is to support education and benefit the youth of American Samoa.

William H. Hannon Foundation – $10,000

The William H. Hannon Foundation awarded Chaminade $10,000 for scholarships for students in the Experiential Honors Program. The Chaminade University Experiential Honors Program is a four-year program that encourages students to make positive change in the world through experiential learning as an ambassador of the United Nations CIFAL Center Honolulu, housed at Chaminade University of Honolulu.

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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.

2022 Faculty Awardees

September 8, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Three faculty members were recently honored for their outstanding contributions to academic scholarship, teaching excellence and creating a community that embraces teamwork at Chaminade.

Psychology Professor Dr. Tracy Trevorrow was recognized with the Fr. John F. Bolin Excellence in Scholarship Award for his tireless pursuit of knowledge and his novel approaches to research that not only seek to build on broader psychological work but on his own clinical practice.

In fact, Trevorrow’s strategy for committing to research projects is three-fold: He looks for work consistent with the direction of his past works, that will help address a gap in literature, and that is novel and broad enough to maximize the likelihood of noteworthy findings.

Trevorrow previously was awarded the Excellence in Scholarship Award in 2007.

A colleague who nominated Trevorrow for the latest recognition said the professor’s timely, ever-evolving and dynamic approach to scholarship underscores his commitment to helping the field grow. His latest research focus includes studies of epilepsy, attention deficit disorder and applied psychophysiology along with behavioral sleep science and impacts on health.

As the nominator writes, psychology’s emerging interest in sleep could yield important findings applicable to a diversity of people and to a better understanding of overall physical and mental health.

Meanwhile, this year’s recipient of the CUH Excellence in Teaching Award is Psychology Assistant Professor Dr. Blendine Hawkins, who is director of Chaminade’s Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy program. The recognition celebrates teaching that has “lasting, positive impacts on students, deepens student learning and demonstrates overall excellence in teaching at the university.”

Hawkins certainly ticks all those boxes, says Psychology Assistant Professor Dr. Abby Halston.

In her nomination of Hawkins for the award, Halston said the professor seeks to assess students’ educational gaps in knowledge and skills—and then fill them. Hawkins is also a mentor to students as they seek to form their professional identities and develop an individualized pathway to their careers.

Indeed, Hawkins says her main passion for teaching is student empowerment.

With her undergraduate students, she seeks to help them critically analyze information, support their arguments with evidence, and develop into confident consumers of scholarly research. With her clinical master’s students, she challenges them to connect with clients while using best practices for effective care. And with her doctoral students, she demystifies each step of qualitative study design.

“Dr. Hawkins expects a higher level of performance from her students,” Halston said.

Finally, Sr. Malia Wong received the inaugural Dr. Joseph Allen Collegiality Award, which seeks to recognize a faculty member who demonstrates values of collaboration, mentorship, and teamwork. Those who nominated Wong for the honor said she embodies Chaminade’s mission in her work.

Most notably, Wong spearheaded the “Marianists and the Arts: A Sense of Spirit, A Sense of Place” program, which tapped into the talents of peers to connect hands-on learning with Chaminade’s early Marianist founders. Participants said they were able to share experiences with people across departments while engaging with Chaminade’s history and strong focus on public service.

A colleague who nominated Wong said she embodies the central values of the university and its embrace of social justice and inclusivity. Another nominator, Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe, said Wong “puts the school’s mission in the forefront of whatever she does in teaching, service and scholarship.”

She is also known for random acts of aloha—from gifting flowers to sweet treats to notes of encouragement (and brightening days along the way). As Magpantay-Monroe put it, “Sr. Malia’s collegiality is beyond emulating the Marianist and Native Hawaiian values. She is spilling her acts of kindness and responsibility beyond Chaminade … and into our island community.”

Harnessing the Data Revolution Through a $10 Million Grant

September 2, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Dr. Rylan Chong, director of Chaminade’s Data Science program, calls it nothing less than historic.

In early August, the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES Alliance selected Chaminade University to lead a groundbreaking $10 million grant project aimed at creating new opportunities in STEM and data science careers for historically underrepresented populations across Hawai‘i and the Pacific Region.

The grant announcement, Chong said, is one of those moments that educators will look back on in a decade or so and recognize as a turning point—the beginning of new initiatives that opened doors for students, the institutions that serve them, and nonprofit and business communities in the region.

“This is about leveling up, addressing capacity in the workforce and making sure our low-income and underrepresented students have an opportunity to bring their perspectives to data science,” Chong said, adding that welcoming diverse populations into data science will ensure their voices are heard.

“You can apply data science to every field—education, healthcare and mental health, environment science and climate change, and criminal justice,” he said. “It’s not just about crunching numbers but ensuring the numbers reflect different viewpoints and getting those numbers into the right hands.”

That’s why the Data Science program at Chaminade doesn’t just want to prepare students for competitive careers at the Googles and Amazons of the world. “We also want to find opportunities for students working in grassroots and community organizations, being able to contribute to projects they’re interested in while making a difference to the places where they live,” Chong said.

The competitive NSF grant is one of the largest Chaminade has ever received and reflects the strong data science work and foundational programs already in place at the University.

With the transformative funding, Chaminade’s United Nations-affiliated CIFAL Honolulu Center will spearhead the launch of the university’s new Alliance Supporting Pacific Impact through Computational Excellence (ALL-SPICE) with a consortium of partners, putting a strong emphasis on leadership for sustainable development and efforts aimed at tackling the growing impacts of climate change.

“Chaminade University is really quite honored to lead this important initiative charged with empowering STEM leaders for tomorrow from across Hawai‘i and the Pacific, equipping them with the cutting-edge tools they need to drive sustainable development projects,” said President Lynn Babington, PhD.

“This grant is part of a collective and exciting effort to meet a pivotal moment in our history by expanding opportunities to a new generation of change-makers. Our mission of service is foundational to everything we do at Chaminade and so we are proud to drive a culturally informed initiative ultimately designed to help build healthier, more resilient and socially just communities.”

The first ALL-SPICE programming and opportunities launched in the Fall.

Dr. Helen Turner, research director of the Chaminade United Nations CIFAL Honolulu Center and a professor of Biology, is principal investigator for ALL-SPICE along with Chong. She said the funding will focus on three central efforts: bolstering training and educating, conducting data science research on sustainable development projects, and building capacity (including infrastructure) for data analytics in Hawai‘i and the Pacific.

“This work takes a village,” Turner said, adding the grant was the result of years of collaboration between Chaminade and other institutions to step up programming and underscore the importance of data science to the community. The Chaminade-led consortium includes the University of Hawaii Data Science Institute, East-West Center and the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).

“The National Science Foundation identified the power of data analytics for education, research and industry. They use this phrase ‘harnessing the data revolution’ because right now we are all swimming in an ocean of data,” Turner said. “We can either drown as individuals, communities and society or we can swim and surf that wave—take data and turn it into wisdom, knowledge and action-based plans.”

Turner said that’s exactly what the Data Science program at Chaminade is focused on.

And the grant will exponentially increase that work, expanding opportunities to more students, community leaders and institutions so they can use data for the greater good. “Data and social justice go hand and hand. To me, it’s a very obvious and beautiful linkage,” Turner said.

For example, she says that health inequities are fundamentally a data problem—failing to get the right resources to the right people or not fully understanding the root causes for gaps in care. Environmental problems, economic development, educational gaps can be approached similarly.

“Because a big piece of this is meeting the needs of the community,” she added. “No university in the United States can keep up with the pace of demand for data scientists. We want our students to succeed, but we also don’t want our own organizations in Hawai‘i to be left behind.”

That’s why the grant will, in part, fund research or hands-on internships for students. Already, Chaminade students in data science are working on a plethora of important projects—looking at everything from maternal mortality in Pacific populations to recidivism in Hawai‘i.

“If you ask what is a data scientist, the answer is everything,” she said. “With data science, students undoubtedly can follow their personal passions and make a positive impact. This is ultimately a vehicle for students’ passions to change the world. It’s also about democratizing our relationship with data.”

CIFAL Honolulu Executive Director and Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dr. Gail Grabowsky said data visualization and interpretation are a central focus of the grant’s programming. That’s because it’s not enough to analyze the data. Helping the community (especially non-data scientists) understand what the data says is just as important.

“We think data alone will change the world and it won’t,” said Grabowsky, who is also dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade. “What will change the world is many people working together on shared goals, using data along the way to inform policy and guide next steps.”

She added that CIFAL Honolulu envisions the Pacific Ocean as a “connector,” helping to spur conversations around both modern approaches and traditional knowledge and practices. Indigenous ways of knowing, Grabowsky added, could also bring about new perspectives and questions.

Dr. Lance Askildson, Chaminade provost, called the grant and its potential impact “incredibly significant.” He added, “This is really about creating a network of institutions across the Pacific, of which Chaminade is the lead, to provide education, training and research.”

He said a key part of the funding is working with community stakeholders to help them tell their own community stories with data. “Particularly here in the West, there is a tremendous amount of data being collected on us at all times of the day,” he said. “Being in control of your data is just like being in control of your Facebook profile—it’s a chance to tell a story with greater integrity that prioritizes your needs.”

ALL-SPICE co-Principal Investigator Dr. Kelly Gaither, the director of health analytics at TACC and a professor of Maternal Health at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, first started hearing about Chaminade’s work in data science in 2005 as part of a grant review committee.

What struck her the most, she said, is there was no tension between the pursuit of data science and traditional Hawaiian and Pacific knowledge and ways of knowing. “Chaminade was really trying to chop down any notion that Hawaiian science is not science,” she said. “This is the true definition of capacity building. Chaminade is really leading this, one community stakeholder and one student at a time.”

Gaither added she’s especially excited about the workforce opportunities the grant has to offer.

“We can dream big, peacefully coexist and all move forward,” she said. “That’s what is possible.”

Chaminade University Receives $75,000 Grant from Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation

August 31, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University of Honolulu recently received a $75,000 grant from the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation for student scholarships. The grant will be split to fund physical and behavioral health majors for the 2022-2023 school year. Scholarships will range from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on financial need.

The scholarships will target students entering high value majors with a focus on physical and behavioral health professions as key to Hawai‘i’s recovery and economic resilience. These majors include Chaminade’s new 20-month accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that allows students to complete their nursing degree in five back-to-back terms and its Community and Public Health program that prepares students for careers including as a community health worker, health educator, and public health investigator.

The Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation has provided funding for student scholarships to Chaminade University since 2014. The Foundation was established in 1993 by entrepreneurs Mamoru and Aiko Takitani, founders of Hawaiian Host, to assist the youth of Hawai‘i with their goals. Since its establishment, the Foundation has donated $2.3 million in scholarships and provided educational opportunities to students in Hawai‘i.

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Pre-College Summer Institutes 2022

August 30, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

“Cooking with Chemistry”

“Think Like a Champion”

“Psychology of Happiness”

Those might sound like great reads—or fascinating TED Talks.

But they were actually some of the engaging and hands-on courses offered at Chaminade University over the summer to groups of Hawaii high schoolers. The students were participants in Chaminade’s Summer Institutes, made possible at the university thanks to a partnership with the federal GEARUP program.

The workshops are designed to give high school students a taste of college—and get them hooked.

Participants this year for the seven, two-week sessions included ninth to 12th graders from Farrington, Kaimukī, Ānuenue and McKinley high schools. And in addition to going on field trips and tackling fun projects, they got the chance to attend co-curricular sessions on college readiness. The topics covered everything you’d need to know as you prepare to graduate from high school and plan for college, including applying for financial aid, navigating admissions and student life.

Pure Imagination

Aaron Williamson, assistant professor of Accounting, taught a session called “The Successes of Pure Imagination: Business Development and Entrepreneurial Mentorship.” He said the course was designed as “an immersion into the world of entrepreneurship”—from business plan development, brainstorming sessions, strategic thinking skills-building and the application of “principles of success” in daily life.

“The entire process of teaching the course was memorable—from idea inception to business plan presentations,” he said. “Having a small part in assisting students to see how an idea can impact the world and developing theoretical businesses that will be on the streets of tomorrow is so enjoyable.”

Cooking with Chemistry

In Dr. Francis Sakai-Kawada’s “Cooking with Chemistry” course, students tie-dyed their lab coats to better understand the chemistry of dyes, made their own bars of soap as they explored the properties of saponification, and took chemistry into the kitchen to make butter, mayonnaise, boba and ice cream.

“The goal was develop activities that were hands-on and engaging,” he said. “We had the creative license and flexibility to tie underlying scientific and chemistry concepts to every activity. Our priority was to incorporate an element of fun. We wanted our students to see that so much of what we deal with in our daily life can be related to chemistry, from food to household cleaning products.”

Kawada added that students started the course a little shy, but slowly opened up.

And the highlight of the session: visiting the IL Gelato Factory to talk story with owner Dr. Dirk Koeppenkastrop (a fellow chemist), who discussed his path from a chemistry lab to studying the art and science of gelato in Italy and the “perfect ratio of ingredients” that goes into the sweet treat.

Psychology of Happiness

Dr. Abby Halston, an assistant professor of psychology at Chaminade and clinical director of the university’s Marriage and Family Counseling program, taught the “Psychology of Happiness” course—which incorporated everything from guided meditation and breathing to personal journaling.

Students also put together personal stress management plans, worked to identify their hopes and dreams for college and beyond, and participated in mock career development interviews. The group also got to go on a field trip to Beyond Monet, an immersive experience into the artist’s works.

“I wanted to create a fun and life-changing institute where high school students could gain deep personal insight into their psychological wellbeing while learning personal management skills that could be utilized throughout their lifespan,” Halston said. “We focused on understanding the keys to happiness … and the power of our mindset to achieving our hopes and dreams.”

She added, “I cannot wait until next summer’s institute!”

For the Love of Math

For the Summer Institutes course on “Creating Number Sense to Increase Love of Math,” Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Travis Mukina wasn’t just teaching math fundamentals, but un-teaching some bad math habits. “Most days consisted of mental math activities that forced students to view numbers in ways their elementary school teachers did not allow,” Mukina said. “We broke numbers apart, changed their values and accommodated for the change at the end of the problem.”

“Hands-on manipulatives were also used daily to allow students to visually see how the numbers were working with each other in multiple different strategies. Every activity ensured the students were learning from each other rather than from me. It was amazing to witness!” Mukina added.

He said one of the big takeaways for students was that math isn’t a set of rules and procedures to memorize, but about creativity and flexibility. Mukina also wanted participants to see how math can be used seamlessly in everyday life—and how even complicated things can be broken down.

“I feel so honored to be part of this summer institute,” he said.

Living Pono

For the “Living Pono” institute, School of Nursing and Health Professions Professors Dr. Jennifer Nafarrete and Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe covered a wide range of health topics—from nutrition to human anatomy and physiology to reproductive health. Along the way, students tried their hand at cooking, engaged in some friendly competition, and put together presentations to tackle big topics.

Magpantay-Monroe said students really enjoyed the concepts of emotional intelligence and mindfulness, and especially loved their field trip to Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden—where they were challenged to strengthen their ability to “notice” and “be with nature.”

“I really enjoyed being a source of information to these students—helping them realize self-care is important but they also need to be self-aware of what is happening around them,” she said. “Being with nature helped increase their capacity to be mindful and reduce their stressors.”

Nafarrete added she was also happy to give students actionable, healthy solutions they can use everyday—like recipes. “My thought process was to find fun ways to engage students into making conscious choices about their health while considering how it affects the environment,” she said.

Think Like a Champion

Dr. Guanlin Gao, associate professor of Economics at Chaminade and director of the Economic Education Center for Excellence, focused on personal finance literacy in her course, “Think Like a Champion.” She wanted students to walk away with a better understanding of how to handle money.

“We spent one day visiting a local financial institution to learn more about how they operate and contribute to managing personal finances,” Gao said. “We spent another day on a fun team competition that involved budgeting, shopping and cooking. We even played a game that was all about inflation.”

Gao said the point of all the exercises was to help students see how better (and smarter) financial decisions ultimately lead to happier lives. “Interacting with the students was my favorite part,” she said. “For many of them, our trip to a bank was the first time they’d seen an actual vault. During our cooking competition, they all made nutritious meals. The best part: they were so proud of themselves.”