Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Secondary Education Student Wins MLA Student Essay Contest

Jennifer Nguyen '22 with author Viet Thanh Nguyen
Jennifer Nguyen ’22 with author Viet Thanh Nguyen. Jennifer cited his work multiple times in her essay.

Jennifer Nguyen ’22 calls herself a “history fanatic.”

She’s an online undergraduate student studying Secondary Education at Chaminade and hopes to one day teach history. So when her English professor, Dr. Brooke Carlson, assigned her class an argumentative essay designed to be something of a self-exploration she knew instantly what she would write about.

She took on nothing less than the Vietnam War, a topic that has haunted her since childhood.

“I find many reasons to be proud of my American heritage,” Nguyen said, in a recent interview. “On the other side, I find myself drawn to the stories, the struggle, and the memory of a war that has affected not only my family but all those who were lost, displaced, resettled, disturbed.”

Her essay explores the problematic way in which Americans collectively remember the war, offering a powerful alternative for recalling a bloody and protracted conflict that Nguyen said is meant to reflect her “love for the American value of expression and a love for cultural identity.”

Her powerful perspective didn’t just impress her professor.

It also garnered a national award: Out of hundreds of submissions from around the country, “The Vietnam War, the American War: Literature, Film, and Popular Memory” was selected as a winner in the MLA (Modern Language Association) Student Paper Contest. A committee of judges said Nguyen’s essay not only had a clear thesis and excellent sources, but the topic and her argument were “compelling.”

In winning the award, Nguyen’s essay will also be published on the MLA Style Center, a hub geared toward students from high school to graduate school that’s meant to demonstrate how to correctly use MLA style – and, of course, write a good essay.

Nguyen said the essay was a “passion project” that was made possible thanks to her partnership with Carlson. Nguyen said her professor suggested she submit the essay to the MLA and then helped her cut the word count and offered other suggestions for tweaks.

“Without him, I would not have even known or considered submitting my work to the MLA contest,” Nguyen said, adding that “This essay really was a joy to research and write. I hope to continue on this path and produce more work that sheds light on important issues.”

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.”

Celebrating Years of Service

Chaminade faculty and staff gathered earlier this month for some holiday fare and fun – and to recognize dozens of colleagues celebrating years of service milestones.

Among those honored: Dr. David Coleman, a professor of Religious Studies at Chaminade, who has served at the institution for 45 years.

Dr. John Steelquist, professor of Operations Research, was recognized for 35 years at Chaminade.

And two members of the University ‘ohana are celebrating 30 years at Chaminade: Dr. Chock Wong, an associate professor of Mathematics, and Librarian Valerie Coleman.

Chaminade’s annual faculty and staff Christmas celebration is one of the few times during the year that team members from across the institution are able to gather and enjoy each other’s company.

The end-of-the-year luncheon is also a time for reflection – as faculty and staff members recall the accomplishments of the past year and the big goals for the year ahead.

Here’s the full list of Chaminade employees celebrating years of service milestones:

Ty Aki
Leiko Bedoya
Mefleen Billy
Dr. Denise Hackman
Karen Harp
Kevin Mikami
Shadrack Nabea
Maxine Nihei
Siako Noket
Andrew Perez
Cheryl Yamamoto

Eva Djou
Ryan Hirata
Seiko Kuliano

Dr. Joseph Allen
Heidi Harakuni
Allison Jerome
Choong Lim
Cassandra Sakamoto
Eva Washburn-Repollo

Dr. Lilia Castle
Huo Chen
Venus Ituralde
Dr. Regina Pfeiffer
Sr. Malia Wong

Rui Huang
Cesar Tesora  

Valerie Coleman
Dr. Chock Wong

Dr. John Steelquist

Dr. David Coleman

Graduate and Online Undergraduate Scholarships

Dr. Lynn Babington talks to KHON2 about our new $5,000 graduate and online undergraduate scholarship in celebration of 200 years of Marianist Education. The one-time $5,000 scholarships are available to new, incoming students looking to pursue a master’s degree or online bachelor’s degree.

At Chaminade University, we are committed to improving the community we call home through education.