Chaminade University of Honolulu

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2019 Hawaii Catholic Teacher of the Year

Ernest Mendoza notoriously puts his students first.

In his 27-year tenure for St. Anthony School in Maui, one of our sister Marianist institutions, he has impacted the lives of countless students. Whether it’s staying late to help a student on an assignment, inspiring students to find their faith in God or coming in on a weekend to fix things around campus, his legacy runs deep.

He was a natural choice for this year’s Teacher of the Year award, presented by Chaminade University and Hawaii Catholic Schools. 

Ernest Mendoza accepting his check for Hawaii Catholic Schools teacher of the year

“When we looked at Mr. Mendoza’s commitment to his students and service to his school, and the incredible testimonials we received from his students, alumni and colleagues, it was clear he deserved this award,” says Dale Fryxell, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Chaminade University and member of the selection committee. “Mr. Mendoza exemplifies everything that this award stands for—a celebration of the effect teachers have on the lives of their students.”

Mendoza received the $1,000 award, made possible by the generous support of John and Mary Lou Brogan, at the annual Hawaii Catholic Schools Recognition Luncheon on May 22. 

Our own Dr. Helen Turner, dean of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and vice president of innovation at Chaminade University, was the event’s keynote speaker. She addressed the audience about innovation in Catholic schools.

A sincere thank you to Hawaii Catholic Schools for making these accolades possible. We look forward to our continued collaboration and partnership.

Chaminade Alumna Named Hawaii School Counselor of the Year

Raemie Pagaduan ’06 found her calling during an internship at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School while she was getting her master’s at Chaminade.

Raemie Pagaduan '07 and family

“What drew me to school counseling was being able to be an advocate for students, being that voice for some students who might not have one,” Pagaduan said.

The Master of Science in Counseling Psychology alumna began her career at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School 13 years ago as a 7-12th grade counselor and is now the school’s college and career counselor. 

Pagaduan’s passion for counseling, commitment to helping students thrive and her instrumental role in Nanakuli High and Intermediate School’s Early College program made her an ideal candidate for the 2019 Hawaii School Counselor of the Year, awarded by the Hawaii School Counselor Association.

Since Pagaduan started counseling at Nanakuli, the number of students participating in Early College has increased from one percent in 2010 to 18 percent in 2018. The rate of student enrollment at a four-year college has been the highest in more than a decade, at 24 percent.

The Early College program, which allows high school students to take college classes on their campus for high school and college credit, has been an important initiative to Pagaduan because many of her students will be the first in their families to attend college.

“I am a very strong proponent of putting minorities in places of power so that they can affect change,” Pagaduan said. “I think [getting an education] opens doors.”

The Chaminade alumna found out she won the award at an assembly held before the school year ended in front of all her students and the principal who nominated her. She said the students’ reaction, their clapping and cheering, was the best part and that she is humbled to receive this recognition. In January, Pagaduan will travel to Washington, D.C. to be recognized by the American School Counselor Association.

“[Nanakuli is] such a great place and that’s where you really see change and that’s where you really understand what hope is when you’re working with these amazing, amazing students,” Pagaduan said. “I just want to highlight Nanakuli and the people of Nanakuli who’ve taught me so much and made me the counselor that I am.”

The Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) program is part of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. The program includes three concentrations: School Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage and Family Counseling. MSCP prepares graduates for careers in community and school settings. Graduates assist children, youth and adults in adapting to various educational, family, organizational and societal demands. The program includes the foundational use of standards established by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Chaminade Kicks Off Undergraduate Summer Research Institute

2019 summer undergraduate research institute

May 20 marked the start of Chaminade University’s very first Undergraduate Summer Research Institute with a kickoff event on campus.

The Undergraduate Summer Research Institute encourages a culture of undergraduate research at Chaminade and provides students with summer research opportunities. The kickoff event was the first time that all 10 undergraduate researchers and their faculty mentors gathered to socialize, review expectations for the summer and discuss the types of support the researchers will receive.

“We have seen the substantial growth in students who participate in summer research opportunities,” says Dr. Darren Iwamoto, director of the Undergraduate Summer Research Institute. “Students develop confidence, enthusiasm and a fearless approach toward research and we’re excited to bring a similar program to Chaminade.”

Throughout the 11-week program, student researchers will meet for weekly workshops led by the faculty mentors and guests. Workshops are designed to build the students’ skill sets and prepare them for post-undergraduate life. They cover a range of topics, including research design methods, effective personal statements and the application process for graduate schools and competitive internships.

Students participating in the summer institute are covering a wide range of disciplines including English, Philosophy, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Business, Religion, Behavioral Sciences, Environmental + Interior Design and Psychology.

Chaminade students applied for the program in March and were then matched with a faculty mentor based on their research interests. Students will collaborate with their faculty mentors to create individual research projects and will present their work at a poster session in August.

Students Learn the Business of Finance

A recent partnership between Chaminade University and Hawaii State Federal Credit Union (Hawaii State FCU) has proven to offer an invaluable real-world experience to students. Through the partnership, Chaminade business students participate in a 15-week internship at Hawaii State FCU.

Business students interning at HSFCU
Business students Mailani, Nikki and Cole

The internship program was the brainchild of Ismael Eustaquio, Chaminade alumnus and senior department manager of project development at Hawaii State FCU. As a Chaminade alum and Board of Regents member, Eustaquio thought an incredible way to give back to the community would be to pass on the knowledge and skills of Hawaii State FCU’s employees to emerging leaders at Chaminade.

“In our programs, we are always looking to help students integrate what they learn in their courses with actual industry practice,” said Dr. Schroeder. “Hawaii State Federal Credit Union thinks similarly and has blended classroom lessons and work experience into their internship program, providing a distinctive approach that aligns well with our aims at Chaminade.”

Business students interning at HSFCU
Business students Gabriel, Kai and Elijah

Throughout the program, Chaminade interns complete a curriculum that is divided between the classroom and the field. Program participants take 12 leadership courses, spend time rotating between the company’s 15 departments, meet regularly with a mentor and present a final group project to their mentors, Chaminade professors and the credit union’s executive board and CEO.

“My experience at Hawaii State FCU left such a remarkable impression on me and really impacted me in a way that I am able to carry on with me throughout my future endeavors,” said Mailani Faniel, recent business administration graduate. “It helped me understand people better, understand myself more clearly and learn how to do business with people from all walks of life.”

So far, two cohorts comprising three students each have completed the Hawaii State FCU internship program.

English Professor Receives Outstanding Mentor Award

“No research topic is too unachievable.”

That’s one of the greatest lessons recent graduate Nicole Sagapolutele learned from professor Wyble, her mentor. “You can do research on anything you want…even though it’s something that not everyone knows. You shouldn’t be afraid to do a research topic that interests you just because you’re not sure how it will be received.”

Nicole Sagapoluetele, Justin Wyble (President Mackey Prize winner) and Dr. Lynn Babington
Nicole Sagapolutele, Justin Wyble and Dr. Lynn Babington

Sagapolutele recently nominated Wyble for the 2019 President Mackey Prize, otherwise known as the Outstanding Mentor Award. The annual award recognizes a Chaminade professor who has provided students with research experiences that go above and beyond the classroom experience. Wyble was named this year’s recipient at Na Liko Naʻauao, the university’s undergraduate research conference on April 26.

“My philosophy of teaching is a student-centered one and I definitely carry that over into any sort of mentoring that I do, so I think it only makes sense that Nicole is in the spotlight,” Wyble said. “I think it’s as much her award as it is mine.”

In her nomination letter, the Sagapolutele highlighted the various ways that Wyble went above and beyond in helping her with her research project, titled “The Importance of Hawaiian Representation in American History Textbooks According to Avatar: The Last Airbender,” which explored the connection between how Native Hawaiian history is often inaccurately depicted in American history textbooks and how a genocide is depicted in the fictional children’s show, “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

She shared how Wyble used his knowledge of Pacific Island literature to offer feedback and revise her research paper, introduced her to secondary sources he had used for his own research, helped her apply and prepare for conference presentations and encouraged her to pursue graduate school. But what really stuck with Sagapolutele about Wyble’s mentorship style was the creative freedom he gave her to explore topics that interested her.

Prior to mentoring Sagapolutele, Wyble had never seen “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” but did his research when she voiced that it was a topic she was interested in.

“That’s what a student-centered classroom means to me. I always try to start with where the students are, what their interests are,” Wyble said. “I’m constantly searching for those stories that I think they might enjoy reading and then trying to push their thought a little bit higher. I definitely start with them and see where I can take them.”

Throughout the mentorship, which officially lasted from fall 2018 to spring 2019, Wyble helped Sagapolutele prepare to present her research at two undergraduate conferences: Na Liko at Chaminade and the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

But the research partnership is not over yet. With the support of Wyble, Sagapolutele will be presenting her project at the Science Fiction Research Association Annual Conference 2019, which Chaminade is hosting in June. Unlike her experiences at Na Liko and NCUR, she’ll be presenting alongside professional scholars even before she has begun graduate school—though, she will start soon.

A week before graduation, Sagapolutele received the news that she was accepted into Chaminade’s Master of Arts in Teaching program where she plans to study secondary education starting in the fall and eventually become a high school teacher. However, her time at Chaminade and the mentorship she received from Wyble has also opened her up to the idea of getting her doctorate and teaching at the university level.

“I’m very honored to receive [the President Mackey Prize],” Wyble said. “It’s nice. It feels good. I really like that this award is focused on the teacher-student relationship and it really foregrounds the importance of mentoring, of that close teacher-student relationship we have at Chaminade.”

Pre-Term Birth Research takes Professor and Students to Paris

Nainoa Ing '21, associate professor Dr. Claire Wright, Dr. Chelsea Saito Reis '12 and Justin Padron
Nainoa Ing ’21, associate professor Dr. Claire Wright, Dr. Chelsea Saito Reis ’12 and Justin Padron

In March, sophomore Nainoa Norman Ing presented the research he’s been doing at Chaminade on the placental membranes at an international conference in Paris, France.

He was the only undergraduate to do so.

Norman Ing, a biochemistry major, made the trip to the annual Society for Reproductive Investigation conference with two other team members at Chaminade’s Placental Membranes Integrity Lab along with the professor who leads it: Dr. Claire Wright.

The laboratory is focused on figuring out how placental membranes works in regular pregnancies, and what goes wrong when it fails—leading to premature births.

In a recent interview, Norman Ing joked that he learned more during the week-long Paris conference than during a semester of courses.

Listening to experts in the field discuss their research is “a little eye-opening,” he said.

“You can hear in the way that they talk that they’ve thought about the subject a lot,” Norman Ing said, during a recent interview at the lab. “There’s a huge amount of time behind what they say. So even if they just ask a simple question, it has deeper meaning.”

The trip also reinvigorated the lab’s team members as they tackle big research questions.

Last year, Wright received a three-year, $438,000 National Institutes of Health grant aimed at funding scientific projects to better understand how placental membranes works in the body.

The placental membranes surrounds the fetus during pregnancy. And in normal pregnancies, it naturally fails after nine months, and a woman’s “water breaks.”

Wright, an associate professor of biology at Chaminade, said problems with placental membranes are among the biggest causes of pre-term births. Studying how the tissue operates normally is a vital first step in understanding what happens when things go wrong.

The research is especially significant in the islands.

Hawaii has among the nation’s highest rates of preterm births, and the rate is even higher among populations with greater health disparities, including Asians and Pacific Islanders.

And the impacts of prematurity can last a lifetime. Preterm babies, or those born earlier than 37 weeks, can face physical and cognitive issues into adulthood.

“So when you’re thinking about this as a health disparity and a social injustice, that’s a really important thing,” Wright said, speaking in her lab on a recent day. “It’s impacting people all the way into their adult life and impacting their quality of life.”

Justin Padron, a graduate student at the University of Hawaii, also works at the lab and presented his research at the Paris conference.

And the newest addition to the team—Dr. Chelsea Saito Reis—also traveled to France. She came on in January as a post-doctoral researcher, and saw the Paris conference as a chance to better understand the cutting-edge projects underway in the field of reproductive studies. Reis completed her undergraduate degree at Chaminade in 2012, before going on to get her doctoral degree at the University of New Mexico.

She said research into placental membranes is of emerging interest, but is still nascent. “For something that’s such a normal process, there is still a lot that is unknown.”

Saito Reis and Norman Ing are the first to admit that the Paris trip wasn’t all work, though. The two said they got their fill of French cuisine and took in as many of the sights that they could.

Saito Reis called it an “adventure.” And by the way, she added, the Mona Lisa is actually quite small in person.

While the group was there, they also saw the Yellow Vest demonstrations—which closed thoroughfares in the heart of the city—and described them as something out of a movie.

It was the architecture of Paris, though, that really spoke to Norman Ing.

“Paris is a city of inspiration,” Norman Ing said. “Staying in such a place has reminded me that life is so much more than the mundane routine. Goals exist which one should strive for.”