Chaminade University of Honolulu

Humanities, Arts & Design

Student Surfboard as Art

Who says surfboards are meant only for surfing? They also double as works of art. That’s what Shania Lindsey Gervacio proved by winning the Maui Invitational Surfboard Design Contest this past November.

 A third year student majoring in Environmental + Interior Design, Gervacio initially based her design off of island tribal patterns and flora specific to Hawai’i. This concept later transitioned into the foundation icon of Chaminade Athletics that represents the Marianist approaches to education. 

“I also included hibiscuses as well as plumerias to refer to the pua commonly seen around the university campus,” she said. For the ‘silverswords’ in the center of the board, this was inspired by the fact that the previous surfboard designs mentioned ‘Chaminade’ or ‘Chaminade Silverswords,’ rather than only ‘Silverswords.’”

Gervacio’s professor, Dr. Junghwa Suh DArch, encouraged her to participate in the surfboard design competition during the 2025 spring semester. While designing, she also balanced working on a huge design project yet was able to brainstorm three different surfboard designs and fully execute one. 

The experience of designing a surfboard adds to the experience of her reaching the goal of becoming an interior designer after she graduates from Chaminade for hospitality spaces, such as restaurants, hotels, resorts and spas. 

She’s off to a great start. The Maui Invitational surfboards will eventually be displayed in the Silversword Cafe for all to enjoy and see. 

“I feel extremely excited that the surfboard will be displayed in the Silversword Cafe!” she said. “I feel that utilizing my design skills to create something tangible was an incredible accomplishment, and I hope for many Silverswords and Chaminade faculty to enjoy the design when they view it.”

Professor Participates in Interfaith Learning Seminar

Peter Steiger, Ph.D., a Religious Studies associate professor at Chaminade, joined scholars from around the country this summer for a prestigious seminar focused on deepening interfaith learning and cooperation across Council of Independent Colleges campuses.

The Teaching Interfaith Understanding seminar was held in Chicago, and included robust discussions on scholarly frameworks, reviews of syllabi and case studies, and special sessions on topics in higher education. Steiger said a key focus of the seminar was collaboration.

Selection for the interfaith seminar is competitive, and participants must be nominated.

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Organizer Interfaith America said the gathering “provides a multidisciplinary space for participating faculty to explore the theoretical foundations and practical pedagogies of interfaith engagement in higher education.”

Peter Steiger, Ph.D., a professor of religion at Chaminade, participates in an Interfaith America seminar. (Photo Credit: Kelly Feldmiller/Courtesy of Interfaith America)

This was the program’s 11th year.

Steiger said what he appreciated most about the seminar was the opportunities for engaging dialogue. “Hearing the speakers and faculty participants at the seminar gave me greater hope for the future of religious pluralism and interfaith understanding in America,” Steiger said.

“University campuses, both public and private, small and large, should be committed to bringing about greater interfaith understanding and respect for the diversity of religion in the world.”

New Volume Explores Scottish Literature in the Pacific

Two English professors at Chaminade are celebrating the publication of a new volume, Scottish Literature of the South Seas: Critical Studies of Scotland and the Pacific, which grew out of a 2019 conference at the University aimed at spotlighting and celebrating Scottish literature.

Allison Francis, Ph.D. and Richard Hill, Ph.D. said the project was something of a labor of love.

The volume turns to an international group of academics and writers to “consider the Scottish presence in the Pacific Islands and Oceania during the 19th century,” Francis said.

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The collection also includes “fascinating new scholarship” on the topic.

“Scots settled and married into Pacific cultures in a way that other British didn’t (especially English), and consequently there is a Scottish presence in modern Pacific life,” Hill said.

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Allison Francis, Ph.D.
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Richard Hill, Ph.D.

“We have traced very early Scottish literary presence through to modern day parallels that has not been done before.”

The professors noted they are thankful to everyone who made the volume possible, including a number of Chaminade students who assisted with re-writing, compiling and editing for the book.

They also hope to continue exploring the subject. And in the fall, they plan to hold a reading and question-and-answer session on the volume for the Chaminade campus community.

Professor Honored for Outstanding Contributions

Eva Washburn-Repollo, Ph.D., a professor of Communication at Chaminade, has been selected for a prestigious award from her alma mater recognizing outstanding contributions to her field.

The Silliman University Board of Trustees will confer Washburn-Repollo and seven other alumni with the Outstanding Sillimanian Award in August.

Since 1962, just 188 alumni have received the honor.

Washburn-Repollo teaches Communication, Intercultural Communication and Media and Discourse Studies at Chaminade, and her research focuses on cultural interpretation and identity.

She is the recipient of two Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grants, which funded immersive study trips to the Philippines with Chaminade students and educators.

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Washburn-Repollo received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Silliman University, along with a master’s of science in Reading from Southern Connecticut State University and a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Pedagogy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

She said her work as a professor “is shaped deeply by indigenous knowledge systems, performance ethnography, and arts-based pedagogy—approaches that center the body, the land, first and heritage languages, and the relational in how we come to know the world.”

As she receives the honor from Silliman University, Washburn-Repollo is also preparing for retirement from Chaminade and undertaking a new project to launch a sustainable retreat in the Philippines with her husband.

“This space will be a gathering ground for artists, cultural workers, and healers, where traditional Visayan knowledge meets contemporary practices,” she said.

Newest Diaconate Formation Cohort Welcomed

Thirty-six Chaminade students received a warm welcome on campus recently as they prepare to embark on a journey that is as much spiritual as it is scholarly.

The students are part of the newest diaconate formation cohort at Chaminade.

Together, they’ll pursue a Permanent Diaconate Education Certificate—designed to provide the academic preparation required to serve as a deacon or deacon’s wife in the Catholic Church.

Fifteen members of the cohort are simultaneously pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Religious Studies while 12 are seeking a Master’s in Pastoral Theology from Chaminade.

A special orientation event March 15 on Chaminade’s campus offered cohort members an opportunity to learn from one another as they also learn about the program—and the academic pathway they’ll take as they build a strong foundation in Scripture studies and theology.

Attendees included Allan and May Kuaana, who are seeking the diaconate certificate.

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“I am attending the Diaconate Program because, yes, it is a requirement for formation. But more importantly, it’s part of a deeper response to a greater calling,” Allan Kuaana said.

“This is where I believe God is asking me to be at this very moment.”

May Kuaana added, “I am here to walk with and support my husband in this journey of faith. This is not just his calling, it’s something we are living together—each day, one step at a time.”

Cohort members Brandon and Katherine Perea are also pursuing the master’s in Pastoral Theology. The couple said the orientation offered them new insight into the Marianists and their work to serve marginalized communities. “In this way, Chaminade’s spirituality embodies what it means to be a deacon—so it’s fitting our diocese facilitates our formation here,” they said.

The couple said they are looking to help others and expand their service to the community.

“I think I speak for everyone in the formation program when I say we are filled with a restless love for our Church and our community,” Brandon Perea said.


“Growing in relationship with Christ has resulted in this sensitivity to suffering around us. After the Mass, nothing makes us feel closer to Christ than helping others overcome physical, emotional, or spiritual barriers between them and God.”

Dustyn Ragasa, Ph.D., director of the master’s in Pastoral Theology program, said the cohort is among the biggest in recent memory. “Participants come from all walks of life,” he said. “Some are older and some are younger. Some are longtime residents and some are in the military.”

He noted the orientation, which included introductions from Chaminade President Lynn Babington and Marianist leaders, offered an opportunity for cohort members to feel like they’re a part of the Chaminade ‘ohana. It also gave them tools they’ll need as they embark on their studies.

For example, participants learned about the library resources available at Chaminade.

Ragasa said he was heartened to see the latest diaconate formation so full—including with younger parents. “It’s a full house,” he said. “I think the pandemic and everything that’s happened since has really encouraged people to slow down a little and ask, ‘What does it mean to live a flourishing life?’ People want to give to others in meaningful sorts of ways,” he said.

He said while the cohort members will be learning together, the graduate students will take leadership roles as part of their academic work. And ultimately, he added, all of them will serve in leadership roles in their parishes. “Seeing a new cohort come in, especially one with so many younger participants, gives me a sense of hope in the best of our faith tradition,” he said.

“At the end of the day, somebody who graduates from our program might be ministering to someone I know, comforting someone I care about. They’re going to be there for people in our community.”

Alumna ‘Answering a Call’ as Nonprofit’s CEO

Tina Andrade ’05, MPT ’14 is the first woman and Native Hawaiian to lead Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi in the organization’s 77-year history.

But as she takes the helm of the nonprofit at a moment of great change for the islands, she isn’t focused on herself. She’s working to lift up her employees and her community.

“A major theme I have is helping our employees understand the ‘why’ of their work. We’re here to create a better path for people in life,” she said. “We’re here to make sure that when people leave our services, they’re better off than when they came to us.”

It’s an ambitious goal, but one Catholic Charities, as one of Hawaiʻi’s largest social service agencies, is living up to—thanks in no small part to Andrade’s leadership. While she officially became president and CEO at Catholic Charities in January, Andrade has been on the nonprofit’s executive team for years and previously served as chief operating officer.

Andrade says her drive to serve has been a lifelong one.

It’s why she chose to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Chaminade when she decided to return to school. At the time, Andrade was teaching religion part-time at a Catholic school while also tackling obligations at home and remaining active in the community.

“I went to Chaminade because of the values and the education they provide,” Andrade said.

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About the same time, Andrade was invited to assist Catholic Charities with efforts to embrace their mission. She was later named vice president of mission integration at the nonprofit, a role that allowed her to spotlight the nonprofit’s service-focused goals.

Andrade graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Chaminade in 2005, and returned to campus several years later to pursue a master’s degree in Pastoral Theology. She graduated with her master’s in 2014, and recounts the educational experience helping her embrace her own religious foundation and her role as a community leader.

Today, Andrade said the pursuit of social justice is what keeps her passionate and engaged. “This work has transformed me,” she said. “We are answering a call together.”

She added that her time at Chaminade not only allowed her to build on her academic knowledge, but gave her the chance to meet new people and broaden her perspectives. She also forged strong relationships with her professors and stays in contact with several.

As she looks to the year ahead, Andrade says she is concerned about the economic headwinds the state and nation are facing. At the same time, she is optimistic about everything her agency is poised to bring to island communities—and embracing those “firsts” that her leadership brings.

“The journey of Native Hawaiians has been a challenging one,” she noted.

“From that standpoint, this role really is growth and opportunity for all of us.”