Innovation

Designing Women

May 5, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

E+ID students present their works at the Senior Showcase Exhibit

After all the late nights, tears and sweat, 2023 graduating seniors, Montserrat Lanfranco, Laura Flor, Maria Bernaldez, Angela Huber and Sarah Robertson had one last hurdle before Commencement: the Environmental + Interior Design’s Senior Showcase Exhibit. Presenting their projects to industry designers, family and friends on a Thursday night, the five seniors were eager to share a compilation of their works over the course of their undergraduate studies.

“There will be no more crying in the studio and calling security late at night to open the doors,” Flor laughed. “It’s exciting to be done, but it feels surreal because we’re all still busy.”

During her freshman year, Lanfranco built a “light box,” as required in her EID 205 Color for Interiors class, which focused extensively on the use and application of color in interior environments, including color notations, the Psychology of color and human response and application of color.

Using a flashlight utility on an iPhone, Lanfranco pointed a beam inside the box—which had several round cutouts, each covered with a different patch of color cellophane—and explained the effects that color has on people’s moods.

“Imagine this is a building and the sun is moving through it, casting different colors and lighting,” said Lanfranco, shining a beam across her light box. “Color and lighting can certainly impact a person’s behavior and mental state.”

For her senior Capstone project, Bernaldez presented a re-design proposal to members of the Kahuku Medical Center Kupuna Caregivers. She also participated in a pitch to Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center in East Oahu.

“I also had an internship with RMA Architects,” Bernaldez said. “And I just received an email about a full-time junior interior designer job offer from my supervisor at RMA, so I’m absolutely thrilled.”

The mission of Chaminade University’s Environmental + Interior Design Program is to educate, engage and empower students to optimize design of the built environment as it relates to our global, multi-cultural, multi-generational living and working communities. Graduates, like Bernaldez, are prepared to make the transition to entry-level professional practice, and to collaborate with architects and related industry professionals.

“The scope of design has expanded and much broader now,” explained E + ID program coordinator Matthew Higgins. “Here at Chaminade, the program added ‘Environmental’ to the curriculum in attempt to breakdown barriers, and to think beyond windows and doors.”

This was precisely the approach that Fuentes took when she worked on her Art Museum project. “I wanted to see how someone diagnosed with autism—which includes such a broad spectrum—would experience an art exhibit,” Fuentes said. “So, I set out to create more of an interactive exhibit.”

Muʻo Scholarship

May 3, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

New Partnership to Address Teacher Shortage

Every state across the country is coming up with solutions to combat the teacher shortage, which many education officials describe as a severe crisis. For its part, Hawaiʻi introduced multiple incentives and retention efforts—from higher pay to student loan forgiveness—to attract new teachers, but more educators will still be needed in the near future.

To address the community’s needs, Chaminade University and Kamehameha Schools have introduced their own new carrot: an innovative and community-focused teacher prep partnership that will provide 150 Muʻo Scholarships to educate, train and prepare aspiring teachers to lead Hawaiʻi’s classrooms.

Chaminade President Lynn Babington addresses new partnership with Kamehameha Schools.

“We are excited to announce this partnership with Kamehameha Schools, which directly addresses one of our most pressing community issues: a teacher shortage,” said Chaminade University President Dr. Lynn Babington, during a press conference in the ceremonial chambers of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke. “By providing these scholarships, we’re removing barriers that too often hinder many working adults in the state from obtaining a bachelor’s degree while still maintaining family and work commitments.”

The new partnership will provide full-tuition scholarships, and aligns with Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke’s “Ready Keiki” program, which aims to create universal preschool access for all of Hawaiʻi’s 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032.

“Ready Keiki is a commitment by the State of Hawaii to provide access to early education,” Lt. Gov. Luke said. “In order to do that, it wasn’t just the state of Hawaii leading the charge. We needed partnership from many of the departments, all the counties and many of our private philanthropic partners, including Kamehameha Schools and Chaminade University.”

Beginning Fall 2023, Chaminade University and Kamehameha Schools will offer 50 students full-tuition Muʻo Scholarships to Chaminade’s online bachelor’s program to become teachers here in Hawaiʻi, prioritizing early learning. This enrollment will continue for two additional years for a total of 150 funded scholarships as a partnership through KS Kaiāulu, a new way for Kamehameha Schools to impact keiki and ʻohana in the kaiāulu (community) alongside community partners.

Dr. Wai’ale’ale Sarsona believes every keiki should have access to early learning.

“Every keiki should have access to early learning, which provides a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning,” said Dr. Waiʻaleʻale Sarsona, vice president of Hiʻialo at Kamehameha Schools. “We are committed to help make this vision a reality, and this latest partnership with Chaminade University will bring Hawaiʻi closer to achieving this goal.”

Chaminade University’s online bachelor’s degree program is designed for working adults in Hawai‘i who may already be serving as a teacher’s aide or, currently, in a similar position. The online delivery format will allow students to continue working while pursuing their bachelor’s degree. Program information is available and applications for the scholarships are being accepted. This transformative program is 100 percent online, with a requirement to complete a student-teaching track. Students will be paired with an academic advisor to guide them on the road to graduation.

Applications are open to all Hawaiʻi residents with additional consideration extended to those of Native Hawaiian ancestry. Recruitment and admittance priority will also be given to early childhood education applicants.

Chaminade University and Kamehameha Schools are institutions that value education and understand how teachers—at the early stages of childhood—have a positive impact on kids, their families and the community-at-large. This partnership is a testament to their commitment.

“This is a great day when we’re announcing this partnership, thanks to Chaminade University, thanks to the efforts of Kamehameha Schools,” said Lt. Gov. Luke. “We have found a way to fill that (teacher) void; and found the pathway to filling these classrooms with qualified teachers, qualified teaching assistants.”

Watch the KITV news coverage.

Watch KHON2’s news coverage.

Na Liko Naʻauao

April 28, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

Students present their thought-provoking research findings

She suspected that she couldn’t be the only one feeling isolated and alone. With COVID cases spiking during her freshman year, Iris Hirata sheltered in place in her dorm room with her family support 5,000 miles away.

“I usually like being alone, but that was too much—even for me,” Hirata recalls. “It was depressing and I felt I had no one to talk to.”

As pandemic numbers started to decrease, and a semblance of normalcy emerged, Hirata never forgot those earlier times. “Biologically, I knew about COVID’s impact on the lungs,” Hirata says. “But I told Dr. Darren Iwamoto, we didn’t know the impact that COVID had on the mental health of individuals.”

It turned out to be a lot.

In an earlier research project she worked on with psychology professor Tracy Trevorrow, Ph.D., Hirata studied the effects of COVID on sleep quality. They learned that during the nascent stages of the pandemic, people tended to be more on their phones, which would disturb their sleep patterns and quality of sleep.

Iris Hirata stands in front of her presentation about COVID-19 and mental health.

“I was really big on healthcare at the time, which is what led me to do a research project on the impact of COVID on mental health,” says the biology major, who presented her findings during the 21st annual Na Liko Na’auao Symposium on April 14.

Pointing to a chart with spikes of blue and red lines, Hirata explains that the graph indicates the “bounce back” or the resiliency rate of the 200 students surveyed during her research.

“The epidemic has had a significant impact on university students’ mental health, including things like stress, anxiety, depression, and a lack of behavioral and emotional control,” Hirata concludes in her findings. “The findings support the literature that resilience is a key factor in influencing mental health and overall wellness.”

According to Amber Noguchi, Ph.D., Undergraduate Research and Pre-Professional Programs director, undergraduate and graduate research experience can look like a number of things. It can range from formal and clinical studies to data analysis, and creative works and beyond. On the occasion of this year’s Na Liko Na’auao Symposium, 25 student presenters covered a broad spectrum of issues and questions, from Hirata’s “How does COVID-19 Impact the Mental Health of Individuals?” to “Eat Healthy, Live Strong: Understanding Eating Behaviors of NHPI on Oahu” and “Sports Analytics: What Factors Determine a Winning Team?” and “Decolonizing Hawaii’s Diet.”

“All of these presentations stem from research projects that have been collaborations between the student researchers and their faculty mentors,” Noguchi explains. “This undergraduate conference celebrates student scholars from across all academic disciplines.”

In her research project with Dr. Guanlin Gao, “Eat Healthy, Live Strong: Understanding Eating Behaviors of NHPI on Oahu,” Autumn Fairall, ’23, examined the barriers to eating a healthy diet. “I started working with Dr. Gao as a research assistant in the Spring of 2022,” says Fairall, who will earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in May. “Initially, the project we worked on focused on the landscape of economic and personal finance in Hawaii. However, after talking with Dr. Gao and discussing personal interests in wellness and past, informal research connected to diet, the research focus altered.”

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington presents Dr. Rylan Chong and Kawailani Luat with their respective awards.

During the conclusion of the Symposium, President Dr. Lynn Babington, defined a scholar as “A person with a desire to pursue and learn new things; a person on a quest for knowledge and a dedication to learning.” By not focusing on one academic discipline, Na Liko Na’auao gives all student scholars an opportunity to present their work in a formal setting, and receive feedback from both faculty and other scholars within their field.

Every year, after all the student scholars have presented their work, the Symposium concludes with a presentation of two special awards. Given annually, The President Sue Wesselkamper Award acknowledges a student who has demonstrated extensive community and university service. In order to qualify for the prize, a student must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, show scholarship beyond classroom requirements by undertaking their own independent research or study, and must have presented their work both on and off campus.

Kawailani Luat is this year’s recipient of the President Sue Wesselkamper Award. A senior, majoring in Data Science, Analytics and Visualization and minoring in Forensic Science, Luat consistently excels in her coursework and has taken on leadership roles through her extracurricular and volunteer services.

“To be recognized with this award validates all the hard work I’ve done to get here,” Luat said. “I finish my senior year with this last achievement, so I am beyond ecstatic.”

“Kawailani is very active within our Chaminade community, including the Animal Advocacy Club, I am a Scientist, and has helped at every Preview and Admitted Students Day,” Babington says. “She also served as a student panelist for the Women in Data Science Hawaiʻi program and volunteers at Palama Settlement, a non-profit community-based social service agency working in the Kalihi and Palama neighborhoods.”

Honoring the close student-faculty relationships formed at Chaminade, the President Mackey Award is presented to an outstanding faculty mentor, nominated by a student participating at the conference. This year’s recipient is Dr. Rylan Chong, nominated by LaVelle White.

“He personally helps students step outside themselves to try things that were not thought possible,” wrote White in his nomination letter. “He encourages and pushes students to go for internships and research programs like SPICE. He stays after class to help students answer questions, and he has a way of speaking that demystifies the whole process, giving students the confidence to essentially go for the gold.”

Ongoing Investigation

March 22, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade director of forensic sciences and a hui of scientists research PMI

It may sound morbid, but David Carter, Ph.D., wants to figure out how long people have been dead. And he may just be able to do so, thanks to a $830,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). In collaboration with colleagues from Colorado Mesa University, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Northern Michigan University, Western Carolina University, Texas State University San Marcos and University of Québec at Trois-Rivières, the hui of forensic scientists is studying microbial communities with hopes of discovering their own forensics Holy Grail.

“What’s the first question that a loved one asks after a death, ‘When did he or she die?’” Carter asks rhetorically. “There’s definitely increasing interest in PMI (Post-Mortem Interval or the time that has elapsed since an individual’s death). It’s critical information that could be key to solving a crime—or providing an alibi—in absence of any witnesses … or insects.”

The word “forensic” comes from the Latin word “forensis” that means “of or before the forum.” According to the Department of Justice, forensic science is a critical element of the criminal justice system. Forensic scientists examine and analyze evidence from crime scenes and elsewhere to develop objective findings that can assist in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of crime or absolve an innocent person from suspicion.

David Carter holds his American Academy of Forensic Sciences Pathology/Biology Section Award for Achievement in the Forensic Life Sciences.

And that’s the point of the NIJ grant, which seeks “to create and validate a microbial-based model to predict PMI across locations in the U.S.” Carter’s and his colleagues’ proposed applied research seeks to improve forensic science for criminal justice purposes by increasing knowledge about a potential new type of physical evidence (microbes), and focuses on developing a tool in which the microbiome present on skin or in nearby soils is used as physical evidence to estimate PMI.

“Jessica Metcalf of Colorado State and Rob Knight of UC San Diego and I initiated this research in 2011,” Carter explains. “So, this recent grant is part of a series of funding that has allowed us to continue our research. It’s a sign of success, but we’re still not quite there.”

In their previous research, investigators utilized skin and soil samples associated with 36 human cadavers collected daily for 21 days from three forensic facilities, which predicts PMI within approximately +/- 3 days over the first 21 days postmortem. As a result, this new research provides useful accuracy for crime scene investigations. In the current proposed research, the first goal is to expand the 36-body PMI microbiome database by collecting similar sample types from an additional 18 human cadavers from two additional facilities, which are in a climate type not yet represented in the PMI database. This additional collection will bring Köppen-Geiger classified climate types (tropical, arid, temperate, continental and polar) in the database to include three of the major U.S. climate types.

“I’ll be traveling to Tennessee in February to lead a training workshop,” Carter says. “I’ll teach participants the proper techniques in collecting samples, which will then be sequenced at a forensic lab for further examination.”

An anthropologist major as an undergraduate at the University of Idaho, Carter didn’t learn about forensics until his senior year. But when he did, the Indiana Jones in him decided to attend Bournemouth University in England to pursue his M.Sc. in Forensic Archaeology, eventually earning a doctorate from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia.

“I’ve always been curious about archeology, history and skeletons,” says Carter, whose interest in the “unknown” started in a movie theatre while watching “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” “I think of death and decomposition all the time.

“I even discuss it at home with my wife, Charlotte—who’s a Medicolegal Investigator with the City & County of Honolulu’s Department of the Medical Examiner,” Carter continues. “I live in the world of the fringe, but people tell me I look so normal.”

Counselor of the Year

March 9, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade alumna recognized for her work and contributions

In a teary emotional speech she gave after returning from Washington, D.C. as the 2023 Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year, Brittnie Caraulia thanked her Helemano Elementary School colleagues, expressing her gratitude for their support and all the work that they do for the keiki.

“This is the highest honor,” said Caraulia, MSCP ’15, on being honored with the 2023 Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) during its annual National School Counselor of the Year ceremonies in the nation’s capital. “This brings me the greatest joy in life, and I’m proud of everything that we do together.”

The ASCA School Counselor of the Year award honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for the nation’s students and addressing their academic and social-emotional development, and college and career readiness needs. Honorees were judged based on their ability to create systemic change within the school counseling profession.

Brittnie Caraulia was recognized as Hawaii’s School Counselor of the Year.

“The role of our school counselors are so integral to the success of our students,” said Hawai‘i Department of Education Superintendent, Keith Hayashi, in a news release. “Now more than ever, we rely on their expertise and guidance in creating positive and innovative ways to enhance the academic and social-emotional needs of our students. The Department is grateful to have counselors like Ms. Caraulia in our schools, every day, working tirelessly to advocate for and support student success. She is a shining example of Helemano’s efforts to grow a ‘leaderful’ organization.”

A school counselor for grades 3-5 at Helemano Elementary since 2019 and a Hawai‘i State Department of Education school counselor since 2015, one of Caraulia’s greatest accomplishments has been establishing a data-driven Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) program within her school. The program takes a systemic approach to monitoring student success, creating school-wide, social-emotional learning (SEL) initiatives that focus on quality teacher-student relationships. As a result of implementing this program, students’ perception of overall school safety improved from 56 percent to over 90 percent.

Caraulia also helped to establish a Helemano School Counseling Program, where she conducts quarterly training for staff on SEL interventions and classroom management, collaborates with teachers to incorporate SEL into their core curriculum, creates biweekly SEL lessons for all grade levels, and has designed a referral system to make data-informed decisions for all students. The school counseling program now serves as a foundation for student social-emotional, behavioral and academic success. Caraulia regularly trains staff on the program and has even shared the success of this program with other elementary schools across the state.

“Ms. Caraulia is an indispensable resource to our school—providing an excellent counseling program, a fierce devotion to students and teachers, and an innovative method of vastly advancing the social and emotional needs of our students,” Helemano Elementary Principal Ernest Muh said. “She advocates vigorously for all students at our school by collaborating with parents and teachers to determine the most beneficial course of action to assist each individual student.”

Caraulia’s passion in serving her school community is felt individually and collectively throughout the school by both teachers and students. In addition to helping the students, Caraulia has cultivated a nurturing environment for teachers, focusing on their mental health and wellness needs. She has an open-door policy for any staff needing to share personal or professional concerns and has spearheaded activities that promote and prioritize staff well-being.

“My proudest accomplishment during my time as a school counselor at Helemano Elementary has been establishing a data-driven MTSS and school counseling program,” Caraulia said. “What I find most rewarding about being a school counselor is the relationships I build with my students, staff and families.”

Scents and Sensibility

January 26, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade freshman turns her love of candles and Hawaii into a business

Part science, part apothecary, the art of candle making can be traced as far back as 1000 BCE when ancient Romans would use tallow—a rendered form of beef or mutton fat—to make molded candles. The idea intrigued Chaminade freshman, Tahiya Kahaulelio ‘26, so much so that she established her own candle-making enterprise, Kahaulelio Candle Company.

“It wasn’t the first idea I had for a business,” says Kahaulelio, who plans to major in Environmental + Interior Design. “At first, it was actually to establish a clothing business but, knowing myself, I knew I would get bored, so I needed to find something that I could stick [no pun intended] with for a long time.”

The young entrepreneur, though, knew she wanted to continue her education and attend college. Chaminade beckoned over Saint Joseph’s and La Salle, two universities located closer to her hometown of Philadelphia. A devout Catholic, Kahaulelio chose to leave The City of Brotherly Love to get in touch with her island roots. Her Nigerian mother had already taught her the values and customs of her West African home country, but she wasn’t familiar with her father’s Hawaiian heritage.

Tahiya Kahaulelio poses with her finished candle.

“I had questions about my Hawaiian side,” Kahaulelio says. “I feel like I was missing a piece of my heritage and I needed to get answers.”

Having never been to Hawai‘i, Kahaulelio was understandably nervous. She knew it would be challenging to be 5,000 miles away from her mother, step-father and siblings, but she was also comforted knowing that her biological dad’s family lived on O‘ahu. Questions of not being good enough, meeting new friends, college life and all the doubts associated with the responsibility of a young adult, all swirled in her mind. She was anxious.

And then she arrived on campus.

“I immediately felt comfortable and the people were so nice,” says Kahaulelio, with an infectious smile. “I didn’t feel like an outsider because everyone was so welcoming. I no longer see Chaminade as a school but as a family that I can reach out to for guidance and help.”

Now in her second semester, Kahaulelio juggles between being a student and running a business. When she’s not designing interior spaces with colors and texture for class, she’s experimenting with different combinations of scents, infusing her bees-wax-based candles with such local-inspired essential oils as hibiscus, coconut, cucumbers, papaya, mango and rosewood.

Using a digital scale to precisely weigh 12 ounces of wax, Kahaulelio places the wedges in a pitcher and slowly melts the wax over a Nesco stainless burner for four minutes. She then incorporates four teaspoons—two teaspoons at a time—of essential oils, stirring the elixir to release the fragrances. Now to the tricky part: cutting the length of the circular wick so that it’s not too long nor too short.

“My stepdad is so much better at this than I am,” admits Kahaulelio, while eyeballing the length of the wick. “He’s a chef so he has a really keen eye and an excellent sense of aroma.”

Freshman Tahiya Kahaulelio has developed a variety of island-fragrant-infused candles.