Chaminade University of Honolulu

Institutional

Celebrating Student Research at Na Liko Na’auao 2022

Participants of the 2022 Na Liko Na'auao Symposium

Interpretation of Multidimensional Chromatographic Outputs by Non-Specialists.

Decolonizing Methodologies in Research.

Native Hawaiian Traditional Medicine and its Effects on Inflammation of WISH cells.

Those titles are a mouthful. They also represent just a handful of the hefty research topics undergraduate and graduate scholars at Chaminade discussed at this year’s Na Liko Na’auao Symposium, an annual event dedicated to showcasing student scholarship across disciplines.

Na Liko Na’auao is in its 20th year at Chaminade and gives its student participants an opportunity to showcase their academic and creative work. After going virtual for the last two years, the event on April 8 was held in person at the Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center.

And in another twist, students got the chance to discuss their research posters and give oral presentations. Participants also came from across fields, including Psychology, Environmental + Interior Design, Data Science, Biology and Nursing—to name a few. Topics explored by students ranged from research into forensic science and body decomposition to the use of statistical models to detect malicious internet traffic.

Amber Noguchi, the director of Chaminade’s Undergraduate Research and Pre-Professional Programs, said expanding participation at the symposium to graduate students was a natural step given the numerous master’s degrees offered at the university on top of three doctoral programs.

Student presents her research poster at Na Liko Na'auao Symposium

In her opening remarks, Noguchi also gave special recognition to the founders of the event: the late Henry Gomes, who was director for Native Hawaiian Partnerships at Chaminade, and Patti Lee-Robinson, former director of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research.

“They had a vision to create a venue to celebrate student scholarship,” Noguchi said.

Also at the event, President Lynn Babington announced the recipient of the 2022 President Sue Wesselkamper Award, which recognizes a student at Chaminade who has demonstrated both outstanding scholarship and extensive service to the community and to the university.

As Babington explained to attendees, Wesselkamper was named Chaminade University’s eighth president in 1995 and was the first woman to head a four-year university in the islands. The award in her name was endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clark, and recipients are nominated by faculty members.

This year’s awardee: Nainoa Gaspar-Takahashi, a junior at Chaminade who is majoring in Nursing.

Nainoa Gaspar-Takahashi and Dr. Lynn Babington

Gaspar-Takahashi has a strong record of academic scholarship, including research into the integration of Native Hawaiian and Marianist values in student success. In 2020, he co-wrote an article that was published in the Asian Pacific Islander Nursing Journal. He is also a member of the Student Nurses Association and is a peer leader in the Kokua Kakou nursing enrichment program.

His central goal is to make a positive difference in the community, especially in the Native Hawaiian population, and so he is pursuing a career in nursing and hopes to serve in an intensive care unit or emergency room. He also wants to eventually seek a master’s degree in Nursing and continue research projects aimed at improving the healthcare system in Hawaii and the quality of care provided to all patients.

Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe, a professor of Nursing who nominated Gaspar-Takahashi for the prestigious honor, applauded his “impeccable work ethic” and said he is a joy to collaborate with.

Welcoming the Diaconate Formation 2022 Cohort

Diaconate formation 2022 cohort with faculty and staff

On a quiet Saturday in March, a group of people from all walks of life gathered at Chaminade’s Mystical Rose Oratory to begin a five-year journey of academic, spiritual and pastoral formation aimed at preparing them for life as a deacon—or a deacon’s wife—in the Catholic Church.

Nearly 40 people attended the diaconate candidate orientation, including 22 program participants.

Dr. Dustyn Ragasa, director of the Master of Pastoral Theology program at Chaminade and an assistant professor of Religious Studies, said the newest diaconate cohort includes 10 couples and two single men. They are members of the military and law enforcement, teachers and professors, health care professionals, and business owners. “Each one brings along with them a wealth of practical experience that enables them to do theology in their own unique ways,” Ragasa said.

“Some candidates come to us with previous theological training and others are learning the fundamentals of disciplined theological inquiry. Some are lifelong Catholics and others are recent converts to the faith. This mosaic of perspectives enriches the learning experience as a whole.”

The March 12 orientation was the first held at the Mystical Rose Oratory—what Ragasa said underscores the strong partnership between the Diocese of Honolulu and Chaminade. Participants in the Diocese of Honolulu’s permanent diaconate formation program can opt to also pursue a graduate certificate, Master of Pastoral Theology or Religious Studies bachelor’s degree at Chaminade. Three women and six diaconate candidates across cohorts are currently pursuing a Master of Pastoral Theology at the University. Ragasa stressed that the degree also welcomes laymen and laywomen.

The role of deacon is an “ancient” one in Catholicism, Ragasa said, and described in the Bible.

Both married and single men can serve as deacons, and married men participate in the diaconate formation program with their wives. After being ordained, deacons serve their communities and the Church in many ways, Ragasa said. “Theirs is the responsibility to proclaim the gospel and to preach,” he said. “They also have the capacity to baptize, to distribute holy communion, to perform marriages, to officiate over funerals, to lead prayer and to take on leadership roles in their communities.”

But unlike priests and bishops, deacons hold “day jobs” in a long list of fields—from education to healthcare to engineering to social service. What unites them, Ragasa said, is simple: “It is expected that deacons will uplift and care for those around them regardless of the work they undertake.”

Diaconate formation 2022 cohort with faculty and staff

Participants complete the diaconate formation program in cohorts, dedicating three years to intellectual and academic growth and two years to intense spiritual reflection and pastoral work. Along the way, they’re mentored by those who completed the program and are now ministering in parishes.

Deacon Michael Weaver, MPT ‘14, a lecturer of Historical and Political Studies at Chaminade, attended the orientation with his wife to speak to participants and said a central element of the formation program is to help a candidate determine if becoming a deacon is their calling.

“Through both personal prayer and competent spiritual direction, together with academic and professional formation, each person discerns if such a vocation is truly present for him,” he said. “The core effect, I think, is to discover who you really are as a person and a believer. You develop confidence that manifests itself in a willingness to preach the Gospel and represent the Church in the world.”

The seeds for the strong partnership between Chaminade and the diaconate program were planted more than a decade ago, Ragasa said, and the Diocese of Honolulu has since garnered national attention for its commitment to a high quality of theological and academic preparation for its candidates.

“Honolulu is one of the very few dioceses that boasts this level of partnership with its local university,” Ragasa added. “Having local professors who understand our cultures, who sit in the pews enables them to address the specific educational needs of men and women ministering in our unique island context.”

The group of candidates that met on campus in March is part of cohort 11, and their academic preparation program officially began in April. Ragasa said the orientation was designed to both help candidates feel comfortable at Chaminade and familiarize them with resources at the University.

Bro. Edward Brink, vice president for mission and rector at the University, welcomed candidates and their wives to campus with an opening prayer and explained the rich history of Marianists in Hawaii. His talk touched on key hallmarks of Marianist education—including a mission to serve others—and encouraged cohort members to take an active part in campus life and the Chaminade family.

Participants also got a tour of the Sullivan Family Library and its vast collection.

Dr. Cheryl Edelson, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Design, also welcomed the program candidates at the orientation and spoke about the importance of the humanities in the Catholic intellectual tradition. She also invited cohort members to participate in school programming.

Fr. Martin Solma, Chaminade chaplain, closed the day with a touching closing rite for candidates and their wives. Ragasa said the commissioning liturgy—meant to prepare program candidates for the significant journey ahead—was the highlight of the day and a “fitting way to recognize the beginning of formation, with prayer and reflection.”

Marianists and the Arts Program

An exciting year-long workshop series at Chaminade is seeking to help tell the rich stories of the University and its Marianist founders through art in a bid to give participants an engaging and hands-on way to appreciate the institution’s sense of place—and reflect on their own place in it.

Each Marianists & the Arts workshop approaches Chaminade’s history through a different field of study or craft, from Olelo Hawaii to ceramics to digital art to woodworking. And when each workshop ends, participants walk away with their own hand-crafted “artifact” that helps tell Chaminade’s story.

The series was developed by Sr. Malia Wong, a Humanities, Arts and Design senior lecturer.

Wong said each of the Marianists & the Arts workshops include a presentation based on readings and a unique “creating session that’s focused on bringing a part of the story to a contemporary audience.”

In launching the workshop series, Wong was able to secure a grant from the Marianist Sponsorship Ministries Foundation for supplies and other costs. Additionally, she recruited a number of Chaminade faculty members and staff who were delighted to help tell Chaminade’s story in a new way.

Kumu Kahi Renauld teaching olelo as part of the Marianist and the Arts program

Wong said that by the end of each workshop, participants walk away with insight into “one or more parts of the history of Chaminade through the vision, dreams, struggles and successes, faith and humanity, and values of the first Marianists as represented by the artifact produced.”

In one recent workshop, Kumu Keahi Renauld explored the life and contributions of Bro. Oliver Mahealani Aiu—a Native Hawaiian who went away to study and then returned to serve his community. He said the participants considered how language and culture are intertwined, and how Olelo Hawaii plays a relevant and important role in the story of the Marianists and Chaminade today.

“We all need to realize the power of our words in everyday life,” Renauld said.

Dr. Junghwa Suh teaching a Marianist & the Arts workshop

Dr. Junghwa Suh, a professor in the Environmental + Interior Design program, used digital arts to illuminate the contributions of Bro. Joseph Becker, who helped to found Chaminade and wrote its alma mater. For her workshop, she tasked participants with visualizing the emotions of the lyrics.

Suh said she jumped at the chance to lead the workshop because she wanted to learn more about Chaminade’s founders. She added that giving participants the freedom to interpret emotions in art and then incorporate their perspectives is powerful. “These activities are designed to reflect on who and where they are in the story of our founders and journey, and learn about the University,” she said.

International Studies student Marl-John Valerio attended a Marianists & the Arts workshop that focused on the legacy of Bro. Bertram Bellinghausen, the first president of what would later become Saint Louis School. Attendees reflected on his life and work as they tackled a ceramics project.

“What I enjoyed most about the workshop was the process. Shaping and forming the art that you envisioned was difficult for a novice like me,” Valerio said. “My biggest takeaway is that mistakes are OK. You can envision what you may want in life but sometimes it won’t work out as you thought.”

Chaminade student working on a ceramics piece during the Marianist & the Arts workshop

Devin Oishi, a Fine Arts professor at Chaminade, led the ceramics workshop. In addition to helping students to make pinch pots or slab pieces, he created a collaborative piece with participants. “I threw a large base on the potter wheel and students, staff and friends then added coils as a mirror of how Chaminade developed, with a foundation and generations contributing to the legacy,” he said.

Oishi said he wants attendees to think of themselves as “the next layer of stones being added to the foundation” of Chaminade and members of a strong ‘ohana contributing to society in a meaningful way.

Kumu Kahoalii Keahi-Wood, a cultural engagement specialist in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, led workshops on campus la’au, or vegetation, and the teachings of Marianist Father Joseph Priestley. Keahi-Wood said he sought to underscore how Priestley, who was Native Hawaiian, embraced Marianist values without losing his cultural identity.

“In this workshop, we explored the values and steps required to be a practitioner, protocols involved in picking plants, carrying out healing, and basic chants that can be done to refocus your mind,” Keahi-Wood said. “We also take a look at plants that are found on campus and viewed for healing.”

And the takeaway from the gathering? It’s simple.

“You don’t need to lose your traditions to follow Marianist ones. There is overlap,” Keahi-Wood said.

Dr. Dale Fryxell, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, said he was honored to participate in the Marianists & the Arts series. He led a workshop focused on woodworking and the life of Father Stephan Tutas, who served as director of the Marianist community in Honolulu, taught at Saint Louis School, and was a professor and administrator at Chaminade before leaving the islands.

Fryxell said Tutas is well-known for his reflections, including his writings on an “attitude of gratitude.”

Workshop participants turned and assembled their own pen out of koa wood on a lathe.

“What better way to start each day than to use the pen that they created, to learn and write about things they are passionate about and will hopefully lead them to become leaders that will inspire others, just as Father Tutas did?” said Fryxell, who previously owned and operated a woodworking business.

Dr. Dale Fryxell watches a student woodwork during the Marianist & the Arts program

Fryxell said Tutas also wrote about “turning points in our lives,” and so he encouraged participants to consider the connection between these critical moments and the turning of an object on a lathe. “Often when you start to create something on the lathe, you may have an idea about what it will turn out to be. But in the process, it may end up completely different—similar to many of life’s journeys,” Fryxell said.

That was the big lesson that Nursing student Taylor Crawford walked away with.

“I need to have more patience as life has many turns,” she said, adding she hopes to take more workshops. “I enjoyed being creative and making something linked to the people we learned about.”

Charlie Clausner, MBA ’21, attended the workshop on Olelo Hawaii. He said he chiefly wanted to add to his Hawaiian language skills. But along the way, he said, he also “gained a deeper foundation of the Hawaiian language and learned a lot about some Chaminade classmates and the university.”

In addition to the various workshops, Bro. Edward Brink and Bro. Thomas Jalbert offered a walking tour of the Chaminade campus where participants learned of the University’s history and heard stories of the Marianists.

Catholic Intellectual Life

Fr. Dennis Holtschneider speaking to the Chaminade community about the Catholic Intellectual Life

Chaminade University is part of a rich Catholic intellectual tradition that not only seeks to educate and inform but also ask tough questions, prompt opportunities for reflection, create space for new ideas and assist the next generation of leaders in looking for ways to build a more peaceful and just world, said renowned Catholic education leader Fr. Dennis Holtschneider in a recent talk at the university.

“Higher education is complex and rarely possible without the assistance of charitable donations. We do it as a gift to the world. Why? Because ideas matter,” Holtschneider, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, told attendees at the March 15 address at Chaminade.

“Our graduates are gifts to a world that needs that gift for its improvement.”

Holtschneider’s talk was entitled “The Core of Catholic Intellectual Life,” and he spoke to university administrators, faculty members, staff, and others about the importance of embracing and admiring the intellectual, creative, teaching, and human development work that happens every day at the university.

Catholic universities, he noted, serve many roles. As a home for evangelization through campus ministries. As a place to offer opportunities to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. But first and foremost, Holtschneider said, “they’re in service of the intellectual life where ideas matter.”

And as the largest non-governmental provider of higher education in the world, he added, there is no shortage of ideas at Catholic universities. He pointed to just a few of the impressive projects happening at these institutions, from advancements in medicine to breakthroughs in economics or political theory.

“We prepare the next generation of teachers, social workers, nurse practitioners, business leaders, accountants, political advisers, communication professionals, counselors, scholars and more,” he said.

And this modern landscape of education is no “accident of history,” Holtschneider added, “but an expression of a Church that has welcomed, built, and supported the intellectual life for millennia. This is important work for us. This is one of our ministries. Now make no mistake, it’s a fray. If you hire an organization of independent thinkers, you get a lot of independent thought.”

In other words, he said, intellectual work means “intellectual upset.”

Beverly Sandobal, Shana Tong, Mandy Thronas-Brown, Bishop Larry Silva, Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, Dr. Lynn Babington, Dr. Scott Schroeder, Cynthia McIntyre, Bro. Edward Brink, and Margaret Rufo

It means debate. Disagreement. Growth. Reflection. And it means change.

Holtschneider pointed to the many scholars at Catholic institutions who helped present new ideas whose time had come. They were and are at the forefront of the civil and women’s rights movements, of the push to end poverty and of the monumental work to address the climate change crisis.

“It’s not a set of ideas. It’s a project. Catholic intellectual life is a project,” he said.

And importantly, Holtschneider said, while scholars in the Catholic intellectual tradition have no predetermined answers, they do have non-negotiable starting places that reflect a common set of values and ideals. “Our vocation as educators is to prepare the next generation, hoping they might even improve upon the world as we know it now. If that’s all we did, it would be enough,” he said.

“We care that our students become experts in the fullest sense of their chosen professions. We also care about who they become as they spend a life wielding the education that we have given them. We explore things with them and how they’re thinking about the world. We may not be ethics professionals all of us, but we dare not avoid ethics when teaching if we care about our students’ lives ahead.”

Holtschneider himself speaks as a Catholic scholar who believes strongly that robust academic environments help to drive positive change. He received a doctoral degree in administration, planning and policy from Harvard University, holds eight honorary degrees, and serves as a member of the faculty at several higher education leadership programs, including at Harvard and Boston universities.

“Nothing is more powerful than an idea that breaks through and changes everything,” he said.

Fr. Dennis Holtschneider speaking to Chaminade faculty and staff

Holtschneider’s presentation at Chaminade was part of a series of lectures that were made possible through the Association of Marianist Universities. He is set to speak at Chaminade’s sister universities—the University of Dayton in Ohio and St. Mary’s University in Texas—later this year.

After his presentation at Chaminade, attendees were given a chance to follow up with questions or reflections. Several people said they were moved and inspired by Holtschneider’s message and wanted to seek out ways to share it with a broader audience. Holtschneider applauded those efforts while noting that the intellectual tradition offers a pathway without a set endpoint or destination.

He called the process of searching out ideas “humbling” and full of exciting discoveries.

And it’s not just scholars on that journey; students are there, too.

“We ask them to look long and hard at the world for four years. But we also ask them to look long and hard at themselves and think about how they want to be actors in that world, about what they will value, what they will fight for in their lifetimes, and what they will work for,” he told attendees.

“Most importantly, we give them questions that matter and to think about in the lifetime ahead. And that is the Catholic intellectual tradition. All of it. Not a pre-determined answer that one generation passes onto the next but a constant searching for what’s true, what’s good and what’s holy.”

Inaugural President’s Innovation Award

Two faculty members who spearheaded out-of-the-box programs aimed at expanding educational opportunities to more members of the community and broadening the university’s positive impact were honored recently with the inaugural President’s Innovation Awards at Chaminade.

The recipients were:

  • Dr. Rylan Chong, assistant professor of Data Science, for his student-powered computing program that seeks to put data analytics in the hands of community members. Through a pilot program, his students worked with grassroots groups on the Waianae Coast to develop a community sentiment dashboard aimed at measuring well-being and health metrics.
  • Dr. Janet Davidson, vice provost and professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, for overseeing the successful design and launch of a Chaminade associate’s degree program at a Hawaii prison—the only Second Chance Pell Program currently offered in the state.
Dr. Rylan Chong posing with Dr. Lynn Babington

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington said all of those nominated for the awards, and especially those who won, underscore how innovation is woven into Chaminade’s DNA. “The pandemic has added no shortage of challenges to our work at Chaminade, but it has also shown the power of innovation in helping us to meet our social service mission and expand our important work,” Babington said.

“I am so honored to say our campus is full of innovators—members of our Silversword ‘ohana who understand that today’s new ideas and new approaches are tomorrow’s successes and best practices.”

The Center for Strategy and Innovation created the President’s Innovation Award program and announced a call for nominations in September 2021. Winners were announced at a Spring Kickoff event for faculty and staff members celebrating the beginning of the new term.

Dr. Helen Turner, vice president for strategy and innovation at Chaminade, described the selection process as rigorous and said a five-member committee reviewed nominations and chose the recipients.

Both awardees said they were honored and humbled by the recognition.

Dr. Janet Davidson with her certificate for the inaugural President's Innovation Award

“I am truly grateful,” Chong said. “Receiving this award acknowledges how data science can unite communities, break down silos and social stereotypes about STEM disciplines, and be a field to catalyze social good. I want to personally thank the Waianae Coast community for their support.”

Chong added that he was particularly proud of the hands-on experiences students got throughout the course of the project—from interviewing community members to presenting their findings and continuously adding to and revising the dashboard as a “living tool” for stakeholders.

“Students made connections on how and when to use the data science and project management skills and tools they learned in their classes toward a real and relevant project,” Chong said. “They also learned a lot of soft skills, networking and working with a diverse group of people with various backgrounds to get real-world experience. And our shared work on this project continues.”

Davidson said the innovation award is a “rewarding validation” of all the work that’s gone into the Second Chance Pell Program, whose first cohort has 14 students. “This award is a reminder of the team behind this. It reminds me of how thankful I am that there has been university support all around. So many people support the mission of this program and its alignment with Chaminade’s values.”

She noted the COVID pandemic meant that faculty members and staff delivering the program were required to quickly pivot so they could continue to meet student needs and program expectations. “This honor means a lot,” she said. “And I look forward to seeing who is honored next year.”

Years of Service Milestones

Chaminade faculty and staff gathered in early December to celebrate the end of the Fall Term as well as the holiday season.

The event kicked off with the Chaminade Christmas Parade where faculty and staff drove through campus showing off their creativity and holiday spirit with decorated carts and cars.

After the parade, dozens of faculty and staff were recognized by their colleagues and celebrated their years of service milestones.

Among those honored: Dr. Chitha Unni, professor of philosophy in the School of Humanities, Arts and Design, who has served at Chaminade for 55 years.

Steven Downey, audio/visual assistant in Client Services, was recognized for 35 years of service and will be retiring at the end of 2021 (we wish him a wonderful retirement). 

And two members of the University ‘ohana are celebrating 25 years at Chaminade. Hector Mamaclay of Facilities and Evelyn Sanqui of the Business Office.

The end-of-the-year festivities are also a time for reflection – as faculty and staff members celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and look ahead to the next year.

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

5 Years of Service
Dr. Hans Chun
Dior-Ashton Donner
Lynn Haff
Stacey Higa
Dr. Frederique Kandel
Rachel Nagai
Stari Nakano
Julie Tupuola
Kurt Van Lue
Lydia Villoria-Thoulag

10 Years of Service
Eric Bovaird
Sheryl Dohm
Kevin Hashiro
James Kahalewai
Keawe Leong
Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe
Terry McCandliss-Dowdell
Dr. Christopher McNally
Guy Paio
Richard Sevilla
Maritel Suniga
Russell Thoulag
Dr. Claire Wright

15 Years of Service
Dr. Joel Kawakami
Hieu Nguyen
Teresita Palma
Dr. Elizabeth Park

20 Years of Service
Dr. Lilia Castle
Steven Hee
Dr. Regina Pfeiffer

25 Years of Service
Hector Mamaclay
Evelyn Sanqui

35 Years of Service
Steven Downey

55 Years of Service
Dr. Chitha Unni