Chaminade University of Honolulu

President

Leading Role

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Dr. Lynn Babington Recognized among “Most Admired Leaders”

President Dr. Lynn Babington has been named a 2023 “Most Admired Leader” by Pacific Business News, recognized for her achievements and successes in leading Chaminade University forward and contributing to the community. Serving as president since 2018, Babington is admired for her inspiring and empowering leadership style, ability to build teams, and execute strategies to reach goals. During her tenure, she has elevated the position of Chaminade, the University’s partners, students, faculty and the community at large, all while fulfilling the University’s mission as a community-first institution. 

Dr. Lynn Babington was chosen among Hawaii's "Most Admired Leaders" by Pacific Business News.
Dr. Lynn Babington was chosen among Hawaii’s “Most Admired Leaders” by Pacific Business News.

According to an April 2023 article in Higher Ed Drive, only 33 percent of college presidents at all levels are women, which is only a three percent increase since 2016.  Babington brings a perspective and voice to higher education that is vital and needed. She leads the only Catholic university in the Pacific, and some examples of the positive difference her leadership has made include: 

  • When Argosy University closed in 2019, eliminating the then-only PsyD program in Hawaii, Babington and her leadership team brought its 100 faculty and students to Chaminade ensuring that students could seamlessly continue their studies.
  • Working with the deans of Chaminade’s schools, she collaborated to develop crucial new programs needed in our community, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, One Year MBA and a MS in Counseling Psychology for neighbor island students.
  • Working with community leaders, she contributed to the establishment of partnerships to greatly benefit Hawaiʻi, including with Kamehameha Schools to offer 150 Muʻo Scholarships over three years for the online BS in teaching degree to alleviate the teacher shortage in Hawaiʻi and with the United Nations CIFAL Center to host the only Pacific regional training hub to address global issues.
  • With her support, Chaminade launched the Economic Education Center for Excellence with the Hawaiian Council for Economic Education.
  • Forming committees, Babington helped to steward Chaminade University’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan to better serve its diverse student body, enhance its financial support of students and faculty research, increase revenue while cutting costs, and expand its reach to more learners.
  • Following state’s protocols, she successfully led the University through the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing online learning and other mitigation interventions to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the campus community.
  • Babington helped to ensure the accreditation of several new programs, including the Doctorate of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Psychology programs. 
  • Understanding the importance of a quality student experience, the completion of Chaminade University’s new Silversword Training Center and Locker Room facility ensured the sustainability and progress of the University’s athletics program.

Babington serves on several boards, including St. Francis Hospital System, Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, and the Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi. She also volunteers for several nonprofit organizations: Catholic Charities, Hawaiʻi Literacy Program, and Hoʻola Na Pua.  She will be recognized at an awards dinner on November 9 along with other recipients of the “Most Admired Leader” honor.

Inaugural President’s Innovation Award

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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.”

Healthcare Forum: Building a Healthy Community after COVID-19

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Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington hosted an engaging and timely forum at the University on April 6 to explore the post-pandemic healthcare needs of Hawai‘i’s communities, how innovation can play a role in addressing inequities in care, and what type of healthcare workforce the state should build to address gaps in services and ensure the best outcomes for patients and their families.

The University’s School of Nursing and Health Professions organized the event—called “Looking Forward: Building a Healthy Community After COVID-19″—to mark National Public Health Week. Lt. Gov. Josh Green, an emergency room physician and Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 Liaison, The Queen’s Health Systems President and CEO Dr. Jill Hoggard Green, Waimānalo Health Center CEO Dr. Mary Frances Oneha, and Hilton Raethel, Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i President and CEO, tackled key questions as the event’s panelists.

COVID’s exposure of vulnerabilities

All of them agreed the pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in Hawai‘i’s healthcare system, including a shortage of key medical professionals in disadvantaged and rural communities. The health impacts of COVID on the hardest-hit populations, they added, could be felt for years and years to come.

But, said Dr. Jill Hoggard Green, there is reason for optimism.

“As we step out of this, we have learned so much,” she said. “The innovation and the ability for us to lean in—between government, business leaders, healthcare and all of our communities—have helped us demonstrate we can do so much more. We need the next generation and we need a lot of innovation.”

Oneha added that it’s important to note that healthcare inequities don’t happen in a vacuum. Addressing social community needs, including unemployment, poverty, food insecurity, homelessness and education, are all part of working to ensure healthier outcomes.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green agreed that addressing the healthcare provider shortage is key to helping communities meet post-pandemic needs, and said the surge in telehealth services because of COVID-19 could be a real opportunity to expand access to care. “It’s particularly good that programs like Chaminade are ramping us up and creating more nurses, nurse practitioners,” he added.

Raethel said the healthcare system also needs more investment, including from government, and a renewed focus on preventative care centered around innovation. “We need to move in that direction. We need to invest in communities,” he said. “It’s a real challenge getting equal access to care.”

Preparing for tomorrow

So how can the state prepare a healthcare workforce to meet Hawaii’s needs today and tomorrow?

Babington noted that the “team-based” model to care has shown the best outcomes, stressing collaboration between primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals, including nurses, mental health counselors or psychologists, specialists, and healthcare educators or coaches.

Dr. Jill Hoggard Green also expressed support for the team-based model, saying that focus will be especially vital as Hawai‘i healthcare organizations and their patients “catch up” on health screenings—for everything from cancer to diabetes—that were missed because of the pandemic.

Oneha expressed similar concerns, pointing out that many families are also behind in childhood immunizations and wellness screenings and that health maintenance efforts also need to be addressed.

“We need to be lifetime partners to individuals,” Green said.

She noted the success of telehealth during the pandemic is a real high point—and a “dramatic opportunity for us to improve access” to underserved areas. Before the pandemic, Queen’s was getting about 400 telemedicine visits a month. But in April 2020, that surged to 14,000.

“We know we can use technology. I believe it’s one of our greatest opportunities.”

Raethel also underscored the promise of telehealth in improving health outcomes and broadening access. “The pandemic has created these alternative ways of providing care. So many more people have tried telemedicine,” he said. “It really demonstrated how effective telemedicine can be.”

Importance of healthcare professionals

In discussing how to improve health outcomes, Babington also touched on the importance of community health workers—health educators, coaches, advocates and others who serve as partners to patients and help support them “to achieve their highest level of wellness.”

Oneha said those professionals are a vital part of the healthcare workforce. Healthcare information needs to be provided in a diversity of languages, she said, and delivered by trusted health partners. She said the community also needs to be part of the conversation—”and part of the solution”—in discussions about expanding care and delivering innovations in health and wellness.

During a question-and-answer session, the panelists tackled more elements of Hawai‘i’s healthcare response to the pandemic and what the future could hold. One participant asked about the potential for burnout among healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic and how to support them.

Dr. Jill Hoggard Green, of Queen’s, said during the height of the pandemic healthcare workers were moving quickly to learn whatever they could about the disease, improve patient care and get all the necessary supplies. She held back tears as she recalled the “inspiring courage and great compassion” of healthcare teams who came into work, day after day, despite the personal health threats they faced.

“When you think about the amount of pain and suffering our caregivers saw, of course there is a dramatic potential for burnout,” she said. “Most of our caregivers put all of their energy into taking care of the person.” Throughout the pandemic until today, she added, Queen’s has been providing a significant amount of mental health and other supports to its healthcare workers.

“Our teams are working extraordinarily hard,” she said.

Investing in Hawai‘i’s healthcare

Raethel added that while Hawai‘i must expand access, invest in healthcare and embrace innovation, the state should also be proud of its response to COVID. Throughout the pandemic, Hawai‘i has had the nation’s lowest infection and death rates. He noted that early estimates put the number of possible fatalities from COVID in the islands at between 2,000 and 8,000 in a year.

Instead, Hawai‘i is currently below 500.

He attributes that to the response of healthcare workers, mitigation measures and on a sense of community responsibility in the islands. “It’s one of the great things about Hawai‘i: That sense of ‘ohana, the aloha spirit,” he said, adding that gives him great hope for Hawai‘i’s healthcare system in the future.

“I believe a number of the issues that we’re talking about are solvable in the state of Hawai‘i, whether it’s homelessness, whether it’s mental health. These are finite problems and there are solutions to these problems. It’s going to require collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sector, but there’s an incredibly strong desire to address these issues. We can make these things happen.”

Looking Forward: Building a Healthy Community after COVID-19

Events at the Nation’s Capitol

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President Lynn Babington’s Statement Regarding Violence at the U.S. Capitol

Chaminade community:

Today has been a difficult day for our nation.

The actions undertaken by protesters at the US Capitol should shock us all—and give us pause.

As a Marianist Catholic institution of higher learning, we condemn violence of any kind and call on everyone to seek peaceful and respectful avenues for dialogue. The scenes we have witnessed on the news in recent hours are not emblematic of our nation, its peoples or our shared principles.

As we seek to make sense of all that has occurred, let us recommit ourselves to peace, to social justice and to creating spaces for a diversity of opinions shared thoughtfully and respectfully. We know the value of debate; it deepens our understanding of one another and helps us find common ground.

As educators, we have a duty to prepare an involved and engaged citizenry. Indeed, inspiring tomorrow’s leaders and preparing them to serve in a vibrant and functioning democracy is the most important role we have. That role is now more critical than ever.

Please join me in praying that our elected leaders find the courage they will need during this trying time.

Regards,
Lynn Babington, Ph.D.
President, Chaminade University

What is a faithful soul to do in the chaos of events which seem to swallow it up? Sustain itself calmly by that faith which assures us that all things work together unto good for those who love God.
 ~ Blessed William Joseph Chaminade ~

How will we be the change?

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President Lynn Babington’s Statement Regarding Unrest Across the Nation

To the Chaminade community:

We mourn the tragic death of George Floyd and join those around the nation, and the globe, in calling for an end to the institutional racism that has plagued our nation for far too long.

The pain and anguish of protesters gathering peacefully in US cities is palpable and justified.

It is also familiar. And in their chants we hear not only George Floyd’s name but the names of countless other African-Americans and people of color who have been killed. 

Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. This must end. 

Silence is not the answer to racism, to bigotry or to violence. It never has been. Now is the time for a dialogue, for action—and for change.

Now is the time to speak the names of those we’ve lost so they will not have died in vain. 

As a Marianist educational institution, we are proud to stand for social justice. It is written into our mission.

And we believe our work to end racism begins at home. Chaminade University has built a safe and inclusive campus community, condemning discrimination. Over the years, we have sought to examine and amend our policies and ensure that all voices are at the table.

There is always more to do, however, and this moment in our nation’s history should give all of us pause. We must ask ourselves: how will we meet this crisis and seek to right the wrongs that were decades in the making?

How will we be the change?

It is everyone’s kuleana to root out racism wherever it is found. To be intentional, active, urgent and unified in addressing the systemic inequities and injustices that we face as a nation.

The images on the news and across social media should also fuel our resolve: the time for real change is here. This is too important to put off any longer. 

We can begin on a different path forward by condemning as a nation and as citizens these violent acts and offering to support one another in building a new future together. 

Many of you are struggling right now with the strongest emotions: you are outraged, you are grieving, you are afraid. These feelings are both incredibly difficult and absolutely understandable. 

Know that your campus community is here for you at this time and always.

We are here to listen, to learn and to lean into the hard work of racial reconciliation together. As one ‘ohana, we will be part of the solution.

Sincerely,
Lynn Babington, Ph.D.
President, Chaminade University

Graduate and Online Undergraduate Scholarships

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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.