Chaminade University of Honolulu

Press Release

Race Relations in Hawaii

As part of Chaminade University’s Mackey Marianist Lecture series, a virtual presentation on racism in Hawaii will be available for public viewing beginning Sunday, October 11. “Racism in Hawaii: A Faith Response,” with native Hawaiian priest Fr. Alapaki Kim from St. Rita’s Parish in Nanakuli, sheds light on systemic racism and the commonalities and differences in issues of race as it pertains to the Mainland and Hawaii.

As the pastor of a parish located on Hawaiian Homelands, Fr. Kim integrates in his teachings the wisdom and practices of his Native Hawaiian spirituality and culture. He also proposes how people of faith can respond to racial inequalities.

Due to social distancing guidelines, Fr. Alapaki’s recent presentation was made via Zoom with a group of invited students, staff and faculty from Chaminade University and Saint Louis School. The students then posed questions after the initial presentation.

“Racism in Hawaii: A Faith Response” will premiere on the Marianist Center of Hawaii’s YouTube channel on Sunday, October 11, 2020. The recording of this Zoom presentation can be viewed here. The recorded presentation is free and registration is not needed.

This is the 25th anniversary of the Mackey Marianist Lectures, which is sponsored by the Marianist Center at Chaminade University. The Society of Mary (Marianists) founded Chaminade University in 1955 and continues as its sponsor.

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Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society. For more information, visit chaminade.edu.

Chaminade University Receives Grant from Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation

Chaminade University has received a $50,000 grant from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation to fund its Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher scholarship program. The grant will be used to award over 20 scholarships this school year to students from Chaminade’s School of Education who are majoring in Early Childhood Education (ECE).

“The ECE Castle Scholarship funding will play an instrumental role in supporting quality early childhood educators qualified to teach in the public sector throughout the state of Hawai’i,” said Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington. “With the generous support from the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation, Chaminade University will continue to provide quality education to those who have a passion for educating our young children.”   

Early childhood education teachers continue to be in high demand across the state and the nation. Chaminade provides Early Childhood Education programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These programs provide not only degrees but also state teaching licensure and internationally accepted Montessori credentials. The university’s ECE major is offered through online courses with opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. For more information regarding undergraduate programs, click here and for graduate programs, click here.

The Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation is a proud supporter of improving the lives of Hawai’i’s children and families through the improvement of early childhood education and development.

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Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society. For more information, visit chaminade.edu.

Professor Receives Prestigious Grant from U.S. Department of Education

Eva Washburn-Repollo, School of Business and Communication

Chaminade University Associate Professor Eva Washburn-Repollo, Ph.D. has received a prestigious $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The short-term seminar grant from the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program will support Washburn-Repollo’s research into the development of foreign language acquisition skills and aid in the advancement of culture-based teaching curriculum.

As Associate Professor of Communication, Washburn-Repollo’s expertise is in the fields of language, identity and multiculturalism. The funding will allow her to examine the effectiveness of language immersion and build lesson plans that utilize culture-based learning techniques. The study-abroad grant will also bring ten (10) K-12 teachers and graduate students to the Visayas for six weeks.

“Analyzing language within the framework of natural resource management will allow us to gain valuable insight into the connection between the language and culture,” said Washburn-Repollo. “By learning through storytelling, visual arts, and performance as pedagogical tools, we will be able to bring that knowledge back to our respective institutions and deepen our students’ connection with the language.”

The award will also be used to develop innovative teaching approaches that will foster active learning through the use of creative hands-on, tactile, and kinesthetic experiences in K-12 and undergraduate classrooms. Additionally, participants will produce lesson plans for learning indigenous languages and disseminate their lesson plans to a wider audience. The grant will cover 100 percent of the project’s expenses.

Through these activities, Professor Washburn-Repollo hopes to further the development of language acquisition teaching plans as well as increase interest in the study of indigenous cultures.

Added Professor Washburn-Repollo, “I am incredibly honored to accept this award. It is an exciting time for us here at Chaminade University as we begin to implement some significant transformative changes in the Communication field. I truly believe that our research in the field of language acquisition will play a vital role in encouraging students to learn a new language, bridge differences between cultures, and utilize indigenous wisdom to develop greater technology for sustainability.”

The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) program is designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States by providing training opportunities for faculty, teachers, and upperclassmen and/or graduate students in foreign countries where the United States has diplomatic representation. 

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Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society.

Chaminade University Receives $100,000 Grant

Chaminade University of Honolulu recently received a $100,000 grant from the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation for student scholarships. The grant will be split to fund Chaminade’s Legacy Scholarship and the STEM and Nursing Scholarship for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.

The Legacy Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate a commitment to community service and are in financial need. The STEM and Nursing Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students studying any Bachelor of Science or Nursing degrees. Both scholarships are given to full-time undergraduate students who are residents of Hawaii and demonstrate leadership qualities and innovative skills.

The Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation has provided funding for student scholarships to Chaminade University since 2014. The Foundation was established in 1993 by entrepreneurs Mamoru and Aiko Takitani, founders of Hawaiian Host, to assist the youth of Hawaii with their goals. Since its establishment, the Foundation has donated 2.3 million dollars in scholarships and provided educational opportunities to students in Hawaii.

For more on scholarships and financial aid, visit chaminade.edu/financial-aid.

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Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society. For more information, visit chaminade.edu.

Chaminade University Receives $10,000 Grant from ABC Stores

Chaminade University of Honolulu recently received a $10,000 grant from ABC Stores to fund its “I Am a Scientist” (IAS) Mobile STEM Outreach Program. The program provides hands-on science modules for elementary schools in Hawai’i to create equal access to quality science education and to introduce STEM skills to young students.

I am a scientist

Chaminade’s IAS program is operated by practicing research scientists who bring professional science equipment and supplies to local schools. Topics covered include health science, biology, forensic science, and environmental science. The program is meant to instill a lifelong interest in science starting at an early age. Since the COVID shut down, IAS has been offered via Instagram and new distance learning protocols are being put into place.

“We’re extremely grateful to ABC Stores for this generous grant that will allow us to continue offering our ‘I Am a Scientist’ program free to Hawaii DOE schools,” said Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington. “The program offers grade-level science experiments to only inspire the scientists of tomorrow but also teach them valuable lessons.”

A broader initiative of the Chaminade’s Division of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, the “I Am a Scientist” program also hosts community events throughout the year and invites schools to Chaminade’s campus so students gain an understanding of an undergraduate science student’s experience.

For more information on Chaminade’s “I Am a Scientist” program, visit iamascientiststem.org. 

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Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society. For more information, visit chaminade.edu.

PacWest Postpones Fall Sports Until 2021

Due to the concerns arising from all the challenges surrounding COVID-19, the PacWest Executive Board voted unanimously Thursday to postpone intercollegiate competition in PacWest fall sports until after January 1, 2021. PacWest fall sports include men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball. The action was taken due to rapidly changing information and guidelines from the NCAA, as well as the states, counties, and areas where the 11 PacWest institutions compete.

While this decision postpones fall 2020 sports competition, institutions will still be allowed to conduct organized team activities at their own discretion, including workouts, practices, strength and conditioning, and access to their athletic training staff, as local, county, and state guidelines permit. Options for moving fall sport schedules into the winter/spring are being developed and reviewed.

“Chaminade University and its partner institutions in the PacWest Conference did not make the decision to postpone the fall season lightly and understand it is very disappointing news to our student-athletes,” said Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington. “We know how important athletics are in the lives of our students and so we appreciate their continued resilience and flexibility as we navigate this crisis together.

“By delaying the upcoming PacWest season, we are making a difficult but appropriate choice that prioritizes the health and safety of our communities. Chaminade joins our conference partners in looking ahead to the resumption of competition soon.”

“This was not an easy decision for the PacWest Executive Board,” said Chaminade Director of Athletics Dr. Tom Buning. “However, the main concern was keeping our student-athletes safe with so much uncertainty that COVID-19 has created. While we are saddened that we can’t see our fall sport student-athletes suit up, we look forward to having them return to competition in the new year.

“With the decision to delay fall sports, our student-athletes have the chance to ensure a strong start to the academic year,” he continued. “I share our coaches’ optimism that this is a unique occasion to emphasize strength and conditioning, individual and team skills, and building team camaraderie. To ensure that we provide the best possible experience for our Silversword student-athletes, we can tailor our preseason preparation to ensure that our teams are exceptionally prepared to compete when their season starts.” A decision on the start of the 2020-21 winter sports season, as well as the non-championship segments of spring sports, is expected to be made by October 1.