Chaminade University of Honolulu

Press Release

Chaminade University Announces Dr. Lance Askildson as New Provost

Dr. Lance Askildson (provost)HONOLULU (March 11, 2019) – Chaminade University has named Dr. Lance Askildson as its new Provost, effective July 1, 2019. He will serve as Chaminade’s chief academic officer, cultivating and supporting a world-class faculty of teaching scholars while developing and promoting the University’s academic mission and vision. He will replace Dr. Helen Whippy, who is set to retire.

“I’m confident that Dr. Askildson will lead our academic enterprise to new heights,” said Dr. Lynn Babington, President of Chaminade University. “His deep commitment to our mission and values and demonstrated success of collaboration within communities will be critical as we develop a vibrant and sustainable Chaminade with strong fiscal discipline and accountability.”

Dr. Askildson comes to Chaminade with more than 15 years of distinctive higher education experience across three institutions. He most recently served as Vice Provost & Chief International Officer at Kennesaw State University, where he also holds a tenured faculty appointment in Applied Linguistics. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Provost and Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Languages & Cultures at the University of Notre Dame. He also previously served as an academic administrator and faculty member in the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Askildson said of his appointment, “Chaminade University’s excellence comes not only from its compelling portfolio of academic programs and its distinctive Marianist and Hawaiian identity, but from the institution’s apparent dedication to its faculty, staff and students who are committed to an education in service to others. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to contribute to this transformative institutional mission and ethos.”

An interdisciplinary scholar of second language acquisition, language learning technology and international studies, Dr. Askildson has been widely published in academic journals. He is also a frequent invited speaker and consultant on the internationalization of higher education, language program assessment and leadership.

Active in academic and professional organizations, Dr. Askildson is the former Executive Secretary of the International Association for Language Learning Technology; the current chair of the United Nations Institute for Training & Research regional training center in Atlanta; a trustee and board member of the Center for the Advanced Study of International Education; and an advisory board member of the federally funded Title VI National Foreign Language Resource Center on Language Assessment & Evaluation based at Georgetown University.

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About Chaminade University
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 www.chaminade.edu.

Island Insurance Foundation Supports Science Learning

Island Insurance check presentationHONOLULU – The Island Insurance Foundation, the charitable arm of Island Insurance, a subsidiary of Island Holdings, Inc., donated $15,000 to Chaminade University towards renovations and upgrades of its science labs and office space for science faculty.

Over the past decade, Chaminade has transformed its Division of Natural Science and Mathematics programs with improvements like adding new lab facilities, faculty and research staff, and revamping the undergraduate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum. As a result of these positive changes, Chaminade’s Forensic Sciences program was nationally recognized in 2018 and its School of Nursing program was recently tied for first in the nation by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing based on the number of graduates who passed the National Council of Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

“Chaminade has provided quality higher education to the people of Hawaii for nearly 70 years,” said Dana Tokioka, President of the Island Insurance Foundation. “Our support will enable the university to provide even more educational opportunities for many years to come.”
“We are so grateful to the Island Insurance Foundation for this generous gift,” said Lynn Babington, Ph.D., President of Chaminade University. “The renovations and upgrades to our science labs will enhance our ability to deliver cutting-edge science education to our students.”

 

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The Island Insurance Foundation was established as the charitable arm of Island Insurance, Hawaii’s largest locally-owned and managed property and casualty insurance carrier, offering a full range of property and casualty protection. Established in 1940, Island Insurance holds a financial strength rating of “A” by A.M. Best and is the only Hawaii-based company to be recognized as one of the Top 50 property & casualty insurance companies in the nation by the Ward Group for 11 consecutive years. For more information, visit its website at: www.islandinsurance.com.

 

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 aid package 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 Grant from Albert T. & Wallace T. Teruya Foundation

Hale HoalohaChaminade University of Honolulu was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Albert T. & Wallace T. Teruya Foundation to name the Multipurpose Conference Room in the newly renovated Hale Hoaloha building on the University’s campus.

Formerly used as a residence hall, the three-story Hale Hoaloha was renovated to house the much-needed conference room as well as additional classrooms, the Center for Teaching and Learning (a professional development space for Chaminade faculty) and office space for Chaminade’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program. The 1,775 sq. ft. conference room is on the ground floor and opens to a garden. It is used for large classes, guest lectures, donor events, and internal and public workshops.

“We are so grateful to the Albert T. & Wallace T. Teruya Foundation for their generous support,” Lynn Babington, PhD, president of Chaminade University, said in a statement. “The new conference room will help us better serve our large cohorts of students, such as our nursing students, and will allow us to host a myriad of events on campus.”

According to Roy Uyehara, Secretary/Trustee of the Teruya Foundation (and a Chaminade alumnus ‘67), “the Trustees at the Teruya Foundation are happy to invest in a project that will promote Chaminade’s ability to offer its students a first-class education in an innovative and supportive learning environment. As an alum, I am pleased that from among competing grant requests the trustees chose to support Chaminade’s endeavor.”

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ChaminadeUniversity 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 aid package 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 Launches Two New STEM Scholarships

HONOLULU, HI (December 26, 2018) — Chaminade University has launched two STEM scholarship opportunities for students. The Ho’oulu STEM Scholarship, a partnership with Kamehameha Schools, offers 100 percent tuition assistance for four years. TheNational Science Foundation S-STEM program offers a $10,000 annual merit scholarship for four years in addition to a student’s existing financial aid package.

“These scholarships are at the interface of three of our priority areas: affordable excellence, a quality education right here at home and a commitment to the training of tomorrow’s STEM professionals,” said President Lynn Babington.

The prestigious scholarships will provide the awardees with an affordable college education in a wide array of STEM program offerings. Both scholarships come with Chaminade’s unique Academic Navigator program—trained faculty advisors that provide support services to promote Chaminade’s four-year graduation guarantee.

“We recognize that affording college is not easy,” said Dr. Helen Turner, Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “The priority of both scholarships is to pair students with high financial need and ensure that the opportunity to access high-paying STEM jobs is obtainable for all.”

The scholarships are available on a suite of eligible majors:  Biology, Biochemistry (including Pre-Med students), Forensic Sciences, Environmental Studies, Data Sciences, and Business Entrepreneurship. 

Added Dr. Turner, “We are excited for our first Data Science class, the only four-year program in the state, to be funded by these scholarships. This is one of the hottest majors right now and we are seeing real growth in the need for data scientists across all economic sectors in Hawaii and beyond.”

Each year, Chaminade University awards $12 million in total institutional aid.

To learn more,visit Ho‘oulu Scholarship Program and National Science Foundation STEM Scholarship Program.

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ChaminadeUniversity 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 aid package 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 Announces New Alumni Director

Gerry Mead Allen ‘08 joins Chaminade University’s Office of Advancement as Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving.

Most recently, Ms. Allen was the Director of Development with Ballet Hawaii.  In her new role at Chaminade University, she will be responsible for building alumni engagement and increasing annual giving.  Ms. Allen graduated from the University of Bridgeport and is an alumna of Chaminade University’s MBA program with a concentration in Nonprofit Management.

“I am thrilled to be returning to my alma mater and look forward to connecting with our alumni in Hawaii and globally to continue the growth of our Chaminade ‘ohana,” she said.

Chaminade Launches New Data Science Degree

VR in Innovation Center

HONOLULU, HI (October 3, 2018)—A hot new major in data science, analytics and visualization is coming to Chaminade University in fall of 2019. Data science is dominating discussions on a daily basis—big data are saturating every sector of the economy and not enough people know how to analyze and communicate them. According to a recent LinkedIn article, data scientist is the fastest growing and one of the best-paid jobs in the U.S. The National Science Foundation, which funded Chaminade to start this program, identified ‘harnessing the data revolution” as one of its 10 big ideas for the future of U.S. science and technology.

“The world is drowning in data,” says Dr. Lynn Babington, president of Chaminade University. “We need more people who can convert data into meaning, into knowledge that will guide our decisions. This program supports Hawaii’s innovation economy and brings a much-needed skill set to our workforce.” She adds, “Why place this program at Chaminade? It’s because we link science with values—our new program places a strong emphasis on data integrity and ethics because that’s the kind of data scientist our world needs right now.”

This is the first data science major in the state. Students will partner directly with industry partners to gain real-world experience and build networks. They’ll work with businesses and organizations for a semester-long capstone project and engage in a variety of hands-on internships. Students will learn using new fully-equipped cyberinfrastructure created specifically for this new program, including a new data science center and virtual reality classrooms.

The new program was a direct response to industry and stakeholder requests. “Data analytics is critical,” says Robbie Melton, executive director and CEO of Hawaii Technology Development Corporation. “It is integral to our state and our economy. We’re excited Chaminade is offering this program because it keeps students current with the most advanced technologies. It also provides them with high paying jobs which is what we want for our young people.”

“Our students will get a tremendous grounding in the technical aspects of data science,” says Dr. Helen Turner, vice president of innovation and dean of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade University. “They will get the training to be great coders, communicators and visualization specialists.” Turner also noted the flexibility of the new major: “Students can specialize in tracks for healthcare analytics, business analytics, environmental analytics and analytics for the science and technology industries. With our four-year graduation guarantee, we will soon be serving every sector of the economy with our graduates.”

Applications to begin the new data science major in fall 2019 are open now. To learn more about the new data science, analytics and visualization major at Chaminade University, visit chaminade.edu.

 

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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.