Chaminade University of Honolulu

Alumni

Alumna Schiller’s Smart Yields Agricultural Tech Firm Competing for Vatican-Blessed Accelerator Initiative

Chaminade University alumna Elizabeth “Lizzy” Schiller ’14 and her team from Smart Yields, a Honolulu-based agricultural technology firm, presented a sales pitch in Rome Dec. 4 as the last step in being considered for a Vatican-blessed accelerator initiative.

Smart Yields is one of nine companies participating in the Laudato Si’ Challenge, which locates, funds and mentors startup companies in keeping with an encyclical from Pope Francis to develop sustainable ways of solving the global climate crisis by 2030.

This includes reimagining food production systems to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and guarantee food security for all.

Schiller, who earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership, co-founded Smart Yields in 2015 and serves as chief operations officer. The company designed a mobile app that uses electronic sensors, real-time monitoring, data analytics and digital agronomy to improve the crop production of farmers and indoor growers.

Joining Schiller for the sales pitch to Vatican dignitaries, government officials and international business leaders was Smart Yields Chief Agricultural Officer Michael Rogers.

“We believe access to nutritious food is a basic human right,” Rogers said. “We are building a community that grows and learns together using technology to create a future with enough food for all to live peacefully in a healthy environment.”

Chaminade’s Division of Education offers a Master of Education Program with concentrations in Educational Leadership, Teacher Leader, Instructional Leadership, Child Development and Montessori Emphasis.

Dedication to Promoting Social Justice Led Alumna Kyna (Williams) Hogg ’10 to Education Profession

Knowing that education promotes social justice, alumna Kyna (Williams) Hogg ’10 gravitated to the teaching profession and then to Chaminade University. Now she serves as principal of Gatewood Elementary in Seattle, Washington, a school where “we believe that changing the world is possible.” “I always knew that I wanted to work with children,” said Hogg, who earned a Master of Education degree. “And as I learned more about the education system in the United States, I became more and more interested in thinking about how education intersects with social justice.” Kyna Williams This realization prompted Hogg to join Teach for America after receiving a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Before long, she “simply fell in love with working in education” by teaching sixth graders at Kamaile Academy, a charter school in Waianae. Hogg said she was attracted to Chaminade’s Master of Education program because its flexible schedule allowed her to earn a degree while working full time at Kamaile. “It was a terrific experience for me to be working as a teacher while, at the same time, I was learning how to be a better teacher through coursework and collaboration with other educators who were in similar situations as I was,” Hogg said. “Not only did Chaminade help me build a variety of skillsets through participating in readings, coursework and collaboration,” she continued, “it also provided me a level of confidence in my work as an educator.” Although Hogg had a busy schedule during her Chaminade days, she still found time to play the role of “Marian the Librarian” in a campus production of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man.” When reminiscing about her Division of Education professors, Hogg said she’s grateful for the strong relationship she built with Mary Pat Sjostrom. “She truly cared about me as a learner,” Hogg said. “But more importantly, she cared about how my own students were doing. She offered resources and opportunities to learn and was always available to answer questions and to simply talk about challenges that were going on in my own classroom. “After completing my master’s program, I knew I still had a lot to learn about education,” Hogg continued, “but felt like I had a foot in the door to ask more questions and to continue to learn more from the colleagues around me. Ultimately, it was my education at Chaminade that provided me the opportunity to begin to pursue educational leadership, my current field of work.” Following this new career path, Hogg became assistant principal at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., where she facilitated teacher engagement programs, oversaw a teaching residency program, taught math and science and tutored literacy skills. She later became an assistant principal at Green Dot Public Schools Washington State in Seattle/Tacoma, and then served as the founding assistant principal and eventually principal of Destiny Middle School in Tacoma. When Hogg applied for the principal post at Gatewood, hiring committee members were impressed with her commitment to social justice and experience with school culture building. She was hired effective July 1, 2017. Hogg said Gatewood is focused on developing student academic progress and social emotional growth “while at the same time fostering a love for learning.” “Our families, students and staff are all aligned towards doing what is best for our students,” Hogg said, “which leads to a welcoming and warm environment for everyone.” While carrying out her leadership duties, Hogg follows one of her lessons from Chaminade, which is to stay in a learning orientation, “no matter where you are in your own journey of learning about education.” “There is always room to grow,” she said, “and it is important that you are vulnerable and reflective enough about your own practice that you continue to ask questions.” Chaminade’s Division of Education offers a Master of Education program with concentrations in Educational Leadership, Teacher Leader, Instructional Leadership, Child Development and Montessori Emphasis.

Alum Rhys Murphy’s AUSA Hoops Business Helps Aussie Basketball Dreams Come True in America

When international student-athletes seek to play basketball in the United States, navigating the myriad of rules and regulations can be “overwhelming.” This according to Chaminade University alumnus Rhys Murphy (Accounting ’14), a two-year starter for the Silversword men’s team. Rhys MurphySensing a business opportunity, Murphy returned to his hometown of Sydney, Australia, where he founded and serves as president of AUSA Hoops. This basketball camp organization helps Aussie boys and girls pursue their academic and athletic goals at high schools, colleges and universities across America. “In terms of successes, we are at just over 70 players who are in college now,” said Murphy, who placed student-athletes at prominent schools in the Pac-12, Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Big East conferences. These players earned more than $5 million in scholarships. Murphy and his staff accomplished this feat by conducting training and development programs for young hoopsters and bringing them to America for a series of Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournaments where college coaches recruit players. These trips don’t include sightseeing excursions to Disneyland. They’re focused on proving that Australians have what it takes to play top-tier basketball in the U.S. As for Murphy’s basketball career, the six-foot-seven-inch forward “stumbled into an opportunity to play AAU basketball in Chicago” and received over 50 scholarship offers. Murphy opted for Oregon State, where he competed in 18 games for the Beavers during 2011-12. After transferring to Chaminade for his junior and senior years, Murphy started the final 12 games of the 2013-14 season and was twice-named to the All-Pacific West Conference Academic Team. Murphy got the idea for AUSA Hoops as a junior during spring break when a summer internship with a Chicago hedge fund failed to materialize. “I pretty much just sat down and thought about what I could do myself,” Murphy recalled, “because I had no work experience and realized I would need to get a job the following year.” Rhys MurphyBy turning his basketball camp concept into a bigger project, Murphy “ticked the ‘work-experience’ box” on his resume. “The most challenging part is always right after the inspiration and excitement of the initial idea begins to fade and the reality of the amount of work that needs to be completed starts to become more and more clear,” Murphy said. “I started with the thought that I had a pretty good idea about the industry, and then very quickly realized I knew next to nothing about the intricacies of how it worked. So for the first couple years I was almost flying blind trying to figure it out as I went. “I don’t believe starting your own business is as hard as people perceive it to be,” Murphy added. “Yes, you need to be resilient, consistent with your work and have a desire to constantly learn and improve. But so much of it is just about having the confidence – or delusion – to get started and then keep rolling with the punches. It’s a wild rollercoaster!” One Chaminade instructor who particularly influenced Murphy is Richard Kido, an Associate Professor of Accounting. Kido praised Murphy’s work ethic in the classroom and on the basketball court. “Despite the demands of being a scholar-athlete, Rhys was outstanding in all his classes,” Kido said. “His positive attitude was infectious and carried over to his classmates.” Another instructor making an impression on Murphy was Business Professor Wayne Tanna, who emphasized the importance of community service. Murphy continues that commitment to giving back by uplifting Australia’s South Sudanese basketball community through AUSA Hoops. “I think Professor Tanna did a great job of opening my eyes to the tremendous need for help out there,” Murphy said. “And he opened my eyes to my own privileges by putting me in new environments where people were not as well off.” That’s why community service is a slam dunk for Murphy and his team at AUSA Hoops. Chaminade University’s School of Business and Communication offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting. Community service activities for students include tax clinics and the FAFSA project, which helps low-income and immigrant families fill out college financial aid forms.

Three Alumnae Serving as Chapter Presidents of Professional Interior Design Organizations

Graduates of Chaminade University’s Environmental + Interior Design program are well represented in Oahu’s professional ranks. Three alumnae, in fact – Nancy Schnur,  Dedra Hinano Nahinu and Colette Abe Lee – serve as Hawaii chapter presidents of national design organizations.

Schnur, who founded and manages Kailua-based Universal Interiors, LLC, heads the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Hawaii chapter.

Hinano Nahinu, general manager and lead designer with INspiration Interiors at the Honolulu Design Center, leads the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Aloha Chapter.

And Abe Lee, a senior interior designer associate with AHL in downtown Honolulu, is president of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Hawaii Pacific Chapter.

Schnur said her responsibilities at ASID include keeping members “informed, educated and active,” given that the organization’s national headquarters is nearly 5,000 miles away in Washington, D.C.

“Just as our field is constantly changing, ASID is constantly changing,” Schnur said. “New benefits, new opportunities and new people are always happening.”

Schnur specializes in universal design, which produces aesthetic environments usable to the greatest possible extent by all people, regardless of age or ability.

“When I was in school, universal design was just coming into fashion, so to speak,” Schur said. “We had one basic class on the subject. To me, it was something that could apply to residential but also to health care, which is what I had hoped to focus on.

“Now I’m trying to keep up with all the information out there on the subject,” said Schnur, who works on residential, hospitality, retail and aging-in-place projects.

While attending Chaminade, Schnur was a nontraditional student pursuing a second career.

“Chaminade was a different place then,” said Schnur, who graduated in 2003 with a bachelor of fine arts. The university was “a great place to attend college,” she said, but the interior design program “was small and underdeveloped.”

Today, by contrast, Environmental + Interior Design (E+ID) is the only degree-granting program of its kind of Hawaii. The Council for Interior Design Accreditation, which oversees and evaluates academic standards for baccalaureate institutions, accredited E+ID in 2013.

“I was raising a family, so I couldn’t attend full time,” Schnur pointed out. “The upside was, I was there for so long I was able to see a lot of positive changes by the time I graduated. But nothing like it is now.”

One highlight of her college days was an internship during which she designed new offices for Parents and Children Together, a nonprofit family service agency.

“It was so wonderful to see how my design services brightened people’s lives,” Schnur recalled. “I was so appreciated. The internship got me my first job. So that was a good takeaway for sure!”​

Schnur said she hopes to see E+ID “continue to develop and grow.”

“It is so great to see what it has become,” she said. “And I love being there and learning about what the students are learning. I hope they are successful in developing a master’s program. Because as designers, we are always learning.”

NKBA president Hinano Nahinu attended Chaminade on a volleyball scholarship and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1999. She continued her education by earning an MBA in 2001.

“One of my all-time favorite professors was our interior design director, Walter Taketa, who challenged me both as an athlete and Native Hawaiian student to be successful,” Hinano Nahinu said. “It was a lot of hard work and worth every penny for that education.”

While serving as ASID student chapter president, she learned how professional organizations “can really help you in your business.”

“Today, I am happy to serve on the NKBA board and have for the last ten years as a way of giving back,” Hinano Nahinu said. “The funny thing with volunteering is that you always get back what you put in, if not more.”

Abe Lee, the IIDA president, has worked on numerous major projects during her career, including renovations of The Queen’s Medical Center – West Oahu, Kapiolani Medical Center, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Colorado.

“When the general public thinks of interior design, some still perceive it as a very ‘fun’ field’ where it’s all coloring and pillows and, dare I say, even ‘decorating.’  There still needs to be public outreach and education on what interior design is,” Abe Lee said.

“When a person walks into a hospital, hotel, university or library, the way the space moves you to your next destination was thoughtfully planned out by the design team,” she pointed out. “The way the space makes you feel is orchestrated by a combination of color, texture, finishes and furniture, while also keeping life, safety and welfare in mind.

“It’s no coincidence this experience was created by an interior designer.”

Abe Lee, who received her bachelor’s degree from Chaminade in 2005, said three professors were especially helpful.

“Joan Riggs expected a lot from all of us, which pushed me harder to think more critically and explore solutions from different angles,” Abe Lee said. “Although her classes were always the hardest, I learned the most.

“Yukio Ozaki was a wonderful mentor to me,” Abe Lee continued. “He fostered my creativity and helped me hone my skills where needed and also taught me how to let go in other ways.  His classes were always my favorite because I could express myself through form.”

She also appreciated the guidance of Takeda, who “always pushed me to be better and was never afraid to give constructive criticism. “

“It gave me thick skin,” Abe Lee said. “Whenever I had to revise a project based on his comments, it came out ten times better.”

Now that Abe Lee is IIDA president, she uses her position to support E+ID by mentoring students “with great potential.”

“Since its accreditation and with the new faculty, E+ID raised the bar on the quality of work and level of talent that has come out of the school,” she said. “I’m so proud of where the program has gone and where it will continue to go with the leadership they have in place.”

Alumna Lorna Gomes ’05 Finds Her Life’s Calling in Elementary Education

At one point in her life, Chaminade University alumna Dr. Lorna M. Gomes ’05 thought her future belonged in the financial industry. Accordingly, the Sacred Hearts Academy graduate earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and launched a banking career. But something was missing. “I had always wanted to teach,” Gomes said, “so I decided to return to college to pursue this dream. The Chaminade program was convenient to my lifestyle because classes were online and in the evening.” Lorna GomesWhile earning her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Gomes served as a student teacher at Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School – now called Kaʻōhao School – in Kailua. Today she teaches language arts, mathematics and social studies to fourth graders at Kaʻōhao, where she also worked as a curriculum coach and media coordinator. This dedication to helping students succeed prompted School Director Ed Noh to recognize Gomes as an “outstanding teacher.” “Dr. Noh consistently includes me in school-wide decisions,” Gomes said, “and I am currently a grade-level chair as well as a mentor to a University of Hawaii student teacher. I have been on numerous hiring committees and the strategic planning committee. This is my 14th year here.” At the encouragement of a previous school director, Gomes earned a doctorate in Education Leadership in 2014 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her dissertation focused on “helping reluctant readers become better readers.” Reflecting on her time at Chaminade, Gomes said the Division of Education program “allowed me to feel successful in pursuing my master’s degree, and I did make some nice friendships that I still maintain today.” “The collegial atmosphere with small classes were definitely highlights,” Gomes said, adding that she was especially influenced by Dr. Margaret Mize’s children’s literature class. “I just would like to encourage anyone considering a higher education degree to give Chaminade a look,” Gomes said, “because it is a fine institution with excellent professors!” Chaminade University’s Master of Arts in Teaching program is part of the Division of Education, and offers state-approved licensure in early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education and special education.

Alumna Shea Rodriguez ’16 Gives Back to her Maui Community by Helping Middle Schoolers Succeed

Shea Rodriguez (Elementary Education '16)For Chaminade University alumna Shea Rodriguez ‘16, the bachelor’s degree she earned in Elementary Education represents more than personal achievement. It’s also a way of giving back to her hometown of Wailuku, Maui.

“Growing up on the small island of Maui, I was greatly influenced by the community around me, especially those teacher figures who acted like mentors,” Rodriguez said. “Just as they helped and pushed me into success, I knew I wanted to do the same.”

Now Rodriguez is doing just that by teaching middle school mathematics and journalism at her alma mater, St. Anthony School. Established in 1848, this Catholic institution educates preschoolers through high schoolers in the Marianist spirit.

Rodriguez said she’s grateful for the dedication of her education professors at Brogan Hall.

Shea Rodriguez (Elementary Education '16)“I believe the Chaminade community truly reflects the aloha spirit that is apparent throughout the state of Hawaii,” Rodriguez said, “where each professor knows your name and goes the extra mile to see you succeed.

“I am also extremely grateful for Maimoa Fineisaloi and the rest of the Campus Ministry team,” Rodriguez said, “for welcoming me with the ever-apparent Marianist spirit and providing me with opportunities to nurture my spiritual growth.”

Rodriguez described Chaminade as an `ohana she’ll belong to forever.

“I am thankful for the opportunities I was provided with,” Rodriguez said, “and the connections I have made and continue to keep.”

Chaminade University’s Division of Education offers undergraduate degrees in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education and Secondary Education. For graduate students, the division offers Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Education programs.