Chaminade University Assistant Professor Frederique Kandel, PhD, has been selected for the 2020 Ronald M. Iwamoto Teaching Fellowship in Biology. Kandel is the first faculty member named to the program since its $50,000 endowment was established at the University in 2019.
Kandel will hold the title of Iwamoto Fellow for two years. The endowment was established to honor Faculty Emeritus Ronald Iwamoto, biology faculty member at Chaminade University for 47 years. The Iwamoto Fellowship was aided by over 70 donors, many former students of Iwamoto. The funds from the Iwamoto Fellowship support professional development, including attendance at conferences, workshops, innovative curriculum development, or leadership in education training.
“Professor Emeritus Ron Iwamoto’s reputation as an inspiring and enthusiastic teacher remains much alive in our school,” said Kandel. “I am truly grateful and honored to receive this fellowship and look forward to starting the professional development program by attending the American Society of Microbiology conference for undergraduate educators. Mahalo nui loa to all involved.”
Applicants for the Iwamoto Fellowship must submit a strategic program of professional development with a defined set of goals for the two-year period. Many fellowships at universities across the United States are available for research activities, but it is rare to have a fellowship focused on the development of teaching and pedagogy.
Iwamoto Fellow candidates are nominated by the Dean of Natural Sciences at Chaminade University, and formally selected by a committee comprised of Chaminade University alumni, many of whom are healthcare professionals.
“Dr. Kandel is an extremely talented and dedicated biology professor who strives for excellence in her biology pedagogy and is very popular with our students,” said Gail Grabowsky PhD, Interim Dean of Natural Sciences at Chaminade University. “She strikes the perfect balance between empathy and compassion, and she teaches her students how to become accomplished and disciplined scientists. She was trained as a marine scientist but has such a broad breadth of scientific knowledge and experience that she is also currently the President-Elect of the Hawaii Branch of the American Society of Microbiology. Because of this fellowship Dr. Kandel will be able to do more and new wonderful things for our Chaminade biology students.”
Kandel has committed over 20 years to teaching biology, math, and science at the university and high school levels in diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts. She teaches a range of topics at Chaminade University, from freshman biotechnology to human anatomy for nurses to a senior microbiology course and laboratory for biology students.
Her strategic program of professional development as an Iwamoto Fellow will be to attend the 2020 ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE) in Bellevue, Washington and the 2021 ASM Teaching Undergraduate Biology webinar series. Both events aim to enhance the quality of microbiology education. Upon completion of the webinar, attendees are also invited to participate in sessions at the 2021 ASMCUE and to submit a poster or demonstration. This opportunity will give Kandel the chance to share the innovative teaching techniques and experiences generated during the previous year.
The Iwamoto Fellowship is the first-ever fellowship of any kind at Chaminade University.
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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.
