Guest Speakers

Healthy and Sustainable Hawaii Speaker Series

May 4, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

A series of speakers exploring everything from climate change resilience to indigenous wisdom to healthcare equity helped launch the new United Nations-affiliated CIFAL Honolulu Centre at Chaminade University.

The events in April were aimed at underscoring the mission of the center, an exciting partnership between Chaminade and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. CIFAL Honolulu is designed to serve as a hub in Hawaii and the Pacific Region for leadership, training and education around key sustainable development goals—convening and empowering people to maximize their positive impact.

The Healthy & Sustainable Hawaii Speaker Series kicked off on April 12, with Lt. Governor Josh Green.

Green, a practicing physician, discussed his vision for bolstering the health and wellbeing of people in Hawaii and the Pacific, encouraging attendees to consider how a plethora of social issues—drug addiction, domestic violence, homelessness, poverty—are all connected to health metrics.

“Systems are complex and they require complex thought,” Green said, adding COVID has both complicated the state’s healthcare landscape and introduced new opportunities, like broadening the availability of telehealth services. “The consequences of health disparities are great. There’s no choice but to address them. What we now know is that your zip code matters more than your genetic code.”

In his speech, Green talked about how he came to the islands from Pennsylvania to serve as a rural doctor on Hawaii Island and then decided to run for office in hopes of bringing attention to healthcare disparities he was seeing first-hand. Fast forward to 2019 and he was in the lieutenant governor’s office and having a conversation with the government of Western Samoa about a huge measles outbreak.

They asked Green, “Could you come and vaccinate our entire country?”

Green wasn’t sure how he was going to accomplish it, but he corralled resources in lightning speed. Hundreds of Hawaii healthcare professionals volunteered to assist. Airlines donated travel. And vaccines were provided free of charge. Over just 48 hours, some 37,000 measles vaccinations were administered.

And just a few months after that ordeal, Green and his team started getting wind of a worrisome new coronavirus making people sick in China and spreading to U.S. cities. “There was a problem on the horizon and we just witnessed what a virus could do,” Green said. “I knew we better get ready.”

Within weeks, a pandemic was declared and the state was shut down.

Green said COVID-19 underscored the power of working together, especially in emergencies, to shepherd resources and keep people safe. He said that same approach is necessary to grapple with some of the biggest crises facing Hawaii, many of which have significant implications on health.

Lucy Lee '23 and Ramsay Taum posing for the camera with Diamond Head in the background — *Lucy Lee ’23 and Ramsay Taum*

Also on April 12, the CIFAL Centre hosted Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific Founder and President Ramsay Taum and Hōkūleʻa student navigator Lucy Lee ’23 for a conversation about cultural and historical connections across the Pacific that could guide the way for sustainable development.

In considering climate change resilience and sustainability, Taum told attendees we must begin by “considering the empty chair”—our ancestors, loved ones who have departed and relatives who have not yet been born but also those we are trying to protect. “Who is it that you are accountable to?” Taum said, adding that he writes a letter every night to the people who will become his great-great grandchildren to answer their question, “What did you do when you had the chance?”

Taum said it’s also important to understand our priorities as an island community. “When we take fertile lands that we grow food in, and grow cement in them instead, what we’ve suggested is that we’ve shifted a priority—we’re OK with shipping our food in rather than growing it,” he said.

“Imagine if we created policies on caring. Do you think the carrying capacities will follow? I think so.”

He added that it’s important to understand the difference between wisdom and knowledge and recognize the importance of each in creating resilient, sustainable communities. “Maybe our success living on this island called Earth could be supported by talking to islanders,” Taum said.

In her address, Lee also touched on the value of place-based solutions.

A solution for one community, she pointed out, might not work for another. She added that communication and dialogue are also central ingredients in making headway on some of society’s biggest obstacles. To underscore the point, Lee recalled her first navigation experience onboard the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa. She and other students were charged with finding Nihoa island.

At the time, the Environmental Studies major said, Polynesian Voyaging Society President and Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson told her that he didn’t care if she found the island in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

What he cared about was whether she was leading her crew. “You can be the best navigator in the world. If no one wants to be on crew with you, you’ll be sailing solo for the rest of your life,” she said.

*Josh Stanbro, Dr. Chip Fletcher, Dr. Gail Grabowsky, Chris Benjamin, Scott Glenn and Aimee Barnes*

The final event in the speaker series, on April 18, was a panel discussion on climate resiliency and mitigation. The talk was moderated by Alexander & Baldwin CEO Chris Benjamin and included scientists, policy leaders and others discussing the stakes for Hawaii, the fight ahead, and how the Hawaii Executive Collaborative is seeking to drive change for the better with its Climate Coalition.

“We’re here today because our planet is in peril,” Benjamin told attendees. “Hawaii will experience climate change particularly acutely. This can’t just be a government solution or a nonprofit solution. It’s not just about educating people. It’s about all of these things. We’re trying to connect the dots.”

Dr. Charles “Chip” Fletcher, a panelist and dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said climate change is an immense problem with no easy solutions. But he’s optimistic about how Hawaii will tackle global warming’s many challenges.

“We have the cultural and economic and social framework with which we can thrive in this century,” Fletcher said. “Our community in Hawaii can by strongly unified. That is a community that can be prepared for the shocks and stresses of climate change. But we have a lot of work to do.”

Aimee Barnes, founder and CEO of Hua Nani Partners, said despair and doom are frequent and unfortunate themes in climate change circles. As she told attendees, however, there is an antidote: action. “The work that we’re doing really does matter. It’s going to help,” she said.

And, said Elemental Excelerator Policy Fellow and former city Resilience Officer Josh Stanbro, sustainable action also adds up—especially at the local level. “When we’re talking about turning these islands into a climate resilient place, I think we have a better shot than most,” he said.

Panelist Scott Glenn, the state’s chief energy officer, agreed and said fighting climate change and mitigating its impacts shouldn’t be seen simply as good for the environment or for communities but should be considered the right thing to do. “For all of us, it comes down to the opportunities we have to be a good person, to be a decent human. Fighting poverty, planting a tree is about making life better.”

For more details on the speaker series and on CIFAL Honolulu, click here.

Catholic Intellectual Life

March 25, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University is part of a rich Catholic intellectual tradition that not only seeks to educate and inform but also ask tough questions, prompt opportunities for reflection, create space for new ideas and assist the next generation of leaders in looking for ways to build a more peaceful and just world, said renowned Catholic education leader Fr. Dennis Holtschneider in a recent talk at the university.

“Higher education is complex and rarely possible without the assistance of charitable donations. We do it as a gift to the world. Why? Because ideas matter,” Holtschneider, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, told attendees at the March 15 address at Chaminade.

“Our graduates are gifts to a world that needs that gift for its improvement.”

Holtschneider’s talk was entitled “The Core of Catholic Intellectual Life,” and he spoke to university administrators, faculty members, staff, and others about the importance of embracing and admiring the intellectual, creative, teaching, and human development work that happens every day at the university.

Catholic universities, he noted, serve many roles. As a home for evangelization through campus ministries. As a place to offer opportunities to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. But first and foremost, Holtschneider said, “they’re in service of the intellectual life where ideas matter.”

And as the largest non-governmental provider of higher education in the world, he added, there is no shortage of ideas at Catholic universities. He pointed to just a few of the impressive projects happening at these institutions, from advancements in medicine to breakthroughs in economics or political theory.

“We prepare the next generation of teachers, social workers, nurse practitioners, business leaders, accountants, political advisers, communication professionals, counselors, scholars and more,” he said.

And this modern landscape of education is no “accident of history,” Holtschneider added, “but an expression of a Church that has welcomed, built, and supported the intellectual life for millennia. This is important work for us. This is one of our ministries. Now make no mistake, it’s a fray. If you hire an organization of independent thinkers, you get a lot of independent thought.”

In other words, he said, intellectual work means “intellectual upset.”

Beverly Sandobal, Shana Tong, Mandy Thronas-Brown, Bishop Larry Silva, Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, Dr. Lynn Babington, Dr. Scott Schroeder, Cynthia McIntyre, Bro. Edward Brink, and Margaret Rufo

It means debate. Disagreement. Growth. Reflection. And it means change.

Holtschneider pointed to the many scholars at Catholic institutions who helped present new ideas whose time had come. They were and are at the forefront of the civil and women’s rights movements, of the push to end poverty and of the monumental work to address the climate change crisis.

“It’s not a set of ideas. It’s a project. Catholic intellectual life is a project,” he said.

And importantly, Holtschneider said, while scholars in the Catholic intellectual tradition have no predetermined answers, they do have non-negotiable starting places that reflect a common set of values and ideals. “Our vocation as educators is to prepare the next generation, hoping they might even improve upon the world as we know it now. If that’s all we did, it would be enough,” he said.

“We care that our students become experts in the fullest sense of their chosen professions. We also care about who they become as they spend a life wielding the education that we have given them. We explore things with them and how they’re thinking about the world. We may not be ethics professionals all of us, but we dare not avoid ethics when teaching if we care about our students’ lives ahead.”

Holtschneider himself speaks as a Catholic scholar who believes strongly that robust academic environments help to drive positive change. He received a doctoral degree in administration, planning and policy from Harvard University, holds eight honorary degrees, and serves as a member of the faculty at several higher education leadership programs, including at Harvard and Boston universities.

“Nothing is more powerful than an idea that breaks through and changes everything,” he said.

Fr. Dennis Holtschneider speaking to Chaminade faculty and staff

Holtschneider’s presentation at Chaminade was part of a series of lectures that were made possible through the Association of Marianist Universities. He is set to speak at Chaminade’s sister universities—the University of Dayton in Ohio and St. Mary’s University in Texas—later this year.

After his presentation at Chaminade, attendees were given a chance to follow up with questions or reflections. Several people said they were moved and inspired by Holtschneider’s message and wanted to seek out ways to share it with a broader audience. Holtschneider applauded those efforts while noting that the intellectual tradition offers a pathway without a set endpoint or destination.

He called the process of searching out ideas “humbling” and full of exciting discoveries.

And it’s not just scholars on that journey; students are there, too.

“We ask them to look long and hard at the world for four years. But we also ask them to look long and hard at themselves and think about how they want to be actors in that world, about what they will value, what they will fight for in their lifetimes, and what they will work for,” he told attendees.

“Most importantly, we give them questions that matter and to think about in the lifetime ahead. And that is the Catholic intellectual tradition. All of it. Not a pre-determined answer that one generation passes onto the next but a constant searching for what’s true, what’s good and what’s holy.”

Bishop Robert McElroy Discusses a Synodal Church

March 10, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

In late 2021, Pope Francis called on the whole of the Catholic Church to embark on a two-year journey of reflection, profound renewal, and transformative reform that seeks to touch every element of ecclesiastical life and drive an ongoing process of reflection among Catholics worldwide.

Bishop Robert McElroy speaking during the Chaminade Marianist Lecture

As Most Reverend Robert McElroy, Bishop of San Diego, explained in a recent Marianist Lecture at the Mystical Rose Oratory, this process of “synodality” is not about issuing new documents from Rome but embracing change together. It is, he added, “a continuing call to reform within the life of the Church.”

Bishop McElroy acknowledged that the term “synodality” is confusing and has been misunderstood.

And so, in unpacking it during his lecture on February 27, Bishop McElroy first noted that the concept of synod is not new but rather ancient and refers to a “coming together” or a religious assembly. “Pope Francis is calling for a moment of rediscovering, of going back and rediscovering part of our tradition,” he said.

In outlining the “architecture of synodality” at both the parish and personal level, Bishop McElroy said the process presents several key themes. Among them: that synodality “points to the reality that the whole people of God are engaged and journeying together in the life of the Church” and also demands a “constant state of discernment”—seeking answers as part of a community and in dialogue.

Bishop McElroy also underscored the importance of “authentic listening” and empowering diverse voices.

“A synodal church is a humble and honest church,” he said. “A synodal church seeks to discern its woundedness and embrace reform. Its holiness is exemplified by humility. A synodal church seeks a healthy decentralization in its structure and life. Practices that exclude groups must be rejected.”

Bishop McElroy continued, “Pope Francis has called us to transform the life of the Church and in turn the life of the world.” And that work—the process of reflection, listening and mission—“is not the work of a moment, but the work of a lifetime. At this moment, it is our work and is our mission.”

The global conversations on synodality in the Catholic Church will culminate with an international gathering in October 2023, during which church leaders will seek to explore key themes identified at dioceses. Bishop McElroy, however, cautioned against thinking of the dialogue as something that ends there. “This notion of synodality is a process of conversation. It doesn’t end at a particular time,” he said.

Bishop McElroy delivered his address before an audience both online and in person, and then participated in a question-and-answer session to clarify key points or explore new ones. The talk was presented as part of the ongoing Marianist Lecture series, sponsored by the Marianist Center of Hawaii, Chaminade University and Saint Louis School, and designed to foster inclusive and robust dialogue.

Following his address, Bishop McElroy was presented with the Mackey Award for Catholic Thought.

Several attendees at the lecture thanked Bishop McElroy for helping them to understand the concept of synodality. They also wondered aloud about next steps, including what they could do to participate in the conversation and encourage their fellow parishioners to do the same.

“I think what stuck out most to me was the real inward focusing of it, about listening, changing our stance as a church to be more humble and just more understanding,” said Sebastian Conway-Phillips.

Another attendee, Our Lady of Good Counsel School Principal Chantelle Enos-Luarca, said the faculty and staff members at her campus participated in a robust dialogue as part of the process of synodality.

“We have some great ideas … but what’s next?” she asked.

Bishop McElroy responded, “I think the most important consequences are the conservations that occur at the local level. All of these parishes, there are certain things that come up that are good things to do.” He added that there’s no need to wait on implementing those good ideas. “Do them now,” he said.

Watch the entire Marianist Lecture below.

Life Lessons from VP of Public Relations, Communications, and Brand Management at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii

March 23, 2018 by University Communications & Marketing

It was an honor to hear from Mr. David Tumilowicz, Vice President of Public Relations, Communications, and Brand Management at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.

Mr. Tumilowicz began his presentation with some personal stories and shared important lessons he learned throughout his career. He has a wide range of experience in different areas of business which includes working as an adjunct professor at Chaminade University and Hawaii Pacific University, and Vice President at PacificBasin Communications. Here are some lessons that stood out to me:

1. Work ethic—after working as an adjunct professor, Mr. Tumilowicz shifted careers and worked for Hawaii Designs by John Martin where he built boats. It is with this company where he learned the importance of work ethic. “The more boats he produces, the more money he makes.”

2. Team work—at some point, Mr. Tumilowicz worked as a Sales Manager/Marketing Director at Broadband Interactive Television. Here, he learned the value of teamwork. “Behind every successful company is a team that communicates and works together as one.”

3. Believe in your employees—during his time as a publisher for Hawaii Business and Hawaii magazines, Mr. Tumilowicz was faced with obstacles while dealing with limited staff to work with. He knew firing people wasn’t an option, so he took a different approach instead. He created an environment where people can express their true and absolute potential.

4. Trust—in his current position at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Mr. Tumilowicz focuses on the word “trust.” Learn how to trust others because at a certain point, you are not the expert anymore. “Be best friends with the CFO!”
Mr. Tumilowicz ended his presentation with a talk on the greatest attribute of a good leader. He says, “All leaders are influencers, but it is how you choose to influence others that makes you a good leader. How do you influence in a positive way?”

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Kaleen Terayama
Speaker Session with David Tumilowicz 3/21/18

Finding Your Passion in Business

March 16, 2018 by University Communications & Marketing

It was a great pleasure to hear from Dr. Jeffrey Yu, President and CEO of KinetiCor, an early stage medical device company currently focused on motion-correction technologies for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Its technology is useful for patients who are unable to control their movements during a scan.

Required by his parents to attend medical school, Dr. Yu discovered the need to follow his true passion. Interested in technology, Dr. Yu was highly encouraged by one of his close mentors to enroll at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, a top research and academic center. There, he succeeded finding his passion in radiology. In relevance to this experience, Dr. Yu stressed the importance of having a great mentor who can provide guidance in finding your passion.

Dr. Yu expanded his knowledge by learning about business. Working as a Diagnostic Radiologist at Queen’s Medical Center, Dr. Yu took the liability of learning everyone’s job, which gave him the insights on how to operate a successful business. Through this experience, Dr. Yu shares his lesson to never be afraid to hire people better than you. Know your own strengths and weaknesses.

He also applied his education and work experience to his current role at KinetiCor. He spoke about Technology Assessment and demonstrated KinetiCor’s mission of “improving the quality of medical imaging” by assisting in the innovation of Perceptive Motion Correction for MRI scan procedures.

Dr. Yu’s presentation showed that everything done in business, its products and services must have legs valuable for future need.

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Christian Ortiz
Speaker Session with Dr. Jeffrey Yu 3/14/18

Living and Working Globally

March 14, 2018 by University Communications & Marketing

It was an honor to learn from Mr. Ray Tsuchiyama, CEO of Tsuchiyama & Associates. Mr. Tsuchiyama is a seasoned business operations executive and adviser to fast-growth startups, established Fortune 500 corporations, and federal government. He specializes in market entry and expansion in Japan and Asia-Pacific.

Mr. Tsuchiyama’s presentation was about “Living and Working Globally.” He spoke about corporate and international life in relation to entrepreneurship, and showed us a list of the most important things to consider if you dream of living abroad. The list includes planning, having endless curiosity, flexibility, risk-taking, and being open to new perspectives. He also built his talk on the ongoing theme of the semester: leadership.

According to Mr. Tsuchiyama, “good managers make people believe in them; good leaders make people believe in themselves.” This left Hogan students with a call to action. We were also challenged to find our brand! A brand is the way you want people to perceive you. What is it that you want people to think when they hear your name? Then, think of ways of what you need to do to make people perceive you in such way. Mr. Tsuchiyama added, in order to increase your brand, you must plan and become knowledgeable on the subject you wish to be associated with your name.

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Sarah Cervantes
Speaker Session with Ray Tsuchiyama