Psychology

Working on the Frontlines

May 18, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

It’s Monday, and Ann-Janin Bacani arrives at work around 8:15 a.m. She covers herself head to toe in personal protective equipment (PPE), and heads into the lab.

The Chaminade alumna checks each coronavirus testing swab that arrives—it’s essential to enter them into their database before proceeding. She ensures they each have proper approval from the state epidemiologist, and then she gets to work.

Each coronavirus test swab is analyzed for the virus through a lengthy process. First, the RNA is extracted from the virus. Then, it is converted to DNA. Finally, using a real-time, reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machine, the DNA is copied and amplified to identify the presence of 2019-nCoV genes. If the genes are present, the test is considered positive.

Bacani is a microbiologist in the Biological Response Section of the Hawai‘i State Department of Health’s Laboratory and Preparedness Response Branch.

Initially, she worked with the Food and Drug Administration to test food samples for salmonella and listeria. But when COVID-19 hit in January, Bacani’s lab was the first in the state of Hawaii to be approved to analyze test results.

At first, it was nerve wracking. There was a lot of initial uncertainty and risks. So much about the disease was unknown. But the department was quick to react.

“I was fully trained by highly trained microbiologists in my section and we were provided with the proper PPE to work the virus,” says Bacani. “That put my mind at ease while working in the laboratory.”

Ann-Janin Bacani '18 and her co-workers showing their lunch their received from donors — (L-R) Ayana Garnet, Ann-Janin Bacani ’18 and Drew Kuwazaki receiving their free ‘thank you’ bentos from the Hawaii Government Employee Association

As part of the Biological Response Section, the Waipahu High School graduate is part of a team of epidemiologists, physicians, microbiologists and officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration tasked with providing rapid response to bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks or any other public health emergency.

Their COVID testing lab serves all of Hawai‘i and many of the outer Pacific Islands as well. Bacani sees it as a chance to serve her community.

“It has always been my vision and goal to be able to give back to my community,” says Bacani. “From my early years at Chaminade University, I have wanted to provide and bring quality care to underserved populations.”

Bacani graduated from Chaminade University in 2018 as a biochemistry major with a minor in psychology.

She attributes a lot of what she does now to her time at Chaminade. It was through a Chaminade classmate that she initially found the position at the Department of Health—Alexis Young, another Chaminade alumna, is also a microbiologist at the department.

A graduate of Waipahu High School, Bacani was introduced to Chaminade University at a college fair field trip. Her dream was to become a pharmacist, so she chose Chaminade for the highly regarded STEM program.

Her next four years were filled with leadership roles, clubs, research opportunities, premedical summer programs, travel to conferences and more. And while she didn’t always recognize it at the time, everything she learned was preparing her for her role today.

“Turns out, a lot of the things we all thought we wouldn’t need to know were things we later found to be very helpful,” she admits.

Perhaps her biggest lesson was understanding just how important it is to follow precise laboratory techniques and best practices—for a patient relying on a diagnosis, it can be life-changing.

“The human aspect of a clinical sample is more than just the volume in a tube,” says Bacani. “It’s the impact that the sample has that is important, which makes all of what I do as a microbiologist worthwhile.”

And the impact of what she does every day is not lost on her.

“Our job is so meaningful right now, as it is an essential task that allows people to know whether or not they have contracted the coronavirus,” explains Bacani. “It is so important to understand the precise laboratory techniques, tests and best medicinal approaches that allow for a patient’s life-changing diagnosis.”

While she has been honored to serve her community on the frontlines of this pandemic, Bacani’s ultimate goal is still to become a Doctor of Pharmacy. She’s humbled by the power drug interactions can have on a patient’s life, and wants to become a clinical or hospital pharmacist. She plans to start at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo in the fall.

Student’s Heritage Motivates Academic Journey

April 14, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade junior Alexis Lambert loves to see history come alive through culture.

Alexis Lambert - online undergraduate student majoring in psychology

And so when her professor tasked her with writing a research paper for History 201, a course that explores America through the Civil War, she knew exactly what she wanted to write about: Her people.

Lambert, 21, is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

She was born and raised in Cherokee, North Carolina, and still lives on reservation land there with her mother and two younger siblings. It seems a world away from Chaminade, but Lambert says the university’s online program has turned out to be a perfect fit for her—and her studies.

Lambert first applied to Chaminade while still in high school, but then decided to attend her local community college for two years. After receiving her associate’s degree, she was looking for an online bachelor’s degree program that would allow her to stay in Cherokee while also getting access to quality educational programs. She remembered what she’d read about Chaminade and decided to apply again.

“Everything fell into place,” she said.

Lambert is now majoring in Psychology and pursuing a minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Chaminade.

She dreams of bringing her unique perspective to her future profession just as she brings it to her courses today. “I love my culture and cannot imagine growing up any other way,” she said. “We have pow-wows and festivals that celebrate our food and culture all throughout the year.”

For History 201, Lambert worked with adjunct Professor Willis Moore to tell the story of her people before 1865 into present day. The paper explores what the Cherokee people have gone through—and how they have survived to keep their traditions, customs and language alive for future generations.

It also unpacks her tribe’s laws and political structure, comparing them to the US government.

Lambert said she jumped at the opportunity to write the paper for a simple reason: “I want more people to know about my culture and to know about the other side of history—the one that is not in the books. Cherokee is a federally recognized tribe in the US. We have our own laws and land.”

Lambert said she’s come a long way—and is looking forward to graduation and beyond.

She’s interested in becoming a clinical psychologist or a forensic psychologist. Whatever she chooses, she’s confident that she’ll get there because of having her foundation rooted at Chaminade. “I love it here and cannot wait to learn more,” she said. “I am very happy right now and very proud of myself.”

Psychology Meets Design

December 20, 2019 by University Communications & Marketing

Interior design is about space planning, lighting, architecture and the environment.

But ultimately, Dr. Junghwa Suh likes to tell her students, it’s about people. How people live, work – and play.

And this year, the associate professor of Environmental + Interior Design at Chaminade, took that lesson to new lengths with an innovative collaboration that weaved in key principles of psychology.

For the project, Suh partnered with Dr. Blendine Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Psychology.

Environmental + Interior Design and Psychology students discussing their interdisciplinary projects

Together, they tasked PSY 321: The Psychology of Personality students and EID 200: Introduction of Interior Design students with working side by side to analyze the character and personality traits of their clients to envision a truly person-centered home – complete with a unique design feature.

And the project had a fun twist: The so-called “clients” were actually characters from “The Office.”

So one group of psychology and EID students designed a home for Angela Martin, head of accounting on the show and known for more than a few eccentricities, including treating her four cats like her children.

Another designed a living space for Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell), the boss of the paper distribution branch featured in the show who – rather oddly – fancies himself a skilled performer.

The two professors came up with the idea for the project while Suh was visiting Hawkins’ class for a peer teaching observation. Afterwards, the two were chatting and Suh mentioned just how relevant psychology is to the field of interior design, especially when thinking about living spaces.

“Together we came up with the idea that it would be interesting to have psychology and design students collaborate,” Hawkins said, “by bringing the learning from their respective field into a culminating project” and having students from each field serve as experts to their peer counterparts.

The professors launched the project in the fall, both classes coming together frequently to build a foundation of knowledge in psychology and interior design, then to apply what they’d learned and finally to present their final projects – those client-centered living spaces – at the end of the term.

The psychology students were tasked with “developing a deep understanding” of their “Office” character and communicating that analysis to their design colleagues. The design students then used the analysis from their peers to develop a living space that truly incorporates their character’s traits.

The professors said the project was a hit with students, who appreciated the chance to learn about another field of study, apply it to their own – and, of course, watch some episodes from “The Office.”

Environmental Science student Noah Lorenzo ’21 was among the psychology students and said he enjoyed working closely with students from different majors and applying the theories he learned in a concrete way – to a home designed for a client. “My biggest takeaway from this project is seeing that it is possible for two different majors to collaborate on a single project,” Lorenzo said.

He added he’d love to see more interdisciplinary collaboration in other classes.

“It was interesting because I took the class to learn why people act a certain way,” Lorenzo said. “This project was fun because we did just that and applied it to a realistic setting.”

Suh said the interdisciplinary project had its challenges, especially as students sought to better understand their counterparts’ fields of study and incorporate them into their own. “We were able to witness the benefits of this collaboration,” she said, adding that she and Hawkins also learned a lot along the way – and are already thinking about how to bring their students together again.

Environmental + Interior Design and Psychology students presenting their interdisciplinary projects

Alumna Becky Burns ’76 Creates Successful Granola Business

May 12, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Elizabeth “Becky” Mann Burns, BA Psychology ’76 is the owner and founder of Anahola Granola, a successful local company which produces about five tons of delicious, fresh tropical granola per week. Located in Hanapepe, Kauai, the company employs 11 workers and has been in business for more than thirty years. Anahola Granola can be found throughout Hawaii in most upscale hotels, specialty shops, health food and grocery stores, as well as Costco.

Burns has always had two synergistic parts to her life which have energized her and her business. She has an entrepreneurial streak, and she enjoys people. While growing up, Burns would make cookies weekly for her family. Then during her first year of college on the mainland, she began a birthday cake business.

Using the income from that first business, she was able to buy a one-way ticket to Hawaii, and in her mid-twenties, Burns decided to return to school and complete her degree.

Transferring from the University of Denver, she arrived at Chaminade. The faculty inspired her, igniting her passion for psychology. The smaller classes also suited her well. “I liked it at Chaminade, so I stayed until I graduated,” she explained. “I rode my bike along Harding Avenue back and forth from school,” she reminisced.

Though she did not take a lot of undergraduate classes, she had always liked people and psychology. Her favorite classes were taught by women psychology professors. She appreciated their insight and their compassion and had a rapport with them because as an older student she was closer in age to her professors than her fellow students. She identified with them.

Burns remembered one particular course. The course on “Death and Dying” based on Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ book of the same title moved her. “The subject matter at that time was very new and cutting edge…I was fascinated,” she said.

Energized by what she had learned, Burns chose to volunteer as the social director for seniors at a home on Waialae Avenue across from Zippy’s. In fact, she received a recognition award from Chaminade for her work there.

After graduation, Burns had no idea that she would become a business person. She began making her organic granola. “It wasn’t a surprise I started a business in granola. I always ate well and loved organic gardening. In fact, my first garden I had was on the front lawn of the house where I lived when I went to Chaminade. I got a heap of manure from the Honolulu Zoo and dug it into the ground. In the end, I found out I got too much manure, and the nitrogen killed most of my crops,” Burns shared a smile.

Because of her slow growth philosophy, Burns never got a business loan and only used money from the previous week’s sales to buy raw goods and packaging. “My business is the epitome of slow growth. So slow that perhaps many businesses couldn’t survive as slow as Anahola Granola grew,” said Burns.

Burns recalled that people were very kind to her, and that was what helped her through the years. When she sold her first bags of granola at a Christmas fair, a woman, who owned a store in Kilauea, Kauai, kept coming back for more bags. That woman encouraged Burns to find a certified kitchen so that she could buy more for her store. “Without her, I doubt my granola would have gone any further than the few fairs that winter,” Burns said. “Another gift was the small amount of rent I was charged by All Saints Church. It was a small kitchen, and I paid month by month. I was there right after Hurricane Iniki until I bought a building in Hanapepe. My responsibility now is to give back and help whenever I can.”

Burns is a strong believer in giving back. She helps other small business owners, mentoring them with advice. Her business donates product to various charities on Kauai, including school programs. “I feel that if you are a generous business owner, the rewards come back a million. Obviously, I am not saying to give away all of your product. But whatever you can do, consider doing it,” she advised.

Though she has not been back to Chaminade since she graduated, she will be on Oahu in August for the Made in Hawaii Festival and will try to visit. “Certainly having a degree in psychology has helped me in all realms of my business,” she reflected.

And her love for people and her business acumen made her life abundant.