BYU–Hawaii News

Brigham Young University–Hawaii Biology students Daniel Ka’onohi and Keone Young (pictured top) are knee deep in a three-year long mentoring program provided in conjunction with Brigham Young University in Provo, BYU–Hawaii, and a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Last year Professors Dr. David Bybee of BYU–Hawaii and Dr. Michael Whiting of BYU joined forces to take a group of biology students from both institutions to Papua New Guinea, a remote and relatively unstudied region of the southwest Pacific. "We decided that we could get a collaboration going," explained Bybee. "Whiting, an entomologist, would do the rain forest work, I, a marine biologist, would do the coral reef work, and the students we brought with us would get valuable field work experience in both terrestrial and marine environments." Read Full Story

The new BYUHSA presidency is now in place and working hard to better the school. Alma Fonua, senior in international business management from Utah, is the new president. He ran for the presidency because, "it was almost like I was prepared for this position. I kind of felt like I was almost obligated, like I needed to reach out to more people on a wider scale." Now he’s working toward accomplishing the promise of 'peace by piece' he made during his candidacy. According to Fonua, "It is about helping others and going forth to serve and fulfilling the prophecy. But we also wanted to focus also on the individual person, how you can grow individually and fulfill your own potential in becoming more like your Heavenly Father." Read Full Story

Working first as a club president and then becoming BYUHSA president during this past academic year has given Hemaloto Tatafu (pictured right) the confidence to do things he never thought he would do. Read Full Story

BYU–Hawaii First Lady Margaret Wheelwright was the first devotional speaker for First Term 2009, held Tuesday, July 28, at the BYU–Hawaii Cannon Activities Center. She was introduced by her husband President Steven C. Wheelwright as an eternal companion, a sweetheart, and an incredible mother. Read Full Story

On June 23, about 225 residents attended a community meeting as a follow-up to the surveys and workshops conducted in April, and to provide additional public input. On June 30, nine members of the City of Honolulu's Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) submitted changes to the City's land use plan in support of Envision Laie proposals. These proposed changes include expansion options for BYU–Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center, the relocation of housing designations to Malaekahana with sufficient unit numbers to address pent-up demand and growth, and village centers in Laie and Malaekahana. Read Full Story

The BYU–Hawaii distance learning program that began in Spring Term 2008 has since gone international. This program was designed to help prospective students that are denied admission to BYU–Hawaii due to low English scores or to students that are offered admission but lack the funds to enter school during that semester. The program also enables participating students to have some credit before coming to BYU–Hawaii, and encourages students to learn American academic style prior to arriving on American shores. Read Full Story

Richard D. McBride, faculty member in BYU–Hawaii's the History Department (pictured at right with student), is one of a few in the Unites States who can read both ancient Chinese and ancient Korean. McBride came to BYU–Hawaii last year, and he specializes in Asian, Chinese, and early Korean history. Read Full Story

"We have been going through a process of recruitment,” said BYU–Hawaii’s Social Work Department Chair John Reeves, citing a newly produced brochure as well as marketing attempts toward local high schools. “A large number of students are undecided when they arrive on campus,” he said. “We want to offer social work as a viable option.” (Pictured top: students engrossed in a lecture) Read Full Story

International Cultural Studies-Anthropology and Pacific Island Studies Professor, Doctor Tevita Ka’ili (pictured top) was one of thirty anthropologists from all over the world invited to attend a conference on Indigenous Anthropology at Oxford-Brooks University in Oxford, England, from June 14 through 18. Ka’ili presented a paper that he wrote, titled, ‘Anthropologizing Indigeneity and Indigenizing Anthropology.’ His theory was, “People in the Pacific are engaged in rearranging time and space to create harmony, symmetry and beauty.” Read Full Story