Campus Community

David Taufa, Heather Pohiva, and Selai Unga graduated from BYU–Hawaii with Accounting degrees in the summer of 2013. While they all had different career plans upon returning to their home country of Tonga, none of them expected the opportunity that opened up for them to use the skills they learned from BYU–Hawaii within the Tongan government.

BYU–Hawaii welcomes David Te’o as the new Director of Information Technology Infrastructure. Te’o, a native of Laie, most recently worked within the R&K Cyber Solutions’ Defense Intelligence Agency and previously as a systems administrator with numerous facilities on the island. These positions have given him over a decade of IT work experience as well as invaluable skills, training, and credentials in information systems management.

This past summer, a group of students from BYU–Hawaii went to Fiji to make a difference in the educational system of the island nation. The seven students worked under the supervision of Dr. Ronald Miller, BYU–Hawaii psychology professor, and Dr. Frank C. Worrell, graduate professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

As many who are associated with BYU–Hawaii already know, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Polynesian Cultural Center located next to the university’s Laie, Hawaii campus. Originally dedicated on October 12, 1963, the Center helps about 600-700 students fund their education every semester, and it has always been a place where students can learn life skills. “The Polynesian Cultural Center has contributed to my understanding of the spirit of Aloha,” said Thanathon Phosricha, an alumnus from Thailand who worked there as a tour guide. “This motivates me to improve the world around me and to be a better example everywhere.”

Kenny Cox has joined the BYU–Hawaii Seasiders with responsibility over sports information and athletic marketing.

Donna Checketts, Laie Hawaii Young Single Adult 2nd Stake Relief Society President and her daughter Shayla Smith, spoke on the importance of maintaining an eternal perspective in their devotional address “Don’t Give Up What You Want Most, For What You Want Now,” on Tuesday, July 24.

The first Women’s Professional Advancement Day was held at BYU–Hawaii on May 30. There were workshops, mentoring appointments, networking opportunities, and a panel discussion to develop a culture of mentoring among women on campus. The idea to have mentoring and educational experiences on the BYU–Hawaii campus stemmed Debbie Hippolite Wright’s, vice president of Student Development and Services, experiences with Women Leaders in Higher Education. Faculty, staff and students were invited to attend to learn how to better themselves and advance in careers.

The BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir will embark on a musical tour to New Zealand and Australia under the direction of Michael Belnap, from June 10 through June 24. Throughout the tour, the choir will perform for various audiences including members of all faiths and important dignitaries in both countries with a variety of spiritual and secular repertoire.

BYU–Hawaii’s Enactus team traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to compete in the 2013 Enactus National Exposition and was awarded second place among more than 150 participating teams. The team first competed in April at the Regional Competition in Seattle, Washington, and was selected to continue on to the National Competition. 156 teams from campuses around the nation were invited to compete in the exposition where BYU–Hawaii was able to secure a spot in the final four and eventually awarded first runner up.

BYU–Hawaii Food Services won the Loyal E. Horton Gold Award for the fourth time, outperforming some of the top educational institutions in the nation. BYU–Hawaii took home the award in the category Residential Dining- Special Event. Food Services has been participating in this prestigious competition since 2001 and have won bronze, silver and gold awards throughout the years.

JGeeks will perform their first show in America at BYU–Hawaii on Friday, May 17, in the Cannon Activities Center.

The BYU–Hawaii Faculty Advisory Committee presents an academic forum with Brandon Truscott, chair of the new Visual Arts Department on Thursday, May 16, at 11:00 AM in the McKay Auditorium. Brandon Truscott earned his bachelor’s degree in studio art with an emphasis in graphic design from Humboldt State University, a Master’s of Education degree with an emphasis in cross-cultural teaching from National University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco Art Institute with an emphasis in Design + Technology.

I-Hsuan (Annie) Hwang, has been named the 2013 ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Women’s Senior Player of the Year. Her tenure has been nothing short of dominant during her collegiate career. While playing in two national tournaments, three conference tournaments, two USTA/ITA Regional Championships, and two USTA/ITA National Small College Championships, Hwang has posted an astonishing singles record of 80-1. She has won two Division II USTA/ITA National Small College Championships singles titles as well as a doubles championship. She was named the 2011 recipient of the James O’Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award and has been selected as the PacWest Conference MVP the past two seasons.

A BYU–Hawaii pilot program will launch in Japan this year, with the specific purpose of promoting the university and working with prospective students. Kenichi Kurokawa, a 2005 BYU–Hawaii graduate from Japan who majored in information systems, has been appointed as the first Japan recruiting representative. His job includes running firesides and other efforts in Japan to assist future students registering for BYU–Hawaii, and building the number of prospective students among the youth and young adults of Japan.

Michael Ballam, Professor of Music and Opera at Utah State University and Founding General Director of the Utah Festival, spoke on seeking after and recognizing the spirit though wholesome music in his Devotional address Tuesday, April 23 – the first weekly Devotional of the Summer semester at BYU–Hawaii.

“Can you and will you justify your credentials by your character?” Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Presidency of the Seventy asked audience members at the Brigham Young University–Hawaii commencement exercises on April 13.

BYU–Hawaii has implemented several programs in recent years to maximize sustainability on campus. These include Give & Take, recycling, energy audits, car sharing, and more.

Ten BYU–Hawaii students presented at the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) International Convention & English Language Expo, last month in Dallas, Texas. The conference, held March 20-23, is the leading convention of its kind and gives opportunities for students and industry professionals to present their latest teaching tools, software, research, and publication to more than 6,500 attendees.