Campus Community

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi and his wife Bon Kyung Koo spoke to BYU–Hawaii students and the campus community on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, bringing with them advice to seek to know the mind and will of the Lord, and then have the courage and faith to do what we should do. Elder and Sister Choi, who are both alumni of Brigham Young University–Hawaii, spoke together, sharing personal experiences from their time at the University, his perspective as a convert to the LDS Church, and how they faced the challenges of raising a family and providing meaningful service in their country, community and the kingdom of God.

A counter-flow bike lane now runs on the inner perimeter of the big circle, making it easier for those on bikes, skateboards and non-motorized scooters to get to places on campus. With the addition of the new bike lane, cyclists and skateboarders can now travel clockwise, or opposite to the regular one-way traffic lane, around the big circle.

Two performing groups from BYU–Hawaii’s Music and Visual Arts department took their talent on the road with a four-day tour to the island of Kauai on February 11-14, 2016. The two groups were the Salsa Orchestra and Brass Ensemble, led by creative directors Dr. Darren Duerden and Dr. David Kammerer.

The Honolulu chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) recently named Kevan Hendrickson, a graduating senior at Brigham Young University–Hawaii and Marketing Director of Morph Studios, the winner of a regional qualifying round for the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA). The GSEA program aims to inspire and support young entrepreneurs, providing opportunities for students to showcase their businesses and network with influential corporate leaders.

(A message from the Office of the Vice President of Administration)

Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will address Brigham Young University–Hawaii’s 234 graduates and their families at this Winter’s commencement ceremony held on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at 9:30 AM in the Cannon Activities Center in Laie, Hawaii.

On Tuesday, February 9, Shaka Steel and the Polynesian Drum Ensemble will perform at 7:30 PM in the McKay Auditorium.

At 7 PM and 9:30 PM on Saturday, January 30, 40 BYU-Hawaii students will come together with Abuliz Dance International to put on a dance concert, “Dancing Through Life.”

BYU–Hawaii’s Spirit Week 2016 is Saturday, February 6, through Friday, February 12, with a variety of activities and events for all students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends.

On January 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30 p.m., the BYU-Hawaii English Department and Music and Visual Arts Department will present a production of Fiddler on the Roof, by Joseph Stein, Jerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick. Directed by Dr. Craig Ferre, the musical stars BYU-Hawaii faculty Michael and Lila Belnap and features performers drawn from BYU-Hawaii students, faculty and staff, and community members.

David Wu, a finance major from Hong Kong, recently outperformed approximately 1,200 students from 420 universities around the world, including California State University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and York University, in the Capsim Business Simulation Global Challenge, taking the 4th place of the worldwide competition.

Teaching English to speakers of other languages has been a natural core competency at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, the baccalaureate campus with the highest percentage of international students in the United States. Now that offering will continue to expand its global influence with the establishment of the new Center for English Language Learning at the university.

President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will be the speaker at the first worldwide devotional for young adults scheduled for 2016.

BYU–Hawaii student Jane-Lyn Scotty will find herself looking up a little more now when she passes by the university’s iconic Flag Circle at the campus main entrance. Jane is the first student from the island nation of Nauru, and on Wednesday, December 30, 2015, her country’s flag was added to fly alongside the 69 others at the Flag Circle. These flags are from the nations of the university’s international student body. With more than 1,000 international students, BYU–Hawaii is the most internationally diverse baccalaureate university in the United States. (Read the report in The Chronicle of Higher Education.)

The BYU-Hawaii Political Science department coordinated the university's first study abroad program this summer, sending students to Thailand to apply classroom learning through internships and research. The program was largely funded through the generosity of the Yamagata Family Foundation,* a foundation which enables many BYU–Hawaii students to gain valuable learning opportunities and life experiences through sponsored internships.

Brigham Young University–Hawaii today announced the establishment of a new Center for Hospitality and Tourism at the university. The interdisciplinary Center is housed in the College of Business, Computing and Government and will be instrumental in fulfilling the growth-oriented goals of the Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) academic program: Academic Enhancement, Program Expansion, and Industry Engagement.