The BYU-Hawaii President's Council named Dr. Yee Kong Peter Chan, assistant professor of instructional design and development, its "teacher of the year" at the August 26 ohana or family meeting of university faculty and staff.
"This is always a difficult time, because so many of you who are not honored in this way deserve to be," said university President Eric B. Shumway in announcing Chan, a 1995 BYU-Hawaii information systems alumnus from China who went on to earn his doctorate at BYU in Provo and returned to his alma mater three years ago. He added that others who have previously received awards "could easily receive them again," but school policy limits the award to one time.
President Shumway noted that Chan has "been responsible for the increased visibility of BYU-Hawaii in Asia as a key person in many joint venture...and has been responsible for placing the BYU-Hawaii logo before thousands in our target area.
The president said Chan has also been a leader in joint projects with Beijing Normal University and developed materials that have been used by thousands of Chinese teachers, opened a dialog between BYU-Hawaii and the Hong Kong government that has led to easier teacher certification for university graduates, been the leader of a joint instructional DVD project with Mongolia Health Sciences University, and was "the driving force behind the successful Chinese instructional technology conference held on this campus this summer."
The President's Council also gave special recognition to Barbara Velasco for her "uncommon service" to the university as an LDS Philanthropies fundraiser. Velasco joined the university in 1992 to re-start the University Development program, which had been dormant for the 12 years prior to then and has since grown to over $45 million. Velasco will retire at the end of the year.
Other honors went to:
- Lila Magalei, formerly an executive administrative assistant and now director of special events.
- Dr. Robert Wakefield, BYU-Hawaii Director of Communications and Marketing
- Kaliki Unga, Campus Distribution Center
- Dawn Keliikuli, utility maintenance supervisor for housing
- Emilyn Relator, faculty and staff housing maintenance supervisor
- Eliando 'Edo' Kentjana-Putra, human resources information systems
- Tevita Lavulavu, landscaping supervisor
- Rita Meatoga, Financial Services
- Ignacio 'Iggy' Santeco, Print Services
- Michael Tuia, mechanical maintenance supervisor
- Lupe Funaki Piena, International Student Services
- Wesley Duke, Financial Aids
- Martin Miller, Security
- Stephen Crowell, McKay Auditorium manager
- Kawika Eskaran, Hawaiian Studies
- Vernetta Memea, Fine Arts
- Kaitlin Hunt, School of Education administrative assistant
- Tanya Smith, EIL secretary