1998 FACULTY AWARDS
We recognize and pay tribute to those members of our university community who have contributed to the honor and glory of the University of Hawai'i. These individuals are recognized for their unselfish dedication and impact on teaching, research and service. Indeed, they are the heart of PRIDE '98
The Board of Regents' Medal for Excellence in Teaching recognizes the importance that students, the faculty, and the administraion place on quality teaching on our campuses. This award pays tribute to faculty members for their extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, teaching effectiveness and creativity, and personal values beneficial to students.
Kathryn Braun is an associate professor and director of the Center on Aging at the UHM School of Public Health. Public health is a practice field, and students in Braun's classes spend little time sitting back and taking notes. In almost every class, students are assigned "real" projects that they undertake with assistance from University and community-based professionals.
William Burgwinkle is an associate professor in the Department of European Languages and Literature at the UHM College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature. Burgwinkle believes that teaching is not primarily about techniques or personal style. He varies his teaching methods to encompass the different personalities, learning styles, and expectations that students bring to the classroom.
Lynne Enoki is a professor of English at Hawai'i Community College. Enoki has been an esteemed member of the faculty in the area of writing for 30 years. She is known to be a master teacher - responsive to a student population with multiple needs and enthusiastic and about her work. Throughout her career, Enoki has helped students regard their own writing more as a viable means of communication, than as an academic exercise.
Grace Fong is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Resources at the UHM College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Fong believes that her responsibility as an educator is not only to impart knowledge, but to challenge students to think critically and to hold themselves responsible for their own learning. She enjoys learning new strategies and shares many of the materials and procedures that she's developed with colleagues.
Kathryn Hoffmann is an associate professor in the Department of European Languages and Literature at the UHM College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature. As a specialist in seventeenth-century French literature and theater, Hoffmann teaches everything from first-year language courses to graduate courses in literature and theory. Her interdisciplinary approach to literature makes the classroom a lively arena for discussion and discovery.
Craig Howes is a professor in the Department of English and director of the Center for Biographical Research at the UHM College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature. Howes' goal is to encourage and to challenge all of his students. Recently he developed new courses on professional editing and biography. Howes is recognized for his energy and care for his students in and out of class.
Janice Ito is a professor of microbiology, mathematics and natural sciences at Leeward Community College. Students say she makes the field of microbiology active and interesting. She devotes long hours working with her students in developing a creative laboratory environment and developing a student-centered classroom. Ito has also been instrumental in supporting the professional development of other teachers in her role as a planner of the Hawai'i Great Teachers Seminar.
Margaret Maaka is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies at the UHM College of Education. Maaka believes that the goal of education must be to provide a wide range of opportunities to meet the diverse needs of each individual in the system. She is especially successful at connecting with students who are underrepresented at Manoa and in the teaching profession - building bridges across cultural, class, and gender differences.
Craig Ohta is an assistant professor of automotive mechanics technology at Honolulu Community College. Ohta emphasizes the need to keep current with the ever-changing technology of the field. His students gain learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. When his classes observe real life situations ,such as a stalled car, they receive lessons in systematically diagnosing problems, creating solutions, and repairing vehicles.
Sandra Perez is a professor of drama at Kapi'olani Community College. Perez has taught at KCC for 29 years. She was the force behind the creation of the college's Drama Program and has served as its coordinator since its inception. Under the auspices of the Student Director Alliance, MFA candidates at the University of Hawai'i Department of Theatre and Dance and teachers collectively learn new styles and techniques in producing and directing from up and coming directors.
Nancy Phillion is an assistant professor of nursing at Kaua'i Community College. Phillion describes her personal philosophy as being "based on a collaborative model which views the participants, including herself, as mutual resources for learning." She was instrumental in the establishment of the campus Wellness Center where students have the opportunity to participate in live therapy sessions under her supervision, in areas such as stress management, bereavement, and substance abuse.
Craig Severance is a professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. Severance's philosophy of teaching is to challenge and encourage students to arrive at their own informed positions on complex issues involving humans and their cultures. Colleagues are continually amazed by the sheer number of hours Severence puts into counseling, advising, and serving as cultural-broker to nearly all of UH Hilo's students from other Pacific areas.
Jean K. Shibuya is a professor of English at Windward Community College. Shibuya is a very special educator who has given many years of dedicated support to students at the college. She is a professor of writing and literature, nominated for her effective communication skills, diversified teaching methods, outstanding knowledge in the field of English, and nurturing students through patience and understanding.
Gertrude Eleanor Ueoka is an assistant professor of nursing at Maui Community College. Dr. Clyde Sakamoto, provost of Maui Community College, proudly claims that "Gertrude Ueoka has served her students, the field of nursing, and Maui Community College exceptionally well over the years." Her strategy of student encouragement and support are described by a number of her students as being "therapeutic." Ueoka is knowledgeable not only about the technical side of nursing but also about the human side of the field.
The Board of Regents' Medal for Excellence in Research recognizes faculty members whose scholarly contributions expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of students and the community.
Garry Rechnitz, professor in the Department of Chemistry at the UHM College of Natural Sciences and founder and director of the Hawai'i Biosensor Laboratory, is this year's recipient of the senior level research award. Rechnitz is acknowledged to be a pioneer of biosensors, which are electronic measuring devices based on the selectivity and sensitivity of molecular recognition elements in living cells. Recipient of the National Science Foundation Special Creativity Award, Rechnitz serves on numerous editorial boards, provides training for pre- and post doctoral students, and is an international speaker and a colleague to faculty members worldwide.
Paul Wessel, associate professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the UHM School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, is this year's recipient of the associate level research award. Wessel's career highlights cover three fields: the physics of the Earth's lithosphere, production of the software Generic Mapping Tool, and a new method of determining plate techtonic motions called hotspotting to infer plate motions accurately and inexpensively from declassified satellite data and basic geometry.
George Roderick, assistant researcher at the Center for Conservation Research and Training within the Pacific Biomedical Research Center, is this year's recipient of the assistant level research award. Roderick's research is in the area of population biology and genetics and is currently focused on two topics: invasion genetics and species interactions. Roderick is developing and using novel molecular genetic and statistical tools, such as DNA sequences from nuclear and [my' toh con dree al] mitochondrial [gee' nomes] genomes, to determine the source of insects that have become major pests in Hawai'i and elsewhere.
The Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching is a Manoa-based award that recognizes faculty members who have made significant contributions to teaching and student learning.
Hong-Mei Chen is an assistant professor in the Department of Decision Sciences, College of Business Administration. Chen teaches management information systems and is an expert in database management development for health care, tourism, engineering, and marketing applications. She strongly believes that it's important to equip students with skills that can serve the needs of our community. Chen's boundless energy and love of her subject matters are quite contagious.
Elizabeth Fisher is an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Arts and Humanities. The foundation of Fisher's teaching philosophy is the principle that creative, technical, and intellectual work are interactive. In dance, theory and practice are synonymous. An innovation that she has brought to studio dance courses is the community service event where students present dance events at a community institution.
Dolores Foley is an assistant professor in the Public Administration Program, College of Social Sciences. Foley teaches in a program that prepares graduate students for professional roles primarily in government and nonprofit agencies. Many will be engaged in processes that involve important value choices with social, economic and political implications. Foley's greatest strength is in creating situations that facilitate collaborative learning.
Violet Harada is an associate professor in the Library and Information Science Program, Department of Information and Computer Sciences, College of Natural Sciences. Harada's major goals are to improve the quality of school librarianship preparation in the state, and to promote more effective physical and intellectual access to information through school libraries. In her teaching she devises ways for students to apply theory to observation and practice in library settings.
E. Alison Kay is a professor in the Department of Zoology, College of Natural Sciences. Kay never really thinks that she should have a teaching philosophy - she just loves to teach. A world expert in marine mollusks, Kay says that she has "played with shells all her life." In her lectures, she attempts to provide a big picture into which the details fit. Kay's teaching is guided by a sense of curiosity, and she hopes that her students will share the same excitement of discovery.
Mehrdad Nejhad is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering. Nejhad's primary objective is to develop a world-class research and teaching program pioneering in novel design and manufacturing techniques for advanced materials. He teaches his students "to learn how to learn" independently, to function in a team environment, and to communicate ideas in a simple straightforward manner to superiors, colleagues, and customers.
Eric Yamamoto is a professor in the William S. Richardson School of Law. In his teaching Yamamoto uses a modified Socratic method that has his students interact intensely with him in a give-and-take manner. Still, he believes that students need something more, and that something is the development of critical inquiry tools for use in a compassionate, ethical, context-sensitive fashion. He has developed two unique seminars to achieve his legal education goals.
The Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching is a memorial to the late Frances Davis who taught mathematics at UH Manoa for 19 years. The award recognizes a faculty member for dedication to teaching and demonstrated excellence as a teacher of undergraduate students.
Cynthia Franklin is an assistant professor in the Department of English, College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature. At the center of Franklin's pedagogy is the belief in the importance of fostering a strong sense of intellectual community. Each semester Franklin assigns groups of students to work on editing, organizing, or publishing an anthology. The anthology project is a creative experience that brings class members together and gives them a sense of themselves as writers.
The Robert W. Clopton Award for Outstanding Service to the Community recognizes a Manoa faculty member who has accepted a socially significant role as an intellectual leader and exemplar beyond the campus and who has applied academic expertise to the improvement of the community.
Randall Roth is a professor in the William S. Richardson School of Law. Roth has been instrumental in building bridges between the University, the law school and the broader community. Through the two volumes of The Price of Paradise books, radio shows, presentations to schools and community groups, and contributions to the "Focus" section of the Honolulu Advertiser 's Sunday edition, he's led the charge in identifying underlying social, economic, and political problems facing Hawai'i today. In Roth we have a legal scholar that draws upon a pool of professional expertise and directs his wisdom toward those issues that affect all of us in Hawai'i.
Two awards are presented to faculty members (one female and one male) of the University of Hawai'i system in recognition of their significant contributions to strengthening the ties between the UH campuses and the community.
Joyce Chinen, a sociology professor at the University of Hawai'i West O'ahu, is cited for her long-standing volunteer efforts on behalf of women, former plantation workers, and Okinawans in Hawai'i. Chinen's work is not only for the benefit of these local communities, but is also typically about and conducted in collaboration with these groups. Chinen is a member of the Hawai'i historic Places Review Board, has served as Humanities Scholar on many local projects, delivered numerous guest lectures to various community organizations, and is frequently contacted by the media for commentary on issues relating to women and work in Hawai'i.
Robert J. LeClair chairs the Legal Assistant Program at Kapi'olani Community College. LeClair is the founder and builder of this very successful, nationally recognized program, the only one of its kind within the University of Hawai'i system. LeClair's educational activities extend far beyond the classroom, including originator and editor of the Hawai'i Divorce Manual, the Legally Speaking education series, and host of You and the Law in Hawai'i. LeClair won the Justice Award by the Hawai'i State Bar Association in 1996 and the 1997 Board of Regents' Medal for Excellence in Teaching Award at Kapi'olani Community College.
The Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award was established by the Board of Regents in 1969, in honor of retiring Secretary to the Board Willard Wilson, to recognize extraordinary service and commitment to the University of Hawai'i.
Suzanne Yamashita, director of Institutional Research at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa has been selected as the recipient of this year's Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service to the University. As director, Yamashita is often called upon to respond to requests for management and institutional information from University administrators, planners, and staff members, as well as external agencies, including state and federal government offices and the private sector. Yamashita is a key player in Buzzeo Futureproof Technology's development of a common Student I nformation System and an inspiration to us all.
The University of Hawai'i Community Colleges established this award to recognize excellence in teaching at the Employment Training Center. The ETC is an integral part of the University system that links secondary and postsecondary education in Hawai'i through its programs for at-risk students.
Thomas K. Doi is an assistant professor at the Employment Training Center. Since coming to the center, Doi has served as coordinator of the Student Services Program and special education counselor. An experienced special education teacher, Doi has served the ETC well in its critical educational partnerships with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and with the Hawai'i State Department of Education. Working closely with schools, colleges, and other service groups, Doi always puts students first.
Established by Elizabeth and Tadashi Kunimoto in honor of their parents' significant roles in the development of the food industry in Hawai'i, this award recognizes faculty and students within the University of Hawai'i Community Colleges for their outstanding achievements and contributions to vocational education.
Donald J. Bourassa is a professor and assistant dean of technical development at Honolulu Community College. Bourassa was selected to receive this award to acknowledge his numerous contributions to vocational education and for his efforts to improve the educational and professional experiences of hundreds of students. One of his greatest accomplishments has been in successfully linking course curricula in all vocational education programs at Honolulu Community College with actual needs of professions, as well as integrating technology into course work.