May 7, 2012

Visit with hula halau at Hawaii CC

Hawaii CC visit

Kumu hula and UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi CC faculty member Taupori Tangaro and his 25 member hula halau, taking a break from rehearsal.

I had the pleasure of visiting with Taupori Tangaro and his hula hālau while at Hawaiʻi Community College for my campus visit. Hālau members were packing up and rehearsing for this summer’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival, where they will be among 90 delegates representing the University of Hawaiʻi on the National Mall.

UH will be one of only 20 public land grant universities featured during this year’s festival. It celebrates the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Morrill Act, which established our great public land grant university system, making college educations possible for working class Americans.

We are extremely proud to be part of this prestigious national event, where Tangaro’s hālau will perform twice daily and share their knowledge of Hawaiian culture with visitors from around the world. The hālau consists of UH staff, faculty members and students. They will join other UH representatives who will offer exhibits, demonstrations and discussions on everything from Hawaiian health and healing, agriculture, organic eating, non-instrument navigation, language preservation and much more. We are working very hard to represent the university well.

Our appearance at this summer’s Folklife Festival will further our effort to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture, language and practices and make UH the “model indigenous-serving university” in the country. The festival runs from June 27 through July 8. If you’re in the Washington D.C. area or on the east coast, please stop by and say hello.

Filed under: Campus Happenings
May 4, 2012

UH Hilo Chancellor’s Executive Council meeting

UH Hilo Chancellor's Executive Council meeting

Meeting with UH Hilo Chancellor Don Straney, faculty and staff at a campus visit at UH Hilo.

Filed under: Campus Happenings
May 3, 2012

UH Maui College visit

UH Maui College Chancellor Clyde Sakamoto was my host as I visited UH Maui College. I met with vice chancellors and directors to discuss our strategic objectives. I also had a chance to visit “Taste of the Islands” which was on campus at the Pāʻina Cafeteria. There were some beautiful, locally grown foods on display, the best in the islands.

Community leaders and members of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council briefed me on Maui issues before I met with faculty and staff for a question and answer forum. We had a good discussion around incorporating emerging technology into the curriculum and I also learned more about the Maui Electrical Vehicle Alliance. Did you know UH Maui College is the only university to receive one of 16 grants from the U.S. Department of Energy? The grants help the island and the campus prepare for the future of electric vehicles. Bravo to our faculty and students from the Valley Isle for representing us so well in the constant search for resources to further our mission.

Thanks to Chancellor Sakamoto and UH Maui College for your efforts and progress.

UH Maui College visit

Filed under: Campus Happenings
May 2, 2012

Kauai Community College visit

Kauai Community College visit

With Kauaʻi CC Chancellor Helen Cox and Director of the Sustainable Living Institute of Kauaʻi Eric Knutzen

I had the pleasure of visiting our garden island campus, Kauaʻi Community College on Thursday where I visited with Chancellor Helen Cox, the administration, staff and students. Our pāʻina and talk story session with staff members, community leaders and students featured a “Healthy Choice” lunch that was prepared for us by Kauaʻi CC’s cafeteria manager, Melanie Bacio. The Healthy Lunch program offers students healthy meal options everyday. We had a farro salad with barbecue chicken or shrimp which was delicious and good for you.

During our afternoon open forum campus discussion, faculty, staff and students could ask me anything they wanted. They expressed their support of distance learning and working with other campuses toward common goals. I was exceptionally pleased to hear that because, as I have stated publicly many times, one of my goals during my presidency is to help UH become one of the best performing systems of higher education in the country.

Thanks to Chancellor Cox and Kauaʻi Community College, we’re on our way.

Kauai Community College visit

With Kauaʻi CC Chancellor Helen Cox and student Ian Ross

Filed under: Campus Happenings

Hawaii Executive Conference

Hawaii Executive Conference

Jim Lally, Steve Case (AOL), M.R.C. Greenwood, David Karl and James Wei

We had a wonderful opportunity to present for the first time, details of our plan to build a billion dollar research industry. We made our presentations at the Hawaiʻi Executive Conference on the Big Island. AOL co-founder Steve Case moderated the panel discussion. I presented our research plan, along with distinguished scientist David Karl, UH Foundation board member Jim Lally and expert venture capitalist James Wei.

Mr. Case, who is from a long-standing island family, gave our team some very useful, national and international perspectives on what we are striving for and how to achieve this goal. We were scheduled to take a sail on the Hōkūleʻa, but alas, the seas did not cooperate. Although we were disappointed that we didn’t get to sail, it was a privilege to spend some time with Nainoa Thompson.

Filed under: Building a Research Industry, Initiatives
April 27, 2012

March for Babies 

collage

What fun we had at this year’s March of Dimes March for Babies event at Kapiʻolani Park on Sunday, April 22. I understand it was the first time it ever rained at this event, but nevertheless the park was packed with thousands of walkers and runners who were wearing colorful t-shirts. Many people stood under tents and trees to get out of the rain.

We did warm-up exercises and got the walk/run off to a good start. I didn’t take part in the walk itself, but I supported all those who did. Carmella (Hernandez, state director of the March of Dimes) told me the March for Babies is the original fundraising walk that spawned the countless charity walks we see today.

About 4,000 people took part in the event. I have the awesome responsibility of co-chairing the March for Babies event next year with Karen Chang.

 

Filed under: Lucky we live Hawaii

Broadband PSA shoot

Broadband PSA Shoot

I shot a public service announcement at the Davies Pacific Center this morning, in support of the Hawaiʻi Broadband Initiative.

HBI is working to achieve affordable gigabit-per-second broadband service by 2018. The initiative is critical to the University of Hawaiʻi, because broadband makes a difference in whether we can do business or not, and it ensures we’re on an upward curve of accessibility to the world.

Although we currently have acceptable broadband speeds for routine business at the university, we need to improve our capability. We need to run just to stay in place and sprint to keep up with the rest of the world. Our research initiatives depend on it and the university intends to drive the effort, not chase it.

Filed under: Behind the Scenes
April 19, 2012

Merrie Monarch Festival

At the Merrie Monarch with Gail, Don Straney and Mayor Billy Kenoi

At the Merrie Monarch Festival with Gail Makuakāne-Lundin, UH Hilo Chancellor Don Straney and Hawaiʻi County Mayor Billy Kenoi

I was fortunate enough to travel to Hilo over the weekend to see the 49th annual Merrie Monarch Festival. I joined UH Hilo Chancellor Don Straney and others for a wonderful time, as we witnessed the culmination of months and months of rehearsal and preparation.

The performers were breathtaking as they danced ancient and modern hula and chanted in an array of colorful costumes. The stadium was packed, the audience was appreciative of the amazing talent before us and they loved every moment.

I even had a chance to pay my respects to Madame Pele with a visit to Volcanoes National Park. It was a weekend to be remembered!

Merrie Monarch Festival

With Don Straney, Interim Maui Trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey, Mauna Kea Management Board Member Herring Kalua, Sherry Kalua and Billy Kenoi

with Noenoelani Zuttermeister, Judge

Noenoelani Zuttermeister, Merrie Monarch Festival judge

paying our respects to Pele>

Paying our respects to Pele

Filed under: Lucky we live Hawaii
April 18, 2012

Reception of women leaders at College Hill

Center for Women Policy Studies Reception

I was honored to meet 23 delegates from four countries who are in Honolulu this week to take part in the “Multidisciplinary Intellectual Exchange for Women Leaders.” The women are here from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and the U.S. I had the pleasure of hosting them at College Hill Monday night, where we continued our discussions on issues such as women’s human rights, laws and policy options to respond to international trafficking of women and girls.

The women have been meeting at Kapiʻolani Community College for four days of discussions. Hawaiʻi’s First Lady Nancie Caraway, a Human Rights Fellow, gave a presentation today. The Multidisciplinary Intellectual Exchange wraps on Thursday.

View more photos from the reception.

Filed under: Campus Happenings
April 5, 2012

Young Chefs check presentation

Young Chefs check presentation

Sidney Lee, M.R.C. Greenwood, Susan Lee, Kusuma Cooray, Alan Tsuchiyama and Bruce Liebert

On Saturday, March 31, I accepted a $5,000 check on behalf of Kapiʻolani Community College from Bruce Liebert, a representative of the national president of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs for the Hawaiʻi/Pacific Island. The check presentation followed this year’s annual Young Chefs competition at Kapiʻolani.

Three young, amazing local chefs were this year’s competitors. Randy Bangloy of Roy’s Ko Olina, Kyle Lee of Roy’s Waikīkī and Ryan Manaut of the Oʻahu Country Club whipped up delectable dishes with ingredients that included whole ducks, abalone, kampachi and locally grown fruit and vegetables. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay for the entire event, but I offer my congratulations to all three talented chefs.

I understand the competition was so close that it took a tie-breaking taste testing before Ryan Manaut was declared the winner. He will go on to New Orleans for the national competition in May. If he wins that contest, he’ll go on to the international competition in Berlin in September.

We are very grateful to the Chaîne Foundation, which donated $5,000 for culinary arts scholarships at Kapiʻolani, as a token of their appreciation for Kapiʻolani’s hospitality.

Every year, 10 regions in the U.S. hold these competitions for young chefs. In Hawaiʻi, they are held annually at either Kapiʻolani or Maui College.

Filed under: Campus Happenings
 

    Scientist and experienced administrator M.R.C. (it’s pronounced “Marci”) Greenwood is the 14th president of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi System.

    This blog, maintained with staff assistance, shares her activities and insights. Use the contact form to offer feedback or email President Greenwood directly. We welcome comments posted in the tradition of academic freedom and spirit of aloha.