Family Funds UH West Oʻahu Distinguished Visiting Scholars And Kapiʻolani CC Faculty Development

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April 6, 2011

Oʻahu — Students and faculty at UH West Oʻahu and Kapiʻolani Community College will soon benefit from two new programs thanks to generous gifts from the James C. and Juanita Wo Foundation.

"The Wo Family has long dreamed of a better Hawaiʻi for all our residents," said James C. Wo. "We believe that a strong higher education system is key to creating that better future for all. With this in mind, we started partnering with the UH community colleges ten years ago." He continued, "We've seen the significant improvements our colleges have made, and the impact they've had on our communities. This has inspired the family to build on our early investments and in addition, support the growing UH West Oʻahu community too."

The UH West Oʻahu Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program, established with a $250,000 pledge, will bring seasoned scholars and practitioners in the humanities, social sciences, and indigenous arts, traditions and cultures to the growing West Oʻahu campus. This program will help UH West Oʻahu build and expand its curricula and programs so it can meet the demands of a fast-growing student population. The caliber of the visiting scholars will also help recruit and inspire exemplary students, and promote the University's intellectual, creative, cultural, and community resources.

"This generous gift from the James C. and Juanita Wo Foundation gives us the means to build our intellectual capital and bring top scholars to our campus, adding significant value to the education our students receive," said Gene Awakuni, UH West Oʻahu chancellor.

The James and Juanita Wo Foundation has also made an investment in the faculty and students at Kapiʻolani Community College. The Kapiʻolani Community College Innovations in Professional Development Fund, established with a $100,000 pledge, will support the development and implementation of a professional development program at Kapiʻolani Community College. Ultimately this program will support faculty in their collaborative efforts to introduce innovative new ways of teaching and learning.

"Jim's and Juanita's commitment to invest in the professional development of our faculty will have a tremendous impact on the way faculty work together to assess and improve student learning," reports Louise Pagotto, vice chancellor for academic affairs.

For more information on how you can support UH West Oʻahu please contact Mariko Miho at (808) 956-7983 or Mariko.Miho@uhfoundation.org. You can also make a gift online at www.uhfoundation.org/GiveToUHWestOahu.

Please contact Linh Hoang at (808) 734-9570 or Linh.Hoang@uhfoundation.org to find out more about supporting Kapiʻolani Community College. You can also make a gift online at www.uhfoundation.org/GiveToKCC.

Kapiʻolani Community College is the largest two-year campus in the ten-campus University of Hawaiʻi system. With 9,000 students enrolled per semester in credit programs, Kapiʻolani's nationally recognized general education program prepares students for effective baccalaureate transfer, civic engagement, and 21st century careers in programs such as culinary arts and hospitality, nursing and health sciences, business and information technology, new media arts, biotechnology, and teacher education. The college bears the name of Hawaiʻi's Queen Julia Kapiʻolani, and her motto, "Kulia i ka Nuʻu" or "to strive for the highest," inspires the college's collective work in support of academic success for Native Hawaiian and other diverse local and international students. For more information, visit www.kapiolani.hawaii.edu.

The University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu is comprehensive university with an emphasis on baccalaureate education founded in the liberal arts, service professional, career-related, and applied fields, based on State and regional needs. UH West Oʻahu is committed to providing access to residents throughout the State of Hawaiʻi through its partnerships with the University of Hawaiʻi community colleges and its delivery of distance education programs. For more information, visit www.uhwo.hawaii.edu.

The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. Our mission is to unite our donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi's aspirations to benefit the people of Hawaiʻi and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. www.uhfoundation.org.