HILO - Dr. Ronald Taniguchi and his wife, Alice, have made a $25,000 pledge to fund an endowed scholarship to support third and fourth year students at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. Recipients will be high school graduates from the neighbor islands of Kaua‘i, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i, and have demonstrated leadership skills and a commitment to community service.
"As a founding father, faculty member and now a benefactor, it is difficult to envision stronger dedication than has been embodied by Ron Taniguchi and his wife Alice. We are humbled by their generous support and mindful of our obligation to live up to their expectations,” said Founding Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy Dean John M. Pezzuto. "The Taniguchi legacy will make a difference to the lives of individual students but ultimately will leave all of our islands with improved health care in critical areas of diabetes and heart health and more. Reaching out to students on Kaua‘i, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i is especially meaningful right now as we show the community and the legislature how the scope of the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy expands to every corner of our state."
Dr. Ronald Taniguchi served in leadership roles at two of the largest healthcare organizations in Hawai‘i – Kaiser Permanente and HMSA (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Hawai‘i). He has also been a leader in the community and held multiple positions in pharmacy associations at the local and national levels. He capped a 40-year pharmacy career as a faculty member at the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy where he served as the director of community partnerships from 2008 – 2011. In this role, he helped galvanize business and industry leaders to lay a strong foundation of support for the college.
"This generous gift is meaningful because it builds on the educational legacies of Ron and Alice Taniguchi," said UH Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney. "It is an investment in our students and in the future of our state. It helps us meet our commitment to keep UH Hilo accessible to the people of Hawai`i. Students see that through hard work and dedication, they can become the recipient of funding that helps them realize their dreams. And they understand they're part of a larger community so they know what to do when it's their turn to give back."
Alice Taniguchi earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and was the first nurse Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) in Hawai‘i.
Donna Vuchinich, UH Foundation president and CEO added, “It has been very rewarding working with Ron, from the time the College of Pharmacy was only a dream - to today where we have an outstanding faculty, and pharmacy graduates pursuing their careers of choice across Hawai‘i and beyond.” Vuchinich concluded, “We are very proud of Ron and Alice for their years of service and celebrate their generosity which will enrich the lives of future students and our communities for years to come.”
If you are interested in supporting the students and programs at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy please contact the UH Hilo Development Office at (808) 933-1945.
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
