Taking education out of the classroom

Dr. Chin Nyean Lee & Dr. Wayne T. Iwaoka

Lee-Iwaoka partnership supports leadership and personal development in their department. 

Just like the students who participate in CTAHR’s leadership development camps, Dr. C.N. Lee and Dr. Wayne Iwaoka have been personally enriched by the partnership these two longtime faculty have enjoyed. 

To build on the learning momentum they started, the passionate educators have created an endowment to ensure that future students in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences (HNFAS) can also benefit from immersive skill-building experiences. 

The idea of a leadership and personal development camp started when Dr. Iwaoka became CTAHR’s Interim Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in 1997. He and his staff initiated the twice-yearly camps, encouraging CTAHR student organi¬zations to become sponsors. 

Since 2000, the HNFAS annual student leadership camps have provided students with valuable experiences to develop leadership and self-awareness skills they can rely on throughout their lives. Drs. Iwaoka and Lee are the backbone of these experiences, contributing funds, food, speakers, even their personal participation in these camps. 

"We feel that college is a great opportunity to network, build tolerance, learn to work in teams, learn to lead and help others," said Dr. Iwaoka. "It is a great time to shape young minds, values and visions for their roles in society."

The Lee-Iwaoka Student Leadership Endowment provides funding for undergraduate student organizations in HNFAS for leadership, team, and personal development activities, such as weekend retreats, camps, seminars and conferences. 

Dr. Lee adds, "We think leadership and personal development skills will be necessary for our students’ success when they graduate and join the workforce. Through retreats and camps, our students learn about themselves and how to interact with others, resolve conflict, and work on teams."