Emeritus Professor and Alumnus Bequest Gift to Support Theatre, Dance and Music Programs at UH Mānoa’s College of Arts and Humanities
(Honolulu, Hawaiʻii) - Dr. Roger A. Long, emeritus professor and alumnus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, recently established four endowments at the College of Arts and Humanities at UH Mānoa in support of specific theatre, dance, and music programs. Dr. Long’s bequest gift when realized will be divided among the four endowments: The Roger A. Long Southeast Asian Performing Arts Endowment, The Roger A. Long Western Theatre Endowment, The Roger A. Long Dance Program Endowment and The Roger A. Long Indonesian Gamelan Music Endowment. Dr. Long was a professor and associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities until his retirement in 2004. He received his doctorate in philosophy from UH Mānoa in 1979.
Dr. Long’s generosity and foresight will help to secure the future of these important programs in the performing arts at the College of Arts and Humanities, said UHF President Donna Vuchinich. Because endowment gifts generate earnings each year, they play a critical role in building the University of Hawaiʻi’s long-term financial stability. State funding, tuition levels, and fundraising dollars may fluctuate regularly, but the stability of an endowment enables strategic planning and expansion of programs.
In addition to serving 10 years as associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Dr. Long was also a past director of the Southeast Asian Studies Program. Dr. Long served on the faculty and as chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance specializing in teaching and research in the areas of Southeast Asian theatre, Javanese Shadow theatre (Wayang Kulit) and traditional and contemporary Southeast and South Asian theatre, as well as Western theatre.
The College of Arts and Humanities is deeply grateful to Professsor Long for his generous support of programs with which he has been associated for many years, said Dean Judy Hughes. His leadership sets an example for all of us who have benefited as students, faculty, or administrators from our association with the University of Hawaiʻi."
The endowments will support the following departments of the College of Arts and Humanities:
1) DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE
Roger A. Long Southeast Asian Performing Arts Endowment
- training and production programs in Southeast Asian performing arts
- scholarships for students from Southeast Asia who are studying Southeast Asian performing arts
The Roger A. Long Western Theatre Endowment
- all activities of the Western Theatre Program
The Roger A. Long Dance Program Endowment
- all activities of the Dance Program
2) DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
The Roger A. Long Indonesian Gamelan Music Endowment
- the study and teaching of gamelan music including instruction, equipment, supplies, performance expenses and student scholarships
The College of Arts and Humanities, one of the four colleges of arts and sciences, serves over 11,500 students each semester in core, elective, and major courses. About 1,500 students are majors seeking bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees within 26 degree programs in eight departments. The college has 150 faculty, 100 lecturers, 40 graduate assistants, and over 40 support staff.
The Department of Theatre and Dance is internationally recognized for its unique multicultural approach to the study of Theatre and Dance. The department is loosely organized into the following focus areas: Asian Theatre, Western Theatre, Design, Youth Theatre and Dance. Both the academic program and the productions in the Kennedy Theatre complex aim to expose students and audiences to works from each of these focus areas.
The Department of Music comprises graduate and undergraduate programs in the areas of Theory/Composition, Ethnomusicology, Instrumental, Music Education, Musicology, Piano and Vocal.
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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.
