(Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) — The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of two endowed scholarships at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business in honor of Emeritus Professor K.K. Seo, founder and director of the Asia Field Study Program. The Ohana Foster Foundation Endowed Scholarship and the Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. Endowed Scholarship were established to provide scholarships to students participating in the Asia Field Study Program. The initial gift of $25,000 was matched by Jay Shidler’s matching gift funds for a total of $50,000 for each scholarship.
"I’m very honored and pleased that more deserving students will be able to participate in the Asia Field Study Program and enhance our knowledge and experiences throughout Asia," said Professor Seo.
For 23 years, Seo has given students a real world perspective of businesses in Asia through the Asia Field Study Program. In 2005, Seo retired from the Shidler College of Business with emeritus status.
Ohana Foster Foundation Endowed Scholarship
Through his family’s foundation, Alumnus Andrew Chae and his family established the Ohana Foster Foundation Endowed Scholarship. The Foundation, founded by Kyung Suk (BBA, ’69) and Hae Bok Chae, was established to help children with financial need reach their full academic potential.
Andrew Chae participated in the Asia Field Study Program in 1996 and graduated with an MBA the same year. He is currently the marketing director of Ohana Foods in California.
Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. Endowment in Honor of Professor K.K. Seo
Alumnus Lance M. Inouye and his family’s company Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd., established the Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. Endowment in Honor of Professor K.K. Seo. The scholarship was created to support the Asia Field Study Program and also in appreciation of Professor K.K. Seo’s leadership and dedication to the program.
Lance Inouye participated in the Asia Field Study Program in 2004 and received an MBA degree from the Shidler College of Business in 2005. Inouye is currently president of the Ralph S. Inouye Company, Ltd., a general contracting firm that works on a diverse range of building, renovation, and engineering projects. A few notable UH projects include: the School of A rchitecture building and renovation of Krauss Hall.
"Not many professors have the ability to make a lasting impact on students’ lives like K.K. Seo. For over 20 years, Dr. Seo has been enriching students’ international experience with his Asia Field Study Program," said V. Vance Roley, Dean of the Shidler College of Business. "We are grateful that through Lance and Andrew’s support, more students will be able to experience international business firsthand."
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About the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Established in 1949 as the College of Business Administration, the College was named in 2006 after alumnus Jay H. Shidler, founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group. The Shidler College of Business is renowned for its expertise in international management education and is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 25 graduate schools for international business by U.S. News & World Report. Long recognized for its Asia-Pacific focus, the College is a professional school, offering a wide variety of degree, certificate and executive programs. The College places a strong emphasis on the development of management skills, entrepreneurship and the management of business information technology. The UH Shidler College of Business is the only graduate program in the State of Hawaiʻi accredited by AACSB International. For more information, visit www.shidler.hawaii.edu.
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.
