Mike Foley | University Advancement | 21 February 2008

Dal Zemp, a BYU-Hawaii alumnus and member of the BYUH/Polynesian Cultural Center Presidents' Leadership Council who describes himself as an entrepreneurial philanthropist, told School of Business students on February 21, 2008, how he built several successful enterprises so he can pursue his love of special education and helping others.

"I love coming to the islands and I love this university," said Zemp, who was a student here in 1984 and now lives in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. "When I arrived here I think for the first time in my life I really felt I was part of a family. I know what this institution does, but back then I didn't know what an impact it would have on me personally and in the life of my family. It's taken me 20 years to fully appreciate the value of the time I spent here."

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 19 February 2008

Dr. Daniel C. Peterson [pictured at left], professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU in Provo, turned to a range of modern and ancient scholars during the annual Joseph Smith Lecture Series at BYU-Hawaii on February 19 in the Cannon Activities Center to show that the Latter-day Saint Prophet's revelations restored a number of early Christian doctrines and practices.

"I have enormous respect for the Prophet Joseph Smith," he said, "and I hope today's lecture indicates just a part of why I hold him in such awe." 

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 19 February 2008

Each year since the Golden Jubilee celebration in 2005 the BYU-Hawaii/Church College of Hawaii Alumni Association honors former students who represent the characteristics President David O. McKay envisioned when he founded this university. At the groundbreaking ceremony fifty-three years ago this month he said:

One man said the world needs men who cannot be bought or sold, men who will scorn to violate truth, genuine gold. That is what this school is going to produce. More than that, they will be leaders... You mark that word, and from this school, I'll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally.

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 18 February 2008

About 50 BYU-Hawaii/Church College of Hawaii alumni leaders gathered on campus from February 13-16 to meet with university officials and learn first-hand about new initiatives, hold training sessions, share ideas, get together with current students from their home countries, and generally rekindle their old school spirit.

Part of the experience, previously known as "homecoming" but recently renamed Student-Alumni Week, also included presenting 10 former students with the university's Genuine Gold Alumni Awards .

Rowena Reid ('76), Executive Director of the BYU-Hawaii/CCH Alumni Association, explained the school has over 60,000 members spread across the world who are currently organized into over 60 chapters.

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 18 February 2008

Four former presidents who served in Laie — Dan W. Andersen (1974-80) [pictured at left], J. Elliot Cameron (80-86) and Alton L. Wade (86-94) with BYU-Hawaii; and Lester W.B. Moore (91-2000) with the Polynesian Cultural Center — addressed alumni and friends during a special fireside on February 2 in the new Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni building at BYU in Provo.

As the most senior of the presidents, Andersen told the gathering he felt "a little bit like a lynch pin. I was on campus for about 10 months when I received a call that President [Spencer W.] Kimball was to announce that CCH was to become BYU-Hawaii, and that I had been invited to be the first president of this new name-changed college."

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 12 February 2008

BYU-Hawaii English Professor Dr. Randal Allred, Director of the Honors Program, focused his 2008 David O. McKay Lecture today, Fight the Good Fight: War as Metaphor in LDS Discourse, on "the many paradoxes we have in the gospel, and in the language we use to talk about the Gospel," especially the use of militaristic imagery and language.

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 8 February 2008

BYU-Hawaii President Steven C. Wheelwright resumed his open-invitation President's Council question-and-answer forum on February 6 in the Little Theater. He covered a wide range of topics, including the recent announcement of a new academic vice president, speaking more English, blind grading, changes in the IWES program, and on-campus OPTs [optional practical training for graduates].

Mike Foley | University Advancement | 8 February 2008

Pat Hamamoto, Superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education, and Donna Ikeda, Chairperson of the State Board of Education, has recognized BYU-Hawaii "for all that you do to support public education" with one of
its inaugural 2007 Partnership in Education Awards.

Hamamoto [on the left in the picture below] and Ikeda [on the right] presented Dr. John Bailey [pictured at upper left], Dean of the School of Education, with the award at a recent BOE meeting.