At the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo, learning is moving beyond the classroom and gaining national attention.

Two faculty members, Xuan Xie and Olga Sideleva, have been selected for a competitive national cohort focused on civic learning and economic opportunity. The initiative is led by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in partnership with Public Agenda. Only 15 educators were chosen in the country.

UH Hilo is the only university with two representatives.

The program brings faculty together to redesign courses to help students connect what they learn with real careers, while strengthening ties to their communities.

Community marketing

Xie, an assistant professor in the UH Hilo , has already been doing that. In her marketing course, students work directly with �鶹��ý Island businesses.

“I am passionate about integrating community-engaged learning into my curriculum,” she said. “I hope this program empowers me to create impactful, community-centered learning experiences that enhance students’ economic mobility.”

Her approach reflects UH �ᾱ����’s overall mission, said Todd Inouye, director of the College of Business and Economics.

“That’s especially meaningful in a rural community where employment rates and educational attainment lag other parts of the state.”

Ocean learning

Sideleva is bringing that same mindset to science as a biology lecturer in the (CNHS). She is reworking her oceanography course to focus on real-world application, from environmental research to career pathways on �鶹��ý Island.

“Through this approach, students learn to see oceanography not only as an academic discipline, but as a meaningful tool for civic responsibility, sustainable economic opportunity, and community well-being on �鶹��ý Island,” Sideleva said.

“CNHS is committed to curricula that embrace community engagement across our programs — whether to advance environmental and cultural protection of ʻ�徱�Բ�, social justice, or economic development,” said CNHS Dean Simon Kattenhorn.

Both faculty will bring new strategies back to Hilo, preparing students for careers and community service.

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo is reshaping how students learn about artificial intelligence (AI)—starting this fall.

The will launch a new AI concentration within its . A new AI certificate will also open to students from all majors. New courses will follow, focused on using AI in business, science and public service.

The shift responds to a clear need in today’s workforce.

“AI is no longer a niche or emerging technology,” said Sukhwa Hong, associate professor of and business administration. “It’s already embedded in how work gets done across almost every field.”

Students will learn how to work with data, evaluate AI-generated results and apply these tools responsibly.

AI confidence

The new program is being led by Hong and Chenbo Shi, an assistant professor of quantitative business analysis, who are working closely with faculty in business, data science and computer science to support the new offerings.

“We want students to graduate knowing that AI will not replace them,” Hong said. “But people who know how to integrate AI into their work will have a clear advantage.”

The AI certificate is designed to be accessible. It welcomes students from education, the arts, social sciences and beyond.

New courses

A new introductory course will teach students how to guide AI tools, evaluate results and communicate findings. A community-based project will tie those skills to real-world issues.

Upper-division courses have also been updated. They now include AI-supported analysis, prediction and decision-making, with a strong focus on ethics.

“Employers aren’t looking for AI specialists in every role,” Hong said. “They’re looking for professionals who can use AI effectively in context.”

—by Susan Enright

For more go to .

The University of �鶹��ý’s three 4-year universities earned national recognition in the U.S. News and World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings released on September 23, including four top 10 regional rankings for UH West Oʻahu.

, and were ranked among the top 4-year institutions by U.S. News and World Report out of based on up to 17 measures (depending on ranking category) of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, peer assessments, financial resources and student excellence.

“These rankings reflect the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and students across all three UH 4-year campuses,” UH President Wendy Hensel said. “They show that we are continuing to provide �鶹��ý students with a high-quality, affordable education while preparing them to lead in their communities and beyond.”

The flagship campus of the UH System ranked No. 92 as a top U.S. public university; No. 122 for best colleges for veterans; No. 169 overall in the country; and No. 189 in social mobility, which measures how well schools graduated students who were federal Pell Grant recipients.

The came in at No. 109 among the best undergraduate business programs out of 533 ranked undergraduate business programs.

The is the No. 118 best undergraduate nursing program among 686 ranked undergraduate nursing programs.

The in the ranked No. 139 for best undergraduate economics programs in the nation.

The placed No. 150 among the best undergraduate engineering programs that offer doctoral degrees in the country.

The in the ranked as the No. 177 best undergraduate computer science program out of 601 ranked programs.

The in the ranked No. 196 out of the top 682 best undergraduate psychology programs in the nation.

UH Hilo ranked No. 178 as a top U.S. public university, No. 204 for social mobility and No. 329 overall among the top 434 national universities—a classification based on offering a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, emphasizing research, as explained in the rankings categories below.

UH �ᾱ����’s is the No. 186 best undergraduate nursing program in the country, the placed No. 254 among the 533 best undergraduate business programs, and the ranked No. 297 out of the best 682 undergraduate psychology programs.

UH West Oʻahu ranked No. 3 for best public colleges in the West, No. 3 for best colleges for veterans among regional colleges in the West, No. 8 overall among regional colleges in the West (two spots higher than last year and five spots higher than the year prior) and No. 8 for social mobility for regional colleges in the West (five spots higher than last year and 13 spots higher than the year prior).

Ranking categories

UH Mānoa and UH Hilo were ranked in the national universities category, which featured institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates.

UH West Oʻahu is in the regional colleges in the West category, which includes schools that focus on undergraduate education and grant fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

Students at the University of �鶹��ý at �ᾱ����’s (CoBE) are earning their degrees from one of the top business schools in the world.

The college was awarded extended accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), a distinction held by only 6% of business schools around the world.

The recognition means students can expect a world-class education backed by global standards. CoBE offers bachelor’s degrees in accounting and general business, with concentrations in finance, marketing, management, healthcare management, applied economics and professional studies.

“At a time when so many things are uncertain, it is reassuring to know that our students, faculty and staff have a solid foundation to work from,” said CoBE Director Todd Inouye. “Now our attention can be directed from building foundations to also growing our societal impact, enrollment and retention, including new initiatives at CoBE.”

High-quality education

UH �ᾱ����’s CoBE was first accredited in 2005 and remains one of only two AACSB-accredited business schools in �鶹��ý. The rigorous AACSB standards recognize schools that demonstrate high-quality teaching, innovation and continuous improvement.

“Thinking about how far we have come over the past three years makes me extremely proud to be a member of this college and university community,” said Inouye.

The University of �鶹��ý’s three 4-year universities earned high marks in the rankings released on September 24, including three top 5 rankings for , a top 10 national ranking for and , and a top 20 national ranking for the UH ����ԴDz� Shidler College of Business’ international business program.

All of UH ����ԴDz�, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu ranked among the top 1,500 4-year institutions by U.S. News and World Report out of based on up to 17 measures (depending on ranking category) of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, peer assessments, financial resources and student excellence.

“These rankings underscore our success in continuing to elevate our program quality and outcomes as we improve financial sustainability while containing costs and improving value to our students,” said UH President David Lassner. “As the state’s sole provider of public higher education, we take great pride in our mission to serve communities across the islands as we prepare the next generation of �鶹��ý’s leaders through our commitment to continuous improvement in student access and success for all.”

UH ����ԴDz�

UH ����ԴDz� tied for No. 7 among , a ranking that identifies colleges where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from racial or ethnic groups different from their own. UH ����ԴDz�’s diversity index score was 0.75. The ethnic categories used in the calculations are non-Hispanic African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian, Asian, non-Hispanic white and multiracial (two or more races).

The flagship campus of the UH System also ranked No. 92 as a top U.S. public university; No. 171 overall in the country; No. 187 as a best value school; No. 218 in social mobility, which measures how well schools graduated students who were federal Pell Grant recipients; and No. 120 for best colleges for veterans.

The came in at No. 20 for international business programs and No. 127 among the best undergraduate business programs out of 532 ranked undergraduate business programs.

The is the No. 96 best undergraduate nursing program among 686 ranked undergraduate nursing programs.

The placed No. 139 among the best undergraduate engineering programs that offer doctoral degrees in the U.S., and the ranked as the No. 145 best undergraduate computer science program out of 584 ranked programs.

The ranked No. 161 for best undergraduate economics programs in the nation, and the placed No. 229 out of the nation’s top 681 undergraduate psychology programs. Both departments are housed in the .

UH Hilo

UH Hilo stands out in several key areas. It ranks among the in the country, earning a diversity index score of 0.76, just behind top schools like Stanford and Johns Hopkins (0.77).

In addition, UH Hilo ranked No. 111 for social mobility out of the top 433 national universities, a classification based on offering a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, emphasizing research, as explained in the rankings categories below. UH Hilo also placed No. 188 as a top U.S. public university and No. 352 overall among national universities.

UH �ᾱ����’s is the No. 182 best undergraduate nursing program in the country, the placed No. 281 among the 532 best undergraduate business programs, and the ranked No. 293 of the best 681 undergraduate psychology programs.

UH West Oʻahu

UH West Oʻahu placed No. 2 among , ranked No. 3 for best public colleges in the West, No. 4 for best colleges for veterans among regional colleges in the West, No. 6 for , No. 10 overall among regional colleges in the West (five spots higher than last year) and No. 13 for social mobility for regional colleges in the West (13 spots higher than last year).

Ranking categories

UH ����ԴDz� and UH Hilo were included in the national universities category, which featured institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates. UH West Oʻahu is in the regional colleges in the West category, which includes schools that focus on undergraduate education and grant fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

—By Marc Arakaki

Researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo collaborated to illuminate the forgotten history of Koreans on �鶹��ý Island. Faculty from the , , and departments contributed to the new exhibition, “One Heart: Korean Art and History Across the Pacific,” which brings together art and new historical research at Wailoa Center in Hilo.

At the helm of UH �ᾱ����’s partnership is Seri Luangphinith, an English professor who has done extensive research into the history of Korean immigrants to �鶹��ý Island. Among the displays, visitors will find gravestone rubbings she collected from field work on �鶹��ý Island. Through Luangphinith’s exemplary research, Korean families on island have been able to reconnect with long-lost generations of their ancestors.

“We need to better understand and appreciate the Asian presence on this island,” said Luangphinith. “Koreans are a forgotten people here, and that’s unfortunate given their contributions to the local community and to Korea.”

Finding history

Luangphinith’s research spans from the arrival of the first Koreans to �鶹��ý Island to the exploration of Korean cemeteries.

• Related UH News story: UH Hilo professor publishes book exploring the history of Korean immigrants, May 1, 2018

The first wave of Korean immigrants arrived from 1905 through the 1920s. The second wave came during the Japanese occupation, followed by another arrival during the Korean War.

“On a hunch, I started looking at Korean cemeteries because I knew that Japanese and Chinese immigrants recorded hometowns and families on their graves and sure enough the Koreans also did the same thing,” Luangphinith said.

Creative showcase

Art fills the second floor of the exhibition, which showcases the diverse voices and visions of Korean artists. From paintings and mixed-media artworks to artifacts and ceramics, the gallery show takes the viewer on a creative, emotional and historical journey. Michael Marshal, an art professor at UH Hilo, curated the exhibit, and artworks were juried or extensively assessed by Mizin Shin, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester. Faculty and students from UH �ᾱ����’s art department helped prepare the works for display.

“Collaboration is a journey, within which everyone who is engaged with the process comes away with a broader understanding of the subjects,” said Marshall.

The exhibition opened on May 3 and will run through June 20. It is supported by the UH Hilo and the UH Mānoa . Major funding comes from the �鶹��ý Council for the Humanities through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Free online event

Talk Story with digital media artist Gary Chong, June 1, 10:30 a.m. Chong, who is Korean and Native Hawaiian, will share thoughts on how his art captures the dark side of �鶹��ý plantation life for Koreans that is far from the local glorified “melting pot.”

To register for Zoom, email: seri@hawaii.edu

—By Susan Enright

While housed in the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� , the (PACE), coordinates and offers educational opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation, and commercialization to students at all 10 campuses in the UH System.

One of the ways PACE is reaching out to students is through its Entrepreneurship Live events, which brings real world professionals to talk story with UH students. In late February, PACE partnered with the to host an in person event at the Hilo campus. The speakers were former �鶹��ý Island dairy farmer and entrepreneur Bahman Sadeghi and his daughter Kimia. Bahman acquired Meadow Gold in April 2020 as it was facing closure after more than 120 years of operation in �鶹��ý. His vision is to see �鶹��ý’s dairy industry thrive.

According to PACE Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama, PACE is strengthening its collaboration with UH campuses statewide and is planning an in person event at later this spring.

“PACE is fortunate to have collaborative partners like Helen Tien at UH Hilo and Debasis Bhattacharya at UH Maui College that inspire their students to participate in PACE programs and champion entrepreneurship and innovation at their campuses to drive student success,” Fujiyama said.

PACE’s ability to offer in person events at the neighbor island campuses is supported by a grant from the �鶹��ý Technology Development Corporation (HTDC). Similar to PACE, HTDC serves the entire state and is looking for ways to encourage greater participation and support for neighbor island entrepreneurship efforts.

“HTDC‘s goals are perfectly aligned with PACE‘s mission with regard to developing talent to foster innovation and diversify �鶹��ý‘s economy,” Fujiyama said. “The funding spurred us to organize an exponential number of programs through the PACE Leaders program, and activated branches of our programs on two neighbor islands. PACE has plans to sustain the positive momentum, and grow the number of neighbor island activities and the students we reach.”

PACE’s comprehensive portfolio of programs offer mentorship, training and resources, and are designed to encourage entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines and inspire entrepreneurs to move their ideas from conceptualization to commercialization. One of those programs is , which launched in 2023. The program provides students with an opportunity to gain entrepreneurial and leadership skills, while enriching the educational experiences of their peers.

Apply to be a PACE Leader

With help from Bhattacharya, PACE brought its first neighbor island PACE Leader, Jen Russo, on board from UH Maui College and is looking to recruit students from other campuses. Russo serves as an ambassador for PACE at UH Maui College and will lead the development of in-person events there. In addition to the leadership opportunities, PACE Leaders are also eligible for scholarships of up to $6,000 per year. Applications for PACE Leaders for the 2024–25 academic year are being accepted on a rolling basis. The priority application deadline is April 7. For more information and a link to apply, .

“Being a part of the PACE Leaders programs has really enriched my college experience,” said Jen Russo, UH Maui College PACE Leader. “I’ve connected with so many people, from high school students, to college students, professors and professionals that I would not have otherwise connected with, and have enjoyed being a part of such a rich and inclusive group of individuals. I wholeheartedly encourage students to take advantage of the leadership and professional development opportunities offered by PACE and apply to be a PACE Leader now.”

The University of �鶹��ý’s three 4-year universities were highly ranked in the U.S. News and World Report 2024 Best Colleges rankings released on September 18, including a pair of top 5 regional rankings for and a top 20 national ranking for the Shidler College of Business’ international business program.

UH ����ԴDz�, and UH West Oʻahu ranked among the top 1,500 four-year institutions by U.S. News out of nationwide and were graded on 13–19 measures (depending on ranking category) of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, peer assessments, financial resources and student excellence.

“These rankings are one more affirmation of the stature of our three UH universities as public higher education institutions that all of �鶹��ý can proudly support,” UH President David Lassner said. “This recognition is a reflection of our outstanding faculty, staff and administrators and the remarkable student bodies we attract from �鶹��ý and beyond.”

UH ����ԴDz�

UH ����ԴDz�, the flagship campus of the UH System, ranked No. 91 as a top U.S. public university; No. 170 overall in the country; No. 114 in social mobility, which measures how well schools graduated students who were federal Pell Grant recipients; and No. 118 for best colleges for veterans.

The came in at No. 20 for international business programs and No. 118 among the best undergraduate business programs out of 523 ranked undergraduate business programs. The is the No. 86 best undergraduate nursing program among 656 ranked undergraduate nursing programs.

The placed No. 150 among the best undergraduate engineering programs in the U.S. The ranked as the No. 167 best undergraduate computer science program out of 554 ranked programs.

The ranked No. 181 for best undergraduate economics programs in the country and the placed No. 203 out of 542 of the top undergraduate psychology programs. Both are housed in the .

UH Hilo

UH Hilo ranked No. 93 for social mobility out of the top 434 universities, No. 188 as a top U.S. public university and No. 352 overall in the nation.

In addition, UH �ᾱ����’s is the No. 154 best undergraduate nursing program in the country. The placed No. 276 among the 523 best undergraduate business programs, and the ranked No. 316 of the best 542 undergraduate psychology programs.

UH West Oʻahu

UH West Oʻahu ranked No. 3 for best public colleges in the West, No. 4 for best colleges for veterans among regional colleges in the West, No. 15 overall among regional colleges in the West and No. 26 for social mobility for regional colleges in the West.

Ranking categories

UH ����ԴDz� and UH Hilo were included in the national universities category, which featured institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates. UH West Oʻahu is in the regional colleges in the West category, which includes schools that focus on undergraduate education and grant fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo continued its reign as one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in the U.S. and is among UH’s four-year campuses featured in . U.S. News and World Report rated 1,466 eligible universities from on 17 measures of academic quality. The latest rankings were released on September 12, 6:01 p.m. HST (September 13, 12:01 a.m. EST).

UH ����ԴDz�

ranked No. 78 as a top U.S. public school, No. 162 overall in the U.S. and No. 170 as a best value school, which factors in academic quality and cost. In addition, UH ����ԴDz� ranked No. 6 in the nation in ethnic diversity and No. 153 in social mobility, which measures how well schools graduated students who were federal Pell Grant recipients.

The is No. 14 for international business programs and No. 106 among the best undergraduate business programs. In a new ranking category for 2022, the (formerly School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene) is the nation’s No. 96 best undergraduate nursing program out of 694 ranked programs. The placed No. 131 as the best undergraduate engineering program in the U.S. and the ranked as the No. 135 best undergraduate computer science program.

UH Hilo

retained its No. 1 ranking as one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse campuses, tying for the top spot with Stanford University, University of San Francisco and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Students at UH Hilo in fall 2020 reported being 15.5% Asian, 8.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 19.1% white, and 37.3% of two or more races.

UH Hilo also ranked No. 30 in social mobility, No. 147 as a top U.S. public school and No. 288 overall in the nation. In addition, UH �ᾱ����’s is the No. 148 best undergraduate nursing program in the U.S. and the placed No. 278 among the best undergraduate business programs.

UH West Oʻahu

ranked No. 8 among best U.S. public schools in the West and No. 29 among best regional colleges in the West. In addition, UH West Oʻahu is the No. 3 campus with the highest ethnic diversity among regional colleges in the West.

Ranking categories

UH ����ԴDz� and UH Hilo were included in the national universities category, which featured institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates. UH West Oʻahu is in the regional colleges in the West category, which includes schools that focus on undergraduate education and grant fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

Related UH News stories:

• Several of the best graduate programs in the nation are at UH ����ԴDz�, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 Best Graduate Schools rankings, March 29, 2021
• UH ����ԴDz� earned high marks in the 2021 U.S. News and World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings, October 20, 2020

Latest rankings from The Princeton Review

UH ����ԴDz� also appears in newly released rankings from The Princeton Review: and .

—By Marc Arakaki

Tracey Niimi put aside his student support specialist hat at University of �鶹��ý at �ᾱ����’s to direct and film the 2021 Hula Bowl halftime show. The coveted college all-star football game on January 31 was the final one scheduled to be played at Aloha Stadium.

The opportunity came as a surprise to Niimi who received a call from a Hula Bowl representative about his video skills. The Hilo native owns a local photography company, but filming for a living is a fairly new field.

“My wife and I both graduated from UH �ᾱ����’s back in 2011 before starting our photography business,” Niimi explained. “When COVID-19 hit this past year I had to pivot our business and I started doing video production as well.”

Because no spectators were allowed to attend the game, organizers asked Niimi to film the halftime show ahead of time.

The four-and-a-half-minute segment was shot at Kahilu Theatre on �鶹��ý Island and featured iconic Hawaiian fashion designer Manaola Yap and Hālau Manaola. The award-winning hula troupe falls under the direction of Kumu Hula Nani Lim Yap, the designer’s mother. The young trendsetter narrated a poetic monologue on what hula means to him while dancers performed A Koaʻekea I Pueohulunui.

“Everyone in hula has their own perspective on what hula is so I wanted to respect that and share what hula is to me through what I was taught while growing up,” Yap said. “Around the world, the view of what hula is has been different. This halftime show is about taking back that cultural narrative and helping the audience to experience the true meaning, essence and power that hula is.”

To help capture the culturally charged production Niimi assembled an entire team of local videographers including UH Hilo alumni, Kevin Fujitani and Reid Kubo, an information technology specialist at the �鶹��ý Island campus’ pharmacy school.

“I think we all felt that weight of responsibility to our community to create a piece that not only properly represented the Hawaiian culture, but was a piece that our entire state would be proud of sharing with the rest of our country,” Niimi said.

The 75th Hula Bowl aired in January on CBS Sports Network and streamed on the CBS Sports App.

—By Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories