University of �鶹��ý President Wendy Hensel provided an update on the most recent federal policy changes that include Pell Grants. She discussed next steps to address the strategic plan and highlighted several bright spots across the UH campuses, at the July 17 Board of Regents monthly meeting held at UH ����ԴDz�.

Hensel also honored Willard Wilson Award winner Professor Robert Toonen. Read more about his valued contributions to UH and the community.

• Update on federal developments ()
• Financial reserves consolidated ()
• 18-month action plan ()
• New tool for wildfire drought and climate summaries ()
• Response and ongoing advocacy ()
• UH ����ԴDz� QS ranking ()
• Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for UH Maui College ()
• New jobs and salary gains through Good Jobs �鶹��ý ()
• Willard Wilson awardee Rob Toonen ()

Robert Toonen, a faculty member at the (HIMB in the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (SOEST), was honored as the 2025 recipient of the UH Board of Regents (BOR) Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service. The systemwide award recognizes a UH employee whose commitment and performance has made a significant impact on the university. Toonen was presented the award at the July 17 BOR meeting at UH ����ԴDz�.

“Rob’s career at HIMB has been distinguished by a spirit of generosity and service to the community, his colleagues, and his students and postdocs,” said Megan Donahue, HIMB director. “We are thrilled to see this recognition of his work.”

A nomination letter for this award noted that Toonen, who is the director of the and the Ruth D. Gates Endowed Chair of Coral Reef Systems at UH ����ԴDz�, is “widely recognized for his selflessness, his willingness to go above and beyond, and his genuine care for the well-being of his colleagues and students.”

‘Excellence thrives alongside mutual support’

Another nominator wrote, “Rob consistently advocates for junior faculty members, ensuring our voices are heard and our concerns addressed. This inclusive approach contributes to a collaborative environment at HIMB where all faculty feel valued and supported. Rob has created an environment where excellence thrives alongside mutual support—a rare combination that has made HIMB an exceptional place to work.”

Toonen joined HIMB in 2003 as an assistant professor and since that time he has been a lead or co-author on more than 300 peer-reviewed publications related to diversity of marine organisms and their life-history, coral reef ecology, design of Marine Protected Areas, and origins of invasive species. In 2012, he was awarded the Peter V. Garrod Distinguished Graduate Mentorship Award, and in 2019, the UH Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Research in recognition of scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of students and the community.

While at UH ����ԴDz�, Toonen has advised 42 graduate students, mentored 28 postdoctoral researchers, served on the graduate thesis committees of 73 additional students, and advised 13 undergraduate students on their thesis research.

A faculty nominator wrote in their letter, “Rob Toonen is a true leader who shows how to lead by doing it—serving others in his world means investing in those people whom he serves, especially those in need.”

The Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service is named in honor of long-time UH administrator and secretary to the Board of Regents, Willard Wilson, who set a standard for service to the university during his 40-year career.

• Related UH News stories: Meet past Willard Wilson honorees.

For the entire story, .

—By Marcie Grabowski

Kathleen “Kathie” Kane, the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� director for the (OFDAS), is the 2024 recipient of the UH Board of Regents (BOR) Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service. Kane was presented with the honor by UH President David Lassner and BOR Chair Gabriel Lee at the BOR July 18 meeting. She says she was stunned when she was told that she would be receiving the award.

“I felt very humbled and honored. The second thing I felt was I’m getting credit for the work of a lot of people, and these are the folks that hold up the sky with me,” said Kane after the BOR presentation. “Without the small but mighty team at OFDAS, the work could have never been accomplished. Then there’s the faculty around campus who come in and contribute to the programs for other faculty and the other staff members and the administrators that support what we do.”

Kane, who has worked at UH as a faculty specialist for more than three decades, has served as OFDAS director since 2011. In that role, she oversaw a teaching assistants (TA) professional development program and two faculty development programs—the and the . She was in charge of New Faculty Orientations, TA Trainings, the ����ԴDz� Excellence in Teaching awards, and the Promotion and Tenure Dossier Library.

Indelible mark on UH

“We believe you would be hard-pressed to find anyone on the ����ԴDz� campus who doesn’t personally know Dr. Kane, or her work, or hasn’t benefited from the many programs and activities she has spearheaded and supported,” stated the OFDAS staff in the award nomination. “Dr. Kane’s work will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on teaching and learning at the University of �鶹��ý.”

Kane also spearheaded the development of several innovative classroom spaces at UH ����ԴDz� including the award winning Sakamaki Innovation Zone, Webster Collaborative Classroom and the recently completed Dean Hall Culture Lab.

“Kathie goes above and beyond her regular work duties by bettering the academic environment for faculty and students, not only at UH ����ԴDz� but throughout the UH System as a whole,” said Lassner during the presentation. “Kathie is also praised for her invaluable guidance and mentorship to both new and experienced faculty members.”

Kane earned bachelor and masters degrees and a PhD in political science from UH ����ԴDz� in 1994 and has taught in political science and women’s studies as an affiliate faculty.

“You know, I was an undergrad and graduate student here, too, so I’ve been coming to UH for a long time,” said Kane, who is retiring on August 1, 2024. “It’s been a significant part of my life as an adult, and it’s strange to think I’ll no longer continue to return to campus on a daily basis, so I’m adjusting to that slowly.”

The Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service is named in honor of long-time UH administrator and secretary to the Board of Regents, Willard Wilson, who set a standard for service to the university during his 40-year career.

President David Lassner provided an update on enrollment for the upcoming fall 2024 semester in his monthly report to the Board of Regents (BOR) at the July 18 meeting at UH ����ԴDz�. Lassner reported that total student headcount and semester hours registered were both up slightly along with updates on other key data points.

He also provided more information on NASA selecting the UH Institute for Astronomy to continue to operate the Infrared Telescope Facility on Maunakea and honored the winner of the Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service, Kathleen Kane.

• Enrollment trending upward ()
• Extramural funding and philanthropy update ()
• NASA selecting �鶹��ýto manage Maunakea telescope ()
• Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service ()

See previous president’s reports to the Board of Regents.

University of �鶹��ý at Department human resources specialist Paula Nishimoto was recognized with the Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service. Her “can do” attitude is recognized by many people and 34 years of service for the athletics department has never gone unnoticed.

Nishimoto has gone above and beyond in her service for UH, and her title as a human resources specialist is just a small part of her contribution. She has taken on many additional projects and reports to ensure the success for the athletics department. With the state’s only division 1 athletics program, Nishimoto takes pride in her involvement in hiring coaches and staff who will impact the entire UH community.

See what her nominators have to say:

• She is a wonderful representative of our university, as she conducts herself with confidence and a level of knowledge and professionalism that really reflects an environment of organization and compliance.
• She gives her time and expertise to explain the best course of action or reveal where the roadblocks are so athletics department executives are able to make educated decisions. Her role spans beyond human resources. Paula is often asked to take lead on fact-finding projects to help provide accurate information for legislative meetings and/or board of regents meetings.
• Paula is always looking for ways to improve the process while maintaining the integrity of it. The athletics department would not be able to function or transition without Paula’s work ethic and commitment to making us better.
• Her process, diligence, attitude, willingness to take on challenges has allowed us to expeditiously hire great coaches who want to be in �鶹��ý for the right reasons.

Overseeing hundreds of staff is no challenge too big for Nishimoto. She is an alumna of UH Mānoa and earned her bachelor of arts degree in business marketing and management. Nishimoto is known to be a team player who not only dedicates her time as a human resources specialist but also attends sporting events to support the student athletes and coaches.

The Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award was established in 1969 to honor the UH Board of Regents’ retiring secretary, who set the standard for exemplary service. The winner, selected from full-time employees at all 10 UH campuses, must have a minimum of 20 years of service and display a consistent pattern of extraordinary dedication to the university that is constantly above and beyond the responsibilities of the nominee’s position, among other criteria.

See past Willard Wilson awardees.

University of �鶹��ý President David Lassner announced that UH received a record $505 million in extramural funds for fiscal year 2022 in his monthly report today, July 21, at the Board of Regents meeting at UH ����ԴDz�.

Lassner also provided an update on COVID-19 and possible impacts to UH campuses this fall along with progress reports on the �鶹��ýning Initiative and the tenure working group.

He ended by recognizing UH‘s Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winners and the winners of the Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service and President’s Award for Excellence in Building and Grounds Maintenance.

• COVID-19 update ()
• Strategic initiative survey ()
• Tenure task force update (classification project) ()
• Enrollment update ()
• Record extramural funding ()
• Maunakea update ()
• Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winners ()
• Martin Ramos: President’s Award for Excellence in Building and Grounds Maintenance ()
• Lee Buenconsejo-Lum: Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service ()
• Previous awardees: Gerald Kato, Marc McClintock, Kim Nishimura ()

See previous president’s reports to the Board of Regents.

As a working family physician, teacher, researcher, administrator and a team player, Dr. Lee Buenconsejo-Lum has stood out for her knowledge and expertise, leadership and exemplary service in the University of �鶹��ý’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is the recipient of the 2022 .

The associate dean for academic affairs and director of graduate medical education at the UH ����ԴDz� (JABSOM) has dedicated the past 25 years to UH. Her lifelong goal is to serve her community and rural areas through her leadership at JABSOM, which includes training the next generation of doctors by working with faculty and health-system partners statewide to ensure they are prepared to meet the rapidly changing healthcare environment.

• See past Willard Wilson Award winners

Since the threat of COVID-19 in March 2020, Buenconsejo-Lum has taken on a vital role as a trusted advisor and leader on matters related to the pandemic response and post-pandemic planning. She has supported and worked directly with executives in multiple areas within UH and the COVID-19 Health & Well-Being Working Group, and is one of the primary UH liaisons to city and state leaders, the �鶹��ý State Department of Health, the �鶹��ý Emergency Management Agency, and numerous others.

Here’s what her nominators had to say:

• Many have commended her for her undying devotion and dedication to get us through this pandemic, and we have been successful because she continues to be the person to whom many turn for practical technical guidance.
• There is very little we would choose to remember about the last two years, but one bright spot emerges quickly, and that is the demonstrated leadership, aka heroism, of Dr. Lee Buenconsejo-Lum to weather the COVID storm.
• Buenconsejo-Lum has been everywhere, and done anything that needed to be done, from the big priorities like helping our university ʻohana get tested, and then vaccinated, to smaller but key tasks of drafting, revising and constantly tweaking university COVID policies and procedures, serving on panel discussions, and answering the multitude of questions from the covid19@hawaii.edu portal.
• She has led JABSOM’s efforts to sustain educational operations both pre- and post-vaccine availability. JABSOM’s rapid shift to online or hybrid teaching (pre-vaccine) was ahead of many U.S. medical schools in applying student-supportive teaching methodologies. She also worked with our clinical training site partners to return our medical students to the clinical learning environment in early May 2020, well ahead of many schools across the country.
• Many of us who assisted with UH’s COVID response are eternally grateful for Dr. Buenconsejo-Lum’s tireless and selfless contributions and appreciate the opportunity to see heroism in our midst.

A graduate of Leilehua High School, Buenconsejo-Lum earned her BS in biological sciences from Stanford University, then graduated with her MD from JABSOM in 1994. She stayed in �鶹��ý to complete her specialty training with the UH Family Medicine Residency Program.

More on the Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award

The Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award was established in 1969 to honor the UH Board of Regents’ retiring secretary, who set the standard for exemplary service. The winner, selected from full-time employees at all 10 UH campuses, must have a minimum of 20 years of service and display a consistent pattern of extraordinary dedication to the university that is constantly above and beyond the responsibilities of the nominee’s position, among other criteria.

University of �鶹��ý at Hilo Building Maintenance Worker Frederick Dela Cruz was recognized with the . His 34 years of service to the UH community embodies the essence of the award. He set an example as someone who unselfishly goes above and beyond the call of duty, using his time and talent to better the community around him. Dela Cruz retired at the end of 2020.

Dela Cruz has a longstanding reputation for high quality work and has earned great respect for his attention to detail and his mechanical abilities. These skills were recognized in 2003 when Dela Cruz was awarded the .

• See past Willard Wilson Award winners

He has done extensive repair and maintenance projects for virtually every department in the university. UH Hilo also relied on Dela Cruz to expedite classroom projects with critical deadlines and to mitigate fallen trees and flooding during campus emergencies.

Here’s what his fans say:

• Fred has been a quiet and humble behind-the-scenes leader who always comes from a place of “yes,” and motivates his co-workers to do the same. Fred’s immeasurable contributions to our campus without expectations of personal gain or recognition is a testament to his sincere desire to support actions that enhance our student’s experience on campus.
• For almost 35 years, Fred has been the go-to person when there is an issue, and is always there when you need him, whether it be to set up and breakdown commencement, physically relocate an entire college, work on a three-day holiday weekend to make sure students have air conditioning, and countless more examples.
• Fred is always smiling, always courteous and treats everyone with aloha. His work ethic and dedication to the university are second to none. Fred is a soft-spoken and humble person. But when he speaks, people pay attention because of the respect he has gained over years of consistent excellence and positive treatment of others.
• The Auxiliary Services team rallies around Dela Cruz’s quiet confidence and kindness, and it is through his example of hard work and dedication that the teamwork occurs.
• Dela Cruz, through his vast experience both as a janitor and building maintenance worker, has amassed extensive and intimate knowledge of the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo and all its various functions.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Dela Cruz was at the forefront of efforts to re-tool the university for pandemic operations. Dela Cruz and a small team walked through every office and potential location, talked to employees in those areas, assessed needs, offered comments, and, perhaps most importantly, demonstrated compassion and care in an uncertain time. He also volunteered at 5:30 a.m. each morning before he started his shift to decontaminate outdoor patio furniture.

The �鶹��ý Island community is also the beneficiary of Dela Cruz’s desire to pay it forward. His work with the �鶹��ý Island East Pukahi Boy Scouts enriches the lives of youth through hands-on learning and character development. Other community service contributions include planting native Hawaiian trees at Maunakea State Park, constructing a watershed near the Girls Scouts of �鶹��ý Camp Kilohana and trash pickup at Kaʻaluʻalu, a treasured fishing area.

The Willard Wilson Award is named in honor of Willard Wilson, longtime UH administrator and secretary to the Board of Regents, who set the standard for exemplary service to the university during his 40-year career.

The University of �鶹��ý Board of Regents has recognized UH ����ԴDz� Associate Professor Gerald Y. Kato for his distinguished contributions to teaching journalism and protecting the public’s right to know for almost 30 years. Kato, director of the , is the recipient of the .

“We thank the board for acknowledging Gerald’s leadership in training the next generation of journalists, both locally and in China, and for being a tenacious public watchdog,” said Dean Denise Eby Konan. “Although he is quiet and humble, his efforts speak volumes in raising our students’ professional communication skills while facilitating cross-cultural understanding between two countries through the study of journalism. His tenacious lifelong interest in protecting the First Amendment never wanes.”

Kato earned a BA in journalism at UH ����ԴDz� and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia School of Journalism. After serving as a reporter at the Honolulu Advertiser, KITV and KGMB News, he returned in 1991 to teach at his alma mater and direct the Parvin Fellowship Program, all while embracing his role as a media watchdog. Kato was instrumental in persuading the state Legislature to pass a shield law intended to protect confidential news sources, thereby enhancing the public’s right to know. During election years, he has been invited to moderate AARP �鶹��ý’s televised political debates, volunteering his time, considerable expertise and insights.

More on the Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award

The Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award was established in 1969 to honor the UH Board of Regents’ retiring secretary, who set the standard for exemplary service. The winner, selected from full-time employees at all 10 UH campuses, must have a minimum of 20 years of service and display a consistent pattern of extraordinary dedication to the university that is constantly above and beyond the responsibilities of the nominee’s position, among other criteria.

More on Parvin Fellowship Program

Housed in the UH ����ԴDz� School of Communications, the international academic program provides training for journalists from the People’s Republic of China. Established in 1981 through a grant from the Parvin Foundation in association with UH, the program has worked with approximately 300 Chinese journalists. They spend an academic year working with the director, who provides intensive training in western journalism, newswriting, communication law and ethics.

Nominations are now being accepted for the Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award. The systemwide award recognizes a University of �鶹��ý employee whose commitment and performance has made a significant impact on the university. UH employees from any campus and any occupational classification with 20 or more years of service can be nominated.

To submit nominations for the 2018 awards, download the eligibility, criteria and nomination form from the Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award webpage. Information about past award winners can also be found on the site.

• Learn more about the this year’s winner UH Manoa’s Ralph Yoshioka

The deadline to submit nominations is Monday, September 9, 2019 by 4:30 p.m.

For more information please contact the Office of the President at at president@hawaii.edu.