Chandlers establish fellowship in public policy or conflict studies

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Margot Schrire, (808) 956-6774
Director of Communications, UH Foundation
Posted: May 29, 2014

Drs. David and Susan Chandler
Drs. David and Susan Chandler

Dr. Susan Chandler, founding director of the College of Social Sciences Public Policy Center at UH Mānoa, and Dr. David Chandler, professor emeritus in the College of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, have made a $14,000 gift to establish a fellowship in the study of public policy or conflict studies. The fund will support a full-time graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree or PhD in public policy or conflict studies in the departments of Sociology, Political Science, Urban and Regional Planning, Communications or Community Psychology at the UHM College of Social Sciences.

Said College of Social Sciences Dean Denise Eby Konan, “Susan has served Hawai‘i in many dimensions, as a social worker, a professor of social work, and director of the state Department of Human Service for eight years in the Cayetano administration. She launched the UHM Public Policy Center and initiated many dynamic programs. With this fellowship, her legacy will live on. We are most grateful."

Susan Chandler, BS, MSW, PhD, Cert. Public Administration, is the director of the Public Policy Center, where she teaches in the areas of public policy analysis, organizational change, policy implementation, collaborative governance and pubic administration. She joined UH in 1976. She earned her BS at Cornell University, her MSW at UH Mānoa, and her PhD at UC Berkeley.

When asked why they decided to create a fellowship, David Chandler shared, “I wanted to honor Susan for all that she has done to serve the people of Hawai‘i. This fellowship builds on our lifelong commitment to addressing socio-economic disparities. Our hope is that this fellowship will help nurture a community of well-educated citizens, committed to building a more equitable world.”

David Chandler is a sociologist and practicing mediator specializing in conflict resolution in higher education, family and divorce disputes. He was one of the original founders of the Neighborhood Justice Center, now known as the Mediation Center of the Pacific.

“Susan and David have devoted their professional careers to assisting low-income residents in Hawai‘i. Through this fellowship and their philanthropy, their efforts to address socio-economic disparities will continue through the work of future graduate students,” said UH Foundation President and CEO Donna Vuchinich. “It is always very special working with faculty members who have chosen to support UH not only through their teaching but also through their philanthropy. It has been an honor to partner with the Chandlers in their effort to grow their impact through their giving.”

For more information on UH Foundation and the College of Social Sciences, please contact Matt Henry at (808) 956-6701 or matt.henry@uhfoundation.org.

The University of Hawai‘i Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawai‘i System. The mission of the University of Hawai‘i Foundation is to unite donors’ passions with the University of Hawai‘i’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawai‘i and our future generations. www.uhfoundation.org