University of Hawai'i University Relations Media & Publications Honolulu, HI 96822	(808) 956-8856 Telephone (808) 956-3441 Facsimile ur@hawaii.edu E-Mail
For Immediate Release:	December 9, 1999
Contact: Haunani Bernardino, haunani@hawaii.edu

Representative Chang to deliver keynote address at fall commencement

State Representative Jerry Chang will be the keynote speaker at the 1999 University of Hawai`i at Hilo Fall Commencement Ceremony, to be held on Saturday, December 18 at 9 a.m. in the UH Hilo New Gym. Approximately 187 candidates representing the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management, and the College of Hawaiian Language are eligible for graduation.

Chang is a keiki o ka `aina, a son of the land. He was born and raised in Hilo, he graduated from Hilo High School, and in 1977 he received his bachelor of arts in sociology from UH Hilo.

Service to the community is the hallmark of Chang's work and his wish to give back to the home that helped to shape the person he is has led to his active participation in many civic organizations that address the issues of economic revitalization and development, health care, education and the preservation of agricultural lands. Some of the associations of which he is a member or officer include: the Hawai`i Island Chamber of Commerce, the Japanese and Portuguese Chambers of Commerce, the Hawai`i County Economic Opportunity Council, the Big Island Substance Abuse Council, Steadfast Housing, the Hilo Medical Center Home Health Advisory Board and the Special Forces Association.

As a state representative for Hawai`i Island, Chang is very well respected, most especially among his legislative peers. Over the past 10 years he has earned the reputation of being approachable and open-minded about all projects and proposals of potential benefit to the community. Presently, Chang chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Tourism and is a member of five other House committees.

The Fall Class of 1999 is represented by Joseph Keola Donaghy who serves as student speaker. Nearly 20 years ago, Donaghy embarked on a professional journey that led him to become a police officer, musician, store manager, computer technician, electrician, and finally, a university student.

While maintaining a full program of study at UH Hilo, Donaghy has been a member of the UH Hilo Academic Computing Advisory Committee. He is considered a computer expert and is highly regarded for his work in designing and implementing an integrated computer and technology curriculum and other services in the Hawaiian language for this university's Ka Haka `Ula O Ke`elikolani College of Hawaiian Language, as well as other Hawaiian language programs throughout the state. Because the level of sophistication achieved in Hawaiian is matched by just a few languages outside of English and the most common European and Asian languages, UH Hilo has received worldwide recognition for being the most innovative program in the field of indigenous language perpetuation, particularly in the fields of computer technology and telecommunications.

Donaghy will deliver his address in both English and Hawaiian.

-UH-