UH Hilo advances five candidates for interviews for chancellor

Public is invited to meet candidates and participate in open forums

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Jeanne Mariani-Belding, (808) 956-9803
Strategic Communication & Comm Engagement Spec, External Affairs and University Relations
Posted: Apr 16, 2010

James Riehl
James Riehl
Luoluo Hong
Luoluo Hong
Donald Straney
Donald Straney
Janie Fouke
Janie Fouke
John Pezzuto
John Pezzuto
HONOLULU, Hawai‘i – The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Chancellor Search Advisory Committee has selected five candidates for campus visits April 19-29. The candidates will participate in meetings with various constituent groups in Hilo and Kona and speak at a public forum at UH Hilo. They will also meet with UH President M.R.C. Greenwood.
 
“The committee is pleased with the breadth of interest and high level of talent in the pool of candidates to become our next chancellor,” said Search Advisory Committee Co-Chairman and UH Hilo Faculty Congress Chairman Sevki Erdogan. “We are confident that the campus and community will be impressed by these individuals. We encourage faculty, students, staff and community members to take the time to meet the candidates and provide input in the selection process.”
 
Greenwood appointed the search committee to provide recommendations for candidates to succeed UH Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng, who is stepping down. From among candidates referred by the search committee, Greenwood will submit her recommendation to the Board of Regents for approval. The national search firm Isaacson, Miller is assisting the committee with the search.
 
The candidates who will be visiting the campus are:
 
James Riehl is the dean of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering and professor of chemistry at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He also held visiting faculty positions at Kings College, London, and the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. Riehl is the author or co-author of more than 100 research publications and a recently published book entitled “Mirror-Image Asymmetry.” Riehl received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Villanova University, and a doctorate in physical chemistry from Purdue University in 1975. Riehl will be visiting UH Hilo on Monday, April 19 and Tuesday, April 20.
 
Luoluo Hong is the vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. Her senior administrative roles have included assistant vice president and dean of students at Shepherd College, dean of students at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison and dean of student affairs at the West campus at Arizona State University. Hong received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Amherst College, a master’s degree in public health from Yale University, and a doctorate in educational leadership and research from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Hong will be visiting UH Hilo on Wednesday, April 21 and Thursday, April 22.
 
Donald Straney is dean of the College of Science and professor of biology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He has also served as interim dean of the Cal Poly College of Agriculture and assistant to the provost at Michigan State University. Within the California State University system, he serves on the board of directors of both the Desert Studies Center and the Ocean Studies Institute as well as on the Strategic Planning Council of CSUPERB, the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology. Straney received a doctorate in zoology from the University of California, Berkeley, and both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees are from Michigan State University in zoology. Straney will be visiting UH Hilo on Thursday, April 22 and Friday, April 23.
 
Janie Fouke is the senior advisor to the president and professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Florida. She previously served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Florida, dean of engineering at Michigan State University, and division director of bioengineering and environmental systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Fouke completed her liberal arts degree in biology at St. Andrews Presbyterian College and earned graduate degrees in biomedical mathematics and engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Fouke will be visiting UH Hilo on Tuesday, April 27 and Wednesday, April 28.
 
John Pezzuto is a professor and founding dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. Pezzuto came to UH Hilo from his position as dean of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences at Purdue University. He has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1977, has mentored many students and postdoctoral associates, and has published over 500 manuscripts. Pezzuto received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Rutgers University and a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Pezzuto will be visiting UH Hilo on Wednesday, April 28 and Thursday, April 29.
 
Additional information about the search, the candidates and a detailed visit schedule is available at http://recruitment.hilo.hawaii.edu/chancellor/. The search committee is encouraging comments and feedback, which can be sent to uhhchancellor.search@hawaii.edu.
 
The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, a comprehensive university of nearly 4,000 students, is located on Hawai‘i Island, a natural living laboratory of active volcanoes, deep oceans, the world’s best telescopes and a rich cultural landscape. UH Hilo, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.