UH West Oʻahu honors James Amihara with Chancellor's Award

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 454-4870
Public Information Officer, Chancellor's Office
Posted: Jun 29, 2010

James Amihara
James Amihara
PEARL CITY – Information Technology Specialist James Amihara won the University of Hawai‘i–West Oʻahu Chancellor’s Award in recognition of his exemplary work performance in fostering excellence in higher education. He has served as the backbone of the information technology department at UH West O‘ahu since joining the campus in 1994 and made countless improvements to the technology infrastructure at the university.
 
”James is far more than the leader of our information technology team,” said Gene Awakuni, chancellor, UH West O‘ahu. “He always looks for the most efficient, sustainable and inexpensive ways to improve our campus network and infrastructure. He serves as a mentor to many staff members as they continue to reach new levels of production with advanced software. As we prepare the transition to our new campus, it is good to know that James will be there to ensure our network communications system doesn’t skip a beat.”
 
Amihara was nominated by his peers to be the recipient of this year’s Chancellor’s Award. The following are some of the comments made toward his nomination: His high level of integrity and unwavering dedication shows through his excellent attention to detail and outstanding attendance. He often comes to the office or accesses hardware remotely at the slightest hint of a technical problem. Amihara develops effective troubleshooting tactics for all machines and updates the UH West O‘ahu website and other vital computer applications efficiently and always with a positive attitude. His pleasant demeanor and professionalism are appreciated by the entire UH West O‘ahu ‘ohana.
 
Amihara also works closely with the University of Hawai‘i System and other campuses to research technological issues that affect UH West O‘ahu as well as the broader community, and comes up with creative and innovative solutions. His comprehensive understanding of a vast array of technological tools and his willingness to try alternate problem-solving methods make him an incredible asset to the university.
 
He is an active member of the UH West O‘ahu ‘ohana participating in team-building activities including tennis and golf outings as well as the annual University of Hawai‘i softball tournament. Amihara is also the volunteer videographer at all UH West O‘ahu commencement ceremonies.
 
 
Amihara will be recognized for his achievements along with other UH award recipients at the annual Convocation ceremony held in the fall at the UH Mānoa campus. The ceremony is open to the public at no charge, and no reservations are needed. For more information, visit http://www.hawaii.edu/about/awards.
 
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UH West O‘ahu became a four-year, regional comprehensive university when it served its first class of freshmen in fall 2007. The University offers quality education, small classes and personalized attention at convenient locations. Construction is set to begin in August 2010 on the first phase of a new, state-of-the-art UH West O‘ahu campus in the City of Kapolei. It is expected to serve more than 2,750 students for spring 2012 classes. For more information, visit uhwo.hawaii.edu, twitter.com/uhwestoahu, facebook.com/uhwestoahu or call 454-4700 or toll-free (866) 299-8656.