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HPU partners with
the Oceanic Institute
by
Kalamalama staff
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On June 6, the HPU Board of Trustees unanimously approved
a contract of affiliation and cooperation between HPU and The
Oceanic Institute in windward O‘ahu. Earlier, on May
12, the Institute’s governing board had approved the
contract.
The collaboration of education and research resources will allow
HPU and the Institute to expand their scientific programs and
educational outreach in marine aquaculture, biotechnology, and
marine environmental science. |
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“This partnership between Hawai‘i Pacific University
and The Oceanic Institute will open up vast, new opportunities
for HPU that were previously a vision,” stated HPU President
Chatt G. Wright. “Our students and faculty will have
access to Oceanic’s scientists and extensive laboratories
for the Institute’s research and education in marine
science and biotechnology. Hawai‘i Pacific will expand
its marine and environmental science and oceanography programs
into new master’s and doctoral level-programs in the
sciences as a result of this affiliation.”
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HPU is one of the few universities in the nation to offer
hands-on oceanographic field research to undergraduate students
through its research vessel moored in Kane‘ohe Bay. HPU
undergraduate students have participated in many research projects
and internships with faculty members, including use of submersibles
for underwater research. The affiliation with the Institute
will greatly enhance these opportunities, according to both
Wright and Dr. Thomas E. Farewell, president of The Oceanic
Institute.
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| “This cooperative agreement with HPU will
allow us to expand our education and training programs,” said
Farewell, “thereby enabling a broader dissemination of
the marine science and aquaculture technologies developed by
our scientists. “The Institute’s esteemed scientific
reputation at home and abroad will complement HPU’s national
and international reputation as a leading academic center for
education.” |
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| The Oceanic Institute develops technologies designed
to increase aquatic food production, restore marine fisheries,
and protect ocean resources. Its scientists resolve problems
associated with the culture of marine shrimp and significant
finfish species through multidisciplinary research and development
in areas such as life-cycle technologies; aquatic microbiology;
analytical biochemistry; nutrition; feeds processing and live
feeds production; aquaculture production system design; and animal
health, genetic selection, and behavior studies. |
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| “The affiliation between Hawai‘i Pacific
University and The Oceanic Institute will further Hawai‘i’s
stature as a global center for research and education in aquaculture,
biotechnology, and the marine sciences,” said U.S. Senator
Daniel Inouye. “I am hopeful that it will provide greater
hands-on learning opportunities for Hawai‘i’s students,
and those who travel to our islands, inspiring them to enter
into a variety of science fields, or even as entrepreneurs of
the technologies developed,” Inouye added. |
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| Officers of both organizations have considered
a partnership between HPU and the Institute for almost three
years. As part of the affiliation, HPU’s President Wright
will serve as chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Oceanic
Institute, and two-thirds of the Institute’s Trustees will
be selected by HPU. Oceanic’s President Dr. Thomas Farewell
will become an executive vice president of HPU. |
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| The Oceanic Institute and Hawai‘i Pacific
University hail the affiliation as a significant enhancement
for both institutions and emphasize that the affiliation will
not affect existing collaborations, partnerships, and Institute
programs with other organizations and, in fact, should enhance
the opportunities for additional research and education collaborations
in the State and around the world. Each institution remains responsible
for developing and funding its core research and educational
programs. The Institute remains a publicly supported, not-for-profit,
501(c)(3), applied research and development corporation. HPU
remains a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), nonsectarian, coeducational,
postsecondary educational institution. |
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| “The formal affiliation between HPU and the
Institute will provide another avenue to transfer the technology
developed at the Institute, providing great exposure to students
and faculty,” said Dr. Shaun M. Moss, director of Shrimp
Technology at The Oceanic Institute and associate professor of
Biology at HPU. “I hope that my colleagues at the Institute
join me in teaching classes at HPU, and I look forward to opportunities
for collaborative research at the Institute with HPU faculty.” |
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| Dr. Andrew Brittain, acting dean of the College
of Natural Sciences at HPU, agrees, “Our professors can
collaborate with Oceanic Institute’s scientists on projects
of mutual interest, and students will have expanded opportunities
in scientific research through the Institute field experiences.
It’s a wonderful relationship, as research-oriented lab
and fieldwork are large components of the HPU educational experience.” |
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| The Institute’s extensive research facilities
include hatchery facilities for marine shrimp and finfish, aquatic
feeds research laboratories, microbiology and chemical analysis
laboratories, and classroom facilities that include a wet lab
and computer access. |
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| “The opportunity allows us to develop certificate
programs in areas such as aquaculture, offer a graduate program
in applied marine science, and share facilities for research
and education. The possibilities are limitless,” continued
Dr. Brittain. |
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| “The Institute routinely offers internships
to high school and university students and provides vocational
training to community-based groups and small farmers,” said
Gary E. Karr, manager of Communications, Education, and Training
for The Oceanic Institute. “Our collaboration with HPU
will give us the ability to offer courses leading to a certificate
or degree that combines our hands-on style with HPU’s academic
environment. HPU graduates also have career opportunities with
the Institute. It’s a win-win relationship—both institutions
win, the faculty and researchers win, the students win, and the
community wins.” |
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| Hawai‘i Pacific University was founded in
1965. HPU, with an overall student body in excess of 9,000 and
with an annual budget of over $85 million, is Hawai‘i’s
largest private university. Currently, HPU has two campuses,
a downtown campus centered on Fort Street Mall, and the 135-acre
residential Hawai‘i Loa campus located in Kane‘ohe.
Also, HPU has more than 1,200 faculty and staff and boasts an
endowment fund of almost $65 million. Considered one of the most
diverse universities in the nation with student representation
from more than 100 countries, HPU offers more than 50 undergraduate
and graduate degree programs located within seven schools and
colleges, including the College of Natural Sciences, which serves
as an umbrella for HPU’s science-based programs. |
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| The Oceanic Institute, located on 56 acres at Makapu‘u
Point on O‘ahu, was founded in 1960. Education and research
facilities are also located in Kona on the island of Hawai‘i.
The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit, applied research
and education organization dedicated to the development and transfer
of technology and applications in aquaculture, environmental
science, and marine biology. It has an annual research budget
of $8 million and employs more than 100 staff. |
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