On behalf of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, I thank you for coming to our annual Awards Banquet, and I welcome you to join us in recognizing some of our exceptional students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends. We will honor an outstanding alumnus who has made important contributions to a field or discipline represented by the college, and another extraordinary individual whose commitment to CTAHR and the community has greatly furthered our goals and whose work has impacted many groups and individuals.

The theme of this year’s event is “A New Century Brings New Challenges.” CTAHR had its beginning over a century ago, in 1907, as the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, and is proudly the founding college of the University of Hawai‘i system and its flagship campus, the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. We’ve come a long way, and we are committed to continue CTAHR’s tradition of academic excellence, promotion of a healthy environment, and enabling families and communities to thrive. These basic goals are central to the CTAHR mission and mirror the goals of the state’s 2050 Sustainability Plan: to have a sustainable economy, a sustainable society, and a sustainable environment.

The current concerns at the university about loss of jobs, decline in revenues, and economic fragility are echoed throughout the state, the nation, and the world. Hawai‘i’s dependence on imported foods, goods, and fossil fuels makes us particularly vulnerable. CTAHR recognizes the necessity of keeping pace with changing times, ensuring our applicability to the times and our continued stewardship of Hawai‘i’s resources, both human and natural.

As we proceed into our second century of service, we see CTAHR renewing and refining its academic, research, and outreach activities through innovations such as more efficient, more capable information systems, computer-based learning, new research methods, and better communications. Over 85 percent of the food that we eat—and an even greater amount of the energy we consume—must be imported, and CTAHR must address sustainability. We will foster innovations, such as developing better ways of farming to increase yields, boosting the resistance of our crops to pests and diseases, developing more salable plants and products, and promoting safer methods of food handling. We will continue to address objectives for our communities, such as strengthening families, empowering our young, identifying community resources, and overcoming financial difficulties.

We are modernizing our teaching methods away from the traditional lecturer-and-listener format and toward promoting meaningful “learning partnerships” in which instructional faculty will serve as motivators, mentors, and consultants, and students will take increased responsibility for their intellectual growth through participatory activities, problem-solving, and use of the latest technologies and learning tools available. We will continue to partner with other governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, and we stand ready to collaborate with them in response to problems that arise.

The individuals chosen to receive awards tonight exemplify CTAHR’s values—past, present, and future. Their accomplishments and commitment reflect positively on the college and are much appreciated. I congratulate and thank all of the award recipients.

I am also gratefully indebted to CTAHR’s many friends who are here, and to those in the community who have supported this event—and our programs—by your presence and generous donations. Thanks are due the members of our Board of Advisors for their time, sage guidance, and advice; to our faculty, students, and staff for their daily dedication and diligence; and to our legislators and university administrators for their leadership and continuing support. Thank you all for being here tonight, and for being part of the CTAHR ‘ohana.

Aloha and mahalo,


Andrew G. Hashimoto
Dean and Director
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources