Historic $3M Tateuchi gift provides long-term support Japanese studies
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Center for Japanese Studies received a transformative $3 million gift from the estate of philanthropist Ina Goodwin Tateuchi, ensuring the center continues to foster the study of Japan across academic disciplines.
The gift establishes the Tateuchi Memorial Endowed Scholarship fund to provide essential support to select undergraduate students pursuing Japanese language majors or Asian studies with a focus on Japan. Additionally, the scholarship is open to students in other disciplines who demonstrate a strong interest in Japanese studies within their major.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has engaged with Japanese studies more than a century. The campus offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive Japanese studies programs, with courses spanning language, history, politics, law, religion, literature and the arts.
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Two University of Hawaiʻi campuses among nation’s leaders in student satisfaction
Windward Community College and University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu were recognized as some of the nation’s highest-performing institutions for student satisfaction. Both earned a place on the inaugural 2026 Student Voice Score Honors List, released by higher education technology company EdSights.
The Honors List recognizes the top-performing 20% of participating colleges and universities within each higher education sector, celebrating institutions that set the national standard for student experience and success. Windward Community College ranked No. 2 overall among 2-year public institutions nationwide. University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu ranked No. 9 among 4-year public institutions.
This recognition signals that UH campuses are delivering on their core mission to provide accessible, supportive and high-quality educational environments. The Student Voice Score benchmark is unique because it captures satisfaction directly from students themselves at scale. The 2026 SVS Report analyzed feedback from more than 125,000 students attending 257 colleges and universities.
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2026 newcomers: Vulcans men’s soccer
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo men’s soccer welcomes 23 newcomers as it looks to build upon a historic season. It is the largest incoming class since 2019 when the Vulcans had 26 first-year players.
The Vulcans were 12-6-2 overall last fall with trips to the Pacific West Championships postseason tournament for a runner-up finish and their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance with a victory against Western Oregon in the NCAA Super 4 Region first round.
First training sessions begin Aut. 10. The men’s 2026 schedule includes 15 matches with six home contests at Vulcan Soccer Field. The Vulcans will take on a gauntlet of Super 4 Region foes as part of the non-conference slate that includes four teams that finished inside the top five of their respective conferences.
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Police extend mahalo for support during first ‘Fill a Police Cruiser’ school dupply drive
Hawaiʻi Police Department Kona Community Policing Section extends a heartfelt mahalo to the Big Island community for its incredible support during its first “Fill a Police Cruiser” Back-to-School Supply Drive at Kona Walmart.
The community’s generosity resulted in raising more than $1,255 in monetary donations and collection of more than 2,336 school supply items. Every donated school supply and every dollar contributed will help ensure local keiki have the tools they need to begin the new school year with confidence and success.
Police also extend a very special mahalo to the event’s sponsors as well as The Roberts Foundation and Ironman Triathlon for their generous additional donations. Their support played a significant role in helping exceed the event’s goals and expand the impact throughout the West Hawaiʻi community.
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Werchicks award $10,000 scholarship to Big Island student dedicated to improving rural health care
Kailua-Kona residents Arne and Ruth Werchick awarded a $10,000 scholarship to Waiākea High School senior Charlotte Jo, whose research aims to bring earlier cancer detection and accessible health care to underserved communities on Hawaiʻi Island. The honors student was inspired to pursue cancer research after losing her grandmother to a late-stage diagnosis, reshaping her family’s life and ultimately brought them to Hawaiʻi, where she channeled grief into purpose.
Her proposed research will examine how community-based outreach programs and telehealth technology can increase early detection of skin and gastrointestinal cancers — conditions particularly relevant in Hawaiʻi — in rural areas, where residents face geographic and financial barriers to regular screenings.
The $10,000 award will support her undergraduate education at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., where she will attend this fall to study biochemistry and continue building her research about the intersection of science, healthcare delivery and community needs, with the goal of returning to serve Hawai‘i as a physician.
