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KTA & K. TANIGUCHI, LTD. - SUPPORTING UH HILO WITH FIRST PERMANENT FACULTY ENDOWMENTS

"We firmly believe that an investment in UH Hilo’s teaching faculty represents an investment in the future. We hope that others will join KTA Super Stores and K. Taniguchi, Ltd. in building these new endowed funds."

(Hawaiʻi, Hilo) — The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is celebrating the establishment of its first permanent faculty endowments. KTA Super Stores and K. Taniguchi, Ltd. have made a $50,000 endowed gift in memory of Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi, company founders and grandparents of current President, Barry Taniguchi.

This historic gift establishes an Endowed Faculty Fund for each of UH Hilo’s five degree-granting colleges: College of Arts and Sciences; College of Business and Economics; College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management; College of Hawaiian Language; and College of Pharmacy. The purpose of the endowments is to provide the dean or director of each college with a permanent source of funds to enhance the college’s recruitment and retention of faculty.

"UH Hilo’s highest priority for the Centennial Campaign is to increase the size of our endowment so that we can plan with confidence for a bright future."

Currently UH Hilo does not have any permanently endowed faculty positions, and it is Taniguchi’s hope that the five funds will attract other donors to help build the endowments to support faculty in each of the colleges.

Investing in faculty through creating permanent endowments is one of the major Centennial Campaign priorities. Endowed faculty positions help universities recruit and retain top academics, and will give the University of Hawaiʻi the ability to compete with well funded universities nationally.

Three years ago KTA Super Stores and K. Taniguchi, Ltd. established the Taniguchi Memorial Fund at UH Hilo. This endowment supports faculty development initiatives, including the recognition of creative innovations in teaching or scholarship, including technological applications.

Chancellor Tseng and Barry Taniguchi are joined by KTA vice president Toby Taniguchi (left front) and (left to right in back row) Kalena Silva, director of College of Hawaiian Language; Bill Steiner, dean of College of Agriculture; Robert Borris, associate dean of research at College of Pharmacy; Randy Hirokawa, dean of College of Arts & Sciences; and Marcia Sakai, dean of College of Business & Economics.

The Centennial Campaign is an historic private fundraising initiative to raise $250 million to support the University of Hawaiʻi’s commitment to our students, our community and our world. For more information about the Centennial Campaign, please visit www.uhf.hawaii.edu. www.uhf.hawaii.edu

About the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation
The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is an independent, university-related, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to raise private funds according to priorities determined by the academic leadership of the University of Hawaiʻi and approved by the Board of Regents. Founded in 1955, the Foundation provides a full range of fund raising and alumni relations services for all 10 UH campuses.