(Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) —
Current and former Ernst & Young Partners Terri Fujii and Lawrence Rodriguez have jointly established a $300,000
endowed scholarship at the UH Manoā Shidler College of Business. The initial gift of $150,000 was matched by Jay
Shidler matching funds to total $300,000. The Fujii and Rodriguez Endowed Scholarship Fund will provide annual
scholarships for students majoring in accounting at the School of Accountancy.
Rodriguez, a retired partner of Ernst & Young LLP in Honolulu said, "Terri and I decided to personally establish
a scholarship endowment that will ensure continuous educational opportunities for future accounting students at
the Shidler College of Business. It is important for Hawaii's accounting industry to develop a sustainable and
quality workforce."
"I believe Larry will agree with me that we are privileged to be able to provide this endowment of opportunity
for future generations of accounting students," said Fujii, current partner of Ernst & Young LLP. "As a graduate
of the School of Accountancy, I received an excellent education which was pivotal to my success in business. This
is my way of providing similar opportunities for future students."
"We are deeply grateful to Terri Fujii and Larry Rodriguez for their generosity and commitment to our young men
and women," said V. Vance Roley, dean of the Shidler College of Business. "This is a great example of how private
support can help transform the lives of our students, while inspiring other business leaders to give."
"Terri and Larry are remarkable business leaders in our community," said UH Manoā Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.
"With this endowment, they have shown a high standard of philanthropic leadership that we feel will inspire other
community and business leaders."
Rodriguez served as the managing partner of the Ernst & Young Honolulu Office before retiring in 2007. His 40-year
career was spent serving companies in the financial services, healthcare, airlines, retail, hospitality, real estate
and insurance industries. Rodriguez recently received the Pacific Business News "Leadership Legacy Award" for his
services and contributions to local charities and community groups.
Fujii is the managing partner in the Hawaii practice of Ernst & Young LLP. She received both her bachelors and
masters degrees in accounting from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoā Shidler College of Business, and is a Certified
Public Accountant. In 1986, Fujii joined Ernst & Young LLP and has worked with companies in the healthcare,
not-for-profit, airlines, retail and insurance industries.
Fujii serves on the Advisory Council for the Shidler College of Business and is a board member for the Shidler School
of Accountancy. In October, she received the coveted Shidler College of Business Hall of Honor Award for her contribution
to the College and community.
About the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoā
Established in 1949 as the College of Business Administration, the College was named in 2006 after alumnus Jay H. Shidler,
founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group. The Shidler College of Business is renowned for its expertise in
international management education and is consistently ranked among the nation's top 25 graduate schools for international
business by U.S.News & World Report. Long recognized for its Asia-Pacific focus, the College is a professional school,
offering a wide variety of degree, certificate and executive programs. The College places a strong emphasis on the
development of management skills, entrepreneurship and the management of business information technology. The UH Shidler
College of Business is the only graduate program in the State of Hawaiʻi accredited by AACSB International
For more information, visit www.shidler.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.
For more information on the Foundation, visit
www.uhf.hawaii.edu.