The electronics technology building at the Kaua‘i Community College will be named The Daniel K. Inouye Electronics Technology Building when the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents approved a package which names four Hawai‘i programs or facilities in honor of
The electronics technology building at the Kaua‘i Community College will be named The Daniel K. Inouye Electronics Technology Building when the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents approved a package which names four Hawai‘i programs or facilities in honor of the late Senator Inouye.
Brandon Shimokawa, the new Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, was touring the KCC campus Friday morning, stopping at the Electronics Technology Building where a temporary canvas sign flapped in the breezy tradewinds.
Shimokawa, a 1998 graduate of Kaua‘i High School, was approved for the position during the Board of Regents meeting, Thursday. Shimokawa replaces Gary Nitta who retired earlier this year. His office is located in the KCC One Stop Center.
The announcements were made following the Board of Regents meeting where the Regents said the senator inspired the university with his extraordinary vision and his resolve to build for the future.
He will continue to inspire the univerity where his legacy will endure, a Hawai‘i release states.
“Senator Inouye impacted the University of Hawai‘i in ways that cannot be measured,” said University of Hawai‘i President M.R.C. Greenwood, in the release. “Today’s board action gives us the opportunity to thank Senator Inouye and to emphasize the many things he helped us accomplish and the many things he has inspired us to accomplish in the future.”
Senator Inouye was instrumental in helping the KCC establish a strong relationship between its electronics program and the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Mana.
He worked with KCC to secure equipment donations from Boeing for an optics lab and was a steadfast supporter of the college’s movement toward stronger STEM programs.
The building at the KCC houses the college’s Electronics program, the Cisco Networking Academy, Optics Lab and KCC’s Hawai‘i Space Flight Lab.
In addition to the KCC, the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa will have The Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE).
Senator Inouye was a strong supporter of C-MORE’s research, education and outreach missions and he participated in C-MORE Hale’s groundbreaking in 2009 and the grand opening in 2010.
The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy will be named at the University of Hawai‘i – Hilo where one of the Senator Inouye’s passing was improving healthcare in Hawai‘i, particularly in rural populations.
In 2000, Senator Inouye started his quest to create something important on the Big Island. His vision was the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai‘i – Hilo which opened in 2007 and has been ranked in the top five new schools of pharmacy in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report.
The Daniel K. Inouye Allied Health Center will be located at the University of Hawai‘i, Maui College. Senator Inouye was a champion for nursing, allied health, and the well-being of Hawai‘i residents. His commitment to the Neighbor Islands, and particularly to Maui, the home of his mother, continued for years. The Allied Health Center primarily supports Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene program which grew out of community need.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
