• The Goto Foundation has established the Fumiko Kaya Endowed Scholarship Fund to assist students in the American Studies Department of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa College of Arts and Humanities. Recipients of funding will be encouraged to foster volunteer activities and research that will contribute to world peace and the promotion of mutual understanding between the people of Hawai'i and Japan.

• Peggy Cha, Bette Uyeda and Jean Toyama have established a scholarship fund in honor of their parents, Tsutomu Yamasaki and Fumie Yoshimori Yamasaki, to benefit students in financial need at Kaua'i Community College. Preference will be given to single parents and first-generation college students.

• The Hawai'i State Board of Education has approved superintendent Patricia Hamamoto's appointments to her leadership team. They are Vernon Young, former teacher, principal and human resources specialist, now complex area superintendent; and Lindsay Ball, native Nebraskan, Maui High School business teacher and wrestling coach, and eventual vice principal and principal of several Maui schools.

• University of Hawai'i faculty members who have received the Regents' Medal for Excellence in Teaching are: Sean Calder, assistant professor of biology at Maui Community College; Monique Chyba, associate professor of mathematics at UH-Manoa; Kamil Ud Deen, associate professor of linguistics at UH-Manoa; Karen Fujishima-Lee, professor of mathematics at Leeward Community College; Malia Lau-Kong, history instructor at Windward Community College; Frank Leake, professor of culinary arts at Kapi'olani Community; Cherie Mooy, nursing instructor at Kaua'i Community College; John Norris, associate professor of second language studies at UH-Manoa; Mark Panek, assistant professor of English at UH-Hilo; Jill Ramsfield, professor at William S. Richardson School of Law; Kerry Laiana Wong, assistant professor at Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language; and Sheila Yoder, associate professor of mathematics at Honolulu Community College.

• Recipients of the University of Hawai'i Regents' Medal for Excellence in Research are: Benjamin Brooks, associate researcher with Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics & Planetology at University of Hawai'i-Manoa; Terry Hunt, professor of anthropology at UH-Manoa; and R. Brent Tully, astronomer with UH-Manoa Institute of Astronomy.

• Donna Haytko-Paoa, professor/ coordinator of the Moloka'i Education Center, has been selected as recipient of the 2008 Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service to the University of Hawai'i. A former Maui Community college employee, she was instrumental in acquiring a permanent site for the center. Thanks to her efforts, university services, resources and programs are more accessible to the underserved citizens of Moloka'i.

• Farrington High School Dream Team and 23 Hawai'i elected officials of Filipino ancestry were recently honored by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations.

The Dream Team students used money won in the Lexus Environmental Challenge to produce environmental videos in 11 foreign languages and post them on YouTube.

The students are seniors Genevieve Cagaoan, Sheville Lee, Robbin Manzano, Herald Nones and Princes Rosit; juniors Robert John Delim and Carnina Figuracion; and sophomore Minhtrang Nguyen.

• During her 30-year career as an administrator and educator at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo, three personal core values have driven Audrey Furukawa: family, friendship and opportunity. Upon her retirement, Furukawa has made a lead gift and established the Audrey S. Furukawa Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment. In addition, she has enlisted the community to raise additional funds, to enable eligible students to begin their global education journey and open doors of opportunity.

• Richard Wong of 'Aiea has been named All American State Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. The honor is earned through exceptional performance in advancing VFW membership as well as participation in at least five VFW core programs.

The VFW assists all veterans and their families in obtaining veterans entitlements and other services.

• Dr. Randy Caine has been appointed the new dean of Hawai'i Pacific University's School of Nursing. Caine has more than 24 years of experience in nursing education at the university level. She carries a record of excellence in teaching, mentoring, administration and scholarly activities, including research and publication in the field of cancer and nurse practitioner participation in end-of-life decision-making.

• Charles Sasaki, associate vice president of student affairs at Hawai'i Pacific University, has been named a 2008 Fulbright Scholar. He and a team of educators will travel to Germany and the Czech Republic to gain knowledge about systems of higher education in the European Union. Sasaki joined HPU in 2005 as dean of advising and counseling.