• University of Hawaii at Hilo student Amy Odaira recently was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the Fund for Education Abroad to study in Sweden and in Japan for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Odaira is one of 98 scholarship recipients of the nearly 2,300 applicants this year. A biology major with a minor in computer science, she will spend fall 2018 studying at Uppsala University, Sweden, and spring 2019 studying at Doshisha University, Japan.
• Savannah Directo, an English major at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, is the recipient of the 2018 Matthew Somchai Therrien Memorial Award, announced recently by the UH-Hilo English Department.
Directo, who also is a candidate for the Creative Writing Certificate, has a 4.0 GPA and has published short stories and poetry in Kanilehua, UH-Hilo’s art and literary magazine in spring and fall 2017. Directo also is president of the RISO Lion Tribe Club.
Matthew S. Therrien was an aspiring English major at UH-Hilo at the time of his tragic death in a car accident on April 6, 2014. He was a gifted poet and writer with a dream of becoming an English professor.
• Dr. Bryan Kim, a professor of psychology and director of the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (Specialization: Clinical Mental Health Counseling) at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, was named editor of The Counseling Psychologist.
The publication, founded in 1969, is the official journal of the Society of Counseling Psychology, which represents the discipline and profession of counseling psychology. Kim is the first Asian-American selected as editor of the journal. He begins a one-year term as editor-elect in August 2018, followed by a six-year term as editor.
• Joven Mark Miguel and Shelly Whitlock of Keaau were named to the 2017-18 winter term president’s list at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Ore.
Miguel is majoring in radiologic science and Whitlock is majoring in renewable energy engineering
• Lopaka O’Connor of Papaikou was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2017 semester at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. O’Connor is enrolled in the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.
• Wheaton College (Ill.) student Benjamin Robbins of Kailua-Kona performed in a spring 2018 jazz combo concert on campus. Robbins played cornet.
• University of Evansville (Ind.) student Logan Tsuji of Kurtistown recently won an Outstanding Soloist Award at the 51st Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival. His solo work on Duke Ellington’s “Concerto for Cootie” won accolades from the judges. Tsuji is majoring in music performance.
• Three students from Hawaii Island were named to the fall 2017 dean’s list at Creighton (Omaha, Neb.) University:
Jennifer Taniguchi of Hilo, Heider College of Business senior
Lei Arai of Holualoa, arts and sciences freshman
Rebekah Rapoza of Pepeekeo, arts and sciences freshman
• Waiakea High School’s newly elected 2018-19 student government and class officers were installed April 12 in the presence of staff, family and friends at the school’s library. The class presidents are (incoming freshmen will elect their officers at a later date):
Kevin Li, class of 2021
Kira Taylor, class of 2020
Kylie Tanouye, class of 2019
Kobie Uyeda, SGA