Donald Straney named chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
University of Hawaii
May 20, 2010
Donald Straney, dean of the College of Science and professor of biology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, has been appointed as the next chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. Straney’s appointment is for three years beginning July 1, 2010.
“Dr. Straney will be an excellent addition to the UH Hilo campus. His credentials are well-suited to guide the campus into its next phase,” UH Board of Regents Chairman Howard Karr said Thursday, after the Board approved Straney’s appointment at its monthly meeting at UH Mānoa.
Straney joined Cal Poly Pomona in August, 2002 after spending 23 years at Michigan State University where he served as chair of the Department of Zoology and assistant to the provost for faculty development. He is also on the National Advisory Board of the National Science Foundation-supported Center for the Integration of Teaching, Research and Learning at the University of Wisconsin.
“Donald Straney brings an impressive set of talents and expertise to the position of UH Hilo chancellor and we are pleased to have him on board,” said University of Hawai‘i President M.R.C. Greenwood. “His solid leadership record and background in the sciences will be great assets, as the campus continues to grow and develop in this area.
“The UH Hilo Chancellor Search Advisory Committee did an excellent job in presenting a strong pool of candidates for our consideration. I also want to commend the faculty, staff and students who met with the candidates and took the time to share their perspectives with me,” Greenwood added.
Straney has been a principal investigator for three large grants at Cal Poly Pomona: a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant to enhance undergraduate instruction in biology, a National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant to support the professional development of science and engineering faculty, and a U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement grant to prepare the next generation of teachers.