Celebrating 75 Years of International Excellence

Picture of Dean V. Vance Roley in the college's courtyard.

Aloha!

This year holds a profound significance for us as we joyously celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Shidler College of Business. Across the decades, we have undergone transformative growth and achieved great strides, all thanks to the unwavering dedication and invaluable contributions of our esteemed alumni, generous donors, and the vibrant community that surrounds us.

Our 75th anniversary is not just a marker of time; it is a testament to our enduring commitment to international excellence. I am genuinely excited to continue fostering the spirit of celebration, innovation, and collaboration that has defined our journey thus far.

Moreover, I am delighted to unveil our brand-new 75th Anniversary logo, which serves as a visual symbol of this historic milestone. Throughout the year, we will be hosting a series of captivating events and engaging programming to commemorate this special occasion. If you haven't already, we invite you to share your cherished memories of Shidler with us, and join in this year's festivities.

As we celebrate our anniversary, I humbly ask you to consider joining the Dean’s Circle, with an investment of $1,000 or more to our Advancement Fund. These gifts provide the flexibility to seize opportunities as they arise, address unexpected needs, engage with our alumni and fulfill ongoing commitments that support the work of our students, faculty and staff.

Together, we look forward to positively impacting our students, our island state, and the broader global community. Here’s to a year of continued growth, building upon our past successes and further fortifying the bonds within our Shidler ‘ohana. We sincerely appreciate your continued partnership.

Sincerely,

V. Vance Roley: Dean and First Hawaiian Bank Chair of Leadership and Management

Stories & Memories

My time at the “CBA,” as we knew it then, meant more to me than most of my class colleagues and as a proud alumna of the EMBA program, I have recently become absorbed in “our life as it was” as I am going through my old photos. I have had countless rich experiences over the past 30 years – traveling to hundreds of places, being absorbed in different cultures and developing diverse friendships. I’d like to share some of my midlife memories from when I was a student of the American higher education system at UH Mānoa.

I was born and schooled in Germany, so obtaining admission was a bit of a challenge but despite being on "principal probation" the entire two years, I loved every day in class, built friendships and enjoyed being away from the office. During my time in the EMBA program, an all-volunteer mentor program for CBA graduates started, which I recently learned is still going today. Coursework in entrepreneurial education also started during my time at CBA, this idea originated from multi-hour conversations I had with Dr. Jack Suyderhold and research about mainland business schools offering these popular courses. Suyderhold, who was the associate dean then, got “entrepreneurship” added to the non-mandatory list of course, and it was later included on the mandatory list!

Another pivotal part of my time at the CBA was joining the MBA Alumni Association after I graduated. Being low on funding, we merged with the prosperous Undergraduate Alumni Association in the early days. We met at the LYK room, and a board was appointed consisting of BBA and MBA graduates. I was involved, along with Alex Smith and Shirley Ann Chu, in the planning of the first wine tasting fundraiser, which had about 100 in attendance. We barely broke even that year and now it’s grown to be the flagship event (Executive Vineyards) for the association. Another commercially supported fundraiser was the popular Golf Tournament, which was a lot of fun!

In the late 1990s, I urged the alumni board to establish official, annual meetings that had regular invitations and voting procedures. I offered the party room in our apartment building to give the idea an acceptable start and we had a big cake and soda. We gave speeches and made plans to become a proper organization. After this simple start, the annual meetings became a festive event and the Shidler College of Business Alumni Association has since held its annual meetings in a variety of venues more conducive to the growth and participation it has enjoyed through the decades.

Ulrike Siddiqi: EMBA, ‘81

I will never forget my time at the Shidler College of Business! Many fascinating courses were taught by knowledgeable professors and I especially enjoyed the classes taught by Professor Paranal, Professor Bystrom and Professor Daniel. The memories that I love and will always remember were the experiences outside the classroom. I regret not joining a business club as soon as I set foot at UH for my undergrad, but better late than never, right? I remember joining FMA in Fall 2016, the first semester of my senior year and I had a lot of fun along with many growing experiences. From meeting everyone in FMA, going to PINs, Super Clubs Day, to becoming FMA's IBC senator in Spring 2017, meeting people from other clubs, to Business Night, my undergraduate time was memorable.

I returned to Shidler in 2019 to work on my Global MBA. I didn't know what to expect, but thankfully, I was in a familiar setting. I loved how I bonded with people from my cohort and made friends with those in the cohort before us. The outings we had after class were memorable, especially to celebrate some of our birthdays! Unfortunately, right when we all were in a groove both in the classroom and got used to being around each other, the COVID pandemic hit and the rest of the MBA experience was spent virtually. To this day, I still wish that we were able to be in-person for the rest of the MBA program. But thankfully, the Shidler staff managed to celebrate our graduation in some form and we were able to see each other again in person.

I'm thankful to have been able to graduate from Shidler not once, but twice. Everything I learned in the classroom, and especially everything I learned outside the classroom, helped shape me into the person I am today. I hope that students, present and future, make the most of their time at the college, and enjoy their experience as much as I did. Happy 75th aniversary, Shidler College of Business!

Cedric Colling: BBA ‘17, MBA ‘21

Was there 1959-1962. Right at the time of Statehood. Things were slow, times were simpler. Tuition was $85/semester. Two bedroom apartment was $90/ month. You could buy a decent car at Aloha Motors for $100. Living was easy! You could see the surf at Waikiki from the library.

Jack “Keaka” Quintrall: BBA ‘62

In 1967 the first annual Chariot Race was held at halftime at a UH football game in the fall at the old stadium. Organizations at the school were encouraged to build Chariots, so we built one and entered it from the business fraternity. WE WON! Don Patrick, Ed Stevens, and several other fraternity members built and pulled the chariot around the track at the football field! Good memories and I would love to hear from some friends from those days.

Don Patrick: BBA ‘68

As the executive director of TIM Night 1989, which had the enchanting theme "The Legend of Camelot," I had the privilege of orchestrating an extraordinary event. The entire journey of planning TIM Night, from assembling the dedicated executive committee to meticulously selecting the theme, crafting a compelling marketing strategy, curating an unforgettable program, overseeing the preparation of food and beverages (with students taking on the roles of chefs and servers), recruiting talented personnel, conducting rigorous rehearsals, and finally, executing the grand dinner, was a remarkable experience.

This endeavor has had a lasting impact on my career in the travel industry, equipping me with invaluable skills and insights. While it demanded relentless effort by the executive committee to keep the entire team motivated and the process on track, the results were beyond rewarding.

"The Legend of Camelot" TIM Night was a resounding success. It provided a unique platform for TIM School students to shine and establish connections with seasoned professionals in the travel industry. This event exemplified the true spirit of excellence in hospitality and tourism management.

Looking ahead, my aspiration is for the TIM School to revive TIM Night, allowing it to once again take its place among the finest programs in the world. Such an initiative would not only celebrate the rich legacy of TIM Night but also ensure that future generations of students have the opportunity to engage with and excel in this industry.

Holden Lim: BBA ‘89

My favorite memory of being a student at the Shidler College of Business was playing in the Business vs. Law School's Annual Soccer Tournament. For years, this annual tournament was a shut-out with Richardson always winning by technicality (because they knew all the rules) but we scored on them! Never got that W but it was still tons of fun.

Nina Buenconsejo: MBA ‘14

Being a Danish exchange student during the fall semester in 1992, I signed up for the Southeast Asian studies class, led by Professor K.K. Seo. To this day, this was my most memorable class thanks to Mr. Seo, whose teaching and enthusiasm was outstanding. Aside from having an Asian magazine as part of the curriculum, he also took us out for a Korean dining experience and even invited the class to visit him at his house. This was 31 years ago and it made an unforgettable impression on me.

This year (fall 2023) I came back to the islands for the first time since, bringing my 23 year-old son and we went to visit UHM and Shidler. To my surprise and immense joy, I found that Mr. Seo is still on the staff roster and my son is planning to come back for a semester a little further down his accounting studies. So a circle started by Mr. Seo (and Patricia Cleveland who was the wonderful assistant dean back in 1992) has now been almost completed.

Thank you UHM and K.K. for a milestone experience that I’ve brought with me ever since.

Carsten Rojgaard: MBA ‘92

I graduated from UH in 1966 with my BBA. I originally came to UH because I thought I wanted a career in hotel management. However, I badly failed cooking class. As Ms. Makai put it, "If you don't drop this class today I will give you an 'F.'"

So, I switched my major to general management, which is what I was born to do in life. Robert B. Buchele ("Dr. Buchele") was my favorite professor and he had his class edit his upcoming book "Business Policy in Growing Firms." I was fascinated every class with his consulting practice and this book, which was always in my library.

I moved to Australia and joined a national consulting firm. After two years, I moved back to Phoenix where I managed a marketing research and consulting firm for 11 years before opening my own consulting firm which was active until 2022.

The best part of this story is that all of a sudden I realized that this precious book was missing from my library. And, it was almost exactly 30 years since I graduated! I called UH and was given Dr. Buchele’s telephone number. I called him and told him what a wonderful role he had played in my life. He actually remembered me (and proved it)! What a special moment for both of us. He obviously sent me another copy of his book, which I treasure.

PS - Today, I still don't cook!

Fred Corbus: BBA ‘66

My favorite professor was Claude Walker. He always said there were two ways to settle a problem in business! In 1952, I played football and I was one of three caucasians on the team. The balance were different Asian ethnicities, it was a great experience. I attended four universities – University of Arizona, Utah State, Cal Berkeley and Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i was the best education of the four schools.