Dean Vance Roley is one of University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s longest standing deans and as a finance guy, it would only be natural that he is fond of nice, even numbers. Which is a big reason his original plan was to transition from his two-decade deanship and return to the classroom at the Shidler College of Business on Jan. 1, 2025. But that timing wasn’t good for the university because former President David Lassner had planned his own transition. After talks with former Provost Michael Bruno and Jay H. Shidler, BBA ’68, it was decided that he’d stay on the extra year to ensure a smooth and successful search for the next dean. If a successor is not yet secured, Roley says he is prepared to continue serving as dean until the transition can be completed. 

Founded in 1966, the School of Travel Industry Management (TIM School) marks its 60th anniversary in 2026. The milestone offers both a celebration and an opportunity to reflect on the lasting impact the school, its students and its alumni have on Hawai‘i’s largest industry. Its earliest history dates to 1960 when Governor William Quinn, who was also the president of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), lobbied to have Hawai‘i selected as the site of the first hotel management degree program in the Asia-Pacific region. More recently, the TIM School rejoined Shidler College in 2019 after being separate since 1992, and in fall of 2025 there were 264 students enrolled. 

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business Alumni Association, a 501(c)(3)organization, hosted its 26th Annual Executive Vineyards fundraiser on March 5, 2026, at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort. The signature event raised more than $70,000 in support of the association’s mission to strengthen alumni engagement, advance student programming, provide scholarships and elevate the Shidler College of Business locally and globally.

When Lyra Pascual, BBA ’17, a senior accountant at Nakupuna Companies, volunteered at the Ironman World Championship in 2024, an idea took root. Watching athletes cross the finish line, she wondered if she could do the same. There was a small problem –– she didn’t know how to swim. “Maybe some day,” she told herself.

For Shidler College of Business finance and risk management professor Hua Chen, Hawai‘i’s position between Asia and the continental United States creates an ideal environment for bridging rigorous research with global, practice-focused education.