3 finalists for UH research job
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
In its final few days of decision-making for its top job, the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i yesterday interviewed Michael P. Hamnett, director of the Social Science Research Institute at UH, as the last of three finalists.
Though not widely known outside university circles, RCUH is integral to UH management of its federal research grants, a major source of outside financing that amounted to $212 million in fiscal year 2003, with projections putting them as high as $285 million this year.
Hamnett is competing for the approximately $200,000 position as executive director and chief operating officer, but the names of the other two candidates have not been disclosed. One is from the Mainland and the other from Hawai'i.
Former executive director Harold Masumoto retired June 30 last year but has been assisting with transition over the past year, with Gilbert Oshima serving as acting executive director.
RCUH board chairman Brian Tamamoto said a search committee of board and community members narrowed names to a field of 18, then interviewed six or seven candidates to choose a final three. They were interviewed three times, but not ranked, said Tamamoto, with the final decision being left to the board and expected in a few days.
Hamnett said yesterday he was not in the first two rounds of interviews but he was in the final ones.
RCUH was set up by the 1965 Legislature to support UH research and training programs by administering the millions of dollars in federal research grants that come to the University of Hawai'i each year and are generated by UH scientists and researchers.
In yesterday's meeting Tamamoto also raised the question of a 3-year-old debt of $72,000 owed RCUH, saying the money was borrowed to renovate the president's office before Evan Dobelle's arrival.
The corporation has asked UH to repay the debt, and late yesterday Tamamoto got a call that UH would do so.
Though there was confusion about approval of the loan back in 2001, a memo from David Iha, regents' executive administrator and secretary, said he had requested RCUH advance the money to make the changes because time was short. Iha said in the memo he also felt it was appropriate to use state money to pay for the changes as they had been used to renovate the Manoa chancellor's offices.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
