Gov. Linda Lingle will join UH Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton, UH Board of Regents Member Jane Tatibouet, Kapi'olani Community College Interim Chancellor Leon Richards, STEM Program Director John Rand, STEM students Heather Kehaunani Manoi, Brooks Ikaikaokekai Mitchell, and Gabrielle Kawai Mar, and invited guests at a 2:30 p.m. dedication event.

The colleges' STEM program aims to enhance the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics instructional and outreach programs, as well as to increase the number of STEM students transferring to four-year degree programs as they prepare for careers in the STEM disciplines. The program was started in August 2005 with a five-year, $1.25-million Tribal Colleges and Universities Program grant from the National Science Foundation for the development and implementation of the STEM program.

STEM offers students four content pathways — biotechnology and molecular science, physiology and human behavior, space science and engineering, and Waikiki watershed ecology — in which to focus their learning as they pursue their degrees. These pathways serve as a focal point for faculty and student interactions, as well as providing students with field experiences, community service and research opportunities.