Alumni and Friends

2011 Paul C.T. Loo Distinguished Alumni Awardee Profiles

Ralph GalloglyRalph Gallogly

2011 Alumni Service Awardee

Fast Facts

HPU Education

  • B.A. History ’94
  • M.A. Human Resource Management ’98

Career and Community Involvement

  • Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, HPU Military Campus Programs (MCP)
  • Established On-Base National Test Centers (NTCs); and HPU’s Military/Veterans Center and Project Intervene to assist military and veteran students
  • Volunteers personal time to provide additional one-on-one counseling to military and veteran students

Coming from a military family, a sense of service and duty comes naturally to me. My 20-year career in the Air Force heightened the esteem I hold for the military; therefore, I feel a personal responsibility to serve military-affiliated HPU students. Joining HPU’s Military Campus Programs 18 years ago, I am grateful to have the opportunity to give back to the men and women who serve our country. I am grateful to be part of MCP’s growth over the years. I care about what happens to these students and working at MCP at HPU allows me to make a positive contribution to their lives.

I am proud to be part of a quality, military-friendly education program that was nationally recognized with the 2010 Council of College and Military Educators Annual Institution Award for outstanding support to military education. As Assistant Dean, I have the privilege of working with a great student affairs team to serve the 3,000 MCP students, who make up about 35% of HPU’s student body. My attitude is that we can make our university better together.

Establishing the Military/Veterans Center on HPU’s main campus has been the fulfillment of a personal goal for me. As an HPU student, I experienced all of the challenges of combining study, work and family. I helped start Project Intervene, with MCP staff and faculty, to identify at-risk students early and provide them with assistance to continue their education. In 2006, I laid the groundwork for National Testing Centers, where military-affiliated students can now take
electronic tests at all Oahu military installations.

HPU enabled me to combine my past military leadership and management with my college education. More importantly, having come out of a 20-year military career, HPU gave me exposure to people from different cultures, age groups, and viewpoints. Being exposed to a variety of people at HPU has been an eye-opener for me and has given me a wider view and appreciation of how much we all have in common.

To view other 2011 recipients, click here.

Keiichi Ogawa, Ph.D.

2011 Professional Achievement Awardee

Keiichi Ogawa

Fast Facts

HPU Education

  • B.A. Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) '91

Career and Community Involvement

  • Professor, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS) at Kobe University, Japan
  • Chair, Department of Regional Cooperation Policy Studies at GSICS
  • Education Economist, World Bank
  • Senior Advisor, Japan Bank for International Cooperation
  • Recipient, Appreciation Award from the Yemeni Ministry of Education for contributing to the development of education in Yemen
I am very proud to be a graduate of HPU. I found my instructors sensitive to issues of diversity and well aware that many students like myself come from international backgrounds. My undergraduate degree in TESL gave me a foundation for my academic and professional success. I was well prepared to go on to earn a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco and a Ph.D. in Comparative International Education and Economics of Education from Columbia University. Learning in HPU’s culturally diverse student environment prepared me for the six months of professional work that I now do annually in Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Middle East.


Academic theory and real life practice were both emphasized in my TESL program at HPU. Each year, I invite my graduate students to travel with me to developing countries to conduct research and serve in internships. My current work has a strong focus on how investment in educational development can help developing countries address poverty and economic growth. I have also been invited to teach at graduate schools at Columbia University, George Washington University, and the University of Tokyo. I am proud that many of my former students are now working for international organizations like UNICEF and UNESCO.

Being able to work on development assistance has been gratifying to me as an educator. I have also been privileged to provide policy advisement to the governments of Egypt, Laos, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia, and Yemen. I have also gained valuable professional experiences to share with my students through my work as an Education Economist at World Bank; a Senior Advisor at Japan Bank for International Cooperation; and as a Consultant at Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, UNICEF, and UNESCO.

If I had the opportunity to recommend one thing to incoming President Dr. Geoffrey Bannister, I would urge him to continue to offer small classes where students from various backgrounds are able to interact with their professors. My experiences at HPU formed the foundation for my current success, and this is due in large part to the diversity of the University’s student body.

To view other 2011 recipients, click here.

Stephane CastonguayStephane Catonguay

2011 Young Alumni Awardee

Fast Facts

HPU Education

  • B.A. ’ Political Science 04
  • M.A. Communication ’07

Career and Community Involvement

  • Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador, Kabul, Afghanistan, U.S. Department of State
  • Vice Consul, New Delhi, India, U.S. Department of State
  • Media and Marketing Chief, Hawai‘i and Asia, Marine Corps Public Affairs, U.S. Marine Corps, Honolulu, Hawai‘i
  • Regular guest lecturer and faculty roundtable presenter at HPU on diplomatic service experiences and career opportunities

Enrolling as an undergraduate at HPU challenged my conventional wisdom. After a 27-year career as a military communications officer, I found that learning in HPU’s multicultural and international student body pulled back the curtain on globalization for me. I was exposed to people vastly different from myself. I found myself re-examining and diversifying my own outlook. As an older student, I also feel I benefited from HPU’s ability to cater to the adult learner. I earned my academic credentials from instructors like Dr. Carlos Juarez, Chair of the Department of International Studies, and adjunct faculty member Kerry Gershaneck, who brought the perspective of someone currently working in the field. I look back at my time at HPU as a truly enriching journey. It set the stage for my career in the U.S. Foreign Service as a new American diplomat.

Deciding to join the nation’s diplomatic corps came from the realization that I can work with diverse people. I have served in several key positions over the past four years. My most recent posting as, Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador in Kabul, Afghanistan, allowed me to work closely with the highest branches of government. I prepared the Ambassador’s regular briefings for President Barack Obama and the White House. I also coordinated visits by top U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joseph Biden, and top Congressional leaders. An especially exciting assignment for me was organizing Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s first visit to the White House in May 2010.

I believe strongly in giving back, and return regularly to HPU to share my experiences as a diplomat with students. I tell them that working an in U.S. Embassy require skills that I honed at HPU. These include group dynamics, negotiation and persuasion, and mastery of foreign political, social and economic issues. Language differences and communication gaps are a central part of dealing in foreign affairs. This means having interpersonal skills, such as patience and tolerance, are also important. I believe exposure to HPU’s international student body provides students with valuable cultural opportunities to develop such skills. I encourage incoming President Dr. Geoffrey Bannister to continue a robust campaign to attract an internationally diverse student body to HPU.

To view other 2011 recipients, click here.