HLA Board Member Attends the SCI 2026 Open House

by Robin Cavaco

On Friday, April 10th, the School of Communication and Information (SCI) had their 2026 Open House. Originally intended as an in-person event, it was moved onto Zoom due to the bad weather and campus closures. The event began with Library and Information Science’s Assistant Professor, Keahiahi Long, performing the opening oli, "O Lono 'Oe".  Dean Denise Konan, Ph.D., Dean of College of Social Sciences, followed with the Welcome Remarks, the theme of the year (Human-Centered AI), and event agenda. SCI highlights were presented by Hye-ryeon Lee, Ph.D, Chair of SCI. Dr. Lee announced that the Library and Information Science (LIS) program placed #36 in the nation in 2025. Way to go, LIS! This year also marks the program’s 60th anniversary.

Congratulations LIS for making it to 60 years!

I wish you many more amazing decades. Looking back on my own LIS journey, I remember that when I began my studies in 2014, the department was in its own stand-alone college. Around 2015, they moved to be under the ICS (Information and Computer Science) program. ​

While I was surprised to learn that LIS recently moved to the School of Communication and Information (SCI), the move made more sense once I considered that LIS is a general degree and can be used for careers in many industries, similar to Communication, Communicology, Peace Studies, and Journalism. Although I still feel that being part of ICS was a better fit for LIS, now that LIS is part of SCI, I recognize that they go hand-in-hand and I’m glad that students will benefit from a more well-rounded set of realistic work skills. Change is inevitable in not only our LIS program, but the field in general, and coexisting and mingling with other fields is important for our growth. ​

Dr. Brett Oppegaard, a SCI Journalism professor, introduced and welcomed the Keynote Speaker, Dr. S. Shyam Sundar, Director of the Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence at Penn State. He presented to us his “Human-Centered AI: Navigating Bias, Promoting Transparency, & Combating Misinformation” research.

Dr. Sundar’s thought-provoking presentation introduced and examined a different perspective on AI that centered around a human approach. His perspective addressed the idea that AI should be designed around human psychology, rather than just its technical performance. He posed the question to the audience “The key question is not, ‘Is the AI accurate?’ but ‘How do people interpret and trust it?’”. He went on to further explain that while AI’s performance is an important metric and factor in its design, the overall perception is just as important. His perspective is that positive perception of an AI tool creates trust for the user, and ultimately changes how we use AI for the better. By discussing a less frequent topic around AI, he helped to reduce stigma and humanize some of its concepts.

A screenshot of Dr. Sundar's presentation during the event. 

Ending the Open House was the presentation of alumni recognitions. This year’s recognitions were exciting and emotional. Each alumni, including our very own Sunny Pai, who was HLA President in 2024, gave a brief thank you speech, reminiscing about their time in their program and how it helped them become who they are today. Besides the joy and honor we experienced, it was also just fun to see where everyone currently works; who knew one of our state senators majored in Journalism? Alumni and Executive Director of Shangri La, Ben Weitz, zoomed in from his office at the Shangri La, even inviting us to visit, and illustrating to prospective students how varied careers can be with this type of degree. Being able to feel a part of our alumni’s journeys helped foster a sense of connection and pride. Congratulations to all awardees! ​Recognized Awardees were:  

• Filifotu Va’ai, VP at Hawaiian Telcom – Communication
• Ben Weitz, Exec Dir at Shangri La – Communicology
• Jarrett Keohokalole, Hawaii State Senator – Journalism
• Sunyeen “Sunny” Pai, Digital Initiatives Librarian at Kapiolani CC – Library & Information Science
• Tina Sablan, Community & Policy Advocate – Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution