UHM Nursing Alumni Hosts 2024 Alumni Awards and Scholarship Fundraiser Event to Support Nursing Education
By: Gary Glauberman
On Thursday, April 11, 2024, the UH Manoa Nursing Alumni Association hosted the 2024 Alumni Awards and Scholarship Fundraiser event at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. More than 100 guests attended to honor the two 2024 UHM Nursing Alumni Hall of Fame inductees Dee Jay Mailer and Maria Moreno-Chow, and the two 2024 Outstanding Young Alumni recipients Matthew Layug and Christina MB Wang. Undergraduate nursing student and scholarship recipient Scout Shutter addressed the crowd, describing the impact that the UHMNAA scholarship has had in supporting her goals of becoming a registered nurse. In addition to recognizing alumni awardees, the event was also a fundraiser for the alumni chapter’s endowed scholarship. Since its inception of the endowment in 2013, it has reached a market value of $354,000 and awarded 11 nursing scholarships this year.
2024 Hall of Fame Inductee bios:
Dee Jay Mailer is a visionary leader with extensive executive experience in healthcare,education, and nonprofit management. With a nursing background from the University of Hawaiʻi, her career spans significant executive roles such as CEO of Kamehameha Schools and President of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.
Captain Maria Moreno-Chow is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner who has made a global impact in nursing and leadership within both the U.S. Navy Reserves and our community. A native of Delano, California, Maria’s career in the Navy Reserve has allowed her to serve our country with distinction. She has provided support to military operations during deployment to Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and COVID-19 response efforts. Maria also demonstrates deep commitment to community health as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Waimanalo Health Center and Adventist Health Castle Medical Center.
2024 Outstanding Young Alumni Awardee bios:
Matthew Layug is an esteemed Nurse Manager at Kekela, the Adult Behavioral Health Psychiatric Unit at Queen’s Medical Center, and an ANCC-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse. He is a UHM Nursing graduate who began his mental health nursing career at Queen’s Medical Center in 2005, and in that time has significantly influenced patient care and staff development in mental health.
Dr. Christina Wang is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner and Medical Director at the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, focusing on complex health and social needs related to infectious diseases, behavioral health, and substance use. Her innovative street-based care approach offers vital services like wound care for some of our community’s most vulnerable groups.