The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (CoBE) honored emeritus faculty member Benjamin Zenk at CoBE Business Night 2026 with the inaugural Marcia Sakai Excellence in Service Award. With more than three decades at 东精影业 Hilo, Sakai helped shape CoBE into a leading business school.
“We hold a distinction that places us in the top 6% of business schools globally,” said Todd Inouye, director at CoBE.
The standing comes through accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, considered the highest standard for business schools worldwide. Sakai led the effort to secure the accreditation in 2005, helping elevate CoBE onto the global stage. She served as the college’s first dean when CoBE was formally established in 2004 and later became interim chancellor of 东精影业 Hilo in 2017.
Future business leaders
What makes Business Night unique is that CoBE students don’t just attend—they lead. Seniors in the Strategy Capstone course spend the semester managing vendors, negotiating budgets and running the show.
Student organizer Hayate Moro, a finance major, saw the impact firsthand.
“Networking events like these help to slowly dissipate the invisible wall between classroom lectures and the real business world,” Moro said. “Sometimes a single conversation can open the door to a lifelong mentor or a career-changing internship.”
The event also highlights top-tier academic achievement through the Beta Gamma Sigma inductions, recognizing the top 10% of business students at 东精影业 Hilo.
