University of Hawaii selected to manage the Pacific Disaster Center

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
David Lassner, (808) 956-3501
UH Information Technology Services
Posted: Sep 29, 2006

The University of Hawaiʻi has been selected by the Department of Defense to negotiate a new cooperative agreement as the Managing Partner for the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) on Maui. The PDC provides applied information research and analysis support in disaster management and humanitarian assistance.

Letters of Qualification to manage the PDC were solicited from educational institutions and non-profit organizations in August 2006. The university was selected based on all submittals received. UH President David McClain stated, "The University of Hawaiʻi System is honored to have been chosen as the next steward of the PDC. We greatly admire the work done by the East-West Center as the Managing Partner over the past five years, and look forward to building upon their achievements for the benefit of Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region." The cooperative agreement with the university is expected to have a three-year term, beginning in December 2006.

U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye commented, "The Pacific Disaster Center was established after Hurricane Iniki devastated the island of Kauai because I wanted to be sure that Hawaiʻi had the disaster management and modeling capability to prepare and protect itself from natural and man-made disasters to the greatest extent possible. I am very pleased that the University of Hawaiʻi has won the bid, and together with key business partners, will now build upon the excellent Asia-Pacific contacts cultivated by the East-West Center to achieve greater sustainability."

The PDC employs approximately 40 individuals and is located in the new Maui Economic Development Board Building in the Maui Research & Technology Park in Kihei. Its operating budget of more than $6 million/year derives from direct congressional appropriation as well as additional contracts and grants from throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The PDC program is managed at the federal level within the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Network and Information Integration).