Papali’i Dr. Failautusi “Tusi” Avegalio, Jr., is the Director of the Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP) at the Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Raised in both American Samoa and Independent Samoa, he grew up with breadfruit trees as part of his everyday landscape, and sees the enormous potential for this heritage crop worldwide.
Papali’i Dr. Tusi has the unique distinction of being a recognized business and economic development expert among indigenous populations of Oceania, an academic, and a ranking Polynesian traditional leader, or Alii of Oceania. He straddles those multiple worlds with humility, respect and aloha guided by the wisdom of ancestors.
He is an advocate for holistic and systems-based development. Under his direction, PBCP received numerous national, regional and local awards for innovation, creativity, and effectiveness. Dr. Tusi is the first business professor at the University of Hawaii from Oceania and a highly rated lecturer on cross cultural leadership and organizational behavior, systems and theory for academic, corporate, community, student and native/indigenous groups. Dr. Tusi has consulted extensively throughout the Pacific for traditional leaders and village councils of Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia within the cultural context of their organic worldview balanced with Western perspectives. His work seeks to reconcile and weave the perspectives of traditional wisdom and culture with modern science, knowledge and technology.
“BREADFRUIT PRODUCTS CAN SLOW DOWN AND STOP OBESITY & DIABETES THAT IS NOW A CRISIS IN THE PACIFIC AND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH. OUR CHILDREN ARE AT VERY HIGH RISK AND WE MUST TAKE ACTION NOW.”