The University of Â鶹´«Ã½ System has received more than $427 million from the (NSF) over a 10-year period from fiscal year 2012 through 2021 for cutting-edge research in a variety of fields. On August 30, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ to learn more about the world-class research conducted by faculty, students and staff.
Panchanathan is a computer scientist and engineer, and the 15th director of NSF, a $8.8 billion independent federal agency and the only government agency charged with advancing all fields of scientific discovery, technological innovation and STEM education.
“The National Science Foundation essentially is responsible for unleashing great ideas and talent all across our nation, and in the state of Â鶹´«Ã½, there is tremendous talent and ideas,” said Panchanathan. “There is also amazing context. If you look at the domain of sustainability, or if you want to understand climate and oceanography, and understanding astronomy, here is a place that is a living laboratory. ¡The University of Â鶹´«Ã½ and other institutions in the islands are doing a fantastic job.”
In FY 2021, UH was receiving the most funding from NSF, ranking higher than Harvard University and Duke University.
“We are grateful that the National Science Foundation awards an average of more than $42 million annually to UH research projects over the past 10 years. This is a testament to the high quality of research being conducted throughout the UH System by our world-class faculty, students and staff,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH vice president for research and innovation.
UH hosted Panchanathan¡¯s visit at C-MORE Hale on the ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ campus. Several faculty members presented their NSF-funded research:
- —Professor David Karl, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST)
- —Professor Angelicque White, SOEST
- (EPSCoR)/—Â鶹´«Ã½ EPSCoR Director Gwen Jacobs and Professor Jason Leigh, director of the UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹
- NSF CAREER: Soil Pedogenesis, Agroecology, and Their Interactions—Assistant Professor Noa Lincoln, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Indigenous Crops and Cropping Systems
- Ola I Ka ʻAina: Reviving Ecosystems Utilizing Science, Math and Indigenous Knowledge—Associate Professor Esther Widiasih, UH West Oʻahu
- Hoʻomalu Haleleʻa: Community-led Innovation for Integrated Flood Resilience—Associate Professor Mehana Vaughan, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹
—By Marc Arakaki