A University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ alumnus has returned to his alma mater as a faculty member to help launch a new initiative aimed at creating engineering opportunities for students statewide.
Trevor Shimokusu completed his PhD in mechanical engineering as a NASA Space Technologies Graduate Research Opportunity fellow at Rice University earlier this year and joined UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s in the fall. The Wai¨¡kea High School graduate, who earned his bachelor of science in from UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ in 2019, will play a key role in a new pre-engineering pathway program that allows students to begin their engineering studies at UH Hilo before transferring to UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ to complete their degrees.
“Having this streamlined program where you can do two years at UH Hilo and then two years at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹, I think would have definitely benefited my case where I could have stayed home and taken advantage of some of the savings,” Shimokusu said.
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The initiative serves multiple purposes: supporting technology development for telescopes on Maunakea and Haleakal¨¡, building educational pathways for aspiring engineers in the state, and expanding Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s tech sector and creating more high-paying jobs on Â鶹´«Ã½ Island and across the state, particularly in astronomy and related fields.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Island roots
Growing up in the close-knit community of Hilo on Â鶹´«Ã½ Island, Shimokusu was particularly inspired by a family friend uncle who helped design Daniel K. Inouye Highway (formerly Saddle Road) that significantly reduced travel time across the island. This early exposure to engineering¡¯s societal impact influenced his career path. To students considering the new pathway program, Shimokusu emphasizes the importance of staying curious and being open to opportunities.
“I don¡¯t think many students are aware of the cutting-edge technologies and high-paying engineering jobs available on Â鶹´«Ã½ Island and Maui to support ground-based astronomy,” he said. “It¡¯s good for them to get that exposure whether it be through research or interacting with industry members in the classroom.”
Earlier this year, Shimokusu learned about the college¡¯s efforts to expand its focus on space science and engineering. He knew that it was a perfect fit.
“It¡¯s an exciting time to be a part of the College of Engineering, which is fostering collaborations across the state and impacting the community with breakthroughs in areas ranging from biomedical applications to clean energy materials,” he said.
Optimizing heat management
As a faculty member of the , Shimokusu will teach courses in the mechanical engineering department at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹. His research lab brings expertise in thermal control devices and systems to address energy efficiency challenges.
“Almost all energy used today is dissipated as heat into the environment, like heat coming from your computer or hot exhaust leaving your car,” Shimokusu said. “My research focuses on controlling heat with smart materials, devices and systems to improve the efficiency of these kinds of processes. In the context of ground-based astronomy, tunable or smart thermal control could lead to energy savings when applied to power-hungry cryogenic refrigeration systems, which are used to keep infrared detectors very cold.”
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—By Marc Arakaki