Fourteen University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa academic subjects were ranked among the world’s best in the 2026 , released on March 25.

Four subjects placed in the top 22 in the nation and top 100 in the world. Leading the way was geology (No. 19 in the U.S. and No. 51–100 in the world), geophysics (No. 19 in the U.S. and No. 51–100 in the world), Earth and marine sciences (No. 21 in the U.S. and No. 51–100 in the world) and linguistics (No. 22 in the U.S. and No. 61 in the world).

Ten additional subjects placed in the world’s top 2% (within top 500 in the world out of ):

• English language and literature: No. 28 U.S., No. 101–150 world
• Agriculture and forestry: No. 30 U.S., No. 151–200 world
• Anthropology: No. 31 U.S., No. 101–200 world
• Modern languages: No. 41 U.S., No. 251–300 world
• Environmental sciences: No. 66 U.S., No. 351–400 world
• Communication and media studies: No. 68 U.S., No. 251–275 world
• Physics and astronomy: No. 70 U.S., No. 401–450 world
• Education: No. 78 U.S., No. 351–400 world
• Medicine: No. 99 U.S., No. 451–500 world
• Biological sciences: No. 100 U.S., No. 451–500 world

“These rankings highlight the exceptional work and commitment of our faculty, students and staff,” UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos said. “They showcase the university’s global standing and reinforce that UH Mānoa offers outstanding educational opportunities and experiences for both our local community and those joining us from around the world.”

UH Mānoa was ranked in three broad subject areas and 14 narrow subject areas. The QS World University Rankings by Subject are calculated using five criteria: academic reputation (measures the reputation of institutions and their programs by asking academic experts to nominate universities based on their subject area of expertise), employer reputation (measures the reputation of institutions and their programs among employers), research citations per paper (measures the impact and quality of the scientific work done by institutions, on average per publication), H-index (measures both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar) and international research network (measure of an institution’s success in creating and sustaining research partnerships with institutions in other locations).

The 2026 edition of the rankings by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds analyzed the performance of more than 18,300 university programs, taken by students at more than 1,700 universities in 100 locations around the world.

Other rankings

UH Mānoa also received these notable rankings:

• 2025 U.S. News and World Report best online programs, January 27, 2026
• 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, January 21, 2026
• 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, January 4, 2026

What if Homo erectus (H. erectus), the direct ancestor of modern humans, arrived in China much earlier than we thought? on February 18, may rewrite our understanding of early human dispersal in that area.

A study by a team of geoscientists and anthropologists, including corresponding author Christopher J. Bae from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s in the , confirms that H. erectus appeared in Yunxian, China 1.7 million years ago, about 600,000 years earlier than previous studies indicated.

Prior to this study, which was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the U.S. National Science Foundation, the oldest Yunxian H. erectus fossils were reported to be about 1.1 million years old. The revised timeline reshapes one of the earliest chapters of human history, suggesting our ancestors spread across continents earlier—and possibly more successfully—than scientists once believed.

“While Homo erectus, our distant ancestor, is widely recognized to have originated in Africa before dispersing into Eurasia, the precise timeline of its arrival in eastern Asia was unknown,” said Bae. “Using the combination of the Yunxian H. erectus fossils and burial dating data, we have now been able to recreate a fairly robust dating reconstruction of when these hominins appeared in eastern Asia.”

Calculating burial data

The researchers used Aluminum-26 (Al-26) and Beryllium-10 (Be-10) burial dating to determine the age of the Yunxian fossils. Hua Tu, lead author, describes the method as using aluminum and beryllium isotopes in sediment from the same stratigraphic level as the fossils to determine when it was first buried and shielded from cosmic radiation.

“Al-26 and Be-10 isotopes are produced when cosmic rays hit quartz minerals. Once buried deeply underground, isotope production stops and radioactive decay takes over. By using aluminum’s and beryllium’s known decay rates, and comparing the ratio of the two types of atoms left in sediment samples surrounding a fossil, researchers can calculate how long a fossil has been buried. This is key as traditional Carbon-14 dating is limited to the last 50,000 years while the Al-26/Be-10 method allows researchers to accurately date materials as far back as 5 million years ago,” said Tu, from the Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University and College of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing Normal University.

Related story: Possible new ancient human species uncovered by �鶹��ýscientist, November 2024

Bae added, “These findings challenge long-held assumptions regarding when the earliest hominins are thought to have moved out of Africa and into Asia. While these results are significant, the mystery of exactly when H. erectus first appeared and last appeared in the region remains. If H. erectus was not the earliest occupant to reach Asia, alternative species must be considered. The updated chronology for Yunxian is a critical step toward resolving these debates.”

In addition to Bae and Tu, other team members include:

• Xiaobo Feng: School of History and Culture, Shanxi University
• Lan Luo: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory, Purdue University
• Zhongping Lai: Institute of Marine Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, Shantou University and Alpine Paleoecology and Human Adaptation Group (ALPHA), State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Darryl Granger: Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University
• Guanjun Shen: College of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing Normal University and Institute of Marine Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, Shantou University

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� has recognized 20 degree programs for exemplary commitment to improving curriculum and student learning through a new faculty-led honor launched this academic year.

The Excellence in Assessment for Improvement: Hōpoe Assessment Award celebrates programs that demonstrate outstanding, collaborative assessment practices. “Hōpoe” describes the ʻōhiʻa lehua in its fullest, most vibrant bloom—a symbol of programs that have matured and flourished. The award was established in 2025 by the ����ԴDz� Faculty Senate’s Committee on Educational Effectiveness (CEE).

“This award represents the maturity and beauty of programs that have truly blossomed through meaningful assessment,” said Justin Walguarnery, CEE committee chair. “It is a ‘for faculty, by faculty’ initiative that celebrates the hard work of using assessment to make an appreciable difference in the academic experience.”

The inaugural recipients include programs in:

• Anthropology (MA and PhD)
• Asian International Affairs (MA)
• Cinematic Arts (BA)
• Early Childhood Education (MEd)
• Education (PhD)
• Education: Teaching (MEdT)
• Educational Admin (MEd)
• Educational Psychology (MEd and PhD)
• Elementary Education (BEd)
• Library & Information Sciences (MLISC)
• Professional Educational Practice (EdD)
• Secondary Education (BEd)
• Social Work (BSW)
• Sociology (MA)
• Special Education (BEd and MEd)
• Theatre and Dance (BA and BFA)

Faculty-driven review process

Recipients were selected through a rigorous peer-review process led by the Assessment Report Review Committee (ARRC), a group of about 40 faculty members trained jointly by CEE and the UH Assessment and Curriculum Support Center (ACSC). Organizers describe the award as a fully faculty-owned effort that highlights collaboration and shared accountability.

This award represents the maturity and beauty of programs that have truly blossomed through meaningful assessment.
—Justin Walguarney

All UH ����ԴDz� degree programs submit biennial assessment reports outlining student learning outcomes, curriculum development and benchmarks for achievement. These reports are required for accreditation and are publicly available on the ACSC website. From more than 200 undergraduate and graduate programs, 20 were recognized in the award’s inaugural year.

Beginning in fall 2026, every degree program will have the opportunity to self-evaluate using the award criteria, including student learning outcomes, curriculum mapping, evidence of learning, fair and reliable evaluation, use of results and culturally responsive assessment practices. Programs indicating “full bloom” will be automatically nominated for review.

By expanding both self- and peer-nomination pathways, organizers hope to spotlight the collaborative, reflective work strengthening education across campus.

CEE committee members that developed the award are Justin Walguarnery, Nicole Schlaack, Jamie Simpson Steele, Joseph Foukona, Alice Tse, Joanna Philippoff, Emile Loza de Siles, Dan Port, Maya Saffery, Jessica Gasiorek, Aimee Chung, Arby Barone, Ann Sakaguchi, Alohilani Okamura, Monica Esquivel and Yao Hill.

The (CAS) has bestowed its highest honor, the Fellows Medal, to Professor Patrick V. Kirch of the (CSS) at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa. This award recognizes Kirch’s contributions to the natural sciences by illuminating the “evolution of complex societies, preindustrial agricultural systems, and the dynamic interactions between human populations and their ecosystems.”

“I am deeply honored to receive the Fellows Medal from the California Academy of Sciences because it underscores the critical importance of island studies in understanding global human-environmental dynamics,” said Kirch. “I am proud to work alongside colleagues and communities, and contribute to the scientific dialogue from our unique island perspective.”

Kirch utilizes islands as “model systems” for understanding cultural evolution and the complex relationships between people and their environment. His decades of archaeological and extensive ethnographic fieldwork span the Hawaiian Islands, Mussau Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Futuna, the Cook Islands, Society Islands and Mangareva Islands.

Kirch has published 25 books and monographs and more than 300 articles and chapters on the results of his research. He has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. Kirch is also a Living Treasure of �鶹��ý, an honor bestowed in 2022 by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of �鶹��ý.

“The Fellows Medal is a pinnacle achievement, and Professor Kirch’s recognition reflects the caliber of scholarship the College of Social Sciences is proud to champion,” said CSS Dean Denise Eby Konan. “His pioneering research as an archeologist and anthropologist across the Pacific, including his extensive fieldwork in �鶹��ý, Fiji, Tonga and French Polynesia, has provided critical insights into Polynesian settlement, cultural evolution and ecological adaptation. This recognition underscores the global impact of his work.”

Kirch received the Fellows Medal at the CAS annual meeting in October. The is a governing body of more than 500 distinguished scientists and leaders recognized for their significant achievements in scientific research, education and communication. The medal is presented to prominent scientists who have made outstanding contributions to their specific scientific fields and exemplifies the power of “weaving science, education and collaboration to have a positive impact for the planet and people.”

Two University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa graduates are making a difference at the (DPAA), where they work to identify the remains of U.S. service members who never returned home from past conflicts.

Forensic anthropologists Ashley Atkins and Stephanie Medrano both credit UH with preparing them for meaningful careers at DPAA, which operates the world’s largest forensic anthropology laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Korean War project

Atkins earned her PhD in in UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s in May 2025 after moving to �鶹��ý in 2017 to pursue her dissertation research on human remains in Japan. She works on DPAA’s Korean War project, which involves identifying soldiers’ remains disinterred from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl.

“Every other week we’re doing disinterments at Punchbowl, so we get eight sets of new remains and we go through those and go through the identification process using anthropological methods,” Atkins said. “It’s just such a nice and meaningful job to have, and you always feel like you’re doing something important.”

Atkins said UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s anthropology department and the played a critical role in her development.

“UH really shaped me into a more polished anthropologist,” she said. “My advisor (Professor Christopher Bae) was so knowledgeable and helpful to me, and as a whole UH has been great for me. The Center for Japanese Studies was one of my funding outlets so I wouldn’t have been able to do my research without their funding. I also got a lot of experience at the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Willed Body Program.”

She continues to give back as a lecturer in forensic anthropology at UH Mānoa.

Tarawa and Solomon Islands projects

Medrano, who graduated from UH Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 2011 and with a certificate in forensic anthropology in 2017, works on DPAA’s Tarawa and Solomon Islands projects. She analyzes both complete and fragmentary remains to help bring families answers after decades of uncertainty.

“It definitely is a privilege to work here to try to provide families with closure,” Medrano said. “These individuals have been looking for their family members, some going on 80 years because we deal with World War II individuals as well. It’s a really awesome feeling to be able to give that to family members.”

Medrano said UH provided the mentorship and opportunities that led her into the field.

“When I first started there, I had really good mentors. Dr. (Miriam) Stark was really integral in my education, and Dr. (Christopher) Bae was also really important too,” she said. “Luckily, UH West Oʻahu had the forensic anthropology certificate program, and part of their curriculum was to do an internship here at DPAA. So it all kind of ties together.”

‘Dream job’

The graduates’ work comes as UH and DPAA strengthen ties through a new five-year Education Partnership Agreement signed in August 2025. The agreement aims to expand research collaborations, student opportunities and scientific innovation to advance DPAA’s humanitarian mission.

“I think for forensic anthropologists as a whole, working at the DPAA is where you would like to end up—a lot of people’s dream jobs,” Atkins said. “I would like for anthropologists and just anyone in any field to know that you can get to your ultimate dream goal for a job.”

“I came in as a 3rd-year undergraduate at UH and I was still trying to find my path. It was the professors that worked at UH Mānoa and then the professors that worked at UH West Oʻahu that really helped me,” Medrano said. “For students, if you apply yourself, network and utilize the resources that are at UH—because there’s a lot—you’ll be able to, let’s say if you did want to be a forensic anthropologist, you could end up here and/or whatever it is that you wanted to do.”

The University of �鶹��ý System and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) have officially entered into a new Education Partnership Agreement aimed at enhancing science and technology education while advancing DPAA’s critical mission of accounting for missing U.S. personnel from past conflicts.

The five-year agreement, signed on August 19, by UH President Wendy Hensel and DPAA Director Kelly K. McKeague, creates a formal framework for collaborative research, educational enrichment and workforce development. Under the agreement, UH students and faculty will gain access to DPAA’s scientific expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, data collections and assignment opportunities, while DPAA will benefit from UH’s innovation initiatives, academic resources, and talented staff and students.

“This partnership exemplifies how state and federal institutions can work together to inspire and nurture the next generation of researchers and public servants,” said Hensel. “Through hands-on experience and direct mentorship from DPAA experts, our students will be uniquely positioned to contribute to a mission rooted in honor, science and service.”

This agreement will also allow DPAA to continue to work with UH on joint efforts to develop new methods and technologies to support DPAA’s personnel recovery operations. Since 2021, DPAA partnered with the UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s to develop Cambodia’s archaeological capacity through the Cambodian Completion Initiative, which enables Cambodian archaeologists to potentially lead investigative and recovery-type accounting operations in their home country.

More recently, DPAA also worked with the UH Mānoa ’s Willed Body Program to develop a database of isotopic signatures of �鶹��ý-based individuals to establish comparisons with continental U.S. American and Asian populations to help in DPAA’s efforts to distinguish Asian American personnel missing from World War II and the Korean War.

“The Daniel K. Inouye Center of Excellence, located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, is the preeminent forensic science laboratory in the world,” said McKeague. “Through this strategic partnership with UH, DPAA is able to leverage their cutting-edge academic research and technological innovation to advance our humanitarian mission. This collaboration also provides unique educational and professional development opportunities for students and researchers who are passionate about public service and science.”

The UH and DPAA Education Partnership Agreement connects academic talent with real-world challenges, and fosters an environment where academic discovery and national service go hand in hand.

A University of �鶹��ý at Hilo professor is collaborating on a groundbreaking study into the heart of Marshallese seafaring and the human brain.

This August, UH Hilo anthropology professor Joseph Genz and an international crew of scientists will study Indigenous sailors who will set sail aboard a trimaran. Researchers will analyze the documentary-filmed voyage to examine how traditional wave-piloting techniques can deepen our understanding of spatial awareness and possibly neurological disease.

“The most exciting aspect of this project for me is the applied nature of research on traditional navigation to the medical field—mariners’ knowledge of Marshallese seascapes, geographies of the coral atolls of the Marshall Islands, and orientation during inter-island voyaging has the potential to provide culture-specific insights into detection of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Genz.

How navigators move, see, think

The project brings together experts in physics, neuroscience, philosophy, oceanography, anthropology and computer science. At its core: two master navigators from the Marshall Islands who rely on feel and sight to read ocean swells, allowing them to sense islands beyond the visible horizon.

Genz, whose work has long focused on the revival of Marshallese navigation, said the research could lead to earlier detection of Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects spatial orientation. He first connected to Marshallese voyaging 20 years ago through a canoe-building program. He never imagined that journey would one day link to neuroscience research.

Fellow researcher and UH Hilo alumna Jerolynn Myazoe, a Marshallese anthropologist, studied under Genz and is a key partner in the project.

The team will use mobile eye-tracking and 360-degree motion capture to document how navigators move, see and think while sailing. The results could not only preserve these ancient skills, but help heal a community deeply impacted by U.S. nuclear testing and displacement in the mid-1900s.

“[This] invokes a model of knowledge co-production and empowers the Marshallese community,” Genz said.

The collaborative project brings together researchers from UH Hilo, University of Stirling in Scotland, University College London and Harvard University.

—by Susan Enright

For more go to .

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� students swept all 24 student awards at the annual Excellence in Journalism awards, hosted by the (SPJ), July 30.

Headlining the group were the following first-place winners:

• Student Investigative Journalism in Any Media—Lili Hurd ( major)
• Student Breaking News in Any Media—Emma Davidson (journalism major)
• Student Feature Journalism in Any Media—Flynn Hamlin (2024 journalism graduate)
• Student Sports Journalism in Any Media—Justin Gardner (2024 journalism graduate)
• Student Journalism Featuring Video—Lili Hurd
• Student Journalism Featuring Photography—Kiersten Morgan (exploratory major)
• Student Journalism Featuring Audio—Alyssa Francesca Salcedo (2025 journalism graduate)
• Student Editorial/Opinion Writing—Emma Caires (2025 journalism graduate)

Associate Professor Youjeong Kim from the in UH �Ѳ��ԴDz�’s and faculty sponsor of the UH ����ԴDz� SPJ Student Chapter, said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see our students recognized for their hard work. They’re not just learning how to report the truth—they’re out there doing it, with heart and a strong sense of responsibility. Their work makes a real difference in �鶹��ý, and I’m proud to support them.”

Other students who won awards included majors in , and . Suah Cho, an incoming PhD student in the communication and information sciences program, won three awards for stories that were published in Civil Beat, where she interned in 2024. Many faculty members and alumni also earned awards in professional categories.

.

John D’Amato and Kristina Inn, two alumni from the in the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s , have established a $1 million endowment to honor two of their former professors: Jacob “Jack” Bilmes and Alice Dewey.

“Both Jack and Alice were kind, generous and devoted to their students,” said D’Amato (PhD ’86, MA ’77 UH ����ԴDz�), a retired benefits lawyer and partner at D’Amato & Maloney, LLP. “I feel an obligation to honor their legacy and their contributions to anthropological academia.”

Jacob “Jack” Bilmes Endowed Professorship in Cultural Anthropology

The Jacob “Jack” Bilmes Endowed Professorship in Cultural Anthropology will support the research and education goals of a faculty member whose work is concerned with the study of human societies and cultures, and their development. A prolific writer, Bilmes was the author of Discourse and Behavior and The Structure of Meaning in Talk: Explorations in Category Analysis.

Bilmes also published various scholarly articles on a range of subjects, including microanalysis of verbal interaction, ethnomethodology, narrative, public policy, social theory, Thai social organization and discourse, and “occasioned semantics,” focusing on structures of meaning in actual, interactive talk.

“We are deeply honored by this extraordinary gift, the largest single donation in the Department of Anthropology’s history,” said UH ����ԴDz� College of Social Sciences Dean Denise Eby Konan. “It celebrates the remarkable contributions of our esteemed faculty, Jacob Bilmes and Alice Dewey, who have profoundly impacted the lives of their students.”

Graduate Student Endowment, in honor of Alice Dewey

The Graduate Student Endowment, in honor of Alice Dewey, will help defray a student’s costs associated with attendance, including tuition, books, fees and travel for research on cultural anthropology, biological anthropology and/or archeology.

Dewey was an economic anthropologist who studied peasant societies, and social structures and change. A compassionate and empathetic mentor, she opened her ����ԴDz� home rent-free to graduate students with one stipulation: they had to prepare one meal per week for the household.

“This gift not only recognizes the excellence of our faculty, but also addresses the vital needs of our graduate students,” Konan said. “It stands as a powerful testament to the importance of our programs and the lasting influence they have on our community. We are profoundly grateful for this generous investment, which will support our faculty and students for generations to come and leave a lasting legacy of inspiration and opportunity.”

Twenty two academic subjects at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� earned high marks in the 2025 , released on March 12.

Leading the way was linguistics, which earned a No. 11 ranking in the U.S. and No. 40 ranking in the world. Library and information management (No. 17 U.S., No. 51–100 world) and Earth and marine sciences (No. 20 U.S., No. 51–100 world) also placed within the top 100 in the world.

Eleven additional subjects placed in the world’s top 1% (within top 250 in the world out of ):

• Geophysics: No. 30 U.S., No. 101–150 world
• Geology: No. 31 U.S., No. 101–150 world
• Anthropology: No. 35 U.S., No. 101–170 world
• Agriculture and forestry: No. 34 U.S., No. 151–200 world
• English language and literature: No. 40 U.S., No. 151–200 world
• Philosophy: No. 42 U.S., No. 201–225 world
• Geography: No. 34 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• History: No. 42 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• Politics: No. 43 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• Physics and astronomy: No. 45 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• Communication and media studies: No. 57 U.S., No. 201–250 world

“These rankings reflect the outstanding scholarship and dedication of our faculty, staff and students,” UH ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno said. “They reaffirm our university’s reputation for excellence and innovation, not just in �鶹��ý, but on a global scale. For the communities we serve and the students considering UH ����ԴDz�, these rankings are a powerful endorsement of the exceptional education and opportunities we provide.”

UH ����ԴDz� was ranked in four broad subject areas and 22 narrow subject areas. The QS World University Rankings by Subject are calculated using five criteria: academic reputation (survey responses from academics), employer reputation (survey responses from graduate employers worldwide), research citations per paper (citations data sourced from Elsevier Scopus), H-index (measures most cited papers and the number of citations) and international research network (reflects ability to diversify the geography of their international research network).

The 2025 edition of the rankings by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds analyzed the performance of more than 18,300 university programs, taken by students at more than 1,700 universities in 100 locations around the world.

Other rankings

UH ����ԴDz� also received these notable rankings:

• UH ����ԴDz� earns highest national research designation, February 20, 2025
• 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, January 23, 2025
• U.S. News and World Report 2025 Best Colleges rankings, September 24, 2024