Low-cost, maritime acoustic sensors that detect incoming aircraft were showcased by the University of �鶹��ý’s (ARL at UH) in front of an international audience at the 2025 Field Experimentation event (POST FX) on March 7.

Nine sensors were deployed in waters off Marine Corps Base �鶹��ý, and the information they collected was transmitted to a computer on shore. The sensors are intended to assist Pacific Rim allies and partners in strengthening coastal defense.

This was one of more than 20 cutting-edge tech demonstrations that were showcased at POST FX, which is an annual event designed to provide a stage for demonstrations of novel and emerging technologies that engage defense innovators from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. allies and partners from around the Indo-Pacific region. It drew approximately 800 attendees from government, industry and academia spanning 10 countries. Along with participating, ARL at UH also planned, organized and executed the event.

“This is the fourth year that we’ve done this. Every year it gets bigger and it gets better,” ARL at UH Director Margo Edwards said. “This year we have 22 technologies. All of them are actually active, so it’s not just a tabletop display. There’s something that’s going on.”

Defense, surveillance, providing aid

Demonstrations aligned with innovation priorities established by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, including defense against electronic attacks, improved awareness of land, sea, and air domains, and the provision of humanitarian aid in the wake of natural disasters.

“It’s really critical that the Applied Research Laboratory continues to be a center of excellence for federating the research community around defense innovation,” said Joshua Baghdady, POST FX coordinator and ARL at UH uncrewed systems communications engineer. “It’s good for �鶹��ý and it’s good for the Pacific Rim as we maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific with our like-minded allies and partners.”

The theme for the 2025 Pacific Operational Science and Technology Conference was “Together We Prevail.” The university’s participation emphasized its role in technology development and cooperation around the Pacific region.

“It’s really cool that we’ve been able to participate in this event,” said Matthew Nakamura, a UH ����ԴDz� PhD candidate in and graduate research assistant at ARL at UH. “I’ve been here every year, and being able to interact with folks around the world is really good to showcase UH’s capabilities.”

The at the University of �鶹��ý (ARL at UH) has secured a $110 million, five-year contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), with the potential for a five-year extension. This funding will support groundbreaking research, development, engineering, testing and evaluation of DoD programs.

As one of only five U.S. Navy-sponsored University-Affiliated Research Centers, ARL at UH has secured over $175 million in funding since its establishment in 2008. The laboratory conducts innovative research addressing some of today’s most pressing challenges, including renewable energy, sea-level rise, cybersecurity, underwater munitions detection and coral reef ecology.

“The Applied Research Laboratory at UH is not only tackling critical challenges that impact �鶹��ý and the world, but it’s also paving the way for �鶹��ý’s students to lead in high-tech fields,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “This partnership positions UH and our state as global leaders in innovative solutions, from coastal defense to renewable energy and advanced cybersecurity.”

Examples of ARL at UH research:

• R3D Coastal Defense: ARL at UH leads the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) initiative, developing hybrid coral reefs to protect coastlines from erosion and storm surges while supporting marine biodiversity.
• Wave Energy Test Site (WETS): In partnership with �鶹��ý Natural Energy Institute, ARL at UH operates WETS, the first U.S. project to connect wave-generated power to the grid. WETS advances renewable energy innovation and reinforces �鶹��ý’s clean energy leadership.
• Locating and Mapping Munitions: For over 15 years, ARL at UH has located and mapped thousands of corroding munitions off �鶹��ý’s coastlines, reducing risks to public safety and marine ecosystems.
• Cybersecurity: ARL at UH strengthens Pacific region cybersecurity through advanced computing and Machine Learning models, ensuring rapid anomaly detection and infrastructure resilience.
• Shaping the Future of Technology: ARL at UH drives innovation in digital engineering, prototyping, and maritime technologies, advancing solutions for national defense and environmental sustainability.

Related UH News stories:

• UH experts develop new tech to find sea-disposed munitions, September 15, 2024
• UH developed, living coastal-protection system prepares for deployment, September 2, 2024
• ARL at UH provides support for �鶹��ý during emergencies, May 9, 2024
• ARL at UH work helps data tech earn graduate research fellowship, May 3, 2024
• ARL at UH innovative tech hub for �鶹��ý, national defense, March 27, 2024
• Autonomous surface vehicles, remote sensors, more on display at MCBH, March 8, 2024

Over the past 15 years the University of �鶹��ý’s (ARL at UH) has worked to locate and map thousands of munitions (bombs, bullets, etc.) the U.S. military disposed off of the coast of �鶹��ý after World War II. Since the mid 1940s, the munitions have been corroding on the ocean floor, often in shallow waters, where they potentially pose a risk to beachgoers, swimmers, surfers and divers.

“Around the end of World War II, there were a lot of excess, obsolete and damaged bombs here in �鶹��ý,” said Margo Edwards, director of ARL at UH, who has been spearheading the effort. “And the way we disposed of them was dumping them in the ocean. So we’re trying to find the things that were dumped in the ocean decades ago.”

Researchers estimate that �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s sea floor is littered with more than 100,000 underwater munitions, with some being discovered near popular recreational areas such as Kāneʻohe Bay and Lanikai Beach. ARL at UH is developing new technologies designed to detect munitions using advanced ocean platforms and sensor payloads. They tested their approach over the summer from an uncrewed surface vessel at Sand Island.

“We have some ocean sensors that are connected with our Mini Sondes or MiSos that are collecting ocean temperature, ocean pressure, sound speed and supply voltage,” said Joshua Baghdady, a research engineer at ARL at UH. “They’re feeding back to our ground station in near real-time.”

The project brings together both UH and high school students, providing hands-on training in the latest underwater detection technologies. By emphasizing workforce development, the project aims to equip the next generation with skills in underwater mapping while fostering an interest in STEM career pathways.

“We want to create maps of the area around Oʻahu so we can tell people where there might be a hazard, so that’s one thing,” said Edwards. “But the second part that you’ll see looking at this team is we’re training the next generation of people to be able to do this work.”

Common practice globally

The issue of sea-disposed munitions is not a problem unique to �鶹��ý, as the practice was common across the global ocean, and the exact locations of many dump sites were poorly documented. At the time the munitions were disposed, navigation systems such as GPS, the Global Positioning System, were neither prevalent nor very accurate, creating an ongoing challenge for those attempting to find munitions and assess or remediate them.

“I was in Malta, right in the middle of the Mediterranean, talking to the folks there who are dealing with the same problem to tell them about the techniques that we’re trying to develop in �鶹��ý,” said Edwards. “So that they can potentially put them to good use too.”

The Department of Defense approved a two-year partnership with �鶹��ýto establish a Maritime Test Range Complex. This project will enable researchers from around the world to test new detection technologies in �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s clear waters.

Recognize, retreat, report

A key component of the ARL at UH’s work is furthering public education and public awareness of safety procedures related to munitions. The Army’s 3Rs Program aims to inform the public about what they should do if they suspect they have encountered munitions:

• Recognize: Be aware when you may have encountered munitions, and that munitions are dangerous.
• Retreat: Do not approach, touch, move or disturb munitions, but carefully leave the area.
• Report: Call 911 and advise the police of what you saw and where you saw it.

The University of �鶹��ý (UH) has reached a milestone in the U.S. Department of Defense funded project that aims to create a living breakwater system to protect coastlines from erosion and create ecosystems where resilient corals and other ocean life can grow and thrive.

The project, spearheaded by the at UH (ARL at UH) in partnership with UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s (SOEST), has completed the first concrete reef structure, and full production is now underway for 60 units. Pending permit approval, the project is on track for its first deployment of a 50-meter array of structures near the Ulupaʻu crater, off the Kailua Bay side of Marine Corps Base �鶹��ý in late 2024, early 2025.

The Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) is a $27 million, five-year project funded by the (DARPA) and is in partnership with University of California San Diego/Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Florida Atlantic University, Ohio State University and industry partner Makai Ocean Engineering located in �鶹��ý.

“This project aims to redesign how we do coastal protection,” said Ben Jones, R3D principal investigator and ARL at UH Director of Ocean Science and Technology. “We’re looking at how to engineer a living breakwater system to protect coastlines and that will incorporate living coral. So we’ve engineered a coral reef that is inspired by natural fringing reefs.”

Concrete reef prototypes

The two concrete reef prototypes, cast at Campbell Industrial Park, feature large holes to dissipate wave energy and are specifically designed to promote coral growth:

• The Reef Crest structure (20 ft long x 8 ft wide x 7.7 ft high, 11.7 U.S. tons) will bear the brunt of the larger waves and will be anchored to the seabed to prevent it from moving during larger-wave events.
• The Back Reef Structures (13.6 ft diameter x 5.2 ft tall x 4.4 US tons) will rest in calmer environments.

The structures will sit just below the water’s surface and leverage the natural shape of the seafloor to preserve the areas’ natural aesthetics.

“This is a really great project, a truly interdisciplinary project,” said Zhenhua Huang, SOEST Ocean and Resources Engineering professor. “I am a coastal engineer and through this project I am working with marine biologists, which is a totally different field. So, we work together to achieve this common goal, which is to come up with a solution that is nature based.”

Adaptive biology, nature-based solutions

One (HIMB) team has been breeding more resilient corals that are better at adjusting to warming oceans caused by climate change.

“The adaptive biology part of it is focused on how we get corals onto the structure that are going to survive marine heat waves and future climate change,” said Robert Toonen, HIMB research professor. “This project builds on over a decade of research at HIMB.”

A second HIMB team worked on the design and fabrication of coral settlement modules, complex habitat shapes, that will be placed on the concrete reef base structures. These structures will naturally recruit coral larvae. Additionally, thermally tolerant corals will be attached to some of the modules, which are designed to mimic natural coral reefs.

“We put out these structures with special crevices, cracks and crannies that we’ve noticed through multiple generations of design that coral babies love,” said Joshua Madin, HIMB research professor. “We kind of reverse engineered the reef to find out what they love about the reef and then we reproduced those using 3D printing and concrete casting methods and tested them.”

Project’s next phase

After the team deploys the structures off of Marine Corps Base �鶹��ý, the site will be monitored. Researchers say they will be able to measure the reduction in wave energy immediately, but it will take a few years to measure the success of the growth of the resilient corals and ecosystem.

“One of the most valuable aspects of this project is that we are taking all of the lessons that we are learning and developing a robust template for how to implement this work elsewhere,” said Joshua Levy, the project’s technical program manager. “This includes customizing surveying techniques and technology designs that best mimic the area’s physical environment and natural genetic diversity.”

The R3D team is also exploring potential applications at other vulnerable coastlines on Oʻahu such as Puʻuloa Range Training Facility in ʻEwa, and the Kaʻaʻawa coast.

Research that matters

R3D is one of many research projects at UH, which set a record in extramural funding awarded, with $615.7 million in fiscal year 2024. Extramural funding is investments from external agencies such as the federal government that support research conducted by university faculty and staff.

“This groundbreaking project is a prime example of how our world-class research is making a real impact in our communities,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Addressing coastal erosion and creating more resilient coral reefs is research that matters to all of us here in Hawaʻi and to many around the world.”

The at the University of �鶹��ý (ARL at UH) is known for its research in renewable energy, coastal defense for sea-level rise, cybersecurity and more but it has also been active in supporting the community, especially in times of crisis.

Maui wildfires

ARL at UH worked with the Maui tech community to distribute Starlink terminals to Lahaina as part of the wildfire recovery effort. Approximately 500 Starlink terminals were distributed over two days, reestablishing communications for emergency personnel and those affected by the wildfires. The team also developed an app to organize information about missing community members and coordinated financial and supply donations for the Lahaina community, acting as “boots on the ground” to support recovery on Maui.

“Our work is community-driven. We help meet the needs of many of the emerging problems �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s communities are facing,” said Margo Edwards, director of ARL at UH. “ARL at UH is at the forefront of technological innovation for disaster response, which will be crucial for �鶹��ý as climate change continues to impact our state.”

COVID-19 pandemic

ARL at UH partnered with the �鶹��ý Pandemic Applied Modeling Work Group to create a forecast tool that allowed epidemiologists to visualize the future state of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tool helped �鶹��ý’s medical professionals prepare for hospital capacity and overflow.

“Several online tools exist that incorporate the SEIR [model for infectious disease dynamics] model, however, what we did was take those tools and customize it for �鶹��ý to support �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��—a�����⾱�Բ� the lessons from around the world and also factoring in �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s unique circumstances,” said Baseem Missaghi, an application developer at ARL at UH who helped work on the forecasting tool. “It also allowed us to develop a strong relationship with other groups in �鶹��ý that had a shared passion for helping the community.”

With the UH Mānoa College of Engineering, ARL at UH assisted �鶹��ý physicians to develop a technique for ventilating up to four patients using a single ventilator with a “multi-split ventilator system.” ARL at UH also partnered with the UH Mānoa School of Nursing to develop and deploy an app to count how masks were being worn in �鶹��ý.

“ARL at UH has the ability to quickly build services, tools and apps,” said Missaghi. “Our work with the Department of Education on a check-in app and the UH Mānoa School of Nursing on the facemask tracking app allowed ARL at UH to help and serve the �鶹��ý community.”

ARL at UH is the fifth U.S. Navy-sponsored University-Affiliated Research Center, bringing in a total of $139 million since it was established in 2008.

A data analyst at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (ARL at UH) was selected for the highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) . This five-year fellowship will cover tuition and provide a stipend at any eligible graduate program for which the awardee is selected.

Joining ARL at UH, Ian Robertson became involved with the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) project. One of his contributions to the project was the development of a cutting-edge machine learning algorithm aimed at characterizing how waves break over artificial structures. His work has helped to advance the understanding of wave dynamics and holds promise for improving coastal defense strategies.

“When I started at ARL, I had limited hands-on experience in oceanography despite my math degree,” said Robertson. “However, over the past three years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on various projects and pick up invaluable skills.”

Robertson is continuing his education through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program by pursuing a PhD in physical oceanography.

“Collaborating with experts in different fields has been instrumental in my research journey,” Robertson said. “Working with colleagues from ocean engineering, marine biology, and various institutions has been eye-opening. It’s essential to bridge the gap between scientists and engineers to develop holistic solutions to complex oceanographic challenges.”

More on R3D

ARL at UH is leading the development of a hybrid coral reef that is designed to protect coastal infrastructure from flooding, erosion and storm damage. The goal of this project is to provide alternatives to coastline hardening solutions, such as traditional breakwaters, jetties or sea walls, with a nature-based solution that incorporates a living ecosystem with a wave-attenuating base structure.

“Coral reefs are in a dire state worldwide and the impact goes beyond the losses of beaches and coastal property,” said R3D Principal Investigator Ben Jones. “These losses negatively affect local economies and Indigenous communities throughout the Pacific who have subsisted off reefs for generations. Ian’s research will help us understand the nature of the waves breaking near our hybrid reef and will ensure that we can reestablish a thriving, diverse coral reef community in areas where degraded reefs currently persist.”

ARL at UH is partnering with the and the UH Mānoa as well as a local industry partner, Makai Ocean Engineering, to develop this living breakwater that can reduce wave energy, encourage coral settlement and growth, and survive marine heatwaves. In December 2023 ARL at UH was awarded phase two of the project which includes deployment of a prototype structure in Kailua Bay near Ulupaʻu crater on Mōkapu peninsula.

The at the University of �鶹��ý (ARL at UH) is addressing a wide range of emerging problems facing �鶹��ý and the world such as renewable energy, coastal defense for sea-level rise, submerged breakwaters and coral reef ecology, cybersecurity, underwater munitions detection, and more.

“As the state advances its research and innovation sector to create a more diversified economy through the growth of a high-tech workforce, the University of �鶹��ý continues to be a driving force behind this initiative,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “The ARL at UH continues to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research while providing a pathway for students to receive the real-world experience required for the high-tech sector here in �鶹��ý and across the country.”

ARL at UH is the fifth U.S. Navy-sponsored University-Affiliated Research Center, bringing in a total of $139 million since it was established in 2008. In 2022, ARL at UH received $27 million in funding.

“I see our role at ARL as being at the forefront of technological innovation, to help protect those who protect us, whether that’s the military, first responders or our planet,” said Margo Edwards, director of ARL at UH. “This research is important to our state and country, and it is exciting that it is happening right here in �鶹��ý.”

The Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) is an example of that important research. The renewable energy project is a collaboration between the �鶹��ý Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) and ARL at UH and a proving ground for wave energy converters (WECs). WETS achieved a groundbreaking milestone in 2015 by connecting wave-generated power to the grid for the first time in the U.S.

“Thanks to the funding provided in support of advancing wave energy, from both the U.S. Navy and the Department of Energy, my team has been able to work on this critical issue facing our state and nation,” said HNEI researcher Patrick Cross, who is in charge of the WETS project and related marine energy research tasks. “We strive to develop this abundant source of clean, renewable energy that is ideal for coastal regions and islands, like �鶹��ý.”

ARL at UH research:

• R3D coastal defense: With a commitment to protecting coastal infrastructure, ARL at UH spearheads the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) initiative. With a multidisciplinary team and $17.1 million in funding, R3D is conducting cutting-edge research on hybrid coral reefs—nature-inspired submerged breakwaters designed to protect coastlines.
• Cybersecurity: As stewards of cybersecurity in the Pacific region, ARL at UH operates a network with high-performance computing systems and Machine Learning (ML) models. The Pacific Ecosystem for Cyber analyzes network activity, ensuring swift detection of anomalies and updating ML models within hours.
• Shaping the future of technology: ARL at UH focuses on digital engineering, prototyping, maritime domain awareness and field experimentation technology. Each endeavor contributes to the technological advancement of critical capabilities and addresses emerging challenges.
• COVID-19 response: Collaborating with the �鶹��ý Pandemic Applied Modeling Work Group, ARL at UH developed a forecast tool to aid medical professionals in preparing for hospital capacity challenges. Further contributions include a technique for ventilating multiple patients with a single ventilator and an app for monitoring mask usage in �鶹��ý.

Autonomous surface vehicles, remote sensors and solar powered water purifiers highlighted the Pacific Operational Science and Technology (POST) Field Experimentation (FX) event, which displayed approximately 45 cutting-edge technology demonstrators including the University of �鶹��ý (ARL at UH) and in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Approximately 20 UH participants demonstrated technology with nearly 600 attendees at the event on March 7 at Marine Corps Base �鶹��ý (MCBH).

“UH is demonstrating an autonomous surface vehicle,” said UH Applied Research Laboratory Director Margo Edwards. “We developed a technique for trying to have a rapid response after a tsunami or hurricane comes into a harbor. We want to be able to get sensors out in the water before we put any boats or people out there that might get harmed.”

An 8-foot wave adaptive modular vehicle deployed five remote sensors into the ocean to show how technology can be used to detect potentially dangerous chemicals in the water after a natural disaster.

“We’re all subject to the same natural hazards that come in and damage our harbors, damage our homes,” said Edwards. “We want to be able to help mitigate that, and respond to it. That’s why we’re here.”

“We also developed our own kind of low cost maritime sensor payloads that we can deploy into the ocean and collect sort of whatever information of interest,” said Brennan Yamamoto, an Applied Research Laboratory robotics engineer. “So this could be water conditions. This could be turbidity. This could be salinity.”

Fostering a resilient future

POST FX event showcased autonomous cargo drones, hybrid battery packs, buoy sensors and more to contribute to modernizing and fostering a resilient future.

The event was hosted by ARL at UH, National Security Innovation Network and USINDOPACOM J85 Science and Technology Division. Presenters spanning the Defense Industrial Base included local �鶹��ý companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Waiea Water, HI-Spectral, LLC and more.

This interactive event brought together U.S. Department of Defense, local, and international stakeholders to witness demonstrations highlighting synchronization and modernization efforts across Joint Services and Indo-Pacific allies and partners.

The (RCUH) has recognized 20 exemplary employees for their contributions and impact to research at UH conducted on Oʻahu, Maui and �鶹��ý Island.

The awards were based on the following categories:

• Initiative, leadership and resourcefulness in carrying out their achievements
• Impact of their achievements on the project, professional field and/or larger community
• Other variables such as the significance or quality of their achievements
• Each individual received a certificate and cash award. First-place awardees received $1,000 (shared equally by team members), while second-place awardees received $500 (shared equally by team members).

Team Category

• First place (tie): , UH Hilo (Mark Ellis, Robert Madrigal, Oscar Poua, Tommy Waltjen)
  , UH ����ԴDz� School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) (Corinne Amir, Jonny Charendoff, Mia Lamirand, Frances Lichowski
• Second Place: , UH ����ԴDz� (Grace Matsuura, Kimberley Spencer-Tolentino, JoAnn Tsark)
• Honorable Mention: , UH Maui (Yvette Gurule, Gerry Smith, Kelly Suzuki Payba, Lynette Yamamoto)

Project Support Staff category

• First place: , UH Maui College (Jennifer Benitez)

Researcher/Project Manager category

• First place: , UH ����ԴDz� (Derek Risch)
• Second place: , UH ����ԴDz� SOEST (Matthew Widlansky)
• Honorable Mention: , (Russell Kackley)
  , UH ����ԴDz� SOEST (Natalie Wallsgrove)

The awards were presented at a luncheon event on October 24. A selection committee comprised of Peter Adler, Sarah Guay and Taryn Salmon selected the awardees. For more information, .

For the second consecutive year, the University of �鶹��ý has set a record in extramural funding at $515.9 million for fiscal year 2023 (FY2023), $10.9 million more over the previous record of $505 million set in FY2022.

, the flagship campus of UH’s 10 campus system, led the extramural award amounts this year with $342.7 million. The UH System brought in $117.7 million, totaled $33.7 million, received $17.8 million and totaled $4 million.

“We are extremely proud of our back-to-back record hauls in extramural funding, despite having to deal with a myriad of challenges due to the recent pandemic and its lingering after-effects on the world economy and our funders,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “The accolades must be given to our faculty, staff and graduate students for their hard work and dedication to the UH research enterprise and to the state of �鶹��ý.”

Extramural funding is external investments from governmental agencies such as the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and training activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Extramural projects support research and innovation that help to increase knowledge and provide solutions to improve quality of life.

“Every dollar invested by one of our extramural sponsors is a vote of confidence that UH faculty, staff and students are creating a better future for �鶹��ý and the world,” said UH President David Lassner. “This includes everything from climate change, resilience, water quality and energy solutions to addressing health disparities, educational inequities, feeding our population, and training �鶹��ý‘s people for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Several examples of UH programs that attracted the attention of funders:

• The Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges was awarded $16.3 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the “Resilient �鶹��ý: Good Jobs Challenge” initiative that provides employer-driven training in living-wage jobs to individuals whose employment was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more on UH News.
• The received $5.5 million from NASA to continue a wide area survey of Near Earth Objects at its Pan-STARRS observatory on Haleakalā, Maui. Read more on UH News.
• The was awarded $4.5 million, as part of a five-year $23 million grant from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) for Ola HAWAII, a multidisciplinary research center that addresses health disparities in underserved, multiethnic populations in �鶹��ý. Read more on UH News.



• UH’s received $4 million, as part of a five-year $20 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF), to integrate climate and data science research under its “Change HI” initiative. Read more on UH News.
• The received $3.6 million from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to continue its research and maintenance support of the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site in Kāneʻohe Bay. Read more on UH News.



• ONR awarded UH a $2.4 million grant to partner with the University of Alaska and the University of Rhode Island to develop and advance energy, marine and other blue economy technologies and opportunities through the . Read more on UH News.
• NIH awarded $2.4 million to the to continue its important Multiethnic Cohort Study. Read more on UH News.



• was awarded $2 million of a $3.5 million grant by NSF’s Tribal Colleges and Universities Program to establish its Kiaʻi Loko Center for Limu Research. The center focuses on applying traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge alongside Western scientific methods to study limu (algae) and traditional Hawaiian fishponds. Read more on UH News.
• UH ����ԴDz�’s (SOEST) was awarded $3 million by ONR to map flood risks related to sea-level rise in �鶹��ý.
• The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded SOEST and the another $1.5 million increment of a five-year, $25 million project to develop an engineered coral reef system to protect coastlines from flooding, erosion and storm damage. Read more on UH News.
• The received $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to restore ancestral and cultural practices to improve health equity among Native Hawaiians and NHPI communities.
• UH Hilo received $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education for its E Hoi I Ke Kumu program to address the Hawaiian language immersion teacher shortage in the state.
• UH was awarded a $1 million NSF Engines Development Award to establish its Climate-Resilient Food Innovation Network that will serve as a hub for �鶹��ý and U.S-affiliated Pacific Islands to develop collaborative, food innovation solutions driven by Indigenous knowledge systems and modern technology. UH could be eligible for another award of up to $160 million. Read more on UH News.
• UH West Oʻahu received a $944,307 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop its He Paepae Aloha curriculum to increase Native Hawaiian participation and completion of post-secondary education through the incorporation of Native Hawaiian traditions and culture.

For the first time in its history, the University of �鶹��ý 10-campus system topped half a billion dollars in extramural funding with a record $505 million in fiscal year 2022 (FY2022), which ended June 30. The record total tops UH’s previous record of $488.6 million in FY2011 and is a $19.5 million or 4% increase over FY2021.

Extramural funding is external investments from the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and academic activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Extramural projects support research and innovation—increasing knowledge and providing solutions to improve quality of life.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this significant milestone in our extramural funding history,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Much of the credit is due to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and graduate students who keep the UH research enterprise on a steady course despite significant challenges from our economy, world affairs and fallout from the recent pandemic.”

UH ����ԴDz�, the system’s flagship campus, accounted for $366 million of the extramural awards, followed by units at the UH System level ($70.6 million), UH Community Colleges ($43.6 million), UH Hilo ($18.0 million) and UH West Oʻahu ($6.7 million).

UH research expenditures contribute to �鶹��ý’s economy through business sales, employee earnings, state tax revenue and job creation; and serve as the main component in the diversification of �鶹��ý’s economy. According to a 2021 economic impact report by the UH Economic Research Organization, UH research-related expenditures of $476.8 million in extramural funding in FY2020 generated $734.8 million in total business sales, $236.9 million in spending, $41.2 million in state tax revenue, while supporting an estimated 5,428 jobs.

“We are incredibly proud to have grown our UH extramural enterprise into a major economic sector for �鶹��ý that creates thousands of jobs and provides economic stimulation across our islands,” said UH President David Lassner. “Our faculty and staff are collaborating with and training our students to engage in research and problem-solving that addresses the great challenges and opportunities that face �鶹��ý and the world. This includes everything from climate change and energy solutions to addressing health disparities, educational inequities and training our residents for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Several examples of UH programs that attracted the attention of funders:

• The and UH ����ԴDz�’s (SOEST) was awarded $5.5 million, part of a five-year $25 million investment by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, to develop an engineered coral reef ecosystem to protect coastlines. Read more on UH News.
• UH received over $11 million for natural resource management programs covering endangered and invasive species, as well as marine and coastal ecosystems protection.
• UH ����ԴDz�’s (HNEI) received $6.2 million from the (ONR) for its Asia-Pacific Research Initiative for Sustainable Energy Systems for testing and evaluation of renewable generation and power system controls for smart- and micro-grids. HNEI also received $6 million from ONR to continue its research and maintenance support of the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site in ����Ա�ʻ�dz�� Bay. Read more on UH News.
• The UH System received more than $5 million from ONR for tank inspection (UH ����ԴDz� ), hydrogeological research of groundwater and contaminant flow (SOEST) and enhanced water quality testing (UH ����ԴDz�’s ) related to the Red Hill water crisis.
• The was awarded $4.6 million, part of a five-year $23 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for Ola HAWAIʻI, a multidisciplinary research center that addresses health disparities in the underserved, multiethnic populations in �鶹��ý. Read more on UH News.
• UH’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research received $3.5 million, part of a five-year $20 million grant by the , to integrate climate and data science research under its Change HI initiative. Read more on UH News.
• DHHS awarded $2.9 million to the to continue its important Multiethnic Cohort Study. Read more on UH News.
• received $2 million from the National Science Foundation for its Akeakamai I Ka Lā Hiki Ola initiative that encourages and promotes STEM education to Native Hawaiian students.
• received a $1 million donation from the to create the �鶹��ý Institute for Sustainable Community Food Systems, a food system transformation hub grounded in complementary STEM disciplines, indigenous knowledge and cultural practices. Read more on UH News.
• UH �ᾱ����’s received $712,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior to conduct geological, geochemical, geophysical and risk mitigation research related to the Kīlauea, Mauna Loa and Haleakalā volcanoes.

The University of �鶹��ý will be awarded up to $25 million by the (DARPA) to develop an engineered coral reef ecosystem to help protect coastlines from flooding, erosion and storm damage. The goal of the five-year project, inspired by natural reefs, is to create an engineered structure that dissipates wave energy while providing habitat for corals and other reef life.

The ground-breaking project is a joint effort between UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s (SOEST) and the UH (ARL).

“The Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) project will be the first of its kind by taking an integrated, ecosystem-level approach to design and build a living coastal-protection system,” said Ben Jones, R3D principal investigator and Director of Ocean Science and Technology at ARL. “This is an immense challenge. We have assembled a team of experts right here in �鶹��ý who, in partnership with Florida Atlantic University and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will devise real solutions that will help our community and other communities around the tropical Pacific that are already facing the effects of climate change.”

Sea-level rise and wave-induced flooding during increasingly frequent storm events threaten the sustainability of coastlines and more than 1,700 U.S. Department of Defense-managed military installations in coastal areas worldwide. Natural coral reefs provide substantial protection to shorelines—absorbing and dissipating the intense energy from storms and waves. As sea level rises and coral reef degrades, existing storm mitigation solutions may prove insufficient and damage due to storm surge and flooding will continue to impact communities and infrastructure.

“This award will enable our world-class experts to develop advanced technology that will have a significant impact here in �鶹��ý, and around the world,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “We are proud to have UH research at the cutting edge of creating a solution to a global problem.“

Partnering engineering, ecology and biology

The new project integrates coastal engineering and hydrodynamics with expertise on coral reef ecology and adaptive biology to enable the team to rapidly develop a living, breakwater system that can adapt to both rising seas and increasing ocean temperatures.

“The typical fringing reef consists of a fore reef along the slope, a reef crest that absorbs much of the wave energy and a protected back reef that harbors more delicate species,” said Zhenhua Huang, SOEST professor of Ocean and Resources Engineering and lead investigator for base structure engineering. “We intend to achieve similar wave attenuation using perforated, thin-walled base structures which are low-cost, efficient energy dissipators. It’s our hope that this project can provide a win-win solution for addressing preservation of nearshore marine natural resources and shore protection.”

Healing corals over time

Establishing coral and other reef supporting organisms on the reef structures is critical to ensuring the structures have the capability to grow and heal over time. Fragments from known thermally tolerant colonies will be attached to succession modules, reef-mimicking structures that will be attached to the wave-attenuating base structures. Larvae from known thermally tolerant coral species will also be encouraged to make their home on these structures.

• See more on UH coral reef research.

“Designing succession modules that attract coral larvae, and then protect them from being eaten or overgrown by algae, is essential for kick-starting a living reef,” said Josh Madin, associate research professor in the (HIMB) in SOEST and lead investigator for ecosystem engineering. “Larvae are really bad swimmers, and so they need to be captured by cracks and crannies in the structure. We will use 3D design and biofilm chemistry to attract larvae and encourage settlement, while discouraging algae growth. On top of this, we will use sounds that mimic a healthy reef to attract organisms that help coral growth.”

Additionally, the team will explore cost-effective ways to supplement feeding for bleached corals and even actively shade or cool the reef in the early stages of the reef development and during marine heat waves.

“Coral reefs across the planet are declining from the combined assaults of human impacts,” said Rob Toonen, HIMB professor and lead investigator for adaptive biology. “This project builds on over a decade of research at HIMB into practical solutions for farming thermally tolerant corals capable of withstanding those assaults and rebuilding the reef structure that protects our coastal roads, runways, and neighborhoods.”

The project is already garnering local support as an alternative to artificial coastal protection systems.

Rocky Kaluhiwa, president of the Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club, said, “The Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club strongly supports an approach like this, because it respects our traditional ways to manage our ʻaina and kai, finding a balance between the seas and the land.”

The team will be collaborating with scientists and engineers at Makai Ocean Engineering on Oʻahu, Florida Atlantic University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and Ohio State University. Additional partnerships will also facilitate various aspects of this project. To scale up this revolutionary effort, Makai Ocean Engineering, a �鶹��ý-based company, will handle major construction, anchoring and installation; and an Australian firm, Reef Design Labs, will create flexible, reusable forms to build hundreds of the succession modules.

–By Marcie Grabowski

A University of �鶹��ý project to use high-resolution photographic and acoustic data to detect and assess World War II munitions disposed in the ocean south of Oʻahu was featured at an international panel on maritime security. (ARL at UH) Director Margo Edwards discussed ARL at UH’s research at the in Brussels, Belgium on November 17.

Edwards was invited to participate in the discussion, alongside experts from Poland, Belgium, Canada, Finland and Germany, because UH’s work is similar to the European Union’s task of investigating and remediating World War II munitions in the Baltic Sea.

“For 15 years, I’ve been proud to collaborate with researchers working in the Baltic Sea. That collaboration has enhanced what we’re doing in �鶹��ý, and I hope we’ve been able to help the efforts in the Baltic in return,” Edwards said. “This international partnership is something that I consider to be particularly important.”

Visit the to view the panel session.

Research off Oʻahu

Prior to the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, munitions were stored at Schofield Barracks in Central Oʻahu. However, �鶹��ý’s tropical climate corroded some munitions causing them to leak. Near the end of the war, decisions were made to dispose of damaged and obsolete bombs at sea.

With the help of a sophisticated seafloor mapping underwater vehicle, Edwards’ team began the project in 2007 to search for approximately 16,000 bombs filled with mustard agent. Sonar was used to find the metal objects based on their response to sound waves, which was expected to differ from the response of the silty seafloor. Edwards said the trails of dots discovered in the sonar data matched historical photographs of how the bombs were disposed of in the ocean.

Researchers then used manned submersibles and remotely operated vehicles to visit the munitions on the seafloor and collect samples of sediment and marine life to search for evidence that toxins were affecting the surrounding environment. Analysis of sediments near munitions showed trace amounts of mustard agent or its degradation products, which came from the munitions. However, there was no evidence of mustard contamination on any of the marine life that were collected.

“What began as a global effort to share information regarding the impact of munitions disposed at sea is now fostering policy in the European Union that may lead to environmental action in the Baltic Sea. That’s an unexpected but important outcome of this UH-led research, and I look forward to continuing the collaboration,” Edwards said.

This work is an example of UH ����ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

—By Marc Arakaki

A new infusion of $6 million from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, and Expeditionary Warfare Center will allow the (HNEI) at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, to continue to provide critical research and logistical support to the only grid-connected wave energy testing site in the nation. The U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS), off Marine Corps Base �鶹��ý provides a unique proving ground for pre-commercial wave energy converters (WECs) to demonstrate performance in an operational setting and advance their technology readiness level.

Marine energy has immense potential to supply persistent power to ocean observing and monitoring, desalination, aquaculture, at-sea mineral scavenging, and electrification of remote or island communities.

“We are excited by the Navy’s latest investment in our work to advance wave energy through our support of WETS, particularly as it allows us to expand our research into new areas of relevance to offshore applications, such as autonomous vehicle recharge for ocean observing purposes,” said Pat Cross, research specialist in marine energy at HNEI and principal investigator for the WETS support program.

These funds, directed to the , working with HNEI, will allow the university to support a number of WEC deployments planned in the 2021 to 2024 timeframe in the form of environmental monitoring, power and survivability performance assessment, and additional logistics support to the Navy and to WEC developer companies.

Funds expand UH research

In addition to core support to WETS, the new funds will support an expansion of UH research related to offshore, non-grid-connected applications of wave energy.

HNEI will examine the potential for existing WETS infrastructure to support the creation of an offshore test and demonstration node, including subsea power storage as well as communications and power interfaces that would allow smaller-scale WECs to recharge autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs) and various environmental sensing systems. The team will also design an AUV docking and charging station for use at WETS.

The new funding further supports HNEI and UH researchers to advance a number of research projects such as a power generation and management system for a floating Oscillating Water Column WEC, designed for applications such as ocean observation, navigation and equipment recharge. A novel breakwater system will also be advanced with an integrated WEC that will generate power from wave energy while protecting coastal regions. Additionally, the team will develop a small-scale WEC that can be rapidly deployed for both power generation and seawater desalination close to shore.

�Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s progress in making the transition to renewable energy for electric power is well-served by development of wave energy, given the availability of that resource in the state and its potential to augment and complement other forms of variable renewable energy—specifically wind and solar. Wave energy is relatively consistent throughout the day and night, and can be forecast with precise accuracy a week or more in advance, enhancing grid managers’ ability to plan for its contribution to the overall generation mix on the grid.

This effort is an example of UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

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The University of �鶹��ý (VCHPC) on Maui has named Tiare K. Martin as its new executive director, effective July 1, 2021. The center is part of the (ARL) at UH and supports the U.S. Air Force’s Maui High Performance Computing Center, one of five Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Centers nationwide.

Martin was born and raised in �鶹��ý and graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. She has been serving as the VCHPC program manager since 2017 and will now be responsible for overseeing the centerʻs research mission, exploring emerging high performance computing technologies while lowering the barriers to the application of supercomputing to solving the challenges we face.

“Tiare is a proven leader with the knowledge, expertise and experience to guide the Vanguard Center into the future,” said UH President David Lassner. “We are thrilled to be able to hire outstanding talent from within as we work to advance the success of the Maui High Performance Computing Center, the cornerstone of high tech on the island.”

Martin has more than 20 years of engineering experience including more than 15 years managing software projects, programs and resources. She earned her bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego and previously held positions at Oceanit Laboratories in Kīhei, Maui, and Raytheon-Space and Airborne Systems Division in California.

“I am honored to be selected for this role and look forward to building on the decades of innovation and technology advancement accomplished by the center,” said Martin. “I know how important our work is for national defense and for �鶹��ý’s high-tech sector. I am up for the challenge.”

Martin is a member of the Project Management Institute and the Society of Women Engineers, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Maui Economic Development Board. She succeeds Mike Maberry, who is retiring from UH.

The (RCUH) announced its 2020 RCUH Outstanding Employees of the Year Awards on November 2. RCUH recognized 17 outstanding employees who made significant and exemplary contributions to their projects during the past fiscal year or years.

“Congratulations to our 2020 RCUH outstanding employee award winners. Your commitment and dedication to research, training and development in the State of �鶹��ý is greatly appreciated,” said Leonard Gouveia, RCUH executive director.

Outstanding Researcher/Project Manager/Professional Staff

• First-place: David Cohen, aquatic invasive species biocontrol specialist, UH ����ԴDz�, College of Natural Sciences
• Second-place: Michael von Platen, TCR systems programmer, UH ����ԴDz�, John A. Burns School of Medicine
• Honorable mentions: Fritzie Celino-Brady, UH ����ԴDz�, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Serge Chastel, UH Institute for Astronomy; Stan Fichtman, Kapiʻolani CC; Mark Huber, UH Institute for Astronomy; Dawn Namahoe Sidman, UH Hilo Research Office

Outstanding Project Support Staff

• First-place: Yoshitake Nabeshima, Subaru Telescope
• Second-place: Hope Ronco, UH ����ԴDz�, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
• Honorable mentions: Mary Jo Riehm, UH Hilo Research Office; Sean Tanimoto, Applied Research Laboratory at the University of �鶹��ý

Outstanding Team

• First-place: Maunakea Weather Center
• Second-place: Applied Research Laboratory at the University of �鶹��ý

The successfully conducted the first at-sea unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery to a Ohio-class, ballistic-missile submarine on October 19, 2020, in cooperation with the University of �鶹��ý Applied Research Laboratory (ARL). This re-supply was one of four U.S. Strategic Command expeditionary logistics events in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands with USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730).

The UH ARL worked hand-in-hand with Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Navy Sailors, Department of Navy civilians and U.S. Air Force airmen to develop best practices and training protocols. UH ARL developed and conducted training exercises with personnel to ensure the sailors-turned-UAV pilots were ready for the re-supply event.

“This effort is emblematic of how collaboration between Navy stakeholders and UH scientists and engineers can rapidly evolve the capabilities of small unmanned systems,” said Margo Edwards, UH ARL director. “ARL at the University of �鶹��ý is proud to be a part of this effort and cherishes our relationship with the submarine community.”

The project is the latest collaboration between UH ARL and Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

“We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the University of �鶹��ý Applied Research Lab team on the first at-sea UAV delivery to a ballistic-missile submarine,” said Rear Adm. Blake Converse, commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “Our sailors, civilians and airmen learned a great deal in this academic and operational environment. They are all making a difference, demonstrating our ability to meet U.S. Strategic Command’s expeditionary logistics requirements—anytime, anywhere.”

ARL was established in 2008 as a Navy-sponsored lab and is one of 13 university-affiliated research centers within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). In 2019, UH and ARL were awarded a $77.2 million, five-year contract from the DoD to conduct research, development, engineering, and test and evaluation of programs.

Mikiala Maynard has been spending the past few weekends with her daughter observing and collecting data on public mask usage in her community on Maui. She is among 70 University of �鶹��ý student volunteers who are learning about public health while serving their communities in a statewide project that tracks how well �鶹��ý residents are adopting face mask-wearing behavior in public places. The project, expected to run until January 2021, is still seeking volunteers on all islands.

“I hope to gain more experience in the community setting, which will allow me to better address future patients based on their unique needs,” said Maynard, a UH ����ԴDz� nursing student who is currently studying remotely on Maui. “It has allowed me to instill the importance of community service to my daughter and reinforced the need to continue wearing masks properly, to lead by example. It has become a ritual we both enjoy and look forward to.”

Launched in late August, the collaborative project was developed by the �鶹��ý Department of Health (HIDOH) and faculty at UH ����ԴDz�ʻs (SONDH). Once a week, volunteers throughout the state gather mask-wearing data from residents of Honolulu, Maui, Kauaʻi and �鶹��ý Island counties using a smartphone app developed by the . The data is then submitted to HIDOH where weekly reports are generated as a community prevention metric for the state’s .

“I think it’s important to let people see how our communities are doing in regards to wearing masks. Hopefully having this information available will encourage everyone to continue taking this simple step to keep each other safe,” said Gary Glauberman, program director of SONDH’s Advanced Population Health Nursing master’s program, who has been recruiting student volunteers from the UH campuses.

Information being collected include: “Wearing Face Mask Correctly,” “Wearing Face Mask Incorrectly,” or “No Mask.” Wearing a face mask correctly means that the face mask completely covers the person’s nose and chin. Volunteers collect data for two hours or until 100 individuals are counted.

The volunteers come from multiple UH campuses, including UH ����ԴDz�, Kauaʻi Community College, UH Maui College and UH �ᾱ����’s Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, as well as community groups such as the �鶹��ý State Medical Reserve Corps and the Rotary Club.

Learning while serving

“We felt this project was an excellent opportunity for students to learn about public health and serve our community at the same time,” said Glauberman. “By participating as volunteers, students gain experience as data collectors in the field, contributing information that will be used to inform public health activity. I believe this to be an empowering experience for students, to see how their individual efforts can collectively serve to inform public health action in our state.”

Glauberman works in collaboration with HIDOH project lead and Kauaʻi District Health Officer, Janet Berreman. Glauberman gives online orientations for the volunteers prior to conducting observations. The orientations provide information regarding the aim of the project, how to record observations and use the app, and safety tips. Each volunteer is required to wear a mask while making their observations, both for safety reasons, and to serve as good role models for the community. In teams of two, they conduct observations at various sites across the state.

“When the idea about the project came out, I thought that it would be very interesting to see the statistics for Oʻahu,” said Tatiana Strezoski, a UH ����ԴDz� nursing student expected to graduate in spring 2021.

“I observed and advised a friend of their incorrect mask usage and was surprised she declined to pull her mask up, even after providing her tips on correct usage and explaining its importance. That made me interested in how to present the information to people so that they will be motivated to properly wear the masks,” Strezoski explained.

For more information on how to volunteer, contact Glauberman at (808) 277-3542 or glauberm@hawaii.edu.

An innovative COVID-19 forecasting tool, developed by University of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� researchers, aims to assist experts to model potential COVID-19 effects on the State of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��.

Baseem Missaghi, a software developer at UH’s Applied Research Laboratory, created the web application in partnership with the �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� Pandemic Applied Modeling Work Group and others. It utilizes data on historical COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, fatalities, recoveries and active cases. The tool provides a two-week forecast and examines possible scenarios for COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and fatalities. Missaghi said the customizability is most valuable for experts.

“The scenario tool doesn’t predict how many cases �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� will have in two weeks, rather it helps �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s epidemiologists tweak various parameters that allow them to visualize what the future state of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� might be,” Missaghi said. “With this information, we can be more prepared for hospital overflow and ICU �����貹�����ٲ�.”

Along with medical professionals, Missaghi hopes the modeling will help inform policy decisions such as quarantine orders and travel restrictions.

Foundation of the model

Missaghi worked closely with Thomas Lee, an assistant professor, to develop the forecasting tool based on an open-source tool from Switzerland’s University of Basel. The tool utilizes the SEIR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Recovered) model, which is based off of the following progressive factors: susceptible individuals are exposed through contact with infectious individuals; exposed individuals progress to a symptomatic state; infectious individuals recover or experience more severe symptoms; and severely sick individuals either recover or their condition worsens.

“Several online tools exist that incorporate the SEIR model, however, what we did was take those tools and customize it for �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� to support �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��—applying the lessons from around the world and also factoring in �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s unique circumstances,” Missaghi said.

—By Marc Arakaki

The University of �鶹��ý has been awarded a four-year contract valued at up to $75 million by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to operate the (MHPCC) via the Applied Research Laboratory at the University of �鶹��ý (ARL at UH).

The contract calls for UH to provide essential engineering, research and development capabilities in emerging computer technology and is intended to lower barriers to a modern High Performance Computing ecosystem and high-performance computing-backed solutions.

“The Maui High Performance Computing Center is the largest extramural project in UH history,” said UH President David Lassner and principal investigator. “It is the cornerstone of high-tech on Maui and provides some of the best jobs on the island.”

The university has been operating and managing MHPCC since it first won the contract through a competitive bid in 2001.

“We look forward to our continued partnership to support STEM education, as MHPCC scientists and engineers generously volunteer their time as mentors to students ranging from coaching robotics to fostering internships,” said Leslie Wilkins, president and CEO of Maui Economic Development Board.

MHPCC is one of just five Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Centers nationwide. The new project is known as VaCUUMS–Vanguard Center Unified UARC for MHPCC Support. The purpose of the Vanguard Center is to leverage the core competencies of ARL at UH to accomplish research, development, test and evaluation.

“We sincerely appreciate the support and guidance that we received from the Naval Sea Systems Command in developing this new contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory,” said ARL at UH Director Margo Edwards. “This is important research for our country and it is exciting that it is happening right here in �鶹��ý.”

The late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye was the driving force behind the establishment of the MHPCC in 1993. , Inouye stated, “It has long been my hope that the university play a greater role in concert with the Department of Defense in �鶹��ý in utilizing the supercomputer for the benefit of its faculty and students.” He also said, “…a world-class supercomputing center offers tremendous opportunities to advance the frontiers of scientific inquiry and positions �鶹��ý at the forefront of high-tech research and development.”

—From a .