At the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Hilo, learning is moving beyond the classroom and gaining national attention.

Two faculty members, Xuan Xie and Olga Sideleva, have been selected for a competitive national cohort focused on civic learning and economic opportunity. The initiative is led by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in partnership with Public Agenda. Only 15 educators were chosen in the country.

UH Hilo is the only university with two representatives.

The program brings faculty together to redesign courses to help students connect what they learn with real careers, while strengthening ties to their communities.

Community marketing

Xie, an assistant professor in the UH Hilo , has already been doing that. In her marketing course, students work directly with Â鶹´«Ã½ Island businesses.

“I am passionate about integrating community-engaged learning into my curriculum,” she said. “I hope this program empowers me to create impactful, community-centered learning experiences that enhance students’ economic mobility.”

Her approach reflects UH ±á¾±±ô´Ç’s overall mission, said Todd Inouye, director of the College of Business and Economics.

“That’s especially meaningful in a rural community where employment rates and educational attainment lag other parts of the state.”

Ocean learning

Sideleva is bringing that same mindset to science as a biology lecturer in the (CNHS). She is reworking her oceanography course to focus on real-world application, from environmental research to career pathways on Â鶹´«Ã½ Island.

“Through this approach, students learn to see oceanography not only as an academic discipline, but as a meaningful tool for civic responsibility, sustainable economic opportunity, and community well-being on Â鶹´«Ã½ Island,” Sideleva said.

“CNHS is committed to curricula that embrace community engagement across our programs — whether to advance environmental and cultural protection of ʻÄå¾±²Ô²¹, social justice, or economic development,” said CNHS Dean Simon Kattenhorn.

Both faculty will bring new strategies back to Hilo, preparing students for careers and community service.

The (PISCES) at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Hilo is hosting the eighth annual this summer. The free immersive program welcomes high school girls interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and aims to inspire them to pursue STEM-related studies and careers.

STARS is scheduled during the week of July 15–19, and .

Participants will engage in a diverse range of activities such as exclusive behind-the-scenes tours at leading science facilities, hands-on workshops covering coding and technology, and presentations by accomplished women in STEM.

“STARS is all about showing young women what’s possible for their futures,” said STARS coordinator Chris Yoakum. “We aim to foster a supportive environment where students can explore their interests, connect with mentors and mentorship opportunities, and learn about what STEM careers are really like from women who work in them.”

STARS is open to Â鶹´«Ã½ high school girls ages 14 and up and is offered at no cost to participants. Meals, accommodations, and on-island transportation are all covered.

“We want to eliminate barriers and provide equal access to STEM education,” Yoakum said. “Our hope is that participants leave the program with a new perspective and inspiration to pursue their dreams.”

Pisces is housed in UH ±á¾±±ô´Ç’s .

.

A free virtual symposium designed to inspire students to pursue space and science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM-related careers is launching this fall. The meeting of (PISCES)—a program of University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Hilo’s —will highlight space exploration and technology.

“The goal of the Space Science Symposium is to give students a realistic overview of what space careers are like. Many different disciplines are involved and we hope to inspire students to pursue their own aspirations through the academic and professional stories of our presenters,” said Christopher Yoakum, a communications officer at PISCES.

PISCES will feature a nanomaterials scientist from billionaire Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company Blue Origin in an upcoming talk on Tuesday, November 14, at 3 p.m. Yajaira Sierra-Sastre currently leads crew mockups development for the MK2 lunar lander program at Blue Origin.

In October, PISCES hosted aerospace engineer Amber Imai-Hong, a Â鶹´«Ã½ Island native who focused on remote sensing research she conducts at the UH Mānoa .

.

Simon Kattenhorn, professor of geological sciences and recent associate dean of math and natural sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage, will be the new permanent dean at ’s . The appointment was approved by the UH Board of Regents at their July 6 meeting.

Kattenhorn’s appointment begins August 14. He replaces Professor Brian Wissman, who will continue to serve as interim dean until Kattenhorn starts.

“I am grateful that we had such a capable interim dean in Brian Wissman, and we are all excited to have Dean Kattenhorn join our team,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin. “His rich experience will serve UH Hilo well in the coming years.”

Kattenhorn recently served as associate dean in the University of Alaska Anchorage’s College of Arts and Sciences. He has taught courses in structural geology, geomechanics and geohazards, and has conducted extensive research into both field-based structural geology on Earth and satellite-based investigations of other bodies in the solar system.

His structural geology research considers tectonic and volcanic processes in developing extensional fault systems such as continental rifts and mid-ocean spreading centers, with application to geohazards. His planetary geoscience research considers the tectonic evolution of solid surfaces throughout the solar system, including Mars and its moon Phobos as well as outer solar system icy moons such as Europa, Enceladus, Titan and Dione.

Covering 29 years of research and dissemination activity, Kattenhorn’s portfolio includes 20 competitive federal grants, 45 peer-reviewed journal articles as primary or co-author and 184 conference abstracts. Over the course of his career, he has taught 65 course sections and has mentored 26 graduate students and 11 undergraduate students in research projects. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, and a member of various professional organizations, including as a fellow at the Geological Society of America.

Kattenhorn also is a former chair of the Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America and lead investigator of the CRAFTI (Continental Rifting in Africa: Fluid-Tectonic Interaction) collaborative research group that was developed with funding from the National Science Foundation and involved researchers from University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Rochester, University of New Mexico, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Syracuse University.

Kattenhorn earned his PhD in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University (1998) and his master of science in geology from University of Akron (1994). He also holds a master of science degree (1994) and a bachelor of science degree with honors (1991) from University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.

.

Philippe Binder knows that when physics students can learn and use introductory scientific terms and concepts in their native tongue, they are more likely to understand the subject. The knowledge comes in part from his experiences in teaching university-level physics in South America before coming to the .

A faithful translation of physics terms into Indigenous or less-common languages is a tricky enterprise. A first step is the identification of a core vocabulary in the subject.

Binder, a physics professor in UH Hilo’s , got to thinking about creating a way to help those students learn introductory physics terms some years ago when a student asked why physics wasn’t taught in Hawaiian at the Hilo campus.

The idea sat on a back burner until two years ago, when he began to lay the groundwork for his Science Lexicon Project. With assistance from linguistics and data science students, Binder started with introductory mechanics, using a digital version of a standard physics textbook and a software program that counted the words and ranked them. This study was published earlier this year by the European Journal of Physics. He plans to do similar work for other areas of science, including astronomy, environmental science, ecology and climate science.

Grant allows research to move forward

This year, his work to translate those terms received a huge boost with a three-year grant from the Reid Hoffman Foundation that will allow Binder to spend more time on the Science Lexicon Project and will also allow him to hire several undergraduate students to assist with the research. Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of the business social networking site .

“The grant allows me a lot of freedom to do things that I otherwise couldn’t do,” Binder said.

Binder’s goal is to make learning introductory physics easier for undergraduate students who may be more comfortable learning in their native languages so they have a strong base before moving on to upper level courses that are usually taught in English or a few other widely spoken languages.

A ‘complete catalog’ of languages

The eventual idea is not only to have a list of words—a template that people can use in other languages, but also “a complete catalog of the physics language of instruction in as many countries as we can.”

Binder said the lexicon will also help open a two-way conversation on physics with Indigenous peoples to learn about their traditional practices that may have involved physics principles, such as Native Hawaiians’ knowledge of navigation and wayfinding.

Binder said the climate-related events of this summer have also underscored for him that “the language of climate change is far more critical for us than physics,” so he plans to work with those terms as well.

For more go to the .

—By Janis Magin

The recently reaccredited the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program through 2029, the maximum 10-year term following a rigorous process that included a self-study, site visit and a review of the DNP nursing curriculum.

“The UH Hilo is dedicated to our community and committed to providing high-quality education to prepare advanced practice nurses equipped with the skills to ensure the delivery of safe, quality nursing care in Â鶹´«Ã½,” said School of Nursing Director Joan Thompson Pagan. “We are very excited to share this news and look forward to continuing to help meet the health care needs of our community.”

The UH Hilo DNP program currently has 28 students, and has graduated 39 students since 2015.

“This achievement brings our School of Nursing closer to realizing its mission of elevating healthcare throughout Â鶹´«Ã½ and the world,” noted Interim Dean Jim Beets, .

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, contributing to the improvement of the public’s health.

For the first time in more than 50 years, the sound of the ʻuaʻu or Hawaiian petrel [Pterodroma sandwichensis] was heard on Maunakea, thanks to research funded by the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ and the hard work of the Listening Observatory for Hawaiian Ecosystems Bioacoustics Lab.

The ʻuaʻu forage at sea and fly inland after sunset to build underground nests in higher elevation areas throughout the Hawaiian Islands, including Kauaʻi, Haleakalā on Maui, Maunaloa on Â鶹´«Ã½ Island and ³¢Äå²Ô²¹ʻ¾±³ó²¹±ô±ð on ³¢Äå²Ô²¹ʻ¾±. They are a state and federally listed endangered species and are highly susceptible to introduced predators such as cats and mongooses when they are nesting.

“Finding ʻuaʻu on Maunakea has been a very challenging and rewarding experience,” said UH Hilo graduate student Bret Nainoa Mossman, who along with UH Hilo researcher Patrick Hart have been looking and listening for the seabirds and ʻōpeʻapeʻa, or Hawaiian hoary bats, at high elevations on Maunakea. “For me, it is a feeling of relief and hope to know that the ʻuaʻu of Maunakea have been able to survive despite all of the challenges they face and it is heartening to know that this species is still here for future generations to see and appreciate.”

The ʻuaʻu has been detected acoustically since 2018 at many locations near Maunakea’s Puʻukanakaleonui. In addition, a dead ʻuaʻu was recently found in the forest reserve above Puʻukanakaleonui on the eastern slope of Red Hill. Rediscovering ʻuaʻu on Maunakea indicates the species likely continues to use the mountain as a nesting site.

• Learn about how the bioacoustics lab is helping to revolutionize the field of ecology.

On July 1, 2018 the will officially have a new college—the College of Natural and Health Sciences. The college will consist of the current , and .

, professor of marine science and current chair of the Division of Natural Sciences, will serve as interim dean while the new college finds a permanent dean.

The focus of the College of Natural and Health Sciences during its first year will be on integration and operations, as well as collaboration between all involved departments.

“I’m really excited about having a natural and health sciences integration that is better serving the faculty and students,” said Beets. “Every unit operates differently than others. In natural and health sciences we have many laboratory and recitation classes, so it’s really important to recognize that those courses have different needs than many of the units on campus.”

With a stronger focus placed on natural and health sciences, it allows the university greater opportunities to stay up to date with the latest technology to provide state-of-the-art training for each of its students.

Added Beets, “There’s new technology coming out every year and if we’re going to be training students in natural and health sciences we really need to be able to train in these new technologies to make students competitive.”

For more on the new college including how the college came about and what comes next, read the full article at .

—Excerpted from a UH Hilo Stories article written by Mikayla Toninato, a junior completing a semester at Â鶹´«Ã½Hilo through the National Student Exchange program.