The earned high marks in nearly 20 academic subjects in the , with , and leading the way among the highest-ranked programs.

Oceanography ranked No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 7 in the world, atmospheric science placed No. 8 nationally and No. 11 worldwide, and hospitality and tourism management ranked No. 12 in the U.S. and No. 32 in the world.

The rankings were released by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy and is considered one of the most comprehensive and objective assessments of university performance by discipline.

UH Mānoa also posted strong global and national placements across science, engineering, social science and other fields. tied for No. 17 in the U.S. and ranked No. 51–75 worldwide, while ecology and each tied for No. 24 nationally and placed No. 76–100 globally.

Additional UH Mānoa subjects recognized in the 2025 rankings include communication, education, political science, water resources, biological sciences, civil engineering, food science and technology, environmental science and engineering, agricultural sciences, economics, management and physics.

“These rankings reflect the depth and consistency of excellence at UH Mānoa,” Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos said. “Our faculty are advancing research that matters locally and globally, while preparing students to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our world.”

UH Mānoa was evaluated alongside approximately 2,000 universities from more than 100 countries and regions, selected from a global pool of more than 25,000 institutions. The rankings are based on measures such as world-class faculty, world-class research output, high-quality research, research impact and international collaboration.

Other recent rankings:

• 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, October 9, 2025
• Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings, October 2, 2025
• U.S. News and World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings, September 23, 2025

For more information, .

—By Marc Arakaki

The University of �鶹��ý and the U.S. Army Reserve’s 9th Mission Support Command (9th MSC) have entered into a new Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) to advance environmental stewardship, conservation and regulatory compliance at Army Reserve facilities throughout the Pacific region.

“The University of �鶹��ý is excited to further expand our environmental stewardship role through this agreement with the U.S. Army Reserve’s 9th MSC,” said UH Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad Walton. “We are extremely proud to have been selected as a trusted partner in support of the Army Reserve’s mission in �鶹��ý and the Pacific through our expertise in environmental sciences and stewardship.”

The agreement, signed at Fort Shafter on December 1, establishes a collaborative framework for UH experts to provide environmental compliance, conservation and pollution prevention support to the 9th MSC, ensuring alignment with Department of Defense (DOD), federal, state, territorial and local environmental requirements.

“This partnership underscores UH’s commitment to applying its expertise in service to our community and environment,” said Suzanne Case, director of the , which is overseeing the IGSA. “By working alongside the Army Reserve, we are helping to safeguard our environment in �鶹��ý and the Pacific, while supporting mission readiness.”

The new agreement reflects a growing model of military-academic partnerships, where institutions of higher education provide specialized expertise to strengthen DOD operations while creating new applied learning and workforce opportunities for students and researchers.

“Our partnership with the University of �鶹��ý strengthens our shared mission to preserve �鶹��ý’s environment and serve the community,” said Brig. Gen. Katherine A. Trombley, commanding general of the 9th Mission Support Command.

The 9th Mission Support Command is America’s Army Reserve of the Pacific. Under the operational control of U.S. Army Pacific Command, it provides trained and ready forces to overseas contingency operations. The command has 3,500 soldiers and 160 civilians located in three different countries, three states, three American territories and seven time zones throughout the Pacific.

A leading voice for Indigenous rights in Aotearoa (New Zealand) will visit the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� on Thursday, October 30, to discuss the future of Indigenous governance and solidarity across the Pacific.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of Te Pāti Māori and a member of New Zealand’s Parliament, will appear in an onstage conversation with Noelani Goodyear-����ʻō��ܲ�, a professor at UH ����ԴDz�. The free public event at the art auditorium is hosted by the UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series and begins at 6:30 p.m. ()

“We are deeply honored to host the Honorable Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, whose leadership embodies the courage and clarity our times demand,” said Goodyear-����ʻō��ܲ�. “Grounded in the tino rangatiratanga (absolute sovereignty) of her people and a visionary in her pursuit of thriving futures for Aotearoa and Oceania, she is not only a parliamentarian but a protector. This dialogue is a rare opportunity to learn from her experience and to strengthen the ties between our nations, connected by our great ocean.”

Standing for justice

Ngarewa-Packer has spent decades defending Māori lands and waters. Before entering Parliament, she led her iwi (people), Ngāti Ruanui, in successful campaigns to block seabed mining off the South Taranaki coast. Those battles continue to guide her work in national efforts for environmental protection, poverty reduction and equity for Māori communities.

The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, which is organizing the event, is a joint venture of UH ����ԴDz�, The Learning Coalition and the �鶹��ý Community Foundation, with support from the UH Foundation.

This event is made possible through the sponsorship of Kaiāulu by Kamehameha Schools, and with additional support from the College of Arts, Languages & Letters, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience and William S. Richardson School of Law.

The University of �鶹��ý is expanding its environmental support services to the (USAG-HI) through a new Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) signed September 16, at the Schofield Barracks Seed Lab. USAG-HI oversees key Army lands on Oʻahu, where UH expertise helps balance training needs with protecting island resources.

“This partnership underscores the University of �鶹��ý’s role as a trusted partner in conservation and environmental stewardship,” said Chad Walton, UH interim vice president for research and innovation. “Through this agreement, we can apply UH expertise in environmental science and resource management to support the Army’s mission, while creating new, real-world career and workforce development opportunities in environmental stewardship for our faculty, staff and students.”

Building on partnerships

Since 1995, UH and USAG-HI have worked together through the (ANRPO), a partnership now overseen by the . Through ANRPO, UH researchers support environmental stewardship, conservation and natural resources management initiatives at military installations and training grounds on Oʻahu, which is vital for ensuring military readiness, while preserving �鶹��ý’s natural resources.

For example, USAG-HI has supported dozens of UH researchers and technicians to help protect native habitats by conducting research, control and eradication of invasive plants, rodents, slugs and other pests, while also maintaining and restoring populations of endangered plants and animals through development of monitoring, cultivation and reintroduction techniques.

“The University of �鶹��ý has the experience and expertise, and also the responsibility to our island home, to help ensure the very best education, talent and research in natural research management and environmental stewardship applied to military lands in �鶹��ý,” said Suzanne Case, director of the UH Office of Land and Ocean Conservation Futures. “This expanded partnership is both an opportunity and a kuleana [responsibility] that we take seriously.”

This IGSA will allow UH and USAG-HI to grow and expand its collaborative opportunities in improving environmental resilience, while growing conservation workforce capacity and impact. The agreement represents a stronger partnership model between the U.S. Department of Defense and local institutions nationwide, allowing military installations to improve their operations while caring for island resources, supporting regional economies and leveraging academic expertise.

“By tapping into UH’s world-class expertise in environmental science and resource management, we enhance our operational readiness while safeguarding �鶹��ý’s unique ecosystems for future generations,” said Col. Rachel Sullivan, U.S. Army Garrison �鶹��ý commander. “This collaboration not only bolsters the Army’s ability to train and deploy forces under sustainable practices, but it also creates opportunities for workforce development, inspiring students, and researchers to become stewards of these islands. Together, we’re demonstrating how we can unite to protect our environment, support our community, and build a stronger Army—right here in �鶹��ý.”

As a kid, Maya Singh heard from her family stories about the ocean and land in Fiji that inspired her passion for the outdoors and, ultimately, for environmental science.

“I grew up in British Columbia, Canada, but my family is from Fiji,” said Singh, who will be graduating this month from the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� with a bachelor’s degree in (GES). “My grandpa would tell me stories of him and his brothers catching shrimp outside and playing in the ocean and rivers. It really inspired me to want to live closer to the ocean.”

With a passion for the environment and ocean, Singh moved to �鶹��ý after graduating high school to pursue a degree at the UH ����ԴDz� . For her senior research, Singh worked with mentor and Assistant Prof. to support coastal management and preservation on ����Բ�ʻ��. She developed a beach carrying capacity tool to determine the maximum number of visitors a beach can hold without surpassing the limits of acceptable environmental or social change at the beach.

As the culmination of this research effort, Singh wrote a senior thesis and presented her findings at the Spring 2025 GES Symposium, a showcase of the research conducted by graduating GES students.

“This tool was developed as a means to understand the changes at the beach and how we can best preserve the beach for future generations,” said Singh. “The thing I enjoy most about conducting this research is being able to work with the community and make a difference. Talking to the local community in the field and connecting with high school students to share the research we are conducting and why it’s important is very fulfilling.”

Meet more amazing UH spring graduates

Supported by funding from the UH ����ԴDz� , Singh also worked with Keiko Wilkins, a doctoral candidate in Bob Richmond’s research group at , to investigate how plastic pollution threatens marine ecosystems. Specifically, she tested the effects of microplastics on sea urchin fertilization. Singh also assisted with collecting and preparing coral samples for Wilkins’s dissertation research on microplastic effects on corals in the Pacific Ocean.

The academic and research experiences Singh has had through the GES program have solidified her commitment to pursuing a career in �鶹��ý in environmental science after graduation. Eventually, she hopes to continue with her education by working toward a graduate degree in oceanography.

—By Marcie Grabowski

Approximately 2,000 pollution-fighting “genki balls” were launched into the Ala Wai Canal on November 9, as part of an innovative mathematics lesson combining environmental cleanup with real-world applications.

The genki balls, created by hundreds of University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Math 100 students in mid-October, contain nutrient and microbial-rich soil designed to release beneficial bacteria into the waterway. Each teaspoon of healthy soil can contain up to one billion bacteria, contributing more than a trillion beneficial microorganisms to the canal’s ecosystem. The balls underwent a three-week maturation period before their release into the canal.

“I think that it’s important for UH ����ԴDz� students to get involved in the community and this unit was about microbiomes, ocean acidification and climate change,” said Maʻalaea Collier, UH ����ԴDz� math learning assistant. “This group of students, or generation in general, is becoming more aware of the effects. I saw students very engaged and wanting to participate.”

The project, a collaboration between UH ����ԴDz�’s and the , incorporates lessons on scientific notation and environmental data analysis. The activity aligns with the course’s microbiome unit and is part of a new General Education pathway focused on sustainability and climate change solutions.

“It’s really valuable for the students to not only learn the math but also see it connected to sustainability and community engagement,” UH ����ԴDz�’s Department of Mathematics Associate Professor Sarah Post said. “We have a lot of freshmen so this is a way for them to get involved at UH and in the local communities as well.”

UH ����ԴDz� Interim Vice Provost for Academic Excellence Laura Lyons also joined the students to toss the genki balls into the water.

“What a wonderful way to help them to learn, to be engaged in the community at the same time and to be working on a practical solution for a real problem,” Lyons said. “I have this other feeling which is incredible gratitude because I live along the Ala Wai and this is my walking path. To know that people are caring for it, to know that we can be good stewards of the Ala Wai, that’s really important to me.”

The Ala Wai Canal, constructed in 1928, is one of the state’s most polluted waterways, collecting runoff from the ����ԴDz� and Pālolo valleys. This initiative contributes to the Genki Ala Wai project’s larger goal of deploying 300,000 genki balls into the canal by 2026, with nearly 200,000 deployed to date. The Japanese word “genki” means healthy and full of vitality.

The Department of Mathematics is housed in UH ����ԴDz�’s .

—By Marc Arakaki

Learning mathematical concepts while helping to clean one of �鶹��ý’s most polluted waterways was the focus of a creative University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� lesson.

Approximately 400 students enrolled in Math 100 created about 2,000 “genki balls” from October 16 to 18, at the UH ����ԴDz� campus. Genki balls, which get their name from the Japanese word for healthy and full of vitality, are made of nutrient and microbial-rich soil, and are designed to sink to the bottom of a waterway and slowly release beneficial microbes.

The activity was sponsored by UH ����ԴDz�’s , in collaboration with the . Students worked during their class times in groups of 30 to 50.

“It’s such a good experience relating math to the real world,” UH ����ԴDz� student Janessa Mondragon said.

“It’s just one thing to learn in a classroom with a worksheet in front of you, and it’s another thing to have an instructor like Professor Chyba bring us out here and learn with hands-on experience,” UH ����ԴDz� student Jacktino Logoai said.

The project aligns with the course’s unit on microbiomes, incorporating lessons on scientific notation and environmental data analysis. Students learned that a teaspoon of healthy soil can contain up to one billion bacteria, putting the scale of microbial life into perspective. The students’ work will result in more than a trillion bacteria going into the Ala Wai Canal.

The Math 100 course is part of a new General Education pathway focusing on sustainability and climate change solutions.

“Actually being out here in the open, putting their hands in the mud, they’re really opening up with each other making connections and making connections with the course material to sustainability, civic engagement and helping out the environment,” Associate Professor Sarah Post said.

Following a three-week maturation period, the genki balls will be released into the Ala Wai Canal. This waterway, created in 1928, has long been considered one of �鶹��ý‘s most polluted, collecting runoff from ����ԴDz� and Pālolo valleys.

The students contributed toward the Genki Ala Wai project’s goal of deploying 300,000 genki balls into the Ala Wai Canal by 2026. The project is closing in on 200,000 so far.

“I am so impressed with these students that they’re interested in the environment and they are our future,” said Mary Ann Kobayashi, Genki Ala Wai project education coordinator. “So it’s so important for them to know the EM (effective microorganisms) technology and what it can do for Earth because they’re the ones that will pass the knowledge on for us.”

The Department of Mathematics is housed in UH ����ԴDz�’s .

Eight undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� experienced an all-expenses-paid research trip of a lifetime—spending eight weeks in summer 2024 immersed in the Galápagos Islands. They engaged in mentored research via a transformational journey that promoted deep connections to ʻ�徱�Բ� (land/sea), kānaka (people) communities and mālama ʻ�徱�Բ� (stewardship of places and people).

Creighton Litton, professor, (UROP) director, and one of the eight UH ����ԴDz� faculty members who designed and implemented the program over the past two years, said, “Mentored research opportunities for undergraduate students is a high impact practice that provides myriad benefits to students, mentors, our campus and our islands as a whole. This is an innovative program—possible via a strong collaboration with the (CDF) in Galápagos, and engagement by multiple faculty from across the UH ����ԴDz� campus—that provides our students with transformative learning experiences in research science within a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning context.”

More than 80 students applied, and 12 were invited to enroll in a new spring course on island invasion biology to provide a base of knowledge for their mentored research projects. Eight traveled to the Galápagos and four conducted research in �鶹��ý.

Students developed research proposals in spring 2024 with mentors from UH ����ԴDz� and CDF. The collaborative mentorship approach allowed students to develop their research skills while contributing to real-world scientific questions. During the summer, the traveling students were housed at the CDF research station in the Galápagos, where they conducted their research projects focused on island invasion biology.

During the summer experience, students wrote research papers on every aspect of the scientific process, including literature review, data collection and analysis, conclusions and the socioecological implications of their findings. Each student also crafted a personal, contemporary kaʻao (epic story, tale) to document their experiences, from their hua (initial inspiration) to their haʻalele (preparing for the journey) to the huakaʻi (journey) to the hoʻina (reintegration) back into their on- and off-campus communities.

Important invasive species research

Matthew Kahokuloa’s project involved assessing plant diversity after the reintroduction of giant tortoises on Santa Fé Island.

“Being my first time leaving �鶹��ý, it was amazing to experience the biodiversity and ecology of another archipelago’s ecosystem,” Kahokuloa said. “This trip provided me with invaluable field experience, especially in terms of working in remote environments and applying research methods.”

Emily Josefina Velasquez studied the impacts of Caulerpa racemosa (species of edible green alga) on sand dwelling benthic invertebrates (small aquatic animals that live on the bottom of bodies of water) in the Galápagos.

“You couldn’t walk for 10 minutes without running into a lounging iguana, sea bird, or sea lion, and we were always close to the ocean.” — Nicole Buyukacar

“The Galápagos was a place where my personal growth as an individual thrived and reaffirmed my passion and drive to work in academia,” Velasquez said. “It’s an unforgettable experience. You’re immersed in your project, living, breathing, and dreaming about it. I was surrounded by scientists from diverse backgrounds, and living and working in an environment where everyone shares a passion for understanding the world around them.”

Nicole Buyukacar’s project was about the developmental dynamics and temperature sensitivity of the avian vampire fly.

“The most remarkable thing about the town we worked in, Puerto Ayora, was the abundance of wildlife living right there on our doorstep all the time,” Buyukacar said. “You couldn’t walk for 10 minutes without running into a lounging iguana, sea bird, or sea lion, and we were always close to the ocean. The experience was an incredible blend of learning to integrate academically and socially into a completely different place while constantly being in awe of the natural beauty and learning to understand the reason why it all needs to be protected.”

The students presented their research and kaʻao products at the CDF research station and at the UROP SURE Symposium. Most students are continuing to work with their mentors to produce peer-reviewed journal publications.

This unique opportunity is the result of a collaboration between UH ����ԴDz� and CDF and is funded by the National Science Foundation–International Research Experiences for Students ($300,000 grant), the UH ����ԴDz� Provost’s Office to align the overall program with the campus goal of becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning ($100,000) and the UH ����ԴDz� Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship ($80,000). The funds will make the program available to UH ����ԴDz� undergraduate students for at least the next two years.

For more information, .

—By Marc Arakaki

In celebration of Earth Day, is hosting its 17th free on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to promote the importance of keeping Hawai‘i—from the mountaintops to the sea—clean and pollution free.

Guests can enjoy live entertainment, a native plant giveaway and interactive activities including hands-on learning, arts and crafts and educational exhibits that showcase ways to protect and preserve Hawaiʻi’s environment.

The expo is open to the public and free parking will be available in the back parking lot at Jefferson Elementary School beginning at 7:30 a.m., with free shuttle to and from the Waikīkī Aquarium courtesy of Waikīkī Trolley. Guests are also invited to bring refillable water bottles to stay hydrated with water stations.

Visit the for more information.

Pressing concerns surrounding the Red Hill water crisis and overall wai (water) access critical to loʻi kalo (taro patches) and loko iʻa (fishponds) across the state were at the center of a new series of forums held at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�.

To foster advancing the protection of ʻ�徱�Բ� (land) and wai through policy and law, the UH ����ԴDz� hosted the inaugural on December 15, at the East-West Center. Approximately 200 participants attended the conference that brought together academic researchers from UH, esteemed community leaders and advocates to discuss ailing issues and the need to turn to ancestral innovation to help solve them.

“The university can really be a catalyst to uplift what’s happening in our community to try to link our research and our mentoring of students to actually solve real-world problems for our islands today,” said Kamanamaikalani Beamer, who is the Dana Naone Hall Endowed Chair in Hawaiian Studies, Literature and the Environment at �鶹��ýnuākea and a professor at and the .

Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker, a PhD student at UH ����ԴDz� opened the conference with an oli (chant), followed by remarks from �鶹��ýnuākea Dean Jon Osorio and Beamer who rallied attendees to passionately chant ʻOla i ka wai, which means water is life. He also dedicated the conference to Dana Naone Hall, a kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) environmental activist. This was followed by the first panel focusing on the significant role wai has in feeding �鶹��ý’s communities.

Wai sovereignty and justice

A major focus of the conference was on the current state of water management and access in �鶹��ý and how state leaders can utilize research compiled at UH ����ԴDz� and ʻike (knowledge) from aloha ʻ�徱�Բ� practitioners steeped in rich wisdom passed down from kūpuna to address problems impacting the islands.

“I think here in �鶹��ý we can really look towards our ancestral systems that solved [issues] for our islands at different scales in different times but are still very viable and valuable for our future today,” Beamer said.

Wai, ʻAi and Iʻa

The first panel featured aloha ʻ�徱�Բ� leaders from loko iʻa, loʻi kalo and wai advocates who expressed the importance of restoring stream flow in critical areas across the pae ʻ�徱�Բ� (Hawaiian archipelago) which can help to support the production of food and customary rights. Panelist Hōkūao Pellegrino from Hui O Nā Wai ʻEhā spoke of more than 100 streams on Maui that are currently diverted and the need to restore them.

Wai and Red Hill

The second session addressed strategies on decontaminating water impacted by the Red Hill fuel spill and revealed traditional maps listing freshwater resources on Oʻahu. The panel featured UH ����ԴDz� Professor Kapua Sproat (Ka Huli Ao), Ernie Lau (Board of Water Supply), Wayne Tanaka (Sierra Club of �鶹��ý) and Camille Kalama (Kaʻohewai).

Lau lamented that there are still 400 million gallons of fuel sitting over the aquifer and advocated conference attendees to push for the Navy to defuel tanks. “If another spill happens, ‘Oh my gosh, our poor wai,’” Lau said.

Special keynote

Renowned philosopher, political activist, public intellectual and author Cornel West will headline a moderated keynote discussion following the summit at Kennedy Theatre 5–7 p.m. West will speak on imperialism and the occupation of �鶹��ý, while placing the islands within the context of peoples’ movements for liberation and justice across the world.

“Dr. Cornel West has been one of the most influential thinkers of our time when it comes to race, social justice, economic justice, and the liberation of oppressed peoples and occupied nations,” Beamer said. “He is a globally recognized philosopher and progessive activist for human rights. He is one of the most impressive speakers and academics one can witness.”

Organizers plan to host the Piʻo Summit annually with themes highlighting aloha ʻ�徱�Բ� and sustainability, and how to advance local policy issues as well as increase collaboration. The summit is hosted by Pōʻai Ke Aloha ʻĀina, a project of the Dana Naone Hall chair, which aims to elevate aloha ʻ�徱�Բ� practices within our community.

Event sponsors include the , , �鶹��ýnuākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, , �鶹��ý Alliance for Progessive Action, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, ʻĀina Aloha Economic Futures, Kanaeokana and Sierra Club of �鶹��ý.

Climate change will increase opportunities to see rainbows, led by researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa. The study’s authors estimate that by 2100, the average land location on Earth will experience about 5% more days with rainbows than at the beginning of the 21st century. Northern latitudes and very high elevations, where warming is predicted to lead to less snow and more rain, will experience the greatest gains in rainbow occurrence. However, places with reduced rainfall under climate change—such as the Mediterranean—are projected to lose rainbow days.

Rainbows are produced when water droplets refract sunlight. Sunlight and rainfall are therefore essential ingredients for rainbows. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels are warming the atmosphere, which changes patterns and amounts of rainfall and cloud cover.

“Living in �鶹��ý, I felt grateful that stunning, ephemeral rainbows were a part of my daily life,” said the lead author of the study, Kimberly Carlson, who is now at New York University’s Department of Environmental Studies. “I wondered how climate change might affect such rainbow viewing opportunities.”

Camilo Mora, at the UH Mānoa housed in the , was intrigued by the question and pitched it as the focus of a project for one of his graduate courses.

“We often study how climate change directly affects people’s health and livelihoods, for instance via the occurrence of heat stroke during climate change-enhanced heat waves,” he said.

However, few researchers have examined how climate change might affect the aesthetic qualities of our environment, and no one had mapped rainbow occurrences under climate change, until now.

Photos from around the world

A team including students at UH Mānoa looked at photographs uploaded to Flickr, a social media platform where people share photographs. They sorted through tens of thousands of photos taken around the world, labeled with the word “rainbow,” to identify rainbows generated from the refraction of light by rain droplets.

Amanda Wong, then an undergraduate student in in UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s (SOEST) and a co-author on the paper, said, “We had to sort through photos of rainbow artwork, rainbow flags, rainbow trout, rainbow eucalyptus, and rainbow foods to find the real rainbows.”

The model suggests that islands are rainbow hotspots.

Then, the scientists trained a rainbow prediction model based on rainbow photo locations and maps of precipitation, cloud cover and sun angle. Finally, they applied their model to predict present day and future rainbow occurrences over global land areas. The model suggests that islands are rainbow hotspots.

Rainbow capital of the world

“Islands are the best places to view rainbows,” according to Steven Businger, professor of in SOEST. “This is because island terrain lifts the air during daily sea breezes, producing localized showers surrounded by clear skies that let the sun in to produce majestic rainbows.”

The Hawaiian Islands, dubbed the are predicted to experience a few more days with rainbows per year. The authors stopped short of discussing how changes in rainbow occurrence might affect human wellbeing. However, rainbows are an important part of human culture throughout history and around the world and are aesthetically pleasing.

Related story: Secrets of the best rainbows on Earth, March 2021

“Climate change will generate pervasive changes across all aspects of the human experience on Earth,” said Carlson. “Shifts in intangible parts of our environment—such as sound and light—are part of these changes and deserve more attention from researchers.”

In this case, the overall findings are encouraging—it seems people will have more opportunities to make a rainbow connection under climate change.

–By Kimberly Carlson

The earned international recognition for academic and research excellence overall and in multiple subject areas, including a top 60 showing worldwide in meteorology, atmospheric sciences and geosciences, according to the released on October 25 by U.S. News and World Report.

UH’s flagship campus is ranked No. 394 worldwide out of the top 2,000 universities from 95 countries, selected from more than 26,000 institutions worldwide. The rankings are based on several factors, including global and regional research reputation, publications, citations and international collaboration. UH ����ԴDz� was also ranked No. 106 overall in the U.S, No. 117 in regional research reputation, No. 129 in international collaboration in the U.S. and No. 267 in global research reputation.

According to U.S. News and World Report, UH ����ԴDz� is highly ranked internationally in several subject areas, including No. 40 in meteorology and atmospheric sciences, No. 60 in geosciences, No. 116 in arts and humanities, No. 119 in space science, No. 179 in plant and animal science, No. 198 in environment/ecology, and No. 250 in social sciences and public health.

Other rankings

Here are UH ����ԴDz�’s latest notable rankings:

• 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, October 11, 2022
• U.S. News and World Report 2022–23 Best Colleges, September 11, 2022
• 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, August 16, 2022

For more information, visit the .

—By Marc Arakaki

Hurricanes. Floods. Rising sea levels. No matter where you look, extreme weather events are impacting nations at an alarming rate. And in �鶹��ý, an island state surrounded by the vast Pacific Ocean, the impacts of climate change are of increasing concern. Fortunately, �鶹��ý has a voice at the (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Marina Karides, a professor in the in the at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, served as an official observer from the (AAG). In this capacity, she was actively involved in the discussions and exchanging insights with other conference participants.

“We’re thrilled to have a Department of Geography and Environment faculty member representing the university and the state at this globally significant event. By participating in COP26, Professor Karides is able to take the perspectives of �鶹��ý residents directly to the delegates making the decisions about the future of the planet. When she returns to UH, she will be able to bring the lessons she learns at the convention into the classroom to benefit students,” said Reece Jones, professor of geography and department chair.

AAG is the largest association of geographers in the world, with more than 10,000 members from more than 100 countries. On November 9, Karides participated in the Gender Day event on Advancing Gender Equality in Climate Action. In addition to scientists and activists, the session was attended by politicians including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“The climate and ecological crisis are global and gendered phenomena. My goal at COP26 is to involve myself in events and meetings to identify how these matters were being addressed and what kind of economic strategies were being considered to shift from fossil fuels and the logic of accumulation. My students and I in GEO/PACS 333 Islands & Archipelagos will be starting our unit on island and climate change in the upcoming weeks. I can now share with them real world experiences of small island developing states and hopefully inspire some of them to participate in global and international NGOs and the UN,” said Karides.

Karides’ research centers on transnational feminisms, island studies, global social movements and economic alternatives. It includes the study of island societies, particularly how gender, race, ethnicity and sexuality are shaped by islands. She is interested in alternative economic models that serve social needs and the natural environment better than dominant economic modes.

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

The eyes of the world are focused on the climate crisis negotiations for the next two weeks as more than 200 world leaders and 20,000 participants, including six from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, gather in Glasgow, Scotland, U.K. for the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The UH Mānoa faculty and students, from the (SOEST) and , will travel to Glasgow as an official observer delegation to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) at the UNFCCC, running from October 31 to November 12.

Approximately 200 nations around the world meet each year at COP to negotiate advancements in international climate law and policy. In 2015, COP yielded the now-famous Paris Agreement. This year, the parties will be negotiating issues such as carbon market mechanisms, climate funding for vulnerable countries, and accelerating domestic decarbonization targets.

This year, the UH law school’s (ELP) has joined forces with SOEST for the delegation. UH law school members include students Joseph Udell and Naima Te Maile, along with faculty members David Forman and Denise Antolini. From SOEST, Associate Dean Chip Fletcher and recent ELP graduate Colin Lee, who is working with Fletcher as a climate change and resilience policy analyst, will be attending. ELP faculty Richard Wallsgrove is coordinating the delegation from Honolulu.

“We borrowed planet Earth from our children and were poor stewards,” said Fletcher. “For future generations to thrive as we have, it is critical that we transform an economy that for more than two centuries has depended on fossil fuels, land clearing and indiscriminate waste disposal.”

“Climate change is accelerating, but it is still possible to arrest global warming at the U.N. target of 1.5 degrees Celsius with the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century,” Fletcher added. “This requires government policies that promote: net-zero buildings, renewable energy production and storage, clean industry and transportation and technology that removes carbon dioxide, refocusing ecosystem services toward sustainability, and investing in the preservation of natural capital. Without bold and transformative action in these sectors, we not only risk out-of-control climate change, but also the very resources that provide life.”

This will be the third time that UH has sent an official delegation to the UNFCCC. The UH law school’s ELP led the UH delegations in 2018 (Katowice, Poland) and 2019 (Madrid, Spain).

Antolini said, “Having our faculty and students directly engaged with and learning in-person from world leaders, climate negotiators, activists, scientists and community groups all deeply committed to solving the climate crisis is an extraordinary opportunity. The climate challenge has called our UH and larger �鶹��ý delegation, which include the governor and top state officials, to the global stage. To Glasgow, we will bring the success stories of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s bold leadership on climate solutions. From Glasgow, we will bring home the best and latest thinking on law, science and policy to share with our students, colleagues and the State Legislature and counties. We have no time to waste as we work together to meet the ambitious but achievable state and global net-zero targets for 2030 and 2045.”

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

The celebrates World Ocean Month by offering a variety of activities and events including educational resources, a gift shop sale and beach clean-up throughout the month of June.

The Aquarium also invites the community and people around the world to sign the in support of the global movement to protect 30% of the Earth’s lands, waters and ocean by 2030.

“World Ocean Month reminds us just how essential the ocean is to our livelihood as it connects us all,” said Andrew Rossiter, director of the Waikīkī Aquarium. “There’s no better way to celebrate than to invite the community to learn about our oceans and Pacific marine life, and provide an opportunity to care for our local waters.”

The Waikīkī Aquarium will be hosting the following activities and events:

World Ocean Day Beach Clean-Up on June 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The public is invited to participate in a World Ocean Day Beach Clean-Up to keep local waters pollution free. Each group of up to 10 people will receive buckets and supplies at the Aquarium and proceed to clean the surrounding parks and beaches. All participants must follow the state tier 3 guidelines. .

Sunscreen Trade-In on June 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Guests can stop by The Shop on World Ocean Day to trade in their sunscreen and purchase reef-safe sunscreen to receive 15% off their entire gift shop purchase. Exclusions apply. Shoppers can also take advantage of the sale by emailing shop@waikikiaquarium.org to schedule an appointment. Proceeds from The Shop benefit Aquarium programs, exhibits and research.

Educational resources

During World Ocean Month, the Aquarium will be releasing new virtual educational resources on its including:

• World Reef Day
  . This day calls for the community to raise awareness and take action to create positive change to protect the world’s reefs. Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Fish and other organisms find shelter, food, reproduce and raise their young in the reef.
• Hawaiians and the Sea on June 21 and 28
  The Aquarium will be live streaming new Hawaiians and the Sea presentations from Outrigger Waikīkī and the Outrigger Reef. Dean Spencer, Waikīkī Aquarium school support program coordinator, will share rare artifacts and information about how the early Hawaiians survived and sustained their livelihood prior to other cultures coming to �鶹��ý.
• Ocean Classroom in June
  A new episode of Ocean Classroom featuring Patty Miller, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary education coordinator will be released.

For more information, visit the . The Aquarium is a University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� research facility.

The is No. 15 in the world in , No. 16 in and No. 50 in , according to the (GRAS) by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, considered one of the most comprehensive and objective rankings of world universities by subjects. A total of 15 UH ����ԴDz� programs were ranked, including two others that earned top 100 marks.

UH ����ԴDz� was one of the approximately 1,800 universities in 93 countries selected by GRAS out of more than 26,000 colleges and universities to be considered for the annual ranking. The criteria include research output, research influence, international collaboration, research quality and international academic awards.

“The rankings are a testament to the continued excellence demonstrated by our faculty, staff and students, affirming our position as one of the top universities in the world,” UH ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno said. “It is an important reminder of the value UH ����ԴDz� brings to �鶹��ý as the flagship university of the stateʻs public higher education system.”

Subject rankings

• Atmospheric science: 15
• Oceanography: 16
• Hospitality and tourism management: 50
• Communication: 51–75
• Earth sciences: 51–75
• Ecology: 101–150
• Education: 151–200
• Business administration: 201–300
• Environmental science and engineering: 201–300
• Geography: 201–300
• Political science: 201–300
• Human biological sciences: 301–400
• Biological sciences: 401–500
• Psychology: 401–500
• Public health: 401–500

Academic Ranking of World Universities

UH ����ԴDz� earned a No. 95–114 ranking in the U.S. and No. 301–400 worldwide in the also by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, released in June 2020. This places UH ����ԴDz� in the top 2% out of more than 26,000 universities in the world.

Other rankings

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

• Among the best universities in the U.S. for learning experience, employability, diversity and research, May 5, 2021
• UH ����ԴDz� grad programs nationally recognized by U.S. News and World Report, March 29, 2021
• UH ����ԴDz� among world’s best in multiple subject areas by 2021 QS World University Rankings by subject, March 3, 2021

For more, visit the .

These rankings are examples of UH ����ԴDz�’s goals of (PDF) and (PDF), two of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

—By Marc Arakaki

The �鶹��ý Department of Health issued the following news release on May 18, 2021.

The University of �鶹��ý will upgrade the Waikīkī Aquarium’s water system within the next five years to protect nearshore waters as part of an agreement with the �鶹��ý Department of Health (DOH). The Waikīkī Aquarium was established in 1904 and has been an institution of the University of �鶹��ý since 1919.

Based on the health department’s assessment, the Waikīkī Aquarium had numerous discharges from its tanks and exhibits from 2014 to 2018 that exceeded the limits for regulated parameters allowed under its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit. The health department issued the permit and monitors for compliance.

The agreement, called an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC), allows the Waikīkī Aquarium to continue to conduct research and educate residents and visitors about �鶹��ý’s precious ecosystem as it takes steps to be in compliance. The agreement also allows the Waikīkī Aquarium to propose and implement a health department-approved environmentally beneficial project valued at $90,000 or more, in lieu of a monetary penalty.

“We appreciate the cooperation from both the University of �鶹��ý and Waikīkī Aquarium to resolve these environmental issues and commend the University of �鶹��ý for its commitment to correct the violations identified by the health department,” said Keith Kawaoka, deputy director of environmental health. “The terms of the AOC ensure the Waikīkī Aquarium remains in compliance with the terms of the permit and help prevent potential water pollution that jeopardizes nearshore waters in the future.”

The health department conducted an investigation of the Waikīkī Aquarium and determined its aged water system, which supplies saltwater for exhibits and research areas, was the cause of the exceedances. Upon being notified of the violations, the University of �鶹��ý and Waikīkī Aquarium management and technical experts began implementing solutions to stop the violations. The Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch will monitor the University of �鶹��ý and Waikīkī Aquarium to ensure compliance with the AOC until all of the terms are met.

“Environmental stewardship is fundamental to the Waikīkī Aquarium’s mission and we recognize that we must lead by example,” said Andrew Rossiter, Waikīkī Aquarium director. “These incidents alerted us to the deteriorated condition of our aged water system. Aquarium and UH staff responded promptly and are working closely with the Department of Health to invest in new systems and improve our saltwater treatment processes to protect the surrounding ocean and marine life.”

The DOH is responsible for protecting the quality of water in streams and coastal areas in �鶹��ý, keeping the state’s waters fishable and swimmable for everyone. The DOH Clean Water Branch protects public health and the environment by prohibiting discharges that impair water quality and regulating discharges that can cause pollution and degradation to State waters. Owners and operators of wastewater systems must comply with environmental regulations that protect the public. Failure to do so may result in legal action by the State, Federal partners and/or private citizens.

Research at the on hybrid forest ecosystems is directly behind the creation of a bill currently under consideration at the �鶹��ý County Council that would allow private landowners to receive reduced property tax rates for native forest restoration on �鶹��ý Island.

Bill 178 is an amendment to the current �鶹��ý County Property Tax Code, and would also promote the islandwide engagement of preserving native forests. The bill passed two hearings unanimously with the next scheduled for August 5. If it passes the next hearing and is approved by Mayor Harry Kim, it will become law.

Forest ecosystems expert Rebecca Ostertag, a professor of biology and associate program chair of the at UH Hilo, and her colleague Susan Cordell of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, are working directly with environmental lawyer Leslie Cole-Brooks, who wrote the bill.

UH Hilo student Sebastian Wells, in the professional internship track of the TCBES graduate program, is working as an intern this summer with the County of �鶹��ý Real Property Tax Division. Wells is developing communication tools to train county employees on evaluating forest management plans.

“My role as an intern is to develop documents that would support the implementation of the proposed legislation as it will help streamline the process for the county, helping them to effectively and efficiently evaluate forestry management plans while also providing landowners with the tools they need in order to maximize the success of their native forest restoration endeavors,” Wells said.

—By Susan Enright

Related UH News video: Could hybrid ecosystems save native forests in �鶹��ý?

The Haleakalā silversword, already one of the rarest species in the Hawaiian Islands, has been declining in recent decades due to drier and warmer climate conditions. Efforts to restore the population should focus on outplanting new plants in geographic areas with the most favorable climatic conditions. That’s according to a three-year study by researchers from the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s and the .

“The goal of our study was to understand the specific reasons why silverswords are dying in the wild,” said lead investigator Paul Krushelnycky, an entomologist in CTAHR’s Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. “The study helped us better understand what is likely driving the spatial pattern of mortality in the wild population. This is important for coming up with the most effective strategy to ensure the plant’s continued survival.”

The Haleakalā silversword lives only on the slopes of this volcano. Besides its rarity and dramatic appearance, it also plays a critical ecological role in its alpine desert environment, including acting as the habitat for several species of endemic insects. Beyond that, it’s a good indicator of what’s happening throughout the world as plants and animals are impacted by higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.

Predicting how plants will respond to increased future drought is difficult, because there are multiple factors influencing both drought resistance of plants and local climatic conditions. Krushelnycky and his co-authors, including Kasey Barton of UH ����ԴDz�’s Botany department and Creighton Litton of CTAHR’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, conducted a detailed study of why the Haleakalā silversword has been dying off at lower elevations on the slope and how best to plant new plants that would survive.

After introducing new plants sourced from silverswords growing in different areas of the mountain and planting them at high, medium and low elevations, they tracked the plants for more than three years. They found that plants were more likely to survive at higher elevations, no matter where their seeds had come from. This matched the pattern of mortality in the wild population. They believe this is because lower-elevation plants grow up to be less drought-resistant than higher-elevation plants, and therefore die at higher rates during especially dry seasons.

Krushelnycky explained, “This means park managers should focus their efforts on identifying areas on the mountain where outplanting survival is likely to be highest, rather than trying to take advantage of more resistant genotypes.”

The study, “,” appeared in Ecological Monographs of the Ecological Society of America.

The world is experiencing a variety of effects of global warming, and some parts of �鶹��ý are seeing a decrease in relative humidity. Those are the unexpected results of research recently published by a team including a PhD candidate in the in the .

Aurora Kagawa-Viviani said the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� research effort began as a course project to improve air temperature maps for the Hawaiian islands. Drawing on daily temperature records from 309 stations between 1905 and 2017, researchers explored relationships of surface air temperatures to atmospheric, oceanic and land surface variables.

“We knew that global warming was causing temperatures to increase across the islands, but we were surprised to find that nighttime sea-level air temperature has been rising very rapidly, much faster than suggested by trends averaging records from multiple low stations,”said Kagawa-Viviani. “A weaker warming trend in midday temperatures, especially close to the cloud layer, pointed us to atmospheric drying—decreasing relative humidity—in some parts of our island.”

Added co-researcher Thomas Giambelluca, geography and environment professor and director of the , “This holds significance for understanding how water resources, ecosystems and human populations are being, and will continue to be affected by, climate change over the next decades. These mapping and analysis efforts are steps toward better understanding how these changes are happening now and into the future.”

The paper was published in the .

Studying temperature and elevation

To see how spatial patterns of temperature changed over the years, Kagawa-Viviani and Giambelluca derived the statistical relationships between temperature and elevation each year. This allowed them to not only map temperature patterns, but also provided a unique way to estimate sea-level air temperature and examine long-term changes.

“We were surprised that daytime temperatures in the middle elevations were not increasing, or were even decreasing in some areas,” said Kagawa-Viviani. “We initially thought this was an effect of inconsistencies in the data, but it turned out that atmospheric drying below and within the cloud layer, and associated rising of cloud base, explained the lack of warming in the cloud zone.”

Through the process of eliminating alternative explanations and exploring other atmospheric profile datasets, the connection was made between patterns of temperature and humidity change. By summer 2019, the researchers were able to conclude that the pattern of middle elevation cooling was consistent with lower-level drying and upper-level moistening.

Geography and environment graduate students working with Giambelluca will continue to study changes in �鶹��ý’s climate, to project future changes and to analyze how the changes affect water resources and natural ecosystems in the islands.