Many aspiring mental health practitioners in �鶹��ý begin their career journey thinking they are embarking on a straightforward path toward helping their community, only to find themselves walking into many regulations and bureaucratic red tape.

John Souza, Jr., an assistant professor in the at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, is working to change that with his “Do You Know the Way to Licensure?” project. The goal is to fix the critical disconnects in the state’s mental health workforce pipeline, leading to more fully licensed providers for local families.

Hidden hurdles

Souza’s preliminary research reveals that the transition from graduation to full licensure is where many practitioners get lost, often because of administrative and financial burden of accruing post-graduate supervised hours.

“Instead of being sure that people are ready to sit with individuals, couples and families and help them heal, we’re seeing that the licensure process is testing people’s ability to withstand financial hardship,” said Souza.

The initiative, part of the Marriage and Family Therapy Lab at the , is collecting data from four different routes—undergraduates, current graduate students, pre-licensed graduates and licensed providers. Souza wants to advocate for policy changes that will streamline the path to practice.

For more information or to participate in the study, contact Souza at john.souza@hawaii.edu.

A rainy Saturday couldn’t stop warm hearts and the aloha spirit as University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa students and community members gathered for the annual pre-Valentine’s Day flower arranging event on February 7. Held at Kuykendall Hall, the event offered a creative outlet for the community to connect and give back.

Participants followed a “one-for-me, one-for-you” model; one bouquet was kept by the creator, while the second was donated to the Palolo Chinese home and Palolo Hongwanji Temple, which distributed the flowers to people and families in need of a seasonal lift.

The workshop is a collaborative effort between the nonprofit Family Education Centers of �鶹��ý (FECH) and the Home Garden Network, part of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in the UH Mānoa .

Norman Tansey, president of FECH, noted that several dedicated community members have attended every year. “It’s something that has really picked up and snowballed, and we’re happy to hold it every year.”

Resilient mental health, well-being

Now in its fifth year, the event was designed to promote mental health awareness by encouraging participants to slow down and surround themselves with the beauty of nature.

“It’s important just to take some time, surround yourself with good people, and let the colors of the flowers speak to you,” said Tansey. “It’s hard to be in a mindset that isn’t positive when you’re surrounded by colors and working with different textures. It’s all about building community and putting smiles on faces.”

A learning lab

“We have refined the programming using participant feedback, and each year we apply what we learn to improve the event,” said Sothy Eng, associate professor of human development and family science and founder of the Home Garden Network. “With support from our student interns, including Makayla Sharp and several alumni who come back every year to volunteer, the project has even resulted in a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences co-authored with students.”

Eng noted that the program provides real-world training in community engagement. “Students see how a program is developed, implemented and refined, and then learn how to translate that experience into research that can inform extension programming across the United States.”

In recognition of exceptional teaching and mentoring in family science, Sothy Eng, an associate professor in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa , was honored with the Ernest G. Osborne Award from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR).

The award is given to only one educator in the U.S. every two years and celebrates a teacher’s commitment to student success, inside and outside the classroom.

Building trust

Eng’s approach to teaching comes from his innovative Critical, Empathetic and Mindful Relations framework. It helps students create practical tools to build stronger interpersonal connections and resilience. In turn, students use their own set of tools to bring empathy, mindfulness and intentionality to their relationships—whether parent and child, romantic partners or professional.

“Earlier in my career, I thought teaching meant being in full control of the class and directing what students learned,” Eng said. “But students have shown me that good teaching is about trust: trusting their experiences, their values and their motivation. It’s also about recognizing that each student carries challenges that we may not see. When I trust that reality, empathy comes more naturally, and it reminds me to be mindful before every interaction and reaction.”

“That realization is what led me to develop the Critical, Empathetic, and Mindful Relations (CEMR) framework. It guides my research, how I teach, how I relate to students, and how I try to live my own life,” said Eng.

Eng believes that by making an intentional investment in human connection, relationships become powerful “engines for healing, learning, and growth.” The model helps students identify and strengthen the often invisible relationships that shape human development.

Eng also earned second place in the NCFR’s Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award for Family Science in 2022. He is recognized for his distinguished service to families through teaching at all levels.

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is housed in the .

Fashion students at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa are designing the future, literally. In the spring 2025 semester, students in Associate Professor Ju-Young Kang’s took a bold step forward. They didn’t just use 3D design software to create fashion, they teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) to push their creativity further than ever before.

The class, part of the FDM program in the , has been producing 3D virtual fashion shows since 2015. However this year marked a first. Students used AI tools alongside 3D software to create lifelike fashion designs and videos. They learned how to guide AI in generating images and videos, then refined those results into complete digital looks.

“I’m so proud of our students for their commitment and the effort they put into their 2D/3D CAD projects, integrating 3D software with AI-driven virtual catwalks,” said Kang. “It was incredibly rewarding to help our students explore new and creative ways to use digital design software and AI technologies.”

Tech-driven design

The class projects were a mix of art and innovation. From realistic outfit renderings to full-on virtual runway shows, the results showed what happens when fashion and technology come together.

Fifty-four students shared their work at the 59th Lasting Legacies fashion exhibition on May 2, at the UH Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom. More than 190 guests came to see how students used both AI and software to bring their visions to life.

FDM student Samantha Maeda expressed her fascination with exploring new creative possibilities.

“U�����Բ� AI platforms in the FDM 338 fashion CAD project gave me a sense of creative freedom, speed, and enhanced visual storytelling,” Maeda said. “The most motivating factor was being able to generate professional-looking visuals efficiently, which made the design process more dynamic, inspiring, and accessible.

FDM is housed in the .

For nearly six decades, the annual fashion exhibition at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa has been a signature showcase of creativity and craft. This year’s show, Lasting Legacies, marked the 59th—and final—edition of the traditional format, as the (FDM) looks ahead to a new chapter.

Held on May 2, the student-led event brought 12 senior mini-collections, two group lines by juniors, and nearly 90 models to the runway at the UH Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom. Each piece told a story of heritage, resilience and personal growth.

“Many of our students are going to work in the fashion industry, and this gives them the experience of creating a collection 100% by themselves,” said FDM instructor and student mentor Minako McCarthy. “They find their inspirations, set up their storyboards and then move into designs, making a garment, and staging their models.”

Designing every detail

From concept to catwalk, students handled it all: design, construction, media production and event logistics.

Elliana (Yana) Abcede, the production lead, managed the massive effort behind the scenes.

“I became more assertive and decisive. You cannot be a people pleaser in this position. You learn when to say no, when to say yes, and to trust your decisions,” Abcede said.

Senior designer Hniang Sung based her line of clothing, Chin Legacy, on her upbringing in Burma’s Chin State.

“I took inspiration from traditions, cultural symbols, and childhood memories. It is a way to showcase my cultural background and uplift the people of Myanmar,” she shared.

Student designers Eleanor Osterloh and Marisa Kim also made bold statements on the runway with their collections, Bone House and Grit and Glitz.

A new chapter

“Fashion changes, but style endures,” said iconic clothing designer Coco Chanel. And so change has come for the long-running fashion exhibition at FDM. With a long and proud history within FDM, the and , organizers said next year it will return, revised and refreshed.

Undergraduate interns from the at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s (CTAHR) helped organize a hands-on family friendly event in honor of Earth Day in April.

“This is our fourth time hosting an Earth Day event. It’s a day to be mindful—by growing plants that nourish us, recycling to reduce waste, and making small choices that protect the Earth’s beauty for generations to come,” said Sothy Eng, associate professor of (HDFS), and faculty advisor of student honor society Phi Upsilon Omicron.

Held at Mānoa Marketplace, the event brought together participants of all ages including lots of keiki. It featured booths hosted by student groups and community partners, including UH Mānoa (HGN) and , Family Education Centers of Hawaii (FECH), Phi Upsilon Omicron.

Keiki planters, microgreens

Student leadership powered this year’s event. Makayla Sharp, an HGN intern and HDFS student, helped coordinate a clay pot painting activity. Using donated pots and recycled materials, keiki picked their own planters and brought them to life with vibrant designs—each one ready to be filled with seeds and soil.

“It was amazing seeing the kids’ smiles as they painted their pots and expressed themselves through art. Plus, it’s sustainable—we reused materials we already had instead of buying new,” said Sharp.

Sariah Hernandez, an intern with FECH and a HDFS undergraduate, introduced attendees to the world of microgreens. Participants assembled take-home kits using repurposed plastic containers, planting seeds that would grow into nutritious greens ready for harvest in just eight days.

“Our microgreen station showed people that you don’t need a backyard garden to grow food—you can do it even in a small apartment,” Hernandez explained.

Students from Phi Upsilon Omicron also contributed by preparing seed packets and soil kits for distribution. The UH Master Gardener Program was on hand to share information about native plants and gardening tips.

Blending local knowledge with ecological conservation efforts by engaging young adults aged 18–25 in oral history documentation is the focus of a University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa project that was awarded $114,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, International Program Office and U.S. Agency for International Development.

The project “Enlivening Forest Landscapes in �鶹��ý and Indonesia,” will be led by Thao Le, principal investigator, professor and chair in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, alongside Micah Fisher, co-principal investigator and assistant professor at the , which is housed in the .The Project also partners with Ming Li Yong at the East-West Center Research Program.

“We hope that this grant helps a group of students from �鶹��ý and Indonesia learn and experience humility by honoring and respecting the wisdom of our elders, kupuna, who really knew what it means and what it takes to care for the land, and by land, we mean all the elements that sustain a community,” said Le.

Learning from elders, community leaders

Students will interview elders and community leaders in both �鶹��ý and Indonesia, deepening their understanding of the cultural significance of landscapes. The initiative is a collaboration with Hasanuddin University in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, providing students from both institutions with hands-on experience in place-based oral history documentation.

“I’ve always believed in the power of field-based learning and its transformative opportunities,” said Fisher. ”It allows us to learn in different ways, from different people, different places, and through the sharing of experiences across cultures, environments, and backgrounds. Having this sort of grounded context also helps to deepen learning opportunities in the classroom after students return.“

The project will take UH students to the Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park in Sulawesi. Participants will gain insights into climate change, environmental governance, and social justice histories. The experience will culminate with an exhibition and video documentation of the oral histories collected at UH Mānoa.

In spring 2025, students will delve into environmental ethics and governance, with Indonesian students invited to UH Mānoa to facilitate an exchange of ideas and knowledge.

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has officially changed its name to the (CTAHR), in a step that CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal said will better reflect the college’s mission and vision (below).

“This update embodies our college’s commitment to fostering resilience across individuals, communities, economies and ecosystems, emphasizing its focus on sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation, and family and community well-being,” said Grewal. “We at CTAHR define human resilience as building individual, community and environmental endurance in the face of challenges such as climate change.”

CTAHR aims to lead research and educational initiatives that help prepare �鶹��ý and the Pacific region to respond to and recover from climate-driven impacts to agriculture and communities.

“Our programs are centered on enhancing the human condition through a comprehensive approach to building resilience in agricultural and natural systems in the face of climate change,” said Grewal.

The process to change the name, which retains the college’s well known acronym, CTAHR, began shortly after Grewal started as dean of the college in March 2024. He had a series of meetings with faculty, students, staff, and alumni who all supported the name change proposal. A survey conducted among CTAHR faculty, staff, students, alumni and stakeholders found that more than 67% of respondents endorsed the change, with more than 72% agreeing that “human resilience” better captures the college’s mission and values.

The mission of several of CTAHR‘s departments already reflect the name change such as the , which conducts research and teaching programs on individual and family resiliency. The focuses on research and academic programs in human nutrition and dietetics, to enhance nutritional health of individuals, children and families. The explores human dimensions research through the relationships between humans and the natural environment for improved human management decisions and policy creation. CTAHR‘s extension programs focus on improving economic, social, and health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities and offer youth development programs such as 4-H to build teenage resiliency.

The school will be changing its signage and webpages over the coming months to reflect the name change. “Human Resources” was added to the then “College of Tropical Agriculture” in 1978 when the college merged with the UH �鶹��ý Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, which was dissolved in 1999. The meaning of “human resources” has since shifted from resources for people, like healthy food and clean water, to primarily being associated with business and personnel management.

CTAHR was the very first college at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa when it was founded in 1907 under the Morrill Act as a land-grant college of agriculture and mechanic arts. The flagship campus now has 17 colleges and schools.

CTAHR Mission

CTAHR creates and delivers knowledge that supports and strengthens families, agricultural and food systems, and the natural environment. We educate and serve the people of �鶹��ý and those from around the world with integrity and excellence.

CTAHR Vision

CTAHR provides exceptional education, research, and extension programs in tropical agriculture and food systems, family and consumer science, and natural resource management for �鶹��ý and the international community. We cultivate innovative scientific inquiry, solve real world challenges, and provide experiential learning in an interdisciplinary setting with global impacts.

Middle school students across the state learned to cook dishes such as manapua and kalua pork as part of “4-H Camp Kau Kau,” a week-long culinary camp from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa ’s (CTAHR) 4-H Youth Development Program this summer. Recipes and lessons focused on the context and diversity of local food in �鶹��ý, with hands-on cooking experiences and educational activities about �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s food and agricultural history.

The camp reached 47 students at sites on Oʻahu, Maui, Lānaʻi, �鶹��ý Island and Kauaʻi. In kitchens and gardens across the state, youth learned how to properly measure wet and dry ingredients, practiced their knife skills preparing pickled cucumbers, and cooked kalua pork in an electric pressure cooker. They also built their understanding of themselves and their community through written activities, such as poetry and family recipes.

As one participant shared, “I feel like I can actually cook something for myself and my family.”

Students played games including “Mix Plate Match-up” and worked in teams to prepare dishes such as saimin, lumpia and Portuguese bean soup. Almost half of surveyed students reported they were more interested in a career related to local food because of the camp, and 83% said they will cook the recipes they learned at home.

Host sites included Mālaʻai, Urban Garden Center, Hoʻola Lahui �鶹��ý and UH Mānoa’s Food Lab. Funding for the camp was provided by the and University of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s .

The team, which included CTAHR extension agents Marielle Hampton, Nancy Ooki, Tina Mueller, Hallie Cristobal and Christine Hanakawa, is preparing for next year’s camp in 2025. For more information, contact Hampton at hamptonm@hawaii.edu.

Nearly 50% of farmers in �鶹��ý under the age of 46 have suffered from experiences of depression, and nearly 14% with suicidal thoughts, according to a study published in 2023 by the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (CTAHR). Agriculture is a high-stress enterprise with lots of risks and uncertainties, including volatile markets, fluctuating weather, invasive species and other stressors that agriculture producers must contend with on a daily and seasonal basis.

Due to high rates of stress, depression and suicide among this demographic, CTAHR developed (SOW) with original funding support from the �鶹��ý Department of Agriculture/USDA–NIFA in fall 2021 to promote better mental health for those who work in the agriculture industry. SOW provides workshops and educational materials in multiple languages to equip individuals with practical skills for managing stress and promoting mental well-being. SOW also conducts cutting-edge research, producing podcasts that have garnered more than 2,000 downloads, and 1,000 Instagram followers.

For its efforts, SOW was honored with the Outstanding Community Mental Health Leader award by Mental Health America �鶹��ý in May.

“This award validates our dedication and commitment to promoting mental health awareness and support within �鶹��ý’s agricultural communities,” said Thao Le, CTAHR professor and chair of the Family Consumer Sciences department, and SOW director. “This recognition highlights the effectiveness of our initiatives from the community in addressing mental health challenges and fostering resilience for our farmers and ranchers.”

Building social connection to address mental health challenges

SOW developed the which has trained more than 60 ag mentors to serve as community connector and ag mental health navigator, and is seeking additional funding to expand its program and across the Pacific. Guam, for instance, has reached out and is also interested in replicating SOW’s efforts.

“We remain steadfast in destigmatizing mental challenges by bolstering social connection and social capital,” said Le.

SOW collaborates with the Western Region Agricultural Stress Assistance Program, a partnership with 13 states and four territories, Safe States Alliance, and �鶹��ý Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch, along with other organizations to leverage resources and expertise.

“The effectiveness of what we do depends on the relationships we build, cultivate, and nurture, so that no one feels alone in their struggles,” said Le.