Taren Bouwman and Landon Wong, researchers in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (CTAHR), have been named 2026 ARCS Scholars by the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation’s Honolulu chapter. This award honors outstanding U.S. citizens pursuing higher education in STEM fields.

Green energy, climate solutions

Bouwman is exploring ways to create a microscopic net that traps algae in the sea and harvests them for energy. His work earned him the H. Keith and Sue Ernst ARCS Award.

In CTAHR’s Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Bouwman looks into the relationships between marine algae and earth-bound fungi to overcome a roadblock in the green energy sector: the steep cost of harvesting biofuels, a promising energy source.

“More than half of the cost of biofuel from algae comes from trying to filter the algae out of the water,” Bouwman said. “Fungi can act as a cheap bio-filter to capture the algae so we can extract them together as an energy-rich fuel source.”

Protecting �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s coffee industry

In CTAHR’s Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Wong was awarded the Helen Jones Farrar ARCS award in Tropical Plant Pathology and the Dr. Jacqueline Maly ARCS Scholar of the Year award for his research on the taxonomy of coffee root-knot nematodes. This tiny, destructive pest is devastating coffee production across �鶹��ý Island, Central and South America.

Wong’s project clarified the true identity of the Kona coffee root-knot nematode (tiny pest) (Meloidogyne konaensis) by incorporating genetic, physical and protein-based testing. Wong’s work determined Meloidogyne konaensis is widely distributed across the coffee-growing regions of Central and South America.

“Traditional diagnostic procedures could take over two months,” Wong said. “This research has facilitated a faster identification method to protect local coffee growers from this pest and allow regulators to accurately screen and identify the nematode pest at ports of entry and in field samples in under a day using a simple genetic test.”

He also discovered a new species of root-knot nematode in Brazil, Meloidogyne pseudokonaensis, named for its similarity and previously mistaken identity as Meloidogyne konaensis.

Tiny, sun-powered organisms found in freshwater pools could soon fuel �鶹��ý’s sustainable future. Researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa are charting a path to transform microalgae into a “green gold” reality for biofuels, medicine and nutrition. In a study published in , experts from the (CTAHR) reveal how cutting-edge synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are clearing the way for microalgae production locally and around the world.

Microalgae excel at capturing carbon dioxide and converting it into high-value compounds such as lipids (oils) and terpenoids (organic chemicals). These can be used to create everything from renewable jet fuel to life-saving medications.

“Microalgae have immense potential because they don’t compete with food crops for land or fresh water,” said Zhi-Yan (Rock) Du, an associate professor in CTAHR’s Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering (MBBE) and the study’s lead author. “Our research focuses on how we can ‘reprogram’ these organisms to produce more of these valuable materials efficiently.”

Tweaking internal chemistry

Despite their potential, producing microalgal products at a scale that can compete with petroleum has been difficult. The UH team, including graduate students led by Ty Shitanaka (co-principal investigator with MBBE professor Samir Kumar Khanal), examined how new genetic tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 can optimize the “metabolic superhighways” within the algae.

By tweaking the internal chemistry of the cells, researchers can drive the algae to accumulate higher concentrations of oil and specific health-boosting compounds without slowing down their growth, a common problem in earlier bioengineering attempts.

A sustainable vision for �鶹��ý

For �鶹��ý, the state’s year-round sunshine and coastal access provide an ideal environment for algae cultivation.

“This has the potential to help �鶹��ý create a more resilient, energy-independent economy,” said Khanal. “By integrating microalgae production with wastewater treatment or agricultural byproduct recycling, we can create a system that is both environmentally friendly and economically viable.”

The study also emphasizes the importance of “synthetic biology,” which allows scientists to design biological parts that don’t exist in nature, further pushing the boundaries of what microalgae can produce.

The research was a collaborative effort involving Professor Krzysztof Zienkiewicz from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

A University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa graduate student earned top honors at a major international medical science conference, taking home two awards for her research.

Princess Jena Dalit Santiago, a second-year graduate student in the ’s Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, won both the “Best Graduate Student Talk and Poster” award at the International Symposium on Selenium in Biology and Medicine in Daejeon, South Korea, and the “Best Trainee Award” from the acclaimed Royal Society of Chemistry in the U.K.

“I was more nervous thinking of something to say when I received the award than when I presented my research,” Santiago said.

Her award-winning presentation dives into how the loss of the antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin 6 changes how the body uses selenium, which is essential to regulating a cell’s energy and repairing damaged lipid cell walls. Santiago’s passion for the field comes from watching her grandmother live with diabetes and other metabolic diseases. This inspiration aligns perfectly with Santiago’s research, where imbalances of antioxidants in the body is a major factor in metabolic illnesses.

Santiago’s research is conducted with associate professor Lucia Seale at the , which is part of the . She is on track to finish her master’s project and graduate in May 2026. While she loves research, she’s drawn to practicing medicine and has submitted her medical school applications. Her ultimate goal is to return home to Maui and serve her community as a surgeon.

For Kelsea Kanoho Hosoda, receiving the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s (AISES) Blazing Flame Professional Award marks a full-circle moment in her mission to uplift Indigenous students in STEM. The national honor recognizes her decades of work expanding opportunities for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students.

“I’ve been a part of AISES since I was an undergraduate, and they really helped me flourish—from undergrad to graduate school and now in my professional career,” said Hosoda, director of the at the University of awaiʻi at Mānoa’s (JABSOM). “So this award, to me, is more than just recognition from a national organization—it also means a lot for �鶹��ý.”

At JABSOM, Hosoda leads initiatives that improve Native Hawaiian health through education, research & community engagement, encouraging students to pursue careers in medicine and other health professions.

Bridging communities through mentorship

Hosoda’s involvement with UH Mānoa’s Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship Program (NHSEMP) inspired her to co-found the university’s first AISES student chapter with her husband, creating a bridge between local and national Indigenous STEM communities. She later helped revise AISES policies to expand eligibility for scholarships and internships to all Indigenous students.

Related UH News story: Advancing the science of mentorships

Over the past 12 years, Hosoda has mentored more than 100 students—many now working in research and medicine. Through programs such as Kauhale Medical Scholars, she continues to guide pre-med students from �鶹��ý’s neighbor islands and public schools.

“Being part of AISES taught me to bring my whole self to work,” Hosoda said. “That sense of balance and authenticity is something I try to pass on to my students.”

A proud UH Mānoa alumna, she earned her bachelor’s in biology and Hawaiian language, a master’s in molecular biosciences and bioengineering, and a PhD in communication and information sciences—experiences that deepened her integration of ʻIke �鶹��ý and STEM.

Hosoda will receive the Blazing Flame Professional Award at the AISES National Conference in Minneapolis this October.

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In a leap for agricultural science, a team of University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa undergraduate students has developed a new method that slashes the time needed to test gene-editing tools on corn from several months to just a few days. This significant breakthrough can help scientists accelerate corn breeding efforts and overcome challenges in developing new, improved types of corn. Their work, centered on the revolutionary gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9, was published in .

The students tested the new CRISPR tools on four different types of corn. The results showed that the tools are powerful, with an editing efficiency of up to 24%. This is particularly important for tropical corn, which is sensitive to daylight, making it challenging for farmers to grow in some climates.

CRISPR is a landmark molecular biology tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to DNA. It was co-developed by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, a renowned biochemist with deep ties to �鶹��ý; she was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Hilo. The groundbreaking tool has opened up new possibilities for treating genetic diseases and improving agriculture.

Prepping for high paying jobs

The research was conducted as part of the MBBE/BIOL 401 Lab, a 400-level course led by Zhi-Yan “Rock” Du, an associate professor in the ’s Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. The class is designed to give students hands-on experience and prepare them for careers in many fields, from pharmaceuticals to agriculture.

“Having a published paper is a major accomplishment that makes students more competitive for potentially high-paying jobs and graduate school,” Du said. “It’s an engaging way to help them think critically about what they are learning and provides them with their first publication before they even graduate.”

Students from the 2025 spring semester class also wrote a review paper on CRISPR applications in agriculture that was published in the .

A University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa undergraduate had the opportunity to observe a pathologist perform an autopsy and shadow forensic investigators at a crime scene during her .

This hands-on experience with the City and County of Honolulu’s Medical Examiner’s Office gave Nanami Mehring, a fourth-year molecular biosciences and biotechnology major at the (CTAHR), a profound lesson in personal resilience, solidifying her interest in a field that demands both scientific precision and empathy.

While the technical skills and pre-med knowledge she gained from her CTAHR courses such as biochemistry were essential, Mehring discovered that her most valuable insight was the compassionate nature of the work.

The Medical Examiner’s Office provides clarity and closure to families whose loved ones have died in mysterious circumstances.

“It’s a job full of compassion,” she said. A pathology career asks for a blend of objectivity and a “strong soul.”

Solidifying career aspirations

For Mehring, the Poʻokela Fellowship solidified her career aspirations and prepared her for a future where she can provide answers and much-needed closure to families in their time of grief.

The Po’okela Fellows Internship Program introduces college students to the City and County of Honolulu’s , connects them with City leaders and encourages them to apply classroom knowledge to various projects and make a difference in their communities.

The internship gave Mehring confidence in her career path and a sense that she can handle the emotional and physical demands of pathology. Investigators and pathologists at the office gave her insight into the next steps—from medical school to pursuing a master’s program to become a pathologist assistant. Internship programs such as the Poʻokela Fellowship help to support workforce development in �鶹��ý, one of the core pillars of the UH System �鶹��ý. Research shows too that early career exposure such as Mehring’s is strongly correlated with academic persistence and early career success.

By honoring the legacy of women in data science, University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa researchers are pushing for a more inclusive and innovative future in the rapidly growing field.

Published in the June 2025 issue of , the piece “Highlighting the Achievements and Impact of Women in Data Science” was written by Lauren Higa, a PhD student in the Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering Program in the , and her advisor, Youping Deng, professor and director of the Bioinformatics Core at the (JABSOM).

The article honors pioneers including Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer; Florence Nightingale, who used data to improve public health; and NASA mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, whose computational work was crucial to space exploration. These trailblazers laid the foundation for modern data science. It also highlights current leaders such as Fei-Fei Li, whose ImageNet project revolutionized artificial intelligence and computer vision, showing the lasting impact of women in the field.

A call for equity and inclusion

Despite these remarkable contributions, women remain underrepresented in science fields, making up only 23% of the global data science workforce, according to a 2024 Anaconda report. Higa and Deng argue that this lack of representation hinders progress, limits innovation and introduces bias in data-driven technologies.

To address the gender gap, Higa and Deng propose a range of actionable solutions, including strengthening mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, ensuring equitable access to authorship and publishing, and creating institutional policies that promote work-life balance and long-term career support.

Through their research and leadership at JABSOM’s Bioinformatics Core, the UH Mānoa team hopes to inspire positive change in the data science landscape, one that is inclusive, equitable and reflective of the communities it aims to serve.

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The first University of �鶹��ý Program—integrating human and veterinary medicine and environmental science—graduates accepted their certificates at the UH Mānoa Commencement Ceremony on May 17. The inaugural One Health certificate recipients were molecular biosciences and biotechnology major Braxton Ramos, and biology major Zarek Kon.

Ramos conducted her capstone research project, “Effect of Environmental Selenium on Microbial Diversity in Culex quinquefasciatus” under the mentorship of Associate Researcher Lucia Seale and Associate Professor Matthew Medeiros at the Pacific Biosciences Research Center. Her study focused on an important symbiotic gut fungus, and aims to profile microbial diversity of the gut microbiome in the presence of increased selenium. Ramos plans to continue her training after graduation to become a physician’s assistant.

Kon’s capstone research project, “Environmental Surveillance of Leptospira in �鶹��ý: Evaluating DNA Extraction Methods for Soil and Water Samples” was mentored by Assistant Professor Jourdan McMillan and Professor Sandra Chang at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). His findings demonstrated that commercial DNA extraction kits can successfully identify pathogenic Leptospira in environmental samples. Kon will enter JABSOM as a first-year medical student in fall 2025.

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More on the certificate

The prepares students with the skills and knowledge to work collaboratively across disciplines to solve real-world problems.

The One Health certificate will benefit students pursuing a wide range of professions in human, animal or environmental health. Besides specific jobs in these areas, other One Health-related careers include science writing, food safety, disaster preparedness, global disease surveillance, policy and sustainability practices.

The tradition of academic and research excellence at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa was on international display as several experts were named to the list. Among the 2024 honorees were Samir Kumar Khanal, Daniel Huber, Bin Wang and Daniel Mende.

The scholars on the list were recognized as having shown exceptional and community-wide influence that shapes the future of science, technology and academia globally. Each researcher earned their place by consistently publishing papers that rank in the top 1% by citations in their respective fields, as measured by the Web of Science citation index. This elite recognition places them among the most influential 0.1% of the world’s scientists, according to the list’s methodology. The list includes 6,886 influential researchers from more than 1,200 institutions from 59 countries and regions.

CTAHR Professor Samir Kumar Khanal

Samir Kumar Khanal, a professor in the in the (CTAHR), was selected for the list in the cross-field category.

He leads research in the interface of energy and environment. More specifically, he is globally known for his work in the fields of anaerobic digestion, nanobubble technology, aquaponics, and waste-to-resources. Khanal’s work has made significant contributions to the field, with more than 160 publications and multiple books, including a best-selling work on anaerobic biotechnology and a textbook on bioenergy.

IfA Astronomer Daniel Huber

(IfA) Associate Professor and Astronomer Daniel Huber was recognized on the highly cited researchers list for the sixth consecutive year. He was one of just 65 scientists worldwide selected to the space science category.

Huber’s research at IfA focuses on the structure and evolution of stars, as well as the discovery and characterization of planets outside our solar system. Huber’s research uses data from NASA space telescopes such as Kepler and TESS, as well as ground-based telescopes in �鶹��ý such as Keck, Subaru, ATLAS and ASAS-SN.

SOEST Professor Emeritus Bin Wang

(SOEST) Professor Emeritus Bin Wang has been recognized in the geosciences category for the fifth time (previously in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023). He has been with the at UH Mānoa since 1987.

Wang is a leading meteorologist specializing in climate and atmospheric dynamics. Among his research interests are variability and predictability of Asian-Australian monsoons, climate predictions, tropical cyclones and El Niño-Southern Oscillation dynamics.

Former SOEST postdoctoral fellow Daniel Mende was honored in the biology and biochemistry category, making the highly cited researchers list for the third straight year. Mende specializes in environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, metagenomics and more. He is now an assistant professor at Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam.

This story was compiled based on current affiliation according to the Web of Science’s Highly Cited Researchers list. If there are other researchers currently or formerly affiliated with UH, email Marc Arakaki at marcra@hawaii.edu.

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa was awarded a $486,000 National Institutes of Health grant to expand educational opportunities in computational genomics (the study of DNA of organisms) and data science for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and other underrepresented students.

Related UH News story: $10.9M to establish UH Pacific Center for Genome Research, October 2023

Led by Youping Deng and Yiqiang Zhang from the (JABSOM), the Pacific Computational Genomics and Data Sciences (CGDS) Research Education Program is the first of its kind in �鶹��ý, and aims to develop a diverse pipeline of talent equipped with cutting-edge skills in genomics research.

Genomics research analyzes an organism’s DNA to understand gene functions, traits, and disease interactions using lab techniques and bioinformatics (computer algorithms) to identify genetic mutations linked to specific diseases. With the grant, the Pacific CGDS program will equip students with advanced genomics data skills, addressing critical health issues such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.

“At the heart of this initiative is the use of cloud computing technologies, including NIH-sponsored big-data ecosystems,” Deng said. “This technology will enable students to analyze large omics datasets, enhancing �鶹��ý’s genomics research capabilities.”

By creating new educational pathways in CGDS, we open doors for our students and communities to engage with the future of medicine and science.
—Yiqiang Zhang

The program also emphasizes cultural values such as community and collaboration. “By creating new educational pathways in CGDS, we open doors for our students and communities to engage with the future of medicine and science,” said Zhang. “We are proud to bring these opportunities to Hawaiʻi, where the spirit of mālama—caring for one another—meets the frontiers of genomics and data science.”

JABSOM Dean Sam Shomaker highlighted the program’s mission. “Who better to address the health issues affecting our diverse population than individuals from that very community?” He noted that training local talent through this program aligns with JABSOM’s vision of achieving lasting health for all in Hawaiʻi.

Gernot Presting from UH ����ԴDz�’�� is also part of the program team. The Pacific CGDS Research Education Program is one of four partner sites of NIH-funded CGDS hubs. This effort complements another NIH-funded training program focused on AI and biomedical research, where Deng and Zhang also hold leadership roles.

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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.

A limu (seaweed) native to Hawaiian waters, Dictyota sp., is gaining attention for its potential to produce compounds that have high-value ingredients in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food processing, medical and dental industries. University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa researchers are exploring ways to establish an Indigenous limu commercial industry in the islands using the second of two $150,000 Sun Grant Western Region awards granted to Samir Khanal of the .

Although the limu is currently “unexplored” as an algal feedstock, Khanal of the UH believes it could potentially launch a significant commercial industry—if researchers could figure out a way to boost its growth rate.

“If we can develop a biorefinery, focused on this Indigenous Hawaiian seaweed, to produce high-value compounds while simultaneously remediating aquaculture effluent [waste], this will introduce sustainable macroalgal-based bioproducts to the �鶹��ý marketplace and create new avenues for a circular bioeconomy in the state,” said Khanal.

Creating a biorefinery

Khanal and his team of researchers including Surendra KC, Manpreet Kaur and graduate student Ty Shitanaka are using CO2-nanobubbles and aquaculture waste as a nutrient source.

The team’s approach includes lab-scale experiments to optimize growth conditions, followed by pilot-scale cultivation trials. They plan to refine extraction methods for fucoidan (sulfated, fucose rich polysaccharides) and alginate (natural polymer), investigate potential applications for the limu’s biomass residue—and most importantly—assess the economic potential of scaling up a Dictyota-based biorefinery.

“The outcomes of this project have the potential to develop larger extramural grants and strong collaborations between private and public institutions, with special emphasis on commercialization,” said Khanal.

To help �鶹��ý reach net-zero energy by 2045, two researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (CTAHR) received a $150,000 Sun Grant Western Region grant to assess how bioenergy generated from bioresources such as agricultural residues and animal manures, via anaerobic digestion, could significantly contribute to the state’s renewable energy.

Samir Khanal, of the , and Tomoaki Miura, of the , are planning to develop the first comprehensive geodatabase on available bioresources across the Hawaiian Islands, and assess their bioenergy production potential.

“The National Renewable Energy Laboratory Biofuels Atlas, a valuable tool for identifying areas with abundant feedstocks, does not have specific data for �鶹��ý,” Khanal said. “Given the decentralized nature of bioresources across the Hawaiian Islands, developing a comprehensive bioenergy feedstock map is essential.”

Khanal and Miura will combine geographical information system (GIS)-based modeling with bioconversion data. The database will be an interactive, online tool, providing vital insights to encourage the adoption of distributed anaerobic digestion technology.

“We will gather field data from all four major islands and employ GIS-based analysis specifically aimed at mapping the bioenergy potential of agricultural residues and animal manures within the Hawaiian Islands,” said Miura. “This information is crucial for resource management and for strategically planning the size and location of processing facilities to maximize both economic and environmental benefits to the state.”

Other accolades

Khanal was appointed editor-in-chief of , reflecting his achievements in the field of biological waste treatment/bioconversion and bioenergy. The journal is considered tier one, and ranks first in agricultural engineering receiving nearly 10,000 manuscripts per year.

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A researcher at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (CTAHR) received a Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biology (ASPB) Award which is granted to no more than 0.2% of the current membership each year. Robert Paull, of the , will be formally recognized in June during the ASPB’s Annual Plant Biology Conference. In 2014, he was previously made a Fellow of both the American Society for Horticulture Sciences and the International Society for Horticulture Science.

Paull’s research has led to improved crop growth and yield under environmental stress, and extended postharvest life of tropical ornamentals, fruits and vegetables. His research is valued by the agricultural industry, and his publications have led to more than 17,300 citations in his career, with about 1,000 citations per year since 2019. Paull has been placed on Stanford University’s list of the top 2% of the most-cited scientists in various fields (2022–23).

“Unique to Robert is his willingness to energetically help anyone on any project who requests his assistance,” said David Christopher of the . “He has formed a cadre of respected and grateful national and international academic colleagues, farmers, industry scientists and friends who value his collaborations.”

Paull has made numerous contributions to the areas of tropical and subtropical fruit, nut, vegetables, ornamental physiology and genetics, their postharvest physiology, handling and storage. He has co-authored five books; edited an encyclopedia, seven volumes and proceedings; authored 127 book chapters; and published 151 peer-reviewed journal articles and 138 conference abstracts and presentations.

“We congratulate Robert for his lifetime of diverse, impactful, and exceptional contributions to tropical agriculture, the field of plant biology and for bringing prestige to the University of �鶹��ý,” said Christopher.

The award is a recognition of a lifetime of distinguished contributions to plant biology and to serve society in areas including research, education, mentoring, collaborations, outreach, and professional and public service.

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Collecting, identifying, describing and naming new species of seaweed that live in deeper waters off �鶹��ý is the focus of a new University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa research project that received a $892,290 grant from the .

The target area is called the mesophotic zone, which is an extremely low-light environment. In �鶹��ý, the mesophotic zone extends approximately 30 to 150 meters deep (10-story building to 1.5+ football fields) off �鶹��ý’s coastlines. The organisms, such as seaweeds, that live in these zones are poorly known. A previous study in this habitat found that 52% of the seaweed species were new to science. This research will mark the first investigation into genome-level adaptations of red, green and brown seaweeds that live in the low-light environment of the mesophotic zone.

Led by principal investigator Alison Sherwood ( professor and acting dean and associate dean), and co-principal investigator Gernot Presting ( professor, ), this project will add to biodiversity records data, mesophotic genomic resources and herbarium (dried plant) collections, and the discovery of new species of seaweed in Hawaiian waters. Mesophotic seaweeds will be collected through a collaboration with NOAA researchers.

“Characterizing and describing these species is important for developing a greater understanding of the distribution of marine organisms across the Pacific, for tracking invasive species, and contributing to the larger goal of understanding global biodiversity,” Sherwood said. “While little is known about the seaweeds now, we hope our research will find out how these organisms are able to grow and thrive in the low light environment of the mesophotic zone, and shed light on the many endemic species that inhabit this depth range.”

Hawaiian names for new species of seaweeds will be developed through an ongoing partnership with the NOAA Cultural Working Group, which has already resulted in names for a number of new Hawaiian seaweed species.

The project will also train the next generation of algal biologists for jobs by exposing them to the most up-to-date DNA sequencing techniques, training in herbarium curation, genomics, bioinformatics, and ecological and evolutionary analyses.

The researchers will showcase their results through outreach events, scientific conferences and peer-reviewed publications. Samples of the newly discovered seaweed species will also be archived by the Bishop Museum and displayed through a continuously updated exhibit dedicated to Hawaiian mesophotic seaweeds.

A researcher’s determination to tackle agricultural chemistry issues relevant to �鶹��ý and his dedication to the American Chemical Society (ACS) have earned him a place as an ACS fellow.

During the induction ceremony on August 14 in San Francisco, Professor Qing X. Li from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa ’ (CTAHR) (MBBE) was recognized for two citations—Contribution to the Science/Profession and Contribution to the ACS Community.

“It is a great honor to be recognized as an ACS fellow; I am beyond blessed and humbled,” said Li. “This encourages me to continuously address critical agricultural issues in �鶹��ý such as pesticide contamination, pest control and green pesticide discovery.”

“Our heartiest congratulations on being a part of this distinguished group of ACS fellows!” said ACS President Angela Wilson.

An ACS member since 1989, Li had just assumed a leadership post when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred; he subsequently oversaw many ACS programs’ conversions to virtual environments, enabling ACS to continue serving its members.

Contributions to the agricultural chemistry community

When Li joined MBBE in 1995, his research focused on chemical proteomics (the study of proteins), phytopharmaceuticals (plant-based drug class), food chemistry and safety, pesticide chemistry and environmental monitoring and remediation.

Li has nearly 500 peer-reviewed scientific publications that have been cited more than 16,000 times. Additionally, Li has 20 patent applications and licensing and technology disclosures, and serves as editorial board member for five journals.

He is a past and present member of numerous USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture multistate research projects, including the agrochemical impacts on human and environmental health, a pesticide registration program and more.

Furthermore, Li’s research has had state-level impacts in ensuring food safety of pesticides; discovering phytopharmaceuticals relevant to Alzeimer’s disease and obesity; and leading the development of immunoassays (biochemical tests to detect specific molecules) and biosensors, which are used to image and quantify proteins and small molecules.

Kelsea Kanoho Hosoda’s enriching experiences in STEM at the influenced her goal to one day make an impact in science education programs in �鶹��ý.

UH Mānoa was a great place for me to deepen my knowledge in both sciences and ʻIke �鶹��ý
—Kelsea Hosoda

The Native Hawaiian educator and UH Mānoa alumna is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She was recently awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) K99 Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) grant, which enhances diversity within the academic biomedical research workforce through its support of promising postdocs into research faculty positions.

Thanks to the grant, she is one step closer to reaching her long-term goal of attaining a faculty position in �鶹��ý to directly assess and improve the impact of STEM programs, particularly for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Finding community at UH

Hosoda has more than 10 years of experience in Indigenous STEM program development, implementation and analysis from her time at UH ����ԴDz�.

She credits UH not only for its high-level academic courses but also for helping her develop a strong community of Native Hawaiians in STEM. During her nine years as a student, she earned her PhD in , her MS in and her BS in and .

“UH Mānoa was a great place for me to deepen my knowledge in both sciences and ʻIke �鶹��ý (Hawaiian knowledge) and influenced my research goal to further the science of mentorship and multicultural identity integration,” said Hosoda.

Early in her college career, she became part of the (NHSEMP). “It provided a much-needed community of support to navigate through my biology degree and also maintain ties with the Native Hawaiian community through opportunities like tutoring at Ānuenue Hawaiian Immersion school and going on huakaʻi (learning journeys) to Kahoʻolawe,” she said.

As part of NHSEMP, Hosoda attended the American Indian Science and Engineering (AISES) national conference and was impressed. “I was enamored by how Indigenous knowledge and sciences were seen in harmony through its council of elders, presentations and STEM industry partners.”

Encouraged by what she learned, she worked with NHSEMP to co-found the first AISES chapter at UH Mānoa and in �鶹��ý. Today, the chapter has grown in membership and involvement in the community.

In addition, Hosoda served as program manager for both NHSEMP and the in the , and helped support students in STEM majors through mentorship, cultural programming, career development, research experiences and more.

“It’s thrilling that Native Hawaiian scholars such as Dr. Hosoda are being recognized and being funded by the NIH for research that centers culturally-relevant evaluation methods in biomedical training,” said Rosie Alegado, associate professor of oceanography and one of Hosoda’s mentors who served on her PhD dissertation committee. “This award supports the completion of Dr. Hosoda’s postdoctoral training and her transition to an independent faculty position, and it would be a coup for �鶹��ýto get her back.”

Researching kindness and biomedical career pathways

At UCSF, Hosoda is working on two projects that focus on the science of mentorship, diversity and longitudinal quantitative program evaluation. The Social Influence of Kindness project examines how people give and receive kindness. Her quantitative research found that kindness is significant in promoting well-being, reducing stress and identifying as a member of one’s defined institution.

Her second project, Scaling Up Biomedical Career Pathway Programs, works in collaboration with other institutions and builds on a previous study to increase the number of Indigenous STEM faculty at universities across the nation. She leads a virtual community of practice providing mentorship, networking and resource opportunities for Indigenous STEM scholars, and is interested in understanding how they see harmony or conflict between their Indigenous and STEM identities.

“Through the NIH grant, I will strengthen my expertise in quantitative research methods to validate culturally relevant measures for Indigenous populations, while growing my independent research program that informs interventions and programs that amplify the knowledge of Indigenous scholars pursuing biomedical science careers,” said Hosoda.

—By Arlene Abiang

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Assistant Professor Zhi-Yan “Rock” Du from the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering (MBBE) has received a from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to jumpstart a project that will introduce the UH System to CRISPR, the basis of genetic editing technology.

Motivated to educate �鶹��ý’s current and future workforce in this cutting-edge technology—and to better represent Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders in science and technology disciplines—Du has initiated the first official CRISPR laboratory course at UH Mānoa, in addition to CRISPR workshops for baccalaureate and two-year postsecondary students within the UH System.

“This education project will address the educational disparities and needs of curriculum development, instructional delivery systems and expand student career opportunities,” said Du. “The long-term goal of this project is to develop agricultural and science literacy in �鶹��ý by building competencies in molecular biology, genetics, biotechnology, agricultural science and science communication.”

Du and his graduate students and teaching assistants conducted an MBBE/BIOL 401Lab Molecular Biotechnology Lab-Gene Editing by CRISPR/Cas9 in spring 2023 and have also planned workshops in summer and fall, with the first workshop to launch in July 2023. Students will also utilize materials such as tropical maize from a current research project for this new education opportunity.

CRISPR for the future, food of �鶹��ý

In the past decade, CRISPR genetic engineering tools have become an essential technology in numerous industries, including food and agriculture, drug development and therapy, as well as ongoing scientific research; however, Du said that CRISPR systems are “not well understood in the general community, leading to fears and misunderstandings about genetic engineering and an overall anti-science outlook.”

“�鶹��ý is heavily dependent on food imports,” said Du. “It’s urgent to simulate local agriculture and workforce development. The grant will promote the education of college students on novel non-transgenic genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas RNP (ribonucleoprotein) with gene gun/particle bombardment methods. Students will learn and practice the new genome-editing technologies. We hope to engage more students from UH Mānoa and other campuses, including community colleges, in food and agricultural careers for our future food security and quality.”

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa PhD candidate Lambert Leong has discovered a novel way to detect cancer and cancer risk using non-invasive medical techniques. The major is leveraging medical imaging techniques with advanced machine learning and AI to investigate biomarkers of cancer, specifically for breast cancer, the leading cause of mortality against women.

This innovative research has earned Leong the 2022–23 Dr. Clifford K. Mirikitani, MD, JD & John M. Mirikitani, JD, PhD Outstanding Dissertation Award from the .

Under the supervision of John Shepherd, a researcher at the , Leong has made exciting progress in pioneering advanced machine-learning methods for addressing the issues of data scarcity.

“The performance of AI models is driven by the amount of available labeled training data,” Shepherd said. “However, cleanly labeled data is often difficult to acquire especially in the medical and healthcare domains. Leong successfully overcame the scarcity of labeled data and built powerful AI models for body composition.”

“Our health models are being developed on unique (racially, ethnically and culturally) data from �鶹��ý, and these models will be more powerful than those developed on homogeneous populations and therefore have the potential to address health disparities brought about by �鶹��ý’s uniqueness,” Leong said.

As an undergraduate student in 2012, Leong used simple computer code, which someone else wrote, to analyze a modest amount of cancer data with little understanding of what was involved in conducting high quality research. Now, he is developing the code to analyze enormous amounts of cancer data with a more comprehensive understanding of how to properly conduct research.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this award, and credit must be given to my family, friends, labmates and advisor. Specifically, the University of �鶹��ý Cancer Center, the molecular bioscience and bioengineering department, and Shepherd Research Lab played an integral part in my success,” said Leong. “I hope this will encourage other students to develop expertise in other areas of study and pursue similar trajectories. This award also represents my 10-year growth as a researcher.”

Shepherd stated that in his 23 years in academics, he ranks Leong in the top 1% of his students.

“He should be recognized for his work and its significance. The impact extends far beyond his dissertation obligations,” he said. “The work towards his specific research aims has been used to demonstrate the feasibility of funded and ongoing National Institutes of Health grants. Leong demonstrates the synergistic cross-departmental, institutional and community collaborations we want from all students. He is already working at the level of an early-stage faculty member and I am certain will go on to achieve great things in cancer research, ”

The coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) is a major invasive pest that feeds on coconut palms, betelnut, Pandanus palms, banana, pineapple and sugarcane. In �鶹��ý, with no natural enemies to this beetle, the damage to crops can be significant.

That’s where University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Professor Dan Jenkins of the and his PhD student Mohsen Paryavi come in. Armed with a drone that looks like something borrowed from a Transformers movie set, the duo coordinated with Mike Melzer of the and his CRB Response team to combat the CRB.

Jenkins recently spent three days at the �鶹��ý Country Club on Oʻahu, using the drone to shoot targeted aerial applications of an insecticide called Demon Max (cypermethrin) atop 53 coconut trees that showed signs of infestation.

Arising before dawn in order to avoid the stronger tradewinds later in the day, the team sent the drone up again and again, drenching each tree’s crown with a half-gallon of product diluted to 0.5% Demon Max.

“Most of the trees were defoliated enough that we really applied directly in the crown—in contrast to healthy trees where fronds grow straight up and occlude the crown,” said Jenkins. “At my discretion, I treated some highly defoliated trees with approximately half treatments.”

On the first day, 14 trees were treated and a total of 20 dying beetles were observed from the base of treated trees. On day two, 30 trees were treated and 59 dying beetles were collected at the base of treated trees. Mortalities from the previous day were cleaned up, out of concern of spreading them up the food chain. The collected beetles were placed in their own container in the quarantine facility for observation. On the last day, nine trees were treated, and 29 dying beetles were collected at the bases of these.

“One observation is that virtually all of the beetles we found were at the bases of trees that had no other vegetation or long grass at the base (approximately half of the trees), so I would think that we killed at least double what we were able to find,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins added, “Some trees had insect burrows/tunnels at the base of these trees and where they existed we collected a lot of beetles trying to dig further into them. We also found a lot of centipedes in this kind of habitat—possibly trying to predate on the beetles?”

For analysis and further study, Jenkins has created shapefiles showing the locations of treated trees, photos with GPS embedded in the metadata, and a 3- and 6-month timeline for revisiting the golf course.