Astronomers using the have taken a major step in understanding the distant planet Uranus. By combining data from Keck Observatory with the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope, researchers created the first complete picture of how light reflects off Uranus’s faint outer rings.

The results reveal two very different stories. One ring appears to be made of tiny grains of water ice, likely chipped off a small moon. The other is darker and rocky, mixed with carbon-rich material. Together, they show how collisions and impacts continue to shape the planet’s ring system.

The findings offer new clues about how planets and their moons form and change throughout time.

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University of �鶹��ý President Emeritus David Lassner and his team—including Vice President for Information Technology Garret Yoshimi and Director for Network Infrastructure Chris Zane—have been awarded the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California . The award recognizes more than 35 years of visionary leadership in connecting �鶹��ý and the broader Pacific to the global research community.

Transforming science, education

Since establishing the first international internet connection to Australia via �鶹��ý in 1989, the UH team has fundamentally transformed global science and education. Their efforts in securing high-capacity networking for the premier astronomical observatories on Maunakea and Haleakalā have supported over $1 billion in scientific investment. The data transmitted through these connections contributed directly to two Nobel Prizes in Physics, including discoveries regarding the accelerating expansion of the universe and supermassive black holes.

Beyond these technical milestones, the UH team’s work is deeply rooted in a commitment to Pacific Island communities. By expanding ultra-high bandwidth networks, they have ensured that remote islands on the front lines of climate change have equal access to vital global research resources.

“The University of �鶹��ý‘s geographic position in the middle of the Pacific is only part of the story; what truly makes today’s Pacific Wave (a high-capacity network) connectivity possible is the people,” said Jonah Keough, managing director of Pacific Wave. “David, Garret and Chris understand that networks are built on relationships as much as fiber.”

Connecting through fiber, light

Lassner has compared this modern digital connectivity to traditional Polynesian wayfinding. Having sailed aboard ��ō��ū����ʻ��’s Worldwide Voyage, Lassner noted that just as navigators connected Pacific peoples using stars, UH is connecting them through fiber and light.

“To me, that’s what the World Wide Voyage and mālama honua (to care for our Earth) stand for—sustainability, Indigenous-serving education, research and our service to the community,” Lassner said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to do exactly what the University of �鶹��ý is supposed to be doing.”

The award will be formally presented at CENIC’s “The Right Connection” conference in Monterey, California, March 31–April 1, 2026.

For more than a decade, the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� has been on the front lines of the battle against the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB). Now, researchers at the (CTAHR) are seeing progress in a promising weapon: viruses.

“Pathogens are being used, but viruses are being underutilized as far as I’m concerned,” said Mike Melzer, researcher and virologist at CTAHR’s Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences. “I know we can find viruses that will have a really good impact on important target species that are pests in �鶹��ý.”

Unlike chemical pesticides, the virus infects CRBs from the inside, weakening and killing them before they reach adulthood. By targeting larvae, the virus can suppress beetle populations over time while minimizing harm to non-target species. Researchers believe the virus should also infect adults, making them lethargic and less likely to damage palms.

Rigorous safety standards

For 10 years, federal regulators told UH researchers that the CRB virus could not be brought into �鶹��ý due to a lack of adequate containment facilities. A breakthrough finally came in early 2025 through a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s permit unit.

Current permits specifically restrict research to the larval stage because larvae cannot fly, significantly reducing the risk of an accidental environmental release. “We rear CRB for research purposes and we’ve never lost an adult out of there,” he said.

Protecting the Kauaʻi stag beetle

A primary goal of the current lab testing is to ensure the virus is host-specific and will not harm �鶹��ý‘s native ecosystem. While the virus has been used effectively in other Pacific nations, Melzer emphasized that �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� has unique native species to protect, such as the Kauaʻi stag beetle.

“Nobody really gives too much of a thought about CRB where the virus has been released” Melzer noted, explaining that while some damage remains, the virus keeps it at a manageable “two out of 10” rather than the devastating levels seen in �鶹��ý.

A good night’s sleep

In August 2025, Melzer and a former student, Nelson Masang Jr., traveled to Palau, a region where the virus has successfully managed the beetle for decades, to collect genetic variants of the virus. The research trip was part of a close partnership with Professor Chris Kitalong and Jacques Idechong of Palau Community College.

The research, led by doctoral student Kristen Gaines, involves infecting CRB larvae to observe how the virus spreads. Early results have been encouraging, showing that the virus can kill larvae within 12 to 30 days. “I sleep a little better at night because Kristen said she’s starting to see larvae getting lethargic and dying after just being exposed to the virus,” Melzer said.

The University of �鶹��ý’s standing as a premier global research institution has been further solidified with the release of the , which features nearly 60 of the university’s top faculty and researchers at UH ����ԴDz� and UH Hilo. This elite designation honors scholars who rank in the top 0.05% of all researchers worldwide based on lifetime achievement and significant impact within their specialties.

From pioneering work in climate dynamics and volcanology to breakthrough discoveries in cancer research, these honorees represent the pinnacle of academic productivity and quality. ScholarGPS algorithms categorize a wide range of scholarly research into 14 fields, which are subdivided into 177 distinct disciplines. Research is further categorized into a dynamic list of many niche specialties.

“To have our researchers ranked among the top 0.05% in the world is a remarkable achievement that reflects our institution’s legacy of excellence,” said Chad Walton, UH interim vice president for research and innovation. “These scholars are not only leaders in their respective fields—from the depths of our oceans to the far reaches of space—but they are also the engine driving innovation that directly benefits the people of �鶹��ý and our global community.”

Highly ranked scholars:

• 1. Bin Wang, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), UH ����ԴDz�
• 2. David M. Karl, SOEST
• 3. Brian Bowen, SOEST
• 4. Julian McCreary, SOEST
• 5. Edward S. Fisher, UH ����ԴDz�
• 6. Richard E. Moore, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, UH ����ԴDz�
• 7. Bruce Houghton, SOEST
• 8. Robert E. Paull, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), UH ����ԴDz�
• 9. Helen H. Yu, Department of Public Administration, College of Social Sciences, UH ����ԴDz�
• 10. Takie Sugiyama Lebra, UH ����ԴDz�
• 11. Weilin Qu, College of Engineering, UH ����ԴDz�
• 12. Bo Qiu, SOEST
• 13. Ryuzo Yanagimachi, UH ����ԴDz�
• 14. Henri Casanova, Department of Information and Computer Sciences, College of Natural Sciences
• 15. Yuqing Wang, SOEST
• 16. Raymond B. Cattell, UH ����ԴDz�
• 17. Michele Carbone, UH Cancer Center, UH ����ԴDz�
• 18. Richard M. Manshardt, CTAHR
• 19. Rick Kazman, Shidler College of Business, UH ����ԴDz�
• 20. John M. J. Madey, UH ����ԴDz�
• 21. John A. Shepherd, UH Cancer Center
• 22. Manfred B. Steger, Department of Sociology, College of Social Sciences
• 23. Klaus Wyrtki, UH ����ԴDz�
• 24. Stephen N. Haynes, Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences
• 25. Daniel D. Suthers, Department of Information and Computer Sciences, College of Natural Sciences
• 26. Margaret J. McFall-Ngai, SOEST
• 27. Barbara Watson Andaya, College of Arts, Languages and Letters (CALL), UH ����ԴDz�
• 28. Dru C. Gladney, UH ����ԴDz�
• 29. Murli H. Manghnani, SOEST
• 30. Elaine Hatfield, Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences
• 31. Theodore S. Rodgers, UH ����ԴDz�
• 32. Craig Smith, SOEST
• 33. Edward F. DeLong, UH ����ԴDz�
• 34. Karl Seff, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences
• 35. Roger Lukas, SOEST
• 36. Russell H. Messing, CTAHR
• 37. Efraim Turban, UH ����ԴDz�
• 38. Leonard Y. Andaya, Department of History, CALL
• 39. Masayoshi Yamaguchi, UH Cancer Center
• 40. Richard L Rapson, Department of History, CALL
• 41. Thomas A. Wills, UH Cancer Center
• 42. Andrew E. Christie, UH ����ԴDz�
• 43. Dieter Mueller-Dombois, CTAHR
• 44. Wai-Fah Chen, College of Engineering
• 45. Garry A Rechnitz, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences
• 46. Michael J. Antal, UH ����ԴDz�
• 47. Curtis C. Daehler, School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences
• 48. Paul J. Scheuer, UH ����ԴDz�
• 49. George S. Hammond, UH ����ԴDz�
• 50. Ronald H. Heck, College of Education, UH ����ԴDz�
• 51. Loic Le Marchand, UH Cancer Center
• 52. Victor M. Lubecke, College of Engineering
• 53. Robert S. Desowitz, John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH ����ԴDz�
• 54. Adrian Dunn, SOEST
• 55. Alan H. Teramura, College of Natural Sciences
• 56. J. Patrick Henry, Institute for Astronomy, UH ����ԴDz�
• 57. Laurence N. Kolonel, UH Cancer Center
• 58. Naoto T. Ueno, UH Cancer Center
• 59. Anthony D. Wright, UH Hilo

There are some researchers on the list who have retired or passed away.

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University of �鶹��ý researchers have published a new study that brings together ʻike �鶹��ý (Hawaiian knowledge), ʻō������� �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) and western marine science to shed new light on one of the ocean’s most elusive predators, the cookiecutter shark.

Rarely seen but often noticed, the cookiecutter shark is named for the distinctive wounds it leaves behind. Instead of tearing flesh, the small shark removes neat, circular plugs of meat that resemble the cut of a cookie cutter. These unmistakable bite marks are commonly found on prized fish such as ʻahi (bigeye tuna) and aʻu kū (swordfish), providing scientists with rare clues about the shark’s behavior in the deep, open ocean.

“What makes this species so fascinating is that we almost never see the shark itself,” said Justin Suca, an assistant professor in at UH ����ԴDz�. “We’re learning about it by studying when and where those bite marks appear.”

The interdisciplinary study was led by Suca, J. Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, an assistant professor of at Honolulu Community College and PhD candidate at the UH Hilo , and Donald R. Kobayashi and economist Hing Ling Chan from NOAA’s Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC).

Kobayashi, a biologist at PIFSC and UH ����ԴDz� alumnus, has been a cookiecutter shark enthusiast for decades.

“I’ve been intrigued by these small sharks for over 40 years, when I first learned about them while a graduate student in oceanography at UH ����ԴDz� and we would encounter them in net tows,” Kobayashi said. “These enigmatic creatures have resisted formal study due to their habitat, behavior, and apparent rarity, so it is quite gratifying to personally contribute some solid scientific knowledge towards understanding them and their ways!”

Night patterns

Published in, the study analyzed a much larger dataset than previous research, examining bite patterns recorded across �鶹��ý’s longline fisheries over many years. The results reveal clear and persistent trends: cookiecutter shark bites occur most often at night and are closely tied to lunar cycles, with higher activity during darker, low-illumination periods.

Searching the past

Alongside the scientific analysis, the researchers reviewed Hawaiian-language sources, including historic nūpepa (Hawaiian-language newspapers), and considered knowledge shared across Polynesian cultures to better understand how the shark may have been recognized in �鶹��ý. While no direct references were found, the team believes Hawaiian ancestors were likely familiar with the shark’s distinctive bite marks.

“Our kūpuna (elders) may never have encountered the shark itself,” said Lorenzo-Elarco. “But they almost certainly encountered the evidence it left behind, the distinctive bite marks on fish they brought in from the open ocean.”

ʻŌ������� in science

From that understanding, the team developed a new Hawaiian name for the cookiecutter shark, nahunaiki, meaning “little bites,” and created an ʻō������� noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) describing its bite patterns and connection to nighttime conditions. The study also includes an abstract written entirely in ʻō������� �鶹��ý, highlighting how Indigenous knowledge and modern science can work together to reveal patterns that might otherwise remain unseen. Developed by utilizing elements of traditional Hawaiian proverbs, the ʻō������� noʻeau says, Muku ka malama, nanahu ka nahunaikio o ka pō, When the new moon arises, the cookie cutter shark bites.This ʻō������� noʻeau is aimed at helping current and future generations of ocean stewards connect the lunar cycle to the bites of this shark.

These findings build on earlier UH ����ԴDz� research that linked moonless nights to rare cookiecutter shark bites on humans, particularly swimmers in �鶹��ý’s ocean channels, suggesting darkness plays a key role across very different types of encounters.

To better protect �鶹��ý’s people and ecosystems from threats, such as wildfires, drought, flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis, water contamination and more, University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� and Georgia Tech researchers have secured a to build faster, cheaper, locally made sensors that deliver potentially life-saving data in real-time.

The funding will support the development of low-cost sensors that can be printed in minutes and deployed the same day to collect actionable data for communities and organizations across the state. These sensors could measure water quality or soil contamination signals, and then connect to an AI-enabled handheld device smaller than a cell phone, that processes and transmits data to the web in real-time. Users could then view and interpret the data via a publicly available dashboard.

Community kuleana

To ensure its success, the technology will be co-designed with groups who have kuleana (responsibility) for communities, land and water across �鶹��ý, including land stewardship organizations, Hawaiian-language immersion schools and community colleges. These ʻ�徱�Բ� (land) stewards, kūpuna (elders), residents and kumu (teachers and educators) will guide priorities, experiment with prototypes and define success criteria.

“We can shorten the path from idea to instrument and build sensors tuned to local priorities without relying on centralized, hard-to-access facilities,” said principal investigator and UH ����ԴDz� Associate Professor . “Our goal is a design-to-deployment pathway that works on-island: robust, affordable and replicable.”

The team is developing the sensors to pair with a small, durable edge device that can harvest and store energy, run machine learning models and work even with limited network connectivity. An open library of circuits and firmware will let partners quickly customize sensors for measuring targets from pH and turbidity to heavy metals and contaminants.

“This grant recognizes that �鶹��ý is a key leader in the proper design of disaster and hazard response cyberinfrastructure,” said Josiah Hester, a Kanaka ʻŌ���ɾ� (Native Hawaiian) and associate professor of computing at Georgia Tech. “Deploying AI devices in austere environments, making AI interpretable and understandable, and providing these capabilities to everyone are key goals we will achieve. As a Native Hawaiian scientist and technologist, it is my own kuleana to translate these technologies that support stewardship, and we as a team are excited to see this work support our communities.”

Building on community ties

The project grows from existing relationships across Oʻahu, Maui and Kauaʻi, including Hawaiian-language immersion schools and stewardship organizations, where residents, educators and resource stewards will guide priorities. The team will convene iterative design workshops, peer exchanges between partner sites on Oʻahu and Maui, and a capstone gathering to synthesize findings and share open designs. Data governance will follow established frameworks to support local control and appropriate confidentiality for sensitive results.

“Our approach follows advances in community-centered co-design where we will design the sensing agenda together with community partners,” added co-principal investigator Aurora Kagawa-Viviani, assistant professor in UH ����ԴDz�’s and in the . “Building strong and equitable relationships ensures the technology and the data it produces have lasting value long after the prototype. Our design process considers who maintains it, how the data are stewarded, interpreted and made useful for community decision-making.”

The grant will support hands-on training that connects students across K–12, community colleges and research universities with partner sites. The team’s open hardware, software and design artifacts will be released for others to adapt in island, rural and urban settings facing similar hazards.

�鶹��ý’s research community and residents are being asked to help shape the state’s next five-year Science & Technology (S&T) Plan. (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), managed by the University of �鶹��ý, is gathering public input through an online survey to identify priorities that will guide future research and innovation across the islands.

Help shape �鶹��ý’s science future

The S&T Plan is set to launch in 2026. Community input is being gathered through a brief, 15-question online survey. The survey is open to researchers, educators, policymakers, industry professionals and community members statewide.

The deadline to participate in the survey is October 31.

The S&T plan will serve as a strategic roadmap for �鶹��ý’s research and innovation priorities in light of recent changes to National Science Foundation (NSF) and EPSCoR program policies. Once completed, it will reflect �鶹��ý’s unique needs, perspectives, strengths and opportunities in science and technology, and align the state’s priorities with federal research opportunities.

“This planning process is critical to keeping �鶹��ý competitive for major federal research awards, which bring in millions of dollars into the state to the growth of local science and innovation,” said UH Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad Walton, who also serves on EPSCoR/IdeA Foundation Board of Directors. “We encourage representatives for all sectors and the community to participate, as your insight is essential to strengthening �鶹��ý’s research and development ecosystem and improving our competitiveness for federal research funding.”

For more about the �鶹��ý EPSCoR program or the S&T plan, contact Walton at cwalton@hawaii.edu.

For an island state like �鶹��ý, fresh water is a precious commodity. It is life. That is why in 2016, the NSF awarded UH a five-year $20 million grant for its ʻIke Wai (knowledge of fresh water) project to conduct geophysical research to better understand the dynamics of freshwater aquifers around the state. In addition to providing updated information on water flows and capacities, the study helped to more accurately map the contaminant flow from subsequent leaks into the aquifer that contributed to the eventual shutdown of the U.S. Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Oʻahu in 2022.

NSF provided this grant through EPSCoR, a federal initiative designed to enhance research capabilities and foster innovation in states or territories that historically receive a smaller share of federal research funding. Its mission is to broaden the distribution of federal research dollars, while strengthening both local and national research infrastructure and capacity. The UH System oversees and provides administrative support for �鶹��ý EPSCoR initiatives.

A record $171.7 million in philanthropic support raised in fiscal year 2025 will fuel student success, faculty excellence and groundbreaking research across the University of �鶹��ý’s 10 campuses. The achievement—powered by 17,901 donors—marks the fifth consecutive year the UH Foundation has surpassed $100 million in annual giving.

“These gifts represent hope, opportunity and the strength of community,” said Tim Dolan, UH vice president of advancement and CEO of the UH Foundation. “By supporting our mission, donors are shaping �鶹��ý’s future, investing in research that really matters to our community, training the leaders and entrepreneurs our state needs, and helping build our diverse workforce. We are deeply thankful.”

The fundraising milestone comes at a pivotal time as UH is in the public phase of , the most ambitious comprehensive fundraising campaign in state history. The $1 billion effort is focused on transforming lives and ensuring current and future students, faculty and researchers have the resources they need to thrive.

Among this year’s many impactful gifts:

• An additional $1 million gift from the Gilbert and Aileen Chuck Charitable Trust to support nursing students at UH Maui College’s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, building on a $2 million gift in 2024.
• A from alumni John D’Amato and Kristina Inn honoring UH ����ԴDz� anthropology professors Jacob “Jack” Bilmes and Alice Dewey.

“These results reflect the deep trust our donors place in UH to improve the quality of life in �鶹��ý through higher education—both today and for generations to come,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “Every gift has an impact, whether it helps a student thrive, strengthens our faculty or fuels world-class research that tackles �鶹��ý’s and the world’s most pressing challenges.”

In total, the foundation raised $27.7 million for student scholarships, $40.1 million for faculty and academic support and research, and more than $800,000 during UH’s Giving Day—36% higher than the previous year. Gifts also included heartfelt contributions in honor of loved ones and commitments from alumni and community members for scholarships, research, facilities and student programs.

A three-year effort to support Pacific Island communities with climate data for resilience planning has been upended by the termination of a grant overseen by the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� .

The grant was terminated on May 15, with about $175,000 of the original $456,000 remaining unspent. It funded two primary objectives: providing climate and weather research to Pacific Island communities, and integrating the results and data into a web-based dashboard, maintained by , an affiliate at the . Initial integration into the dashboards had begun when the grant was ended.

The project was part of a collaboration with NOAA and other local partners in the Island-Led Resilience 2030 initiative, which is an extension of a broader United Nations’ effort to implement sustainable development goals through place-based action.

“The idea was that my team would provide the science behind some of the issues surrounding climate change,” said James Potemra, the project’s principal investigator. “Then, �鶹��ý Green Growth would add this to the sustainability development goal dashboards.”

Impact on �鶹��ý and the Pacific

Potemra and his team conducted scientific studies into the environment and climate of the Pacific and provided their findings to stakeholders, such as local governments, for further action.

The project aimed to expand research to Pacific Islands beyond �鶹��ý, starting with the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The funding cancellation put an end to the team’s climate research and forced them to pull out of their international partnerships.

“We spent a lot of time going out to Palau, and we were promoting what we were doing,” Potemra said. “Now, unfortunately, we have to say, thanks for giving us the input, but we can’t do anything anymore.”

Future steps

In an effort to avoid any major staffing changes, Potemra said he is leveraging other SOEST grants to fund the three staff members that were working on Pacific climate research before the grant was terminated.

Potemra also said he is looking into alternative funding sources, such as the United Nations’ , to continue his work in the Pacific.

“The hope is the UN will renew that to address another group of islands,” Potemra said. “And if that’s true, then we’ll be very aggressive about getting more funding and going to different places out in the Pacific.”

Still, Potemra acknowledged that finding a full funding replacement is a challenge.

“It’s really a herculean task at this point,” he said.

Read more on UH’s response to federal policy changes.

— By Grant Nakasone

The University of �鶹��ý announces that Chad Walton has been appointed as the new associate vice president for research and innovation for the 10-campus UH System. Walton will begin his official duties with the (OVPRI) on May 1, 2025.

In his new role, Walton will direct major systemwide research programs and initiatives to align with UH‘s strategic direction and metrics, including STEM education and small business innovation programs. He will create research and workforce/economic development programs to increase community/industry support and strengthen UH‘s technology transfer efforts. Additionally, Walton will work with the UH Foundation to oversee the development of the UH System Office of Strategic Philanthropic Partnerships.

“I am deeply honored to serve the University of �鶹��ý System in this new capacity,” Walton said. “�鶹��ý’s unique strengths position us to lead in areas that matter profoundly to our islands and the broader global community. I look forward to working with faculty, students, industry and philanthropic partners to expand UH’s research enterprise, accelerate commercialization and create workforce pathways that translate discovery into real-world impact.”

Walton previously served as assistant vice provost for research and scholarship at UH ����ԴDz�, where he led the materials science initiative that secured major funding and drew faculty participation campus-wide. He currently serves on several advisory boards and steering committees.

Walton is a trained bioengineer who developed technology for National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health-funded grants, with expertise in vaccine development, acoustics-based gene delivery, and molecular cardiology, holding several U.S. patents. He earned degrees from Northern Arizona University, University of Calgary and UH ����ԴDz�. After his PhD, he worked at the John A. Burns School of Medicine before moving to the Department of Surgery, where he served as trauma research director for �鶹��ý’s Trauma System.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Chad to OVPRI, as he represents another integral component of our recent reorganization and restructuring to accommodate the growth of our operations in both size and complexity,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “As we continue to be a driver of research, innovation, and knowledge both globally and locally, Chad’s experience, skillset, and familiarity with UH, will be important to our success, especially in our current federal funding environment.”