Kapiʻolani Community College’s 2026 , held May 4–6, brought together more than 750 attendees. SURF 2026 featured 350 students delivering more than 230 presentations across disciplines such as healthcare, Native Hawaiian studies, sustainability and STEM, highlighting undergraduate research and creative works.

“Presenting at SURF gave me the opportunity to show others how research broadens your perspective and helps you build your own framework for approaching complex problems,” said Kapiʻolani CC Natural Science major Sophia Kihei. “I was able to socialize and connect with others from different disciplines and gain insights I wouldn’t have developed without this event.”

She added that SURF helped her to earn scholarships and led her to present at national conferences.

Developing kuleana

According to Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi, SURF also reflects Kapiʻolani CC’s strength as a Hawaiian place of learning.

“We are proud to see students across disciplines developing the confidence, critical thinking and sense of kuleana (responsibility) needed to contribute meaningfully to their communities, �鶹��ý, and the world,” Takabayashi said. “As we establish the Māunulau Office of Experiential Learning and Workforce Development, Kapiʻolani CC is also intentionally strengthening the connection between experiential learning and workforce preparation, ensuring students can translate these meaningful academic experiences into future career and community impact.”

The research fair has become one of Kapiʻolani CC’s signature academic events, helping students build professional skills while opening pathways to internships, scholarships, transfer opportunities and conference presentations.

“SURF demonstrates that undergraduate research can happen across every discipline and at every stage of a student’s academic journey,” said Director of Undergraduate Research Experiences Li-Anne Delavega. “Students gain confidence in their ideas, strengthen communication and critical thinking skills, and discover their values and strengths and how they want to contribute to their communities.”

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.”

A newly published study confirms that wastewater from cesspools and the Hilo sewage treatment plant is reaching nearshore waters, impacting coral reefs and potentially human health. The findings are the result of two years of research by UH Hilo marine scientists and students, who used dye tracer tests to track sewage movement.

“We found dye emerge at the shoreline every time,” said Steve Colbert, UH Hilo associate professor of . “And the water moved fast, one to two football fields [in length], including end zones, each day.”

‘Pilau meter’

The project began after Keaukaha residents raised concerns about strong sewage odors and possible health risks from pollution. Lead researcher Shayla Waiki, a former UH Hilo graduate student, focused her thesis on tracking sewage in Keaukaha. Waiki is now a natural resources specialist with the Army National Guard and plans to apply to UH ����ԴDz�’s this year.

Using water samples and the “Pilau-meter,” a public reporting tool for bad smells at Puhi Bay, researchers confirmed what the community suspected—sewage is present, and it’s traveling through groundwater quickly. Pilau is the Hawaiian word for stink, rotten, foul.

UH Hilo researchers found that sewage in Keaukaha’s coastal waters is moving faster than previously recorded in �鶹��ý. They stress that Hilo should be a top priority for cesspool conversion to prevent further contamination.

Health and environmental risks

Keaukaha, home to Hilo’s sewage treatment plant, also has numerous cesspools near the shoreline. Wastewater from these systems can introduce harmful bacteria and pollutants into coastal waters, raising concerns about infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among residents.

The study’s findings are already driving action.

“Results from this research have been shared with the community and �鶹��ý county, and are being used by the county to help prioritize locations for sewer line expansion in Hilo as part of the statewide effort to transition away from cesspools,” said Tracy Wiegner, a professor at UH Hilo who co-authored the study.

Team effort

The study was a collaboration between �鶹��ýHilo faculty and students, including former graduate students Joseph Nakoa and Devon Aguiar, and marine science undergraduates Nicolas Storie and Ashlynn Overly. Today, they are continuing environmental work in doctoral programs and conservation efforts across �鶹��ý.

UH Hilo marine science undergraduates Darienne Kealoha, Kaitlin Villafuerte, Finn Reil and Brooke Enright, and graduate student Walter Boger also contributed to the study. Other co-authors include Karla McDermid (marine science professor, UH Hilo), Noe Puniwai ( associate professor, UH ����ԴDz�) and Craig Nelson ( professor, UH ����ԴDz�).

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—By Susan Enright

The University of �鶹��ý has become the first university to sign a memorandum of understanding to provide environmental research expertise to the (NCEL). The NCEL serves as a non-partisan resource network of over 1,200 state legislators representing all 50 states working to protect, conserve, and improve the natural and human environment around regional and issue-specific projects.

The agreement, signed by UH President David Lassner, UH Vassilis L. Syrmos, �鶹��ý State Sen. Chris Lee and NCEL Executive Director Dylan McDowell, provides the necessary framework for NCEL to seek out environmental expertise from UH faculty and researchers.

“Our pre-eminent capabilities in environment protection and conservation research have been built organically over many decades and are now widely recognized,” said Lassner. “This new agreement will enable us to share what we have learned with others around the country, as we do throughout �鶹��ý and the Pacific.”

Under the agreement, NCEL may seek out expertise from UH, who will connect NCEL members to the appropriate subject matter expert(s) to discuss. If more research or reporting is required, NCEL may direct UH to available grant opportunities to assist with the additional tasks. Requests from NCEL will be processed through the recently created UH Office of Land and Ocean Conservation Futures directed by Suzanne Case.

“Natural resource management and conservation are no longer just catch phrases as �鶹��ý and the world are facing an onslaught of environmental challenges that are threatening our well-being,” Syrmos said. “I’m pleased that NCEL has partnered with UH research to assist them with various initiatives to help preserve and maintain our natural environment.”

, which serves as the flagship of the 10-campus UH System, is classified as a Research 1 institution and one of a handful of land-, sea-, space-, and sun-grant universities. Researchers at UH have world-class expertise in a wide area of environmental-related fields, such as biological control, biocultural restoration, agroforestry, natural resource management, invasive species management, oceanography, clean energy, hydrology and Indigenous knowledge.

“We are unlocking an incredible new opportunity for innovative policy solutions by connecting legislators with the research and expertise of the University of �鶹��ý,” said NCEL Executive Director Dylan McDowell. “This partnership is an important part of NCEL’s efforts to connect our network of 1,300 lawmakers with UH experts across the globe on some of the most pressing environmental challenges.”

Lee serves as president of the NCEL board of directors. A strong advocate of clean energy and the environment, Lee felt that it was absolutely necessary to bring to bear all of UH’s world-class research expertise and resources to assist NCEL with its vision of advancing a clean and healthy environment through state leadership.

“Equipping policymakers around the country with real science and data on our biggest issues will empower state leaders to deliver more effective and successful results for communities around the country,” said Lee. “At a time when courts have begun to restrict the scope of science in decision-making by the federal government, it’s more important than ever that states take the lead.”

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa hosted a special delegation led by Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dzung from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. On May 22, the delegation, hailing from Washington D.C., engaged with UH Mānoa faculty and students, fostering dialogue and collaboration.

“UH Mānoa has long been regarded as a world leader in Southeast Asian studies. We hope this visit encourages our university to support more efforts to partner with Vietnamese universities that celebrate Vietnamese culture and language in Vietnam and across its diaspora, including �鶹��ý,” said Miriam Stark, director of the UH .

Ambassador Dzung stressed the importance of educational ties between Vietnam and the U.S. focusing on trade, investment, technological innovation and reconciliation efforts. He praised the success of the at the , which has seen more than 1,000 graduates. Through VEMBA, the business school partners with Van Lang University in Vietnam to train, guide and prepare Vietnam’s top executives who want to elevate their management skills.

The delegation was welcomed by Stark, Spencer Kimura (director of in the and Vance Roley, dean at Shidler. Nori Tarui, an professor and research fellow at the , moderated discussions.

Lauren Kaupp has been appointed as director of the , a unit in the . Kaupp will start on June 11 and will be responsible for engaging with researchers and faculty across the UH System to develop STEM initiatives that inspire middle school students to use place-based research to create new knowledge and innovation.

She will be tasked with strengthening the department’s internal collaboration with programs such as the and other STEM programs at UH. Kaupp will also be responsible for developing collaborations with State of �鶹��ý Department of Education (HIDOE) educators and administrators by creating opportunities for them to participate with UH researchers on a variety of learning initiatives.

“STEM education should open doors for all students, and local context matters in making STEM teaching and learning meaningful. We have a unique opportunity to inspire �鶹��ý students and teachers by connecting them to STEM research and innovation happening across the UH System,” said Kaupp. “I am humbled and excited to return to UH to join the STEM Pre-Academy and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation to continue to serve our local education community.”

More on Kaupp

Kaupp earned her master of science degree in chemical oceanography from UH ����ԴDz� in 2005. She comes to UH from HIDOE, where she has served as Title IV-A administrator/coordinator since 2021. She was responsible for overseeing program development and implementation of the state’s Title IV-A initiatives funded by a $6 million annual federal grant to improve student academic enrichment by increasing the capacity for well-rounded education, safe and healthy schools, and effective use of technology.

Before moving to that position at HIDOE, Kaupp was an educational specialist for science and STEM for more than seven years, and led the adoption and implementation of Next Generation Science Standards, which included strategic planning, professional learning for teachers, and development of proficiency measures.

From 2005 to 2014, Kaupp served as a science specialist, science teacher and curriculum developer for UH ����ԴDz�’s where she wrote, edited and served as lead author on several marine science and conceptual physics curricula.

“We are excited to welcome another UH alumna and a former College of Education faculty member back to lead our STEM Pre-Academy,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “We are fortunate to have someone of Lauren’s caliber, a knowledgeable, experienced and passionate STEM educator and administrator, to lead collaborative initiatives designed to extend the reach of UH research and innovation to �鶹��ý public school students through their middle school teachers.”

Kaupp earned her bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2003, and her educational doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Southern California in 2014. She has been an invited panelist for Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: A Summit, and a reviewer for Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center for the National Academy of Sciences. Kaupp has served on numerous boards and in advisory capacities for organizations including the Council of State Science Supervisors, the UH STEM Office, the �鶹��ý Science Teachers Association and the American Association of University Women.

Researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo collaborated to illuminate the forgotten history of Koreans on �鶹��ý Island. Faculty from the , , and departments contributed to the new exhibition, “One Heart: Korean Art and History Across the Pacific,” which brings together art and new historical research at Wailoa Center in Hilo.

At the helm of UH Hilo’s partnership is Seri Luangphinith, an English professor who has done extensive research into the history of Korean immigrants to �鶹��ý Island. Among the displays, visitors will find gravestone rubbings she collected from field work on �鶹��ý Island. Through Luangphinith’s exemplary research, Korean families on island have been able to reconnect with long-lost generations of their ancestors.

“We need to better understand and appreciate the Asian presence on this island,” said Luangphinith. “Koreans are a forgotten people here, and that’s unfortunate given their contributions to the local community and to Korea.”

Finding history

Luangphinith’s research spans from the arrival of the first Koreans to �鶹��ý Island to the exploration of Korean cemeteries.

• Related UH News story: UH Hilo professor publishes book exploring the history of Korean immigrants, May 1, 2018

The first wave of Korean immigrants arrived from 1905 through the 1920s. The second wave came during the Japanese occupation, followed by another arrival during the Korean War.

“On a hunch, I started looking at Korean cemeteries because I knew that Japanese and Chinese immigrants recorded hometowns and families on their graves and sure enough the Koreans also did the same thing,” Luangphinith said.

Creative showcase

Art fills the second floor of the exhibition, which showcases the diverse voices and visions of Korean artists. From paintings and mixed-media artworks to artifacts and ceramics, the gallery show takes the viewer on a creative, emotional and historical journey. Michael Marshal, an art professor at UH Hilo, curated the exhibit, and artworks were juried or extensively assessed by Mizin Shin, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester. Faculty and students from UH Hilo’s art department helped prepare the works for display.

“Collaboration is a journey, within which everyone who is engaged with the process comes away with a broader understanding of the subjects,” said Marshall.

The exhibition opened on May 3 and will run through June 20. It is supported by the UH Hilo and the UH Mānoa . Major funding comes from the �鶹��ý Council for the Humanities through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Free online event

Talk Story with digital media artist Gary Chong, June 1, 10:30 a.m. Chong, who is Korean and Native Hawaiian, will share thoughts on how his art captures the dark side of �鶹��ý plantation life for Koreans that is far from the local glorified “melting pot.”

To register for Zoom, email: seri@hawaii.edu

—By Susan Enright

Professor Deborah Taira is a health economist at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo’s and has extensive experience studying health equity issues for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The professor conducts in-depth research on health disparities that impact AANHPI populations and wants to improve access to clinical trials.

As the country commemorates AANHPI Heritage Month, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity spotlighted Taira’s expertise in a . She revealed that even though national statistics identify �鶹��ý has the highest life expectancy of any state in the U.S., there are still huge health disparities.

“Unfortunately, Native Hawaiians live about 11 years less than Chinese in �鶹��ý,” Taira said. “That’s a huge disparity, and I just feel like that should not exist now, not in our state of �鶹��ý. And so, I’m passionate about trying to do what I can to correct that.”

A legacy of research

Taira has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts related to health disparities, cost and health outcomes Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face. Her interest in studying health disparity started long ago with her mother, a professor of nursing who made house calls in elderly housing projects.

“I remember she brought me along with her. And she said, ‘You can learn more in 5 minutes when you go into these people’s homes. And you see in their fridge they don’t have any food or the place is filthy or whatever. You learn more about what can help the patient by actually getting to know their life circumstances,’” Taira explained.

Along with health disparities, Taira’s research also focuses on medication adherence and cost-effectiveness of cardiovascular interventions. She has worked at the Health Institute at the New England Medical Center examining outcomes from the patient perspective and spent 10 years working at �鶹��ý Medical Service Association analyzing large administrative datasets, including cost and lab data.

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research is awarded by the University of �鶹��ý Board of Regents in recognition of scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of students and the community.

Benjamin Shappee

Benjamin Shappee is an astronomer at the Institute for Astronomy. He specializes in transients and time-domain astronomy. Shappee is a founding member of one of the most successful time-domain projects, the All-Sky Automated Survey for Super-Novae (ASAS–SN), which uses telescopes around the globe to survey the entire sky daily.

The ASAS–SN survey paper (Shappee et al. 2014) is the 50th most-cited paper in astronomy in the past decade. Shappee is co-principal investigator of the largest near-infrared supernova survey to date, the �鶹��ý Supernova Flows, using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope on Maunakea.

He and his group have made important contributions to our understanding of the origins of supernovae (exploding stars), stellar flares with potential impact on the habitability of nearby planets, and outbursts from supermassive black holes. ASAS–SN found the most luminous supernova yet discovered (ASASSN-15lh). Shappee was also part of the team that discovered the first and only counterpart to gravitational wave source from the merger of two neutron stars. He has authored 275 publications and has 20,000 citations.

Malte Stuecker

Malte Stuecker is an assistant professor in oceanography at the International Pacific Research Center in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. Stuecker’s research is on climate variability and climate change in the past, present and future.

Much of his work is centered on the Pacific Ocean and phenomena such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Stuecker earned a PhD in meteorology from UH Mānoa in 2015. He returned to UH as faculty in 2020, and was previously an assistant project leader/research professor at the IBS Center for Climate Physics in South Korea.

Stuecker received the IAPSO Early Career Scientist Medal in Physical Oceanography in 2023, the Kamide Lecture Award from the AOGS Atmospheric Sciences section in 2020, and the Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the EGU Climate: Past, Present & Future division in 2016. In 2018, he was a Future Leaders Program Fellow of the Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto (Japan), and in 2022 he received an NSF CAREER Award.

Donald Womack

Donald Reid Womack is a professor of music in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa College of Arts, Languages & Letters. A faculty member at UH since 1994, Womack chairs the music department, and is faculty in Japanese and Korean Studies.

He is the composer of more than 100 original works, which have been performed and broadcast in 25 countries and recorded on more than a dozen releases in the U.S., Korea and Japan. Ensembles around the globe have performed his works, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Russia Ulan Ude Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, National Orchestra of Korea, among many others.

Womack is the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, two Fulbright Fellowships, two Artist Fellowships from the State of �鶹��ý, and won numerous other national and international competitions. Widely recognized as a leader in intercultural composition, he integrates East Asian and western instruments. He has lectured on his work in Korea, Taiwan and Japan, and taught as visiting faculty at Seoul National University.

A visit by the Counsellor for Research and Innovation at the European Union Delegation to the United States in Washington, D.C. provided valuable opportunities for the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� to access funding, foster strategic collaborations, expand its international network, and support the professional development of its faculty and students.

The UH ����ԴDz� (OVPRS) hosted the EU delegation visit in March 2024, which included Florent Bernard, EU Counsellor for Research and Innovation, and Jeffrey Lau, Belgian Honorary Consul. Bernard presented at an OVPRS faculty forum to discuss the new EU research and innovation program 2021–27 called .

“The Horizon Europe mission connects very well with priority areas in �鶹��ý,” said UH ����ԴDz� Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship Christopher Sabine. “Partnering can provide a powerful diverse perspective that will strengthen both of our regions.”

During their visit to UH ����ԴDz�, Bernard and Lau met with campus leadership to discuss potential strategic collaborations. In addition, Bernard visited with faculty and staff from the Kewalo Marine Laboratory, UH Cancer Center, John A. Burns School of Medicine and Social Sciences Research Institute.

Horizon Europe is a new program and will help UH ����ԴDz� faculty to forge international collaborations and join collaborative networks to enhance UH’s research presence across the globe. Through this program, UH ����ԴDz� can also receive funding for graduate students and postdocs through doctoral networks and fellowships.

For more on the Horizon Europe cluster areas, .

For more on Horizon Europe, visit these .

ʻŌlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) students on �鶹��ý Island have named a new instrument at the Canada-France-�鶹��ý Telescope that will help astronomers study the universe in greater detail. The Hawaiian naming project is part of the program at at University of �鶹��ý at Hilo.

The instrument’s name, Wenaokeao, meaning “earliest glow of light,” was given after extensive research by high school haumāna (students) from Hawaiian medium education school Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, who are interns in the A Hua He Inoa program at ʻImiloa. The name describes the soft glow of the rising sun seen during the fleeting moments when the full Moon lowers on the horizon, just before dawn breaks. Students chose the name after they visited CFHT on the summit of Maunakea, and were also advised by Larry Kimura, an associate professor of and at UH Hilo.

“Ua pili kēia mau manaʻo o Wenaokeao i kēia mea ʻo ka ʻōlelo �鶹��ý ʻoiai ma loko o nā māhele o kēia inoa holokoʻa ʻo Wenaokeao, ʻo ka wena ʻana ʻo ia ka pili ana i nā kala i ʻike ʻia ma ka wā e puka mai ana ka lā. A ʻo ke ao, ʻo ia ka lani holoʻokoʻa a me nā kala a pau, a no laila ua loaʻa mai kēia inoa. He pilina ko ia mau mea ʻelua ʻoiai ma ka mīkini loaʻa kekahi ʻāpana e kilo kikoʻī ai i nā kala o ka hōkū a no laila ua manaʻo ua paʻa loa kēia inoa o Wenaokeao ʻoiai like kona hana i ia pō e like me ka mīkini kilo ʻana i nā kala. No laila ua manaʻo he kūpono no ka waiho ʻana ma kēia manaʻo o ka inoa.”

“ (When we dissect the name ‘Wenaokeao’, we look at the Hawaiian words “ wena” and “ao.” “ Wena” references the colors seen in the morning sunrise. “Ao” is the entire world that we see and all of the colors in it. These combined meanings correlate with the instrument because the instrument helps to observe the colors of light emitting from stars),” said Tinai Liusa, a senior at Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu.

Planet, magnetic field detection

Previously known as “Vision,” the CFHT project combines existing instruments to expand scientific capabilities. The upgrade will allow astronomers to detect magnetic fields and planets around distant stars in a larger wavelength simultaneously.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the students to practice cultural naming. It’s an honor for us to participate in the process and then to be gifted a name for this instrument,” said Mary Beth Laychak, director of communications and community engagement at CFHT.

Merging culture, science

The A Hua He Inoa program, led by ʻImiloa, creates a pathway where language and culture are at the core of modern scientific practices, melding Indigenous culture and science locally, nationally and worldwide. Previous naming projects include Pōwehi, the first black hole ever pictured, and ʻOumuamua, the first interstellar object discovered.

“Haʻaheo maoli au i kēia ʻauna A Hua He Inoa no kēia kapa inoa ʻana iā Wenaokeao, he ʻāwili maoli i ka ʻike �鶹��ý i kēia mea hana kilo hōkū. ʻO ko lākou paʻu nui ʻana ma kēia hana, he hoʻohui maoli ia o ka ʻike ʻōiwi o �鶹��ý me ka ʻepekema e ʻike ai kākou i ke koʻikoʻi o kēia ʻano ʻike kuʻuna ma ka hoʻokele ʻana i ko kākou kuanaʻike o ka ʻō�Բ��𲹴�.” “(I am really proud of our A Hua He Inoa cohort for their contribution to naming Wenaokeao. Their dedication in this process reflects a harmonious blend of place-based knowledge and scientific exploration, enriching our celestial understanding and underscoring the vital role of our Hawaiian language and perspective in guiding our view of the universe),” said Kuʻulei Bezilla, project planner at A Hua He Inoa.