The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa ballroom dance team won its third consecutive national title at the (NCDC), in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 27–29.

Competing against 37 colleges, UH Mānoa once again took first place for “highest point average,” as well as a close second place for the overall team championship, asserting its place among the nation’s top ballroom dance college teams. Winning top honors in the highest point average requires most team members to perform exceptionally well in all events.

The dancers of the Ballroom Dance Club @UHM—a registered independent organization at UH Mānoa—are trained and coached by Ravi Narayan and Synthia Sumukti. Narayan and Sumukti also represented �鶹��ý in the senior age division placing 1st in several events.

“We are no longer the underdogs, so all the other colleges are looking at us as the team to beat,” said Narayan, who is also an adjunct faculty member in the UH Mānoa . “The bar is getting raised higher and higher each year, but we prevailed once again. We are incredibly proud of the dedication of our dancers who put in many hours to prepare for this competition. We are grateful for the incredible support we have received from the entire ballroom community in the state of �鶹��ý.”

The Ballroom Dance Club @UHM was formed in September 2022, and the team took first place for “highest team average” in 2024 and 2025.

“Nationals was an amazing and eye-opening experience for me,” said Caleb Zerbe, who competed in the nationals for the first time. “Getting to see so many people dance and enjoy themselves on the floor made me realize how fun dancing can be, even at the highest stages. It was a moment that helped me build a lot of confidence, and one that I will never forget.”

Christopher Ramirez, who competed on all three victorious UH Mānoa teams, added, “Given the opportunity to compete at my third nationals, there is always something new to learn. Winning for the third year in a row has reminded me just how incredible it is to be a part of this team.”

Tough competition

NCDC is a grueling competition with events starting at 7 a.m. every morning. It consisted of multiple events based on proficiency (bronze, silver, gold, etc.). Each student danced in up to 32 different events at the bronze and silver skill levels. They competed in all four styles of ballroom dance including International Standard (waltz, tango, viennese waltz, foxtrot and quickstep), American Smooth (waltz, tango, foxtrot and viennese waltz), American Rhythm (chacha, rumba, swing, bolero and mambo) and International Latin (samba, chacha, rumba, paso doble and jive).

Several students took individual first place awards in their respective divisions defeating up to 70 other competitors in some events. This trip was designed to give the team exposure to a collegiate competition, as �鶹��ý has no statewide collegiate ballroom competitions.

More about the Ballroom Dance Club

The Ballroom Dance Club offers beginner classes to all UH Mānoa students, faculty and staff in studio 2 in the athletics department from 6—7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. No dance experience is required. For more information, or visit their Instagram page @bdcuhm.

The team would like to thank the Department of Information and Computer Sciences, UH Mānoa Department of Athletics, Student Activity and Program Fee Board, Associated Students of the University of �鶹��ý, USA Dance Honolulu and the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation for facility and financial support.

UH Mānoa 2026 nationals collegiate and adult team roster:

• Ravi Narayan, faculty (computer science), coach and alumnus
• Synthia Sumukti, coach and alumna
• ʻAulani Wagner, library science and American studies
• Alexander Picken, Earth science
• Amanda Kanthack, psychology and Japanese
• Caleb Zerbe, computer science
• Christopher Ramirez, linguistics
• Christopher Wright, electrical engineering
• Courtney Hisamoto, computer science
• D’Elle Martin, architecture
• Elijah Saloma, computer science
• Gregory Snyder, mechanical engineering
• Hannah Madiam, kinesiology
• Iris Calauan, pre-nursing
• Jonathan Bona, civil engineering
• Julietta Lopez, architecture
• Kanaru Ebi, psychology
• Karl Merritt, mechanical engineering
• Luis Hernandez, electrical and computer engineering
• Lyndsey Moku, political science
• Maya Ito, psychology
• Michaella Villanueva, computer science
• Noah Asano, computer science
• Samantha Reed, computer science
• Shaelyn Loo, computer science
• Tessa Heidkamp, journalism and political science
• Andrew Lin, computer science alumnus
• Sydney Kim, computer science alumna
• Jason Aguda, computer engineering alumnus
• Matthew Rummel, political science and business alumnus
• Ariel Ramos, cinematic arts animation alumna
• Yong-Sung Masuda, computer science alumnus
• Wilson Tran, computer science alumnus
• Florence Liu, faculty, mathematics

Luis Hernandez and Maya Ito dancing the American Cha-cha in the Collegiate Team Match where UH Mānoa placed 3rd. (Video courtesy: Calvin Ota)

Elijah Saloma and Michaella Villanueva dancing the International Quickstep in the Collegiate Team Match where UH Mānoa placed 3rd. (Video courtesy: Calvin Ota)

Coaches Ravi Narayan and Synthia Sumukti dancing the Mambo in the Senior IV American Rhythm Championship final. (Video courtesy: Ravi Sundaram)

Students cheering for their coaches Ravi Narayan and Synthia Sumukti (Video courtesy: Ravi Sundaram)

Fourteen University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa academic subjects were ranked among the world’s best in the 2026 , released on March 25.

Four subjects placed in the top 22 in the nation and top 100 in the world. Leading the way was geology (No. 19 in the U.S. and No. 51–100 in the world), geophysics (No. 19 in the U.S. and No. 51–100 in the world), Earth and marine sciences (No. 21 in the U.S. and No. 51–100 in the world) and linguistics (No. 22 in the U.S. and No. 61 in the world).

Ten additional subjects placed in the world’s top 2% (within top 500 in the world out of ):

• English language and literature: No. 28 U.S., No. 101–150 world
• Agriculture and forestry: No. 30 U.S., No. 151–200 world
• Anthropology: No. 31 U.S., No. 101–200 world
• Modern languages: No. 41 U.S., No. 251–300 world
• Environmental sciences: No. 66 U.S., No. 351–400 world
• Communication and media studies: No. 68 U.S., No. 251–275 world
• Physics and astronomy: No. 70 U.S., No. 401–450 world
• Education: No. 78 U.S., No. 351–400 world
• Medicine: No. 99 U.S., No. 451–500 world
• Biological sciences: No. 100 U.S., No. 451–500 world

“These rankings highlight the exceptional work and commitment of our faculty, students and staff,” UH Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos said. “They showcase the university’s global standing and reinforce that UH Mānoa offers outstanding educational opportunities and experiences for both our local community and those joining us from around the world.”

UH Mānoa was ranked in three broad subject areas and 14 narrow subject areas. The QS World University Rankings by Subject are calculated using five criteria: academic reputation (measures the reputation of institutions and their programs by asking academic experts to nominate universities based on their subject area of expertise), employer reputation (measures the reputation of institutions and their programs among employers), research citations per paper (measures the impact and quality of the scientific work done by institutions, on average per publication), H-index (measures both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar) and international research network (measure of an institution’s success in creating and sustaining research partnerships with institutions in other locations).

The 2026 edition of the rankings by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds analyzed the performance of more than 18,300 university programs, taken by students at more than 1,700 universities in 100 locations around the world.

Other rankings

UH Mānoa also received these notable rankings:

• 2025 U.S. News and World Report best online programs, January 27, 2026
• 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, January 21, 2026
• 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, January 4, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other recent rankings:

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

For more information, .

—By Marc Arakaki

Nearly 60 attendees gathered on October 29, in the Flex Space at RISE at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� for “The Human Connection: Communication Skills for Professional & Personal Success,” an event designed to foster engagement between students and industry professionals. The program featured interactive activities and a lively panel discussion focused on cultivating essential workforce skills.

Professor Hye-ryeon Lee, chair of the , highlighted the importance of proactively developing these capacities.

“Students entering college need to understand that it takes some planning to cultivate and refine these essential skills. And, to those who seek it out, the university offers many wonderful opportunities for improving these skills,” she said.

Get out and connect

The career advice resonated with students preparing to enter the workforce. Exploratory Business major Gervase Ngo was inspired by the discussion on critical thinking, passion and purpose. Senior Aerospace Engineering student Savannah Dubois felt the immediate impact of the panel’s emphasis on connection.

“Something that really hit me was creating that connection with the interviewer or with the person you’re going to be working with,” Dubois said. “I want to be able to show my passion and drive for the work I’m doing.”

For pre-nursing major Triston Chavez, the most memorable piece of advice centered on practical preparation.

“Practice, practice, practice,” he said. “Get out there, talk to more people. Don’t feel afraid to talk in front of crowds.”

Authenticity on paper

Panelists—including Jeff Hui, founder and CEO of Jumpstart AI, Lori Lum of Anthology Marketing Group FINN Partners, and Lisa Park, RN and current doctor of nursing practice student—stressed the crucial role of authenticity in professional communication.

“Empathetic listening is really important,” Park advised.

Lum added, “Do you have an authentic voice and an authentic sense of ‘This is who I am, this is the way I think.’ I want to see that. I want to see that smile come through the paper. I want to be able to see that passion come through the paper.”

Hui encouraged students to use AI to “pressure test” their communication rather than communicate for them.

The event was organized by the School of Communication and Information and co-sponsored by the , and the UH System Office of Workforce Development.

Workforce development is one of the core pillars of the UH System’s �鶹��ý.

The David A. Ward chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s earned the for the 2024–25 academic year. This national award recognizes the chapter’s outstanding achievement and leadership in community engagement.

“We dedicated our time and effort to ensure that we upheld the highest standards set by PRSSA,” said Mailani Magbanua, chapter president and a in . “We can’t wait to see how our chapter will continue to flourish in the future.”

To earn the Star Chapter Award, PRSSA student chapters must meet at least eight of 11 rigorous requirements, which include strengthening relationships with a sponsoring professional chapter, addressing ethics in meetings, participating in community service, and engaging in national events and awards.

The UH Mānoa PRSSA students organized a variety of academic and professional events, including a speaker series, communication skills workshops, community service projects and fundraising efforts. The chapter also held semi-annual career day tours and, this past spring, offered members a behind-the-scenes glimpse of �鶹��ý Business Magazine and Anthology Marketing Group.

“This award reflects our members’ passion and dedication to achieve the chapter’s goals,” said Ji Young Kim, faculty advisor and associate professor of communication. “This is the second time the chapter has earned this national recognition, and I am looking forward to their continued success.”

Added Amy Hennessey, the chapter’s professional advisor, “As an alumna, it gives me great pride to see how they’ve continued to build on the legacy of so many members before them. I continue to be inspired by the quality of our students and their contributions to the profession and our local PR community.”

.

The School of Communication and Information is part of UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s .

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� students swept all 24 student awards at the annual Excellence in Journalism awards, hosted by the (SPJ), July 30.

Headlining the group were the following first-place winners:

• Student Investigative Journalism in Any Media—Lili Hurd ( major)
• Student Breaking News in Any Media—Emma Davidson (journalism major)
• Student Feature Journalism in Any Media—Flynn Hamlin (2024 journalism graduate)
• Student Sports Journalism in Any Media—Justin Gardner (2024 journalism graduate)
• Student Journalism Featuring Video—Lili Hurd
• Student Journalism Featuring Photography—Kiersten Morgan (exploratory major)
• Student Journalism Featuring Audio—Alyssa Francesca Salcedo (2025 journalism graduate)
• Student Editorial/Opinion Writing—Emma Caires (2025 journalism graduate)

Associate Professor Youjeong Kim from the in UH �Ѳ��ԴDz�’s and faculty sponsor of the UH ����ԴDz� SPJ Student Chapter, said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see our students recognized for their hard work. They’re not just learning how to report the truth—they’re out there doing it, with heart and a strong sense of responsibility. Their work makes a real difference in �鶹��ý, and I’m proud to support them.”

Other students who won awards included majors in , and . Suah Cho, an incoming PhD student in the communication and information sciences program, won three awards for stories that were published in Civil Beat, where she interned in 2024. Many faculty members and alumni also earned awards in professional categories.

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The huge public reaction to a kisscam moment at a Coldplay concert that went viral reveals deeper insights about how we relate to strangers online and the real-world consequences that can follow, according to University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Professor Jingyi Gu.

The moment, captured during the band’s performance and later shared widely on social media, shows a man and woman caught on the jumbotron in what appears to be a romantic interaction. As soon as they noticed they were on screen, they immediately pulled away from each other prompting Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin to say, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”

As users speculated about their relationship, identities and intentions, the clip took on a life of its own, leading to both individuals being publicly identified and ultimately losing their jobs.

Getting parasocial on social media

Gu from the in UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s said that people who saw the video on social media experienced a parasocial relationship with those two people whose personal lives were captured. A parasocial relationship is a one-sided connection in which someone feels a sense of familiarity or emotional attachment to a media figure or stranger, often formed through glimpses into their personal lives shared via media or social platforms.

“Most social media spectators and users don’t know these two people in real life,” Gu said. “Yet, they become personally invested in what they watched and felt ‘familiar’ with those two in the videos because the media feeds them with a glimpse of the very intimate and personal moment of the couple who were captured by the kisscam.”

Gu noted that viral moments like this often trigger viewers to invent backstories. “We create stories or personas around people we don’t know in order to make sense of the world around us, understand others and ourselves, and express our cultural, moral and social values.”

The incident also transformed on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram into a trend, or popular, recurring actions and videos that gain significant attention and influence user activity. Due to the nature of trends, many social media users—including sports teams who would recreate the moment in a comedic fashion on their jumbotrons or kisscams—would create their own version of the incident. In turn, this encouraged other users to do their own takes on the trend, causing the concert moment to go even more viral.

Gu emphasized how social media intensifies these tendencies, saying, “Social media platforms also amplify this type of story- and persona-making by rewarding emotional engagement and attention-grabbing narratives.”

Viral moment can plague those captured

What was once a private exchange became a public spectacle, and, as this case showed, can become destructive for the lives of those involved. “Social media collapses traditional boundaries—what was captured on the Coldplay kisscam was originally a fleeting, personal moment in an anonymous crowd, but can now be recorded, circulated and discussed by many people online.”

“[Viral moments] can be monetized, but can also be destructive—especially when internet narratives assigned to individuals don’t reflect their full reality,” Gu said. “People might face unwanted attention, misidentification, doxxing and even harassment.”

She added, “Some of these narratives also resemble acts of ‘internet vigilantism’—people participate not only in sharing what they consider to be evidence of morally questionable acts (in this case, having an affair), but also in public shaming these targeted individuals.”

While viral clips may be short-lived, the effects are not. “Virality is largely unpredictable and often short-lived. However, this incident shows how an ‘emotional hook’ is critical to something going viral. In this case, feelings of embarrassment, awkwardness and curiosity all drove engagement and contributed to the clip’s spread on social media. But as we consume these viral moments, we also need to remember that the people involved are real individuals (not fictional characters)—and maybe even consider how we might feel if we were in their place.”

Twenty two academic subjects at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� earned high marks in the 2025 , released on March 12.

Leading the way was linguistics, which earned a No. 11 ranking in the U.S. and No. 40 ranking in the world. Library and information management (No. 17 U.S., No. 51–100 world) and Earth and marine sciences (No. 20 U.S., No. 51–100 world) also placed within the top 100 in the world.

Eleven additional subjects placed in the world’s top 1% (within top 250 in the world out of ):

• Geophysics: No. 30 U.S., No. 101–150 world
• Geology: No. 31 U.S., No. 101–150 world
• Anthropology: No. 35 U.S., No. 101–170 world
• Agriculture and forestry: No. 34 U.S., No. 151–200 world
• English language and literature: No. 40 U.S., No. 151–200 world
• Philosophy: No. 42 U.S., No. 201–225 world
• Geography: No. 34 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• History: No. 42 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• Politics: No. 43 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• Physics and astronomy: No. 45 U.S., No. 201–250 world
• Communication and media studies: No. 57 U.S., No. 201–250 world

“These rankings reflect the outstanding scholarship and dedication of our faculty, staff and students,” UH ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno said. “They reaffirm our university’s reputation for excellence and innovation, not just in �鶹��ý, but on a global scale. For the communities we serve and the students considering UH ����ԴDz�, these rankings are a powerful endorsement of the exceptional education and opportunities we provide.”

UH ����ԴDz� was ranked in four broad subject areas and 22 narrow subject areas. The QS World University Rankings by Subject are calculated using five criteria: academic reputation (survey responses from academics), employer reputation (survey responses from graduate employers worldwide), research citations per paper (citations data sourced from Elsevier Scopus), H-index (measures most cited papers and the number of citations) and international research network (reflects ability to diversify the geography of their international research network).

The 2025 edition of the rankings by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds analyzed the performance of more than 18,300 university programs, taken by students at more than 1,700 universities in 100 locations around the world.

Other rankings

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

• UH ����ԴDz� earns highest national research designation, February 20, 2025
• 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, January 23, 2025
• U.S. News and World Report 2025 Best Colleges rankings, September 24, 2024

Three University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� students are leading the charge to promote brain health on campus, combining their communication expertise with public health advocacy. Kiersten Donahue, McKenzie Kurosu and Jamie Olsen, all senior communication majors in the , partnered with the (COA) to develop a strategic campaign encouraging students to prioritize their brain health.

The students, who named their team the “Mastermind Collective,” approached the project as part of their public relations strategy course taught by Associate Professor Ji-Young Kim. Throughout the semester, they conducted research, collaborated with COA staff, and crafted creative materials designed to connect with their peers. Their campaign features social media messaging, bookmarks with evidence-based brain health tips—such as exercising for 30 minutes daily and getting 8–10 hours of sleep—and stickers with motivational slogans like, “Brain health matters! Fuel it, move it, rest it, you can do it!”

“College students often overlook their brain health because they’re so focused on academics and other stressors,” said Donahue. “We wanted to create a campaign that not only raises awareness but also gives students simple, practical tips they can incorporate into their daily lives.”

It was rewarding to see how communication can inspire healthier habits.
—McKenzie Kurosu

For Kurosu, the project offered a chance to explore the intersection of communication and public health. “Working with the Center on Aging taught me how to identify challenges, pitch solutions and develop long-term campaigns,” she said. “It was rewarding to see how communication can inspire healthier habits.”

Christy Nishita, COA interim director, commended the students for their creativity and professionalism, as well as COA staff Whitney Katsutani and Kevin Kawamoto for also working on the campaign.

“Because brain diseases like Alzheimer’s may develop decades before symptoms appear, raising awareness early is essential,” she said. “This campaign will help us reach students and promote lifelong brain health.”

COA plans to incorporate these materials into an ongoing effort to engage UH students in brain health and healthy aging. The center is housed within the .

A University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� alumna is believed to be the first person from �鶹��ý to win a title at the Miss Asia USA pageant in its 36-year run.

Emily Smith, who graduated summa cum laude from UH ����ԴDz� in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in in the , was crowned Miss Asia USA America 2025 on November 16 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in California. Smith, who is half Japanese and half Welsh, represented Japan in the cultural pageant. Her national costume included a kimono designed by Sueko Oshimoto, who worked on the Emmy-awarded project Shogun.

“It shows that no matter where you’re from, even if you’re from a small town and you don’t have as many pageant resources in �鶹��ý, as long as you work hard and you have a good team of people and you practice hard, you can achieve your dreams,” Smith said.

Smith entered UH ����ԴDz� at age 16 after graduating early from ���ʻ����� School in Wahiawā. Despite having some of her college years disrupted by COVID-19, she credits her university experience with teaching her valuable lessons about teamwork.

“I love how UH ����ԴDz� really emphasizes teamwork, even during COVID, when we were having Zoom classes,” Smith said. “The fact that teachers were still emphasizing and putting importance on working with your peers really taught me the importance of having a good team.”

After earning her master’s degree in communication management from USC in 2023, Smith transitioned from her role as a digital media specialist at �鶹��ý Magazine to focus full-time on her pageant coaching business, Elevated Pageant Coaching.

“We really don’t have the same resources as maybe girls in California or Texas have when it comes to pageantry,” Smith said. “I want our girls in �鶹��ý to not only feel prepared when they’re joining pageants, but also have the same resources to grow themselves, to grow their confidence, to have good interview skills, to learn how to walk with grace.”