From tackling motor vehicle theft to advancing AI in education and aquaculture, students in the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s won prizes for their innovative ideas at the inaugural 2024 Honolulu Tech Week Community Hackathon in September. Four PACE leaders on different teams earned awards across various categories, earning $4,000 in prize money.

The hackathon brought together innovators of all ages, challenging participants to develop functional prototypes within three weeks to address real-world problems. PACE students stood out for their creativity and ability to deliver impactful solutions.

MopedSafe

More than 3,000 thefts were reported in 2023—including motorcycles, motor scooters, and mopeds—according to the Honolulu Police Department’s crime dashboard. To address this problem, Andrea Murillo Martinez, a junior in electrical engineering, and Kai Garcia, a senior in computer science, developed MopedSafe, a hardware technology solution aimed at combating moped theft.

Their project used the latest technology to detect moped movements. The system sends real-time alerts to a user’s smartphone via Bluetooth if suspicious activity is detected.

MopedSafe took home both the Best Hardware-Related Project Award and the People’s Choice Award, with a combined prize of $2,000. Martinez and Garcia are exploring ways to bring MopedSade to the market and collaborate with a mobile telecommunications company.

Martinez and Garcia credit their experience to PACE and their entrepreneur in residence, Jeff Hui.

“It was great to see the aspects of PACE, like the challenges startups face and how to analyze the market. It helped us think about our own value proposition,” said Martinez.

WriteLevel

A team of researchers from the Department of Second Language Studies took home the Best AI Project award for their automated essay scoring system, WriteLevel. Ann T. Choe, former PACE participant, Yu-Tzu Chang, Dan Holden and Dan Isbell, entered the competition, hoping to make their academic research project more practical.

WriteLevel is designed to address the time-consuming process of grading placement essays by teachers. Taking input from the , the team built a machine learning tool that converts student essays into numerical data using natural language processing.

“I applied what I learned from PACE to turn an academic project into a compelling business pitch. I highlighted teachers’ pain points, especially the time-consuming task of grading essays by hand,” said Choe.

The team plans to use their $1,000 prize money to refine their machine learning models and explore ways to develop the system into a fully fledged product that can be adopted by other language programs.

AquaHealth

AquaHealth, led by a former PACE Leader, Quang Loc Lam, a fourth-year business administration student specializing in information technology investment, alongside his teammate Thi Hai Au La, is an AI-powered mobile app and website for diagnosing diseases in aquatic species, particularly catfish.

The solution aims to support Vietnam’s aquaculture industry, the world’s largest producer of catfish. The app allows farmers to take photos of sick fish, upload them to the app or website and receive a diagnosis in seconds.

“I learned a lot from PACE, but not just through hackathons, but I gained insights into customer validation, conducting interviews with potential customers and writing business plans,” said Lam. “ Understanding how to identify and address the pain points of customers is crucial. PACE provided me with the framework to turn these ideas into actual solutions.”

Lam’s project won the Best University Project Award and a $1,000 prize. The team is looking to expand AquaHealth’s AI capabilities to diagnose diseases in other aquatic species.

—By McKenzie Kurosu

University of �鶹��ý alumna Magdalena Petko, found her path to a master’s degree in second language studies (SLS), a new career and an unexpected ʻohana through an accelerated degree program at UH ����ԴDz�.

The or BAM program encourages high-performing UH ����ԴDz� undergraduate students to commit to a master’s program early and take graduate-level classes in their senior year. The program helped Petko go from testing the waters for a return to college to employment as an instructor with the UH ����ԴDz� (HELP).

“I was very excited to take graduate-level classes as an undergraduate student,” Petko said. “Those advanced classes encouraged me to engage with topics about teaching and learning additional languages on a deeper level.”

Petko came to �鶹��ý from Germany 11 years ago with her husband and children. While she has a German physical therapy degree, she decided to return to school and start a new career. She enrolled in Kapiʻolani Community College’s (SLT) program, “to get my feet wet and figure out if being in college while raising four children would work out for me,” she said.

Not only did it work out for Petko, in her last semester in SLT, she decided to transfer to UH ����ԴDz� to continue her studies and work on a bachelor’s degree with the encouragement of Kapiʻolani CC Assistant Professor Shawn Ford and Instructor Carrie Torres. Once at UH ����ԴDz�, she double majored and earned a bachelor’s degree in SLS and German in 2019. Through taking graduate-level classes alongside her undergraduate classes, Petko earned her master’s degree in SLS in 2021. She credits SLS Undergraduate Coordinator Kenton Harsch as the “main cheerleader in applying for the BAM program.”

Finding a second ʻohana

“At times as an undergraduate student in the grad-level classes, I felt like an imposter,” Petko said. “I had self-doubts about my academic performance, which quickly evaporated as I fit right in with the graduate students. The professors provided us with positive feedback…and our worries quickly dissipated.”

In addition to taking a greater load of classes, Petko was working as a graduate assistant with HELP. Although her schedule was very full, Petko found support and camaraderie with other BAM students.

“I did not anticipate encountering such a tight-knit and welcoming community starting from being a BAM student,” she said. “I met many interesting new faces and felt academically challenged. The other BAM students and I became our own little ʻohana in the larger SLS ʻ�dz󲹲Բ�.&�����ܴ�;

More on the BAM program

BAM pathways afford a way for highly motivated students to efficiently complete a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree or post-baccalaureate certificate in a shorter time frame by taking graduate courses alongside undergraduate courses at the undergraduate tuition rate.

[The BAM program] allowed for a smooth transition and kept me motivated to strive for the next higher degree.
—Magdalena Petko

In most cases, pathway students graduate with the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree within five years total.

There are currently in a variety of fields including multidisciplinary pathways with plans to expand to more disciplines. There are also three combined bachelors and post-baccalaureate pathways for undergraduates interested in a post-baccalaureate certificate in teacher education.

“Without the BAM program, I am unsure if I would have continued and finished with a master’s degree,” Petko said. “It allowed for a smooth transition and kept me motivated to strive for the next higher degree.” She encourages other students thinking of starting on their own BAM pathway to “go for it.”

“Students who are curious beyond the undergrad level of classes will enjoy the additional challenge and atmosphere in graduate-level classes,” she said. “The program can be a time saver but is also flexible enough to let you slow down again if needed later on at the graduate level. If you have high expectations, and communication and organization are your strong suit, the program is for you.”

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A startup company helping people learn different languages is the winner of the 2022 (UHVC). GOALL (Great Online Activities for Language Learning), led by University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� PhD students, won a prize package of more than $34,000.

GOALL provides a web and mobile app to help adult language learners achieve their goals through customizable and research-grounded task-based activities. Its prize package includes $10,000 from title sponsors Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) and Hawaiian Electric, and more than $24,000 in in-kind prizes. Team members are Ann Choe, Kristen Urada, Yang Liu and Susanne DeVore, who are all PhD students in UH ����ԴDz�’s Department of Second Language Studies in the .

“We are very honored to receive first place,” said Choe, GOALL’s team leader. “The whole experience was a fantastic opportunity to develop our entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. We’re grateful for PACE, our coach Jeff Hui, and those who supported GOALL all along. We can’t wait to advance GOALL to its next step.”

GOALL was one of three finalists that presented to a group of judges at UHVC’s final event held in-person on April 29 at American Savings Bank. .

UHVC is hosted annually by in UH ����ԴDz�’s to support budding entrepreneurs by providing hands-on education, mentorship and resources to students from the 10-campus UH System who wish to start a new business.

Finalists

Resesio—a company that offers an automated optimization model for the construction design process, resulting in significant material and cost savings—won the second place prize, which includes $5,000 from HEI and Hawaiian Electric and $14,400 in in-kind prizes. Team members are UH ����ԴDz� PhD students Mohamed Sherif, Amr Ghanem and Mostafa Abdelhafeez. Sherif and Ghanem won the 2021 and a $5,000 prize for a company called Model-C, which is focused on infrastructure simulation and optimization technology.

The third place winner was the Ōfaga Leo Preschool System, which provides immersion language education in �鶹��ý and the continental U.S. in areas where there is a high demand for childcare and preschool services in Samoan language. The third place prize totaled more than $10,000, including a $2,500 cash prize sponsored by HiBEAM in honor of pioneer Billy Richardson. Team members are John Patu, Jr., a PhD student in at UH Hilo, and Carmelita T. Patu, a creative media student at .

These three teams reached the finals after beating out 25 other teams in two earlier rounds of competition.

“We are proud of all of the courageous teams that embarked on their entrepreneurial journey through the competition. We were pleased to see a diverse group of participants from six UH System campuses with startup ideas, ranging from geothermal energy to educational platforms to consumer products,” said PACE Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama. “This competition is not possible without the generous support of our sponsors, partners, and volunteers, for whom I am very grateful.”

“At HEI, we recognize the vital role entrepreneurs play in creating and maintaining a vibrant economy for our island state,” said Scott Seu, HEI president and CEO. “We applaud the innovative ideas and hard work of all the participants, and recognize the many mentors and professors who guided them along the way.”

In addition to cash prizes, each winning team will take home a carefully curated prize package of support services. Prize sponsors include Blue Logic Labs, HiBEAM, Hub Coworking �鶹��ý, New Venture Pro, Pineapple Tweed and Vantage Counsel.

Outstanding student entrepreneur

Fujiyama also presented Madonna Castro Perez with PACE’s outstanding student entrepreneur of the year award for her exceptional contributions to entrepreneurial activities at the university and in the community. The law student was a member of the winning team in the 2020 competition. She has served as the vice chair of the Calvin Shindo Student Venture Fund since February 2021, leading a committee of 12 students to manage the venture finance process. She served as a civil rights advocate at the Legal Aid Society of �鶹��ý and an intern at Blue Startups.

This program is an example of UH ����ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF) and (PDF), two of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

—By Marc Arakaki

The is one of 18 U.S. doctoral institutions that produced the most Fulbright U.S. Scholars in 2021–22, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The is published annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education. UH ����ԴDz� was last recognized as a top producer of Fulbright scholars in 2018–19.

Four UH ����ԴDz� faculty members were granted and accepted Fulbright awards for 2021–22, while two additional UH ����ԴDz� faculty members were selected but declined. UH ����ԴDz� has produced a total of 33 accepted recipients for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program over the past 10 years.

“We are extremely proud of all of our faculty who have earned Fulbright awards this year and in years past. Through their work and the connections that they make, they bring UH ����ԴDz� and �鶹��ý to the world. In an age of great uncertainty and conflict, the Fulbright awards represent the promise of what we can achieve through international exchange and collaboration,” UH ����ԴDz� Provost Michael Bruno said.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholars from UH ����ԴDz� in 2021–22:

• Ned Bertz, associate professor, (Tanzania)
• Ajay Bhatt, assistant professor, (Nepal)
• Hong Jiang, associate professor, (Taiwan)
• Donald Womack, professor, (South Korea)

“We thank the leadership of these institutions for supporting their faculty and administrators who pursue Fulbright awards,” said Ethan Rosenzweig, deputy assistant secretary of state for academic programs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. “In return, these institutions benefit from new, global perspectives and new international collaborations, which can positively impact local and global communities. Fulbright U.S. Scholars expand the scope and reach of their research, expand networks and further development of sectors which work to address local and global challenges.”

Fulbright student and visiting scholars

Two UH ����ԴDz� students received 2021–22 awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program:

• Victoria Lee, spring 2021 graduate, second language studies (South Korea)
• Joseph “Jay” Ritch, spring 2021 graduate, second language studies (Tajikistan)

In addition, UH ����ԴDz� welcomed three visiting Fulbright scholars in 2021–22: Onder Islek (education) from Aksaray University in Turkey; Wiwik Sushartami (anthropology) from Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia; and In Soo Oh (education) from Ewha Womans University in South Korea.

More about the Fulbright Program

Virtual information sessions for prospective Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholars are on April 20, 12:30–1:30 p.m. and April 25, 9–10:30 a.m.

The Fulbright Scholar Program is supported at UH ����ԴDz� through Fulbright program advisors R. Anderson Sutton, assistant vice provost for global engagement; William Chapman, interim dean of the ; Kristen Connors, fellowships, scholarships and professional development coordinator; and Betsy Gilliland, Department of Second Language Studies associate professor.

For more information about the Fulbright Program at UH ����ԴDz�, .

This work is an example of UH ����ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

Victoria Lee grew up in a Cantonese-speaking family in �鶹��ý. Her first two years in public school were spent in the English Language Learner program, a curriculum which accommodates students who come from non-English speaking homes. Lee’s experience as a child ignited a passion to work in the English as a second language field, a goal that shaped her decision to major in Second Language Studies at the .

As an undergraduate, Lee soon learned students could shave off a semester of graduate school through the . BAM enables students to start on their master’s during their senior year.

BAM pioneer for Second Language Studies

In fall 2018, Lee was one of six students who entered the Second Language Studies’ BAM pathway program. Currently, Second Language Studies is one of more than 20 areas of focus at UH ����ԴDz� where students can pursue a bachelor’s and master’s expedited pathway.

Lee understood the pathway program could pose challenges but knew her desire to teach academic English to university students abroad would require more than a bachelor’s degree.

“The faculty and other colleagues in my department played big roles in my academic journey because they were very supportive of us, especially as we transitioned from being a BA student to a MA student,” she explained. “They were the ones that reminded us to compartmentalize our personal and academic lives because they understood how consuming graduate school could get and how burnt out we would be if we weren’t careful.”

Support for new pathway

Second Language Studies Undergraduate Coordinator Kenton Harsch was a big support source for Lee.

“Being able to double-count nine credits toward both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree means that a motivated student can move straight from their bachelor’s degree into a master’s degree, and in the end finish their master’s degree a semester earlier than they otherwise would be able to,” Harsch said. “That’s a significant saving of time and money, which is a great incentive for students.” The nine double-counted credits are charged at the undergraduate tuition rate.

This spring Lee graduated with her MA specializing in English language education. She was awarded a Fulbright grant and will leave �鶹��ý in 2022 for South Korea to teach secondary students. Her loved ones are thrilled by her many accomplishments, and she is the first in her family to attend college. A long-term goal she hopes to strive for is pursuing a doctorate.

This is an example of UH ����ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

Born in Hau Giang Province in southern Vietnam in 1989, Thu Nguyen spent her early years without the comforts of modern life, working hard to make money for her family and being made fun of in school for being poor.

When she was 16, a friend convinced her to visit an internet cafe, where she used a computer for the first time. She met a young boy online named Thanh, who had immigrated with his family to �鶹��ý from Vietnam. After an online courtship that lasted for a few years, they eventually married in 2013 and Nguyen came to �鶹��ý to begin a new life.

Part of this new life included her dream of becoming a nurse, but being in a new place meant that everything was different: the environment, the food and the language. To make a living, she worked at a local nail salon, while her husband worked as an independent contractor to support their two sons.

Learning English

Nguyen needed to learn English in order to pursue her dream career so she enrolled at in August of 2020, despite hardships caused by the coronavirus.

“I won’t give up now. The challenges I face now are nothing compared to what I faced before,” she said.

With English classes that met online four days a week, Nguyen said it was convenient for her to support her older son with his online learning in the mornings and then join her English classes online in the afternoons, while her younger son took his nap. Occasionally she would stay up until 3 a.m. doing homework, which she had little time for on the weekends due to her part-time job at the salon.

Nguyen excelled in her online English classes, where she was a friend to every classmate. She gave support and encouragement when she saw her classmates struggling with online learning, and she knew to ask for help when she needed it.

According to her English instructor, Kelly Kennedy, “One of the many things that makes Thu a strong student is that she asks questions, and she really takes the time to understand. She doesn’t rush. She has the perseverance to keep going. That makes a big difference.”

Pursuing her dream

Despite the pressures Nguyen has felt due to the pandemic and the challenges of online learning, she has a positive outlook. She speaks fondly of her son’s kindergarten teacher, who has helped him learn to do things for himself. She is grateful that she and Thanh have continued to find work and that her family has been healthy. She is also grateful for the opportunity to study at Leeward CC and pursue her dream of becoming a nurse.

Her advice to fellow students is, “Be patient. Don’t give up. How fast you walk is not important. Keep walking.”

—By Kelly Kennedy, English as a second language instructor

A comprehensive plan to improve literacy for �鶹��ý’s people, the (PDF), has been released. The theme of the plan, “Lifelong Literacy for All,” is based on the belief that being literate empowers individuals to achieve economic success, and to achieve their aspirations.

While �鶹��ý has made some progress in increasing access to high-quality experiences supporting literacy, one in six adults in �鶹��ý still struggles with reading and writing, and nearly half of �鶹��ý’s public school third graders do not meet English Language Arts achievement standards on the annual statewide assessment. By raising literacy rates, the aspiration is to cultivate engaged and participating community members to improve literacy and create a stronger �鶹��ý.

Developed in partnership by the Executive Office on Early Learning, the �鶹��ý State Department of Education (DOE), the University of �鶹��ý System, , and numerous community organizations, the plan represents contributions from experts in 59 education organizations and institutions to provide guidance for developing literacy instruction and programs as part of a comprehensive literacy system in the state.

“Nothing matters more for students’ educational, career and community success than being literate,” said Stephen Schatz, executive director of �鶹��ý P–20 Partnerships for Education. “We must re-commit to the goal of ensuring all students are reading at grade level by third grade. This plan is an opportunity to leverage �鶹��ý’s own expertise as well as established research about what works throughout the educational pipeline.”

“Literacy is the foundation of student growth, development and access. I am thrilled we have this collaboratively designed resource that aligns to our strategies for accelerating student achievement,” said �鶹��ý State DOE Superintendent Christina Kishimoto. “The collective best practices and recommendations will support our educators as they expand their capacity to enhance literacy for all students.”

The literacy plan

The literacy plan aims to coordinate �鶹��ý’s statewide efforts to build knowledge of best practices and expand learning opportunities for students of all ages and abilities, including English language learners, adult learners and those with learning differences. Through the mastery of skills, the goal is for all students to become motivated, effective readers, writers and communicators. The plan is also designed to support a common understanding across many organizations and increase partnerships to support literacy learners in all settings, from families to schools and community organizations.

“Within the �鶹��ý State Literacy Plan exist the many possibilities through which we can solidify our efforts in order to build coherence around the diverse work we engage in throughout our communities,” said Lauren Moriguchi with the Executive Office on Early Learning. “As we, too, deepen our learning and build quality literacy-centered experiences for the youngsters and adults we work with, we can enhance the richness of the social-cultural elements that support literacy for us all.”

Key topics of the plan include:

• Effective Literacy Practices and Literacy Development
• Literacy Assessment
• Instructional Leadership and Professional Learning
• Effective Community Partnerships

The �鶹��ý State Literacy Plan was made possible with support from the �鶹��ý Community Foundation, �鶹��ý Pizza Hut Literacy Funds, the Learning Coalition, Kamehameha Schools and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� (LLL) held its first online graduate student conference on April 18. Originally designed as an in-person format, the conference was revamped to an online platform due to the COVID-19 crisis. Organizers said the 24th annual event went smoothly and successfully.

Dean Laura Lyons delivered a welcome and acknowledged the following student chairs and their innovative work:

• Victoria Lee, second language studies
• Tyler Miyashiro, East Asian Languages and Literatures
• Thu Hà Nguyen, second language studies
• Denis Melik Tangiyev, second language studies
• Chao Truong, second language studies
• Kristen Urada, second language studies

The following MA and PhD students delivered presentations reflecting the wide range of outstanding scholarship and research that takes place within the college:

• Jenniefer Corpuz, English
• Lane “Laneski” Davey, English
• Bonnie Fox, East Asian Languages and Literatures
• Jacob Hakim, linguistics
• Christie Honoré, English
• Micah Lau, English
• Christina Lee, English
• LynleyShimat Lys, English
• Thu Hà Nguyen, second language studies
• Michaela Nuesser, second language studies
• Joana O’Steen, English
• Jeffrey Otto, second language studies
• Kevin Rickman, second language studies
• Lucía Camardiel Sardiña, Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas
• Ching Shek, East Asian Languages and Literatures
• Melinda S. Smith, English
• Yunhe Sun, East Asian Languages and Literatures
• Mie Tobias, second language studies
• Chau Truong, second language studies
• Jue Wang, second language studies
• Boeui Woo, East Asian Languages and Literatures
• Ruri Yoshii, East Asian Languages and Literatures

Atsushi Hasegawa, an assistant professor of Japanese Language and Linguistics, delivered the keynote address. LLL Excellence in Research Award recipients Theres Grüter, Sharon Joy Bulalang and Haerim Hwang were featured speakers.

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—By Karin Mackenzie

The is one of 12 institutions included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2018–2019 Fulbright U.S. Scholars. Each year the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces the top-producing institutions for the , the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. The . UH ����ԴDz� last received this recognition in 2010–2011.

Six scholars from UH ����ԴDz� were awarded Fulbright awards for 2018–2019—“more than any other university in the state of �鶹��ý.” UH ����ԴDz� has produced a total of 43 Fulbright recipients since 2010.

“Fulbright programs have long enabled our faculty to gain valuable experience overseas, developing and nurturing important international ties, with lasting benefit for faculty and students at UH ����ԴDz� and in the many countries where they conduct research or teach,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Michael Bruno. “We are proud that UH ����ԴDz� continues to field so many successful applicants; this kind of international engagement is a key component of who we are as �鶹��ý’s flagship university.”

“We thank the colleges and universities across the United States that we are recognizing as Fulbright top-producing institutions for their role in increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce. “We are proud of all the Fulbright students and scholars from these institutions who represent America abroad, increasing and sharing their skills and knowledge on a global stage.”

The Fulbright Scholars from UH ����ԴDz� in 2018–2019 are:

• Betsy Gilliland, associate professor, (Chile)
• Phillip Ooi, professor, (Japan)
• Georganne Nordstrom, associate professor, (Ireland)
• Adam Smith, PhD candidate, (Iceland)
• Anna Stirr, associate professor, (Nepal)
• Tamara von Albertini Vassileff, professor, (Bulgaria)

An information session for faculty and graduate students will take place on Tuesday, February 26, from noon to 1:15 p.m. in Kuykendall 106.

An information session for undergraduate students will take place on Tuesday, February 26, from 3 to 4 p.m. in QLC 411, including Luce, Marshall and Rhodes Scholarships.

The Fulbright Scholar Program is supported at UH ����ԴDz� through Fulbright program advisors R. Anderson Sutton, assistant vice chancellor of International and Exchange Programs and dean of the ; William Chapman, interim dean of the ; Julienne K. Maeda, associate dean of the ; and Christina Gerhardt, associate professor in the .

Learn more information about the .

More on the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 390,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 800 U.S. college and university faculty and administrators, professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, and independent scholars are awarded Fulbright grants to teach and/or conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program operates in over 125 countries throughout the world.

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The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, funded by an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.

The Fulbright Program also awards grants to U.S. students and teachers to conduct research and teach overseas. In addition, some 4,000 foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the United States annually to study, lecture, conduct research and teach foreign languages.

Learn more about the .

, a PhD candidate in second language studies at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�, is one of only four students nationwide to be awarded the 2018 (IWCA) President’s Future Leaders Scholarship.

At the IWCA annual conference, Matsutani presented her paper, “Conversation Analysis as Replicable, Aggregable, and Data Supported Methodology: Grammar Assistance for Multilingual Writers at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Writing Center.” She demonstrated how multilingual students benefit from the center’s research and hands-on tutoring.

For the past year, Matsutani has worked closely with the under the directorship of . Having thought that it would not be possible for a non-native speaker to become a consultant at the center, Matsutani learned that she could play an indispensable role. She credits Nordstrom for understanding the value of multilingual consultants. “I am thrilled and grateful that the collaborative work I’ve been engaged in as a consultant was why I received this prestigious IWCA award,” said Matsutani.

After earning her PhD, Matsutani hopes to establish more writing centers (with alliances to U.S. centers) at Japanese universities and to continue her research on human interaction.

“The ����ԴDz� Writing Center is the best thing that happened to me,” said Matsutani. “I would not be who I am without being inspired by its hardworking consultants and student writers.”