Students from the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo have started a medicinal garden on campus as an integral part of several sustainable gardens used as hands-on labs. The goal is to explore the medicinal plants of �鶹��ý and the Pacific region through the involvement of agriculture students, the university community and several community groups.

Led by Norman Arancon, professor of horticulture and the college’s director, the builds on years of hands-on learning in which students in his sustainable agriculture course have managed campus garden plots using sustainable growing practices.

“Our students [are] learning how to propagate and identify if some of our plants have some medical constituent compositions,” said Arancon. “It’s exciting. The students are not just learning from us. We also get some planting materials from the community and insights on what we can grow that they think will be to them.”

Lavender, thyme and learning

Arancon’s sustainable agriculture class (AG 230) developed three plots in the garden with medicinal plants such as thyme, ginger, tobacco, turmeric and lavender. Students in a weed science course (HORT 481) were challenged to identify plants commonly considered weeds and research their potential medicinal value.

As a culminating project, students transformed common weeds into medicinal products, including a tea made from invasive honohono grass traditionally used to support respiratory health.

Community and collaboration

The medicinal garden is a collaborative effort involving the agriculture college, and .

Pharmacy students examine the plants’ medicinal compounds, while the Hawaiian language college brings in community healers to share traditional knowledge of local and native plants.

“We hope healers from the community can also provide seminars on how to use the plants properly and prepare them for use at home,” Arancon said. “I’d love for more classes to be involved with the project in the future, such as introductory courses on horticulture or animal science, to learn about health benefits for farm animals or pets.”

—by Samantha Dane

For more go to .

A data scientist at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo has launched a year-long project to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can help scientists, students, emergency managers, and the public better understand natural hazards such as volcanic activity, wildfires, tsunamis, and other disasters. The main idea of the project, named VULCAN-AI, is to use AI as a support tool for hazard intelligence and public communication.

“During a disaster, there is often a huge amount of information coming in at once: live camera feeds, satellite images, sensor readings, weather data, maps and scientific reports,” said Sukhwa Hong, UH Hilo associate professor of and who specializes in AI for business analytics. “VULCAN-AI is designed to help organize that information and turn it into clear, plain-language summaries that people can understand.”

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s throughout the next year, Hong plans to build and test the AI-agent system using live �鶹��ý Island volcano feeds, environmental data, and example volcanic and wildfire scenarios.

He emphasizes that the goal of the project is not to replace scientists or official emergency alerts. Instead, the goal is to show how AI can responsibly support human experts by helping detect changes, organize information, and explain what is happening more clearly to the public.

“What excites me most is that this project shows a positive use of AI,” said Hong. “AI is often discussed as a threat, but when used carefully and responsibly, it can help communities, support science, improve emergency communication, respect local knowledge, and give students hands-on experience with technology that serves the public good.”

He plans to hire UH Hilo students through NSF’s undergraduate research program to work with him on AI testing, live-feed monitoring, data preparation, visualization and public communication.

—By Susan Enright, UH Hilo Stories

As federal funding cuts put pressure on a beloved early childhood education program, students at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo stepped in to help.

This spring, students in three introductory classes used their writing, research and analytical skills to organize a book drive for Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool, a nonprofit that provides free literacy-focused education and caregiver support to families with keiki across �鶹��ý. The effort was led by longtime English Instructor Lauri Sagle.

“By doing a book donation drive we could also accomplish some useful outcomes,” Sagle said. “Students would read, assess, and choose children’s books to donate to a fabulous local organization, Tūtū and Me, and they would get a specific kind of writing experience, along with genuinely helpful participation in a community project.”

Working with a modest budget, students evaluated children’s books, wrote proposals advocating for their selections and explored literacy resources at UH Hilo’s , including books in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language). The project connected classroom learning with a real community need.

Postcards to Mayor Alameda

As students learned more about the financial challenges facing Tūtū and Me, their efforts expanded beyond book donations. They wrote postcards to �鶹��ý Island Mayor Kimo Alameda urging support for the program. Four students in the classes shared that they had once attended Tūtū and Me themselves, adding a personal connection to the project.

Tūtū and Me Project Director Amanda Ishigo later visited campus to share the nonprofit’s mission and the importance of literacy in early childhood education.

“Literacy is more than just reading. It’s speech, it’s listening skills, it’s reading and writing,” Ishigo told students. “Our whole focus is how do we set up for success? How do we make something long-lasting?”

60 books delivered

By the end of the semester, students had donated 60 books, each accompanied by a handwritten note of encouragement. They also collected dozens of postcards advocating for the future of the program. The project demonstrated how skills developed in the humanities can create meaningful impact far beyond the classroom.

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At the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo, a once overgrown space has been transformed into something alive and welcoming. The Ululaumāhie Native Forest Restoration Project is more than a garden. It is a place where students learn by doing. They plant, care for, and connect with native plants. They share hula, oli (chant) and connections. What began in 2018 as a clearing project has grown into a vibrant learning space surrounding Haleʻōlelo, home of .

The work is led by Kumu Carmelito “Lito” Arkangel, a UH Hilo lecturer in and , who brings students into the space not just to learn about plants, but to understand culture and place.

“Ulu is growth. The lau is the flora. And māhie is charming, it’s delightful. And it is. I try to meet that, you know, and it’s not easy,” said Arkangel about the meaning of the garden’s name. “There’s different perspectives of it, but for me, māhie is going to be that kolohe (rascal) boy hiding from the grandma, from the aunty, because she’s going to kiss his face and they’re gonna be like, cute, or they smile, you know.”

Arkangel’s vision is simple. Let the garden tell its own story. Throughout time, students and the community have shaped it into a place of learning, rest and connection.

For more go to .

At the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo, Marcy Martinez is helping haumāna (students) find their path long before graduation.

Martinez, director of , has been named the 2026 State Internship School-Based Coordinator of the Year by the �鶹��ý State Workforce Development Council (WDC). She received the award at the inaugural �鶹��ý Internship Summit on Oʻahu.

“Our mission is to help our students along their academic journey, connect that experience with their career goals and their career successes, but it has to be defined by them,” said Martinez. “We really want to take students through their journey, freshmen all the way to senior, and not just have it be a last-minute knee-jerk reaction in senior year.”

Martinez leads UH �ᾱ����’s , where the focus is simple, meet haumāna where they are.

“Marcy is enthusiastic. She’s entirely student-based,” said Christine Beaule, director of UH System Workforce Development, who nominated Martinez for the award. “She works incredibly hard, and every time I have asked her to partner with me on a variety of initiatives, she is the first one to say, ‘Yes!’”

Skills that last

Her team connects students with jobs, internships and hands-on learning. The goal is to build skills that last.

“Through practical experience and opportunities, students will gain knowledge and the ability to identify transferable skills,” Martinez said. “As career agility is becoming even more important in today’s world, it is required to have the ability to adapt quickly.”

That approach is making an impact statewide.

“What we’re really trying to achieve is to have our next generation live in �鶹��ý that they can enjoy, they can learn, they can work, they can thrive, and they can belong to,” said Bennette Misalucha, executive director of WDC for �鶹��ý Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Confidence, balance

Haumāna at UH Hilo see it firsthand.

Pohaku Roby, a senior majoring in , works at the center and expressed the experience has helped build both confidence and balance.

“I didn’t know that I was able to do public speaking and do class presentations with Marcy, but she helped me find that passion, and I enjoyed it,” said Roby.

For Martinez, the work continues one student, one step at a time.

For more go to .

A new 38-foot teaching and research vessel has arrived in Hilo, giving marine science students at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo a powerful new ocean laboratory.

The aluminum workboat, named Kaiola, meaning “living sea,” arrived from Oregon in February. It is now in final outfitting and inspection before heading into the water.

“The new marine science vessel is a 38-foot North River Sounder, a class of aluminum workboat designed specifically for scientific, environmental monitoring, and coastal operations in high-energy conditions,” said John Burns, associate professor and chair of the .

Burns said the team chose the vessel for its stability and flexibility.

“We selected this platform because it provides a stable, shallow-draft, highly maneuverable work deck suitable for diving, instrument deployment, and nearshore research around �鶹��ý Island,” Burns said.

The hull is made of welded marine-grade aluminum. Burns explains that aluminum boats are ideal for research. They resist corrosion in saltwater. They are lighter than fiberglass but just as strong. They can handle beach landings, heavy equipment and constant use.

“This durability is critical for a teaching and research vessel that will operate year-round in dynamic coastal conditions and remote locations,” he said.

The large open deck allows crews to deploy water and sediment samplers, underwater cameras, sensors and mapping tools. Inside, the cabin supports navigation, computing and real-time data processing.

Hands-on experience

For students, the impact is immediate. The vessel provides access to sites that were once difficult or unsafe to reach and offers more hands-on experience with real research equipment, data collection and marine operations which are core skills for careers in marine science and ocean stewardship.

—By Susan Enright

Lab instruction at the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo is not limited to rooms filled with beakers and microscopes. A genetics class, guided by their biology professor, geneticist Natalie Graham, took a field trip this February to Kaumaui, a loko iʻa (traditional fishpond) in Keaukaha at the southern side of Hilo Bay. The class worked with community stewards of the fishpond to collect water samples for DNA testing back at UH �ᾱ����’s . They also restored sections of the fishpond’s rock walls.

The water samples they collected hold tiny traces of genetic material shed by fish and limu. Back on campus, students will analyze that material to better understand what species are present in the pond and how abundant they are.

“Bringing Western science and Hawaiian culture together creates a powerful synergy that honors generations of kilo (careful observation) and the ancestral natural history preserved in ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge),” said Graham who founded ʻElala Biodiversity Laboratory.

Kaumaui is cared for by Hui ���ʻ�DZ��𾱳�������ō, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring Hawaiian fishponds and teaching the community about their value. The brackish waters there nurture juvenile fish, endemic limu or seaweed, seabirds and native plants.

For more go to .

After more than two decades without a university band, the is ready to bring the music back. Leading that effort is new assistant professor of music Ocean Akaka, who arrives with a clear vision: rebuild the band program and help revitalize Hawaiian music through bold new arrangements and performances.

Akaka, who recently returned home to �鶹��ý after teaching on the U.S. continent, arrived in Hilo on a one-way ticket late last year.

“I quickly got settled in, and flew to Oʻahu to spend the holidays with my family, something I haven’t done since 2020,” he said. “That was a great moment for sure.”

Building musical bridges

Akaka, who specializes in conducting wind ensembles and athletic bands, is now part of UH �ᾱ����’s . However he said his larger mission reaches beyond performance. His research revolves around the revitalization of Hawaiian music through arrangements for Western instrumental ensembles, such as orchestra and band.

Born and raised in Wahiawā, Akaka earned his bachelor’s degree in from UH Mānoa. He later completed both his master’s and doctoral degrees in conducting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, he led marching and pep bands, directed ensembles and taught conducting. His arrangements have been performed across the U.S. and Europe.

Now he brings that experience home.

“I’m writing a few arrangements of music from Charles E. King’s songbook,” he said. “Many of the songs written in this book are for one or more vocalists, and an accompanying ukulele, guitar or steel guitar. I’m working to arrange these songs for a wind ensemble, and have them performed by the students here at UH Hilo.”

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo is reshaping how students learn about artificial intelligence (AI)—starting this fall.

The will launch a new AI concentration within its . A new AI certificate will also open to students from all majors. New courses will follow, focused on using AI in business, science and public service.

The shift responds to a clear need in today’s workforce.

“AI is no longer a niche or emerging technology,” said Sukhwa Hong, associate professor of and business administration. “It’s already embedded in how work gets done across almost every field.”

Students will learn how to work with data, evaluate AI-generated results and apply these tools responsibly.

AI confidence

The new program is being led by Hong and Chenbo Shi, an assistant professor of quantitative business analysis, who are working closely with faculty in business, data science and computer science to support the new offerings.

“We want students to graduate knowing that AI will not replace them,” Hong said. “But people who know how to integrate AI into their work will have a clear advantage.”

The AI certificate is designed to be accessible. It welcomes students from education, the arts, social sciences and beyond.

New courses

A new introductory course will teach students how to guide AI tools, evaluate results and communicate findings. A community-based project will tie those skills to real-world issues.

Upper-division courses have also been updated. They now include AI-supported analysis, prediction and decision-making, with a strong focus on ethics.

“Employers aren’t looking for AI specialists in every role,” Hong said. “They’re looking for professionals who can use AI effectively in context.”

—by Susan Enright

For more go to .

Seven students are studying abroad this semester with the help of scholarships that are expanding their academic and career paths in Japan, South Korea, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Each of them wrote to Carolina Lam, director of , to share how the experience is shaping their studies, goals and sense of possibility.

“It took the financial burden that I was worried about off my shoulders and in turn, allow[ed] me to focus on my studies,” said Linguistics major Mila Davis, studying in Japan. “I think studying abroad will be a beneficial experience to have for a lot of careers.”

Cassie Gault, majoring in tropical agroecology and studying in Australia, said the scholarship gives her room to focus on academics, extracurriculars and personal growth. When she returns, she hopes to mentor students who want to go abroad but feel overwhelmed by the process.

In Japan, Kensuke Panek is studying English and Japanese studies, building connections with students and faculty. He hopes to help strengthen ties between UH Hilo and Meiji University.

Hawaiian studies and political science major Ku Quanan is studying abroad for the first time. She sees this step as a turning point for her confidence and hopes more local students will see global education as possible for them, too.

Business major Rachael Rush is immersed in life and coursework in Madrid, gaining skills she hopes to use in international business.

In Aotearoa (New Zealand), Kahiau Snyder is exploring the connections between ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) and te reo Māori (Māori language).

“This scholarship helped me study in Aotearoa and learn mātauranga (Māori knowledge) that I will carry with me throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) and linguistics.”

Royce Ken Yasutake, studying in Japan, plans to use his growing Japanese language skills in the tourism industry and share practical advice with future participants.

A big benefit of the study abroad program is that students pay UH Hilo tuition when they are abroad and then come home with newfound knowledge and experience to finish their degree program.

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

This week’s UH News Image of the Week is from UH Hilo’s Marisa Miyashiro, program specialist at the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management.

From the UH Hilo Stories post: “Poinsettias cultivated by UH Hilo agriculture students at the Panaʻewa Farm Laboratory were showcased at the annual Fall Ag Fest. For more go to .”

Previous Images
Juvenile Iʻiwi
UH at the South Pole
The Green Lady
Go Wahine!
PACMED in Yap
All Images of the Week

Send us your image!

A big mahalo to everyone who has sent in their images! If selected, they will be posted throughout the semester, so check back to see the amazing work, research and experiences of the UH ʻohana!

Want to get in on the action? The next UH News Image of the Week could be yours! Submit a photo, drawing, painting, digital illustration of a project you are working on, a moment from a field research outing or a beautiful and/or interesting shot of a scene on your campus. It could be a class visit during which you see an eye-catching object or scene.

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Please include a brief description of the image and its connection to your campus, class assignment or other UH connection. By submitting your image, you are giving UH News permission to publish your photo on the UH News website and UH social media accounts. The image must be your original work, and anyone featured in your image needs to give consent to its publication.

Aislynn Mandaloniz just reached a milestone every pilot works toward: 1,500 flight hours. The achievement now qualifies the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo alumna to fly commercial jets and marks a major step forward in her aviation career.

For Mandaloniz, it marks another first. She was the first woman from UH �ᾱ����’s aeronautics program to complete flight training and earn her pilot’s license.

“I’m thankful for my time at UH Hilo, providing me with the ground knowledge of aviation and preparing me for the rigorous schooling I had up ahead to later land my first job as a commercial pilot, and now being able to move on to fly jets!” she said.

Pushing higher

Mandaloniz was born and raised in Hilo and graduated from Waiākea High School in 2020. She interned at Hilo International Airport with the Air Traffic Control team before enrolling in the program. She finished her bachelor’s degree in just three years.

After graduation, she trained at Lift Academy on the U.S. continent. There, she spent long days in the air and long nights studying. That discipline pushed her to the 1,500-hour mark, a level that opens doors to larger aircraft and major airlines.

“If you are seeking a career, make sure this is something you truly want to do for the rest of your life,” she said. “Aviation is hard, but it is far worth it. It requires enormous amounts of self-discipline, but the end result is immeasurable.”

Mandaloniz hopes her path shows other students what’s possible. She knows the road is demanding. She also knows the payoff is worth it. And she’s just getting started.

For more on Mandaloniz’s journey go to .

—By Susan Enright

Students from 35 nations attend the . That global spirit was on full display during UH �ᾱ����’s 2025 United Nations Day celebration on October 22, with students proudly representing places ranging from Ecuador, �鶹��ý and Iceland to Hungary, Italy, Palau and Turkmenistan. Colorful photos of students from around the world highlighted a day meant to commemorate the founding of the United Nations and focused on unity, culture and people-to-people connection.

Each year the campus’s International Student Association and host the event, which features a Parade of Nations, cultural performances and informational displays.

“At UH Hilo, United Nations Day is a time when the university ʻohana demonstrates unity among different people and nations of the world,” said Jim Mellon, director of UH Hilo International Student Services. “Our shared humanity during this time calls for us to stand in solidarity with those who are suffering. Acts of war, hate, and intolerance are in opposition to the values of UH Hilo international students.”

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the organization. The theme, “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” guided the program. Mellon said the day invites the campus to reflect on the United Nations’ core values, global peace, cooperation, human rights and social progress, and how those ideals connect to everyday life.

Parade of nations

The celebration opened with Native Hawaiian traditions. Students representing the host nation of �鶹��ý joined Pele Harman, UH �ᾱ����’s director of Native Hawaiian engagement, in welcoming the crowd with music and hula. Japanese taiko drummers followed, honoring the deep roots of Japanese culture in �鶹��ý.

About 80 students took part in the Parade of Nations, each carrying symbols of home. On the Mookini Library lānai, 22 students hosted displays about their countries, student services and global issues. Inside the library, short videos created by students from about 15 language groups introduced viewers to their native languages.

Mellon said the day is about visibility, learning and connection.

“We are truly fortunate to be able to live, study and learn with such a diverse group of students.”

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

students from the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo proved they can hold their own against some of the nation’s top universities, earning high marks in a national problem-solving competition. One team placed third, standing out for a solution rooted in Indigenous values from �鶹��ý.

The students competed in the , held in mid-October at the annual conference of the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology in St. Louis, Missouri. UH Hilo students participated remotely while other teams presented in person.

Team 1, which earned the third-place finish, included Johry Graceta, Evan Merz, Danielle Murphy, Tavan Nakamura and Haukea Valdez. Team 2 included Kassidie Hayashida, Starlye Koehler, Ella Munroe, Lilika Talamai and Erika Torres.

“Having the chance to work on an applied project was a good experience to use what we learn in classes,” Valdez said.

Real-world challenge

Each year, student teams receive a real-world challenge from a community organization. Their task is to analyze the issue and present a solution using sociological skills and methods. This year’s client was Healthcare NOW, a national group advocating for a single-payer healthcare system. Their question: how to better connect with local organizations that may not already support their mission.

The UH Hilo team responded with “Ke Hoʻoikaika Nei iā Healthcare–NOW” (Strengthening Healthcare NOW), a plan centered on Indigenous values. Hern said that focus helped set their work apart.

“They only had a few days to develop their solutions, so it’s excellence under pressure for sure,” said Lindy Hern, associate professor and department chair of UH �ᾱ����’s sociology department who organized the conference as president of the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology.

Faculty from UH �ᾱ����’s sociology department supported both teams: Assistant Professor Ellen Meiser advised, and Associate Professor Alton Okina funded their participation.

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

A team from the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo is taking a bird’s-eye view in the fight against one of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s most damaging invasive insects, the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB).

Researchers from UH �ᾱ����’s (SDAV) Lab joined the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) on an aerial survey over Kona in October. Flying aboard a helicopter equipped with high-powered cameras and GPS, the group scanned about 4,000 acres for mulch piles and signs of beetle activity.

“The goal of this survey was to fly over residential areas to search for mulch and green waste piles so BIISC can better target their ground surveys for CRB grubs and beetles,” said Olivia Jarvis, a geospatial research associate who earned a bachelor’s degree in and a master’s degree in at UH Hilo.

The flight team included pilot David Okita from Volcano Helicopters, BIISC’s Dustin Swan, and SDAV researchers Jarvis and Andrew Meyer and Ryan Perroy, a UH Hilo professor who leads the SDAV lab.

“My main contribution on the day was to help set up SDAV’s helicopter imaging rig, which allows us to securely mount visual cameras for helicopter based mapping operations,” said Meyer who also earned an environmental science degree at UH Hilo. “I was also providing our skillful pilot, David Okita, a flight guide to ensure we effectively map the area of interest.”

Back to the lab

Back in Hilo, the SDAV team analyzed more than 6,000 high-resolution images, digitally stitched into a single mosaic map. Researchers searched for mulch piles, damaged coconut trees, or other clues of beetle presence.

Researchers hope the view from above can make tracking the invasive beetle faster and far more effective.

—By Susan Enright, UH Hilo Stories

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo is seeing promising momentum in key areas of student success. At the 2025 State of the University address on September 10, Chancellor Bonnie Irwin and her leadership team pointed to growth in key student groups, record gains in retention and graduation, and expanded faculty development, while also addressing challenges from recent federal policy shifts.

This semester, UH Hilo welcomed its largest increase in new freshmen in four years, which is up 18.8% compared to last fall. That pace surpasses both UH Mānoa and UH West Oʻahu. UH Hilo also reported an enrollment increase in students from �鶹��ý Island, with growth among Filipino, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students.

“This shows the good work of our admissions staff, fanning out across the state to tell the story of UH Hilo,” Irwin noted during the address.

Retention and graduation trends also hit new highs. The 2024 freshman-to-sophomore retention rate was the strongest in UH Hilo history. Both four-year and six-year graduation rates also rose.

Faculty development, AI integration

UH Hilo leadership also discussed how faculty have expanded professional development tied to career readiness and community engagement. Some will serve on new task forces focused on artificial intelligence. Staff numbers are also up, strengthening student support.

Federal impacts

Chancellor Irwin also addressed impacts from recent executive orders and federal funding shifts. Although UH Hilo lost a long-standing federal grant which provided research stipends for undergraduates across the Pacific, leaders are finding ways to continue those opportunities.

“Our values remain the same,” Irwin said. “We are here to make sure that each student gets the support they need to thrive.”

Shared, visible kuleana

Pele Harman, director of Native Hawaiian Engagement, shared how UH Hilo is putting its commitments into practice on the path to becoming a Native Hawaiian place of learning. Her team leads kīpaepae welcome ceremonies, organizes ʻāina (land)-based service days with community partners, promotes everyday use of ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) and links students to cultural resources and practices.

While Native Hawaiian enrollment has dipped throughout the past several years, preliminary data this fall marked a positive turnaround with a 4% increase. Native Hawaiian students now make up a third of the student body.

Still, Harman expressed that the first year is a critical window: only about six in ten Native Hawaiian students return for year two.
“Our kuleana to convert the first-year foothold into sustained momentum so that more of our Native Hawaiian students, our students not only return—but cross the finish line on time is the goal that we are working toward,” noted Harman.

Resilient future

The address also highlighted priorities for the year ahead. Leaders outlined plans to strengthen budget management, upgrade campus IT and software systems, and advance marketing efforts aimed at attracting new students, engaging alumni and deepening ties with community partners.

In partnership with , the University of �鶹��ý at Hilo Athletics is calling on the community to join its largest annual fundraiser—the monthlong —to ensure continued excellence for Vulcan student-athletes in the classroom, in competition and in service to �鶹��ý Island.

Running from September 16–October 16, the Vulcan Challenge provides critical funding for scholarships, training resources, travel and other essential needs that help UH �ᾱ����’s 12 NCAA Division II teams thrive.

“Vulcan scholar-athletes continue to make a positive impact both on campus and in our community. Support for these student ambassadors will allow our program to continue to flourish,” said Bonnie D. Irwin, UH �ᾱ����’s chancellor.

Patrick Guillen, athletics director at UH Hilo, said the student-athletes continue to inspire everyone with their accomplishments and community support remains vital in helping them reach new goals. “Every gift to the Vulcan Challenge helps us develop the next generation of Ambassadors of Aloha, students who represent �鶹��ý Island and our state with pride.”

Imani Lee, President of the UH Hilo Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, emphasized how donor support makes a direct impact.

“When you give to the Vulcan Challenge, you’re helping us compete at our best, travel to represent �鶹��ý and earn the education that sets us up for life,“ said Lee, an outside hitter and defensive specialist with the Vulcans volleyball team. “Your support means we can continue to represent �鶹��ý Island with pride and aloha on every field, court and course.“

KTA Super Stores and the Taniguchi ʻohana are once again demonstrating their loyal support of the Vulcan Challenge by matching the first $25,000 in gifts. Their generosity is joined by a $5,000 challenge gift from Charlie and Barbara Umamoto, along with a $13,000 matching gift from the Vulcan Booster Club.

“As student-athletes, we feel the impact of this generosity every day,“ Lee said. “Knowing that the community believes in us—and is willing to match gifts to support our journey—motivates us to give our very best on and off the field.“

UH Hilo Athletics is coming off a record-breaking year. Vulcan student-athletes achieved a 3.32 overall cumulative GPA—the highest in program history—and extended their streak to 14 consecutive semesters with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

On the fields and courts, eight teams advanced to PacWest Conference postseason play, highlighted by the men’s golf team’s third straight conference championship. Off the playing surfaces, student-athletes contributed countless hours to local causes, events and youth programs, strengthening ties with the �鶹��ý Island community.

“These achievements reflect the heart, discipline and dedication of our student-athletes,” Guillen said. “By supporting the Vulcan Challenge, you’re investing in their future and in the pride they bring to our island.”

To make a contribution to the Vulcan Challenge and support UH Hilo Athletics, visit .

The welcomed scholars from around the world this summer for an international gathering on the future of the humanities.

From June 25 to 27, the annual New Directions in the Humanities conference was held in �鶹��ý for the first time.

UH �ᾱ����’s event carried the theme “Oceanic Journeys: Multicultural Approaches in the Humanities.” More than 300 participants from 25 countries joined in person and online, including 31 UH faculty members and 24 Emerging Scholars, students awarded grants to attend, present, and build professional connections.

“Everyone was saying what an exceptional conference it was, not just feeding the mind, but the soul, heart and spirit by showcasing our UH Hilo ʻohana, �鶹��ý Island community and Native Hawaiian culture,” said Patsy Iwasaki, a UH Hilo associate professor of English who served as conference chair.

Kīpaepae welcome

The event opened with a kīpaepae ceremony. Kīpaepae translates to “stepping stones” and are traditional Native Hawaiian ceremonies of welcome. Led by Hawaiian studies lecturer Dane “Malu” Dudoit, traditional chants, pahu drums and pū (conch shells) set the tone of aloha ʻ�徱�Բ�—respect for the land and people of �鶹��ý.

Workshops invited participants to engage directly with Native Hawaiian cultural practices, while an alohawear exhibition at UH �ᾱ����’s highlighted the history of fashion in �鶹��ý.

“We are thrilled to be able to showcase vintage �鶹��ý fashion as part of the conference,” said English professor and member of the conference planning committee Leanne Day. “I am excited how the exhibit indexes �鶹��ý’s history and helps center how fashion is a critical site of reckoning with settler colonialism, immigration and tourism.“

The four plenary speakers at the conference were all connected to the UH Hilo ʻohana: Manu Meyer, former UH Hilo education professor and now director of at UH West Oʻahu; Marianne Takamiya, a professor; Jacquelyn Pualani Johnson, emeritus professor of ; and Clint Anderson, assistant professor of .

professor Colby Miyose mentored Emerging Scholars, who gained professional development by moderating panels, engaging with experts, and connecting with international scholars.

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

The and the Keaukaha Community Association hosted the welcome event, He ��ū���ʻ�� Kani ʻĀ���Բ�, on August 2, at the university’s (PACRC) in Keaukaha, Hilo Bay.

The event brought together Keaukaha community members and ʻohana, UH Hilo faculty and student researchers, and local organizations to highlight the collaborative work being done at the center’s .

The nursery has three main facilities: a lab with 21 flow-through tanks, an invertebrate pool, and four horse troughs used to house corals and run projects. UH Hilo students are eligible to volunteer at the nursery during the semester.

“We hope this event strengthens relationships and fosters new collaborations across the community,” said event co-sponsor Steve Doo, a UH Hilo assistant professor of who coral and coral reefs.

Ocean stewardship

About 100 visitors from the community — from keiki to mākua (parents) to kūpuna (elders) — enjoyed the information booths, arts and crafts, land-based coral restoration demonstrations, snorkel surveys and coral outplanting in the bay.

Kaʻaka Swain, president of who also teaches at Ka ʻUmeke ����ʻ��� charter school, said the event welcomed the Keaukaha community into PACRC to experience ongoing marine research through hands-on, culturally grounded activities.

“From limu pressing and lauhala fish weaving to touch tanks, coral reef building, and out-planting coral in Puhi Bay, participants explored the connections between culture and science,” said Swain. “Keiki gained a deeper understanding of marine life and a sense of pride in caring for the ocean.”

—By Susan Enright

A University of �鶹��ý at Hilo professor is collaborating on a groundbreaking study into the heart of Marshallese seafaring and the human brain.

This August, UH Hilo anthropology professor Joseph Genz and an international crew of scientists will study Indigenous sailors who will set sail aboard a trimaran. Researchers will analyze the documentary-filmed voyage to examine how traditional wave-piloting techniques can deepen our understanding of spatial awareness and possibly neurological disease.

“The most exciting aspect of this project for me is the applied nature of research on traditional navigation to the medical field—mariners’ knowledge of Marshallese seascapes, geographies of the coral atolls of the Marshall Islands, and orientation during inter-island voyaging has the potential to provide culture-specific insights into detection of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Genz.

How navigators move, see, think

The project brings together experts in physics, neuroscience, philosophy, oceanography, anthropology and computer science. At its core: two master navigators from the Marshall Islands who rely on feel and sight to read ocean swells, allowing them to sense islands beyond the visible horizon.

Genz, whose work has long focused on the revival of Marshallese navigation, said the research could lead to earlier detection of Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects spatial orientation. He first connected to Marshallese voyaging 20 years ago through a canoe-building program. He never imagined that journey would one day link to neuroscience research.

Fellow researcher and UH Hilo alumna Jerolynn Myazoe, a Marshallese anthropologist, studied under Genz and is a key partner in the project.

The team will use mobile eye-tracking and 360-degree motion capture to document how navigators move, see and think while sailing. The results could not only preserve these ancient skills, but help heal a community deeply impacted by U.S. nuclear testing and displacement in the mid-1900s.

“[This] invokes a model of knowledge co-production and empowers the Marshallese community,” Genz said.

The collaborative project brings together researchers from UH Hilo, University of Stirling in Scotland, University College London and Harvard University.

—by Susan Enright

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