{"id":198521,"date":"2024-05-29T12:51:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T22:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=198521"},"modified":"2024-05-29T12:51:09","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T22:51:09","slug":"top-honors-arcs-scholars-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/05\/29\/top-honors-arcs-scholars-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Top honors for UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa STEM<\/abbr> scholars, JABSOM<\/abbr> epigeneticist"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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2024 Honolulu ARCS<\/abbr> Scholars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sixteen STEM<\/abbr> doctoral students at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa were recognized for outstanding research, and Alika Maunakea of the John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/a> (JABSOM<\/abbr>) was named 2024 Scientist of the Year for his groundbreaking work in epigenetics.<\/p>\n

The awards were presented by the Honolulu chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS<\/abbr>) Foundation<\/a> in May. <\/p>\n

Scientist of the Year: Alika Maunakea<\/h2>\n
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Alika Maunakea receives his award from Cheryl Ernst and Jane Schoonmaker from Honolulu ARCS<\/abbr>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maunakea, JABSOM<\/abbr> associate professor of anatomy, biochemistry and physiology and leading epigeneticist, seeks to understand the gene-environment interactions that underlie the development of diseases of health disparities. His research has garnered over $27 million in funding.<\/p>\n

Maunakea\u2019s work is deeply influenced by his cultural heritage and his commitment to addressing health disparities among Indigenous populations. He leads the Epigenomics Core Facility of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and collaborates on numerous community-based biomedical projects.<\/p>\n

Beyond his research, Maunakea actively mentors students and promotes diversity in the scientific community.<\/p>\n

Read more about Maunakea at JABSOM<\/abbr><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Honolulu ARCS<\/abbr> Scholars<\/h2>\n

The 2024 Honolulu ARCS<\/abbr> Scholars represent a diverse range of disciplines and projects. Two students earned the 2024 ARCS<\/abbr> Scholars of the Year—Mason Russo and Nicholas Saunders were honored for their outstanding research presentations. Russo, an entomology PhD<\/abbr> student, is investigating the distribution and control of the hala scale and coconut rhinoceros beetles, both of which are invasive species threatening native Hawaiian flora. Saunders, an astronomy PhD<\/abbr> student, has discovered more than 10 exoplanets, contributing significantly to the understanding of planetary system evolution.<\/p>\n

All award winners receive $6,000 each, and Russo and Saunders receive an additional $1,000 for their achievements.<\/p>\n

College of Engineering<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Saige Dacuycuy: Developing reconfigurable intelligent surfaces to enhance cell phone reception.<\/li>\n
  • Jonathan Itokazu: Creating contactless sensors for medical monitoring and security authentication using polarimetric radar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    College of Natural Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Julia Douglas (botany): Studying la monjita orchids and epiphytes in Oʻahu<\/span>\u2019s cloud forests.<\/li>\n
    • Melanie Kuʻi<\/span> Keliipuleole (zoology): Researching shrimp species used traditionally in ʻōpelu<\/span> fishing.<\/li>\n
    • Arianna Bunnell (computer and information science): Developing AI<\/abbr>-equipped ultrasound devices for breast cancer screening.<\/li>\n
    • Christopher Kang (chemistry): Investigating compounds affecting medication absorption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Marine Biology Graduate Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • James Fumo: Researching an unknown alga forming visible red trails in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Lucas Ellison (Earth sciences): Comparing climate model simulations with real drought data.<\/li>\n
        • Zachary Menzo (atmospheric sciences): Studying the impact of El Ni\u00f1o on extreme weather events.<\/li>\n
        • Blake R. Stoner-Osborne (oceanography): Examining the diet of small marine organisms to understand food chains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Institute for Astronomy<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • Nicholas K. Saunders: Investigating planetary system evolution using data from space and ground-based telescopes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/strong><\/p>\n

              \n
            • Thomas Ken Awamura (medical microbiology and pharmacology): Studying immune cell proteins for HIV<\/abbr> management and long-COVID risks.<\/li>\n
            • Hongwen Wu (developmental and reproductive biology): Researching ovarian development to improve women’s health care.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n

                \n
              • Jordie Ho (tropical plant pathology): Refining techniques to examine plant-virus interactions.<\/li>\n
              • Mason Russo (entomology): Research on controlling invasive insect species.<\/li>\n
              • Benjamin Wiseman (plant and environmental protection science): Testing cover crops for pest control in agriculture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                ARCS<\/abbr> Foundation Honolulu awarded $110,000 to 16 scholars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[179,308,212,598,35,31,1466,175,92,313,660,9],"class_list":["post-198521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-college-of-natural-sciences","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-institute-for-astronomy","tag-john-a-burns-school-of-medicine","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-marine-biology","tag-school-of-ocean-and-earth-science-and-technology","tag-stem","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t