  {"id":207434,"date":"2024-12-06T13:56:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T23:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=207434"},"modified":"2024-12-06T16:31:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T02:31:35","slug":"uh-students-national-diversity-stem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/uh-students-national-diversity-stem\/","title":{"rendered":"<abbr>UH<\/abbr> students honored at National Diversity in <abbr>STEM<\/abbr> Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><figure id=\"attachment_207463\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-207463\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-6.jpg\" alt=\"Three people holding certificates\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-207463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-6.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-6-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-6-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-207463\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Jairo Andres Jojoa Ortega, Moani Pomare, Cienna Paet-Gulstrom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Students from four University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Âé¶¹´«Ã½<\/span> campuses were recognized at the 2024 National Diversity in <abbr>STEM<\/abbr> (<abbr>NDiSTEM<\/abbr>) Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona, in November. <abbr>NDiSTEM<\/abbr> is the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural <abbr>STEM<\/abbr> diversity event in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The conference celebrated graduate and undergraduate students from historically underrepresented communities for their exemplary research and presentation skills across a range of scientific disciplines. The students who were recognized as &ldquo;outstanding&rdquo; came from <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Hilo, and <span aria-label=\"Kapiolani\">Kapi&#699;olani<\/span> and Leeward community colleges.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Outstanding oral presentation<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Marine Sciences &#38; Ecology\/Evolutionary Biology&#8212;Josephine Tupu, <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Hilo<br \/>\n&ldquo;Utilizing bioacoustics to understand native bird abundance across the elevational gradient of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge&rdquo;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Outstanding undergraduate poster presentations<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_207461\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-207461\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-faa-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Faa standing in front of her poster\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-207461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-faa-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-faa-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-faa.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-207461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Talofa <span aria-label=\"Fea\">Fe&#699;a<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Engineering&#8212;Cienna Paet-Gulstrom, <span aria-label=\"Kapiolani\">Kapi&#699;olani<\/span> <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr><br \/>\n&ldquo;Automating Resilience: <abbr>AI<\/abbr>-Driven Geospatial Analysis of Lalo Atolls in the Face of Climate Change&rdquo;<\/li>\n<li>Life Sciences, Ecology\/Evolutionary Biology&#8212;Jairo Andres Jojoa Ortega, <span aria-label=\"Kapiolani\">Kapi&#699;olani<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr><br \/>\n&ldquo;Protection of Hawaiian Urban Native Birds from Invasive Species&rdquo;<\/li>\n<li>Life Sciences, Microbiology&#8212;Eiren Tamayo, Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr><br \/>\n&ldquo;Isolation &#38; Characterization of a Pectobacterium Isolate from a Radish (<em>Raphanus sativus<\/em>) Root in <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Âé¶¹´«Ã½<\/span>&rdquo;<\/li>\n<li>Mathematics&#8212;Moani Pomare, <span aria-label=\"Kapiolani\">Kapi&#699;olani<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr><br \/>\n&ldquo;Kakau and Mathematics: A Multicultural Perspective on Traditional Hawaiian Tattoos&rdquo;<\/li>\n<li>Traditional Knowledge&#8212;Talofa <span aria-label=\"Fea\">Fe&#699;a<\/span>, <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa<br \/>\n&ldquo;Ia Uluulu Matafolau: Exploring the Risk of Ciguatera in American Samoa&rdquo;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&ldquo;Receiving this award is an incredible honor and a reminder of the importance of representing my Hawaiian heritage in <abbr>STEM<\/abbr>,&rdquo; said Paet, an engineering student at <span aria-label=\"Kapiolani\">Kapi&#699;olani<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr>. &ldquo;Personally, it validates the hard work I\u2019ve put into merging my love for the ocean with technology. Professionally, it inspires me to continue developing innovative tools that address environmental challenges. This recognition also strengthens my commitment to mentoring others and fostering more diverse voices in engineering and sustainability.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Future <abbr>STEM<\/abbr> leaders<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_207462\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-207462\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-group-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Group of people\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-207462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-group-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-group-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/system-ndistem-group.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-207462\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seated: Healani Chang, Standing from left: Cienna Paet-Gulstrom, Jairo Andres Jojoa Ortega, Dilbuil Floyd, Masen Lapinad-Sorgent, Moani Pomare, Lomani Rova, Koalani Okada, Taylor Kim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos\/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) organizes the <abbr>NDiSTEM<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n<p>SACNAS President-elect Healani Chang, an associate specialist with the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Pacific Biosciences Research Center, said she was proud of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Âé¶¹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s representation at the 2024 <abbr>NDiSTEM<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Congratulations to all who presented posters or oral platform sessions, and to our scholars across the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> System who were further recognized with an award for their outstanding presentation in their respective disciplines!&rdquo; Chang said. &ldquo;This distinction reflects the students&#8217; communication skills, dedication and efforts at the lab bench, as well as the lab support and mentoring received.&rdquo;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>National <abbr>STEM<\/abbr> honorees included students from <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Hilo, <span aria-label=\"Kapiolani\">Kapi&#699;olani<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr> and Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[63,313,660,14,9],"class_list":["post-207434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-stem","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207434"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207486,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207434\/revisions\/207486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}