Preservation Careers Panel & Talk Story

October 7, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Mānoa Campus, Campus Center 3rd Floor - Room 308



Preservation Careers Panel & Talk Story
Six Preservation Professionals Share Their Career Journey

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Campus Center 3rd Floor - Room 308


Light refreshments provided

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has partnered with the ԴDz Career Center to give students a firsthand look at some of the many paths a career in historic preservation can take. Six professionals — spanning different specialties and career stages — will share their stories in a moderated panel, followed by an informal talk story session where attendees can ask questions one-on-one.

This event is open to Ƶ ԴDz undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni, as well as high school, community college, and other local college students exploring their options.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Panel discussion — Panelists will introduce themselves and speak briefly about their current work, their studies and training in and after college, and the rewards and challenges of their profession.

Talk story tables — Relaxed conversation with individual professionals and the opportunity to ask questions about what a day-to-day career in preservation really looks like.

Who Should Attend
- University undergraduate and graduate students
- University alumni
- Community College students and alumni
- High School Juniors and Seniors
- Early career Preservation Professionals

Meet the panelists



Cynthia Engle
Archivist, Executive Director, Hawaiian Historical Society

As a Kānaka Maoli, Cynthia Engle is proud to support her community and is honored to be the Executive Director of the Hawaiian Historical Society. Engle has over 18 years of experience in academic and special libraries, archives, and museums. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Hawai‘i at ԴDz with honors and is a Certified Archivist from the Academy of Certified Archivists. In addition, she holds a Digital Archives Specialist certification from the Society of American Archivists. Engle’s passion is connecting people to resources in order to help them tell their historical narratives. It is these narratives that keep the ‘ike Hawai‘i (Hawaiian Knowledge) alive for our lāhui.



Bradley Furuya
Planner, Senior Associate, PBR Hawaii & Associates, Inc.

Bradley Furuya grew up on O‘ahu and earned a B.S. in Public Policy, Management, and Planning and a Master of Planning from the University of Southern California. He began his career with the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning, processing land use entitlements and Environmental Impact Reports before supervising the Historic Preservation Overlay Zone unit, which oversaw 35 historic districts and 22 HPOZ boards. He later returned home to Hawai‘i to focus on shaping healthy, accessible communities.

At PBR HAWAII, Furuya prepares Environmental Assessments, leads public outreach for wastewater and highway improvement plans, and supports Development Permit applications for major Ward Village mixed-use projects. His work also spans HRS Chapter 201H exemptions, Special District and Conditional Use Permits, Special Management Area permits, Shoreline Setback Variances, and Conservation District Use Applications.

Furuya is a Certified Planner (AICP) and a member of the American Planning Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.



Tanya Gumapac-McGuire Hemmings
Architectural Historian, Architecture Branch, State Historic Preservation Division

Tanya Gumapac-McGuire Hemmings was born and raised on O‘ahu and has spent over ten years preserving Hawai‘i’s historic resources. She holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Hawai‘i at ԴDz, with an emphasis in Historic Preservation, Architecture, and Native Hawaiian Studies, and meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards as an Architectural Historian.

Hemmings began her career at Historic Hawai‘i Foundation developing public education programs before joining the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), where she conducted project reviews under HRS Chapter 6E and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and oversaw reviews for the State and National Register and Historic Preservation Tax Credit programs. She later worked at FAI Architects, leading architectural surveys and facilitating consultation among agencies, property owners, and Native Hawaiian Organizations. Hemmings currently works in the architecture branch at SHPD where she continues her work to protect and preserve Hawai‘i’s historic resources.



Matt McDermott
Archaeologist, Project Manager and Principal Investigator, Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i

Matt McDermott is Project Manager and Principal Investigator with Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i. Born and raised in Kailua, O‘ahu, McDermott has over 25 years of experience in archaeology and cultural resource management and has lived and worked on all but one of the major Hawaiian islands. McDermott has detailed knowledge of Hawai‘i, Arizona, and Federal historic preservation and environmental legislation and years of experience facilitating historic preservation consultation among private clients, Native American tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Federal, State, and municipal agencies. Since 2001 McDermott has been a principal investigator with Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i and, since 2004, a project manager, overseeing a diverse range of cultural resource management projects. He holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology from University of Hawai‘i at ԴDz and a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeological Studies with a Minor in History from Boston University. McDermott served on the Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board for two terms, from 2015-2023.



Ku‘upuamae‘ole Kiyuna Mossman
Administrative Rules/Historic Preservation Officer, State of Hawaiʻi Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL)

Ku‘upuamae‘ole Kiyuna Mossman is the Administrative Rules/Historic Preservation Officer for the State of Hawai‘i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). She is from Kalauao, O‘ahu, and has worked in historic preservation for seven years. Mossman earned dual B.A. degrees in Environmental Studies and Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, then graduated in 2019 from the William S. Richardson School of Law with a J.D. and certificates in Environmental and Native Hawaiian Law.

At DHHL, Mossman amends the department’s administrative rules, advises on emerging policy issues, and oversees historic preservation compliance and cultural resource issues, including iwi kūpuna and their final disposition. She previously served as Post-JD Legal Fellow for the State Historic Preservation Division and as Legal Specialist for the nonprofit Huliauapa‘a, where she authored the Mauna Kea Traditional Cultural Property nomination, which was accepted into the Hawai‘i and National Registers of Historic Places.



Carol Ogata
Architect and Project Manager, University of Hawai‘i at ԴDz Office of Project Delivery

Carol Ogata is an Architect and Project Manager at the University of Hawai‘i at ԴDz Office of Project Delivery. Ogata has over 35 years of architectural and preservation experience across the public and private sectors—including 11 years with the Hawai‘i State Historic Preservation Division. Ogata holds degrees in Fine Arts and Architecture, along with a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Hawai‘i at ԴDz.



Andrea Nandoskar (Moderator)
Education Program Director, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation

Andrea Nandoskar joined Historic Hawai‘i Foundation in 2012, became the Education Program Manager in 2017 and the Education Program Director in 2025. Nandoskar oversees HHF’s educational programs, including the Preservation in Practice series, workshops to enhance traditional trades training, programs to foster relationships between cultural heritage and natural resource conservation, and public programs to connect people to a greater understanding of place-based stewardship. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature from the State University of New York at Purchase.


Event Sponsor
ԴDz Career Center, Mānoa Campus

More Information
(808) 956-7007, careers@hawaii.edu,

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