University of Hawaiʻi Maui College鈥檚 award-winning Culinary Arts Program is offering a new series of five 鈥渏ust for fun鈥� cooking classes this fall. Beginning September 26, these interactive workshops give community members an opportunity to learn practical techniques directly from professional chefs.

All sessions run on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the P膩ʻina Building on the 糖心视频 Maui College Kahului Campus. Registration fees range from $100 to $120 per person.

Fall 2026 class schedule

Each workshop focuses on distinct foundational skills:

• September 26:
• October 17:
• November 7:
• November 21:
• December 5:

Participants learn fundamental concepts in a supportive environment, turning professional methods into approachable home habits.

“Our non-credit classes are all about demystifying techniques,” said Chef Craig Omori. “You don’t need years of culinary training to break down a fish, simmer a great broth, or turn out bakery-quality holiday pastries. Pastry Chef Hannah Stanchfield and I are excited to welcome home cooks into our labs this semester to build solid kitchen fundamentals and have a great time doing it.”

For registration questions or general assistance, email Omori at omoric@hawaii.edu.

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin was designated chair of the Pacific West Conference Executive Board for the 2026–27 academic year.

Composed of university presidents and chancellors from member institutions across Hawaiʻi and California, the PacWest Conference Executive Board provides strategic direction, policy oversight and administrative governance for the NCAA Division II. In her leadership role, Irwin will steer the PacWest through a rapidly changing landscape in NCAA intercollegiate athletics, addressing national governance reforms, student-athlete welfare and institutional sustainability.

“It is an honor to serve as chair during such a pivotal time in collegiate athletics,” Irwin said. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues across the conference to ensure the PacWest continues to promote academic success, athletic competitive excellence and transformative opportunities for our student-athletes.”

Read more at .

About 12,000 low-income households across Hawaiʻi rely on Housing Choice Vouchers, commonly known as Section 8, to help pay rent. But a new (糖心视频ERO) report finds the program is facing growing financial pressure as rising rents make it increasingly expensive to help families.

Federal spending on Hawaiʻi鈥檚 tenant-based vouchers more than tripled from about $55 million in 2003 to approximately $170 million in 2024, which represents a 70% increase even after accounting for inflation. Yet the number of families receiving assistance has grown only modestly.

The reason is simple: Hawaiʻi rents have climbed dramatically.

Voucher households generally pay about 30% of their adjusted income toward rent and utilities, with the government covering much of the remaining cost. But as rents rise while many participants鈥� incomes remain relatively flat, taxpayers must cover a growing share of the cost just to maintain assistance for roughly the same number of families.

The stakes extend beyond the families currently receiving help. Only about one in five income-eligible households in Hawaiʻi receives a voucher, leaving thousands of others waiting for assistance that may not become available for years.

“As rents rise, more federal funding is needed just to maintain the program, making it harder to expand assistance to the thousands of Hawaiʻi families still waiting for help,” said lead author JoonYup Park, an assistant professor at 糖心视频ERO and , who holds the Hawaiʻi Community Reinvestment Corporation Professorship in Affordable Housing.

The program is also becoming an increasingly important pathway out of homelessness. About one in five households newly admitted to the program was experiencing homelessness, compared with roughly one in 20 in the mid-2000s.

In addition, receiving a voucher does not automatically mean a family has housing. Households generally have 60 to 120 days to find a rental that meets program requirements and has a landlord willing to accept the voucher. If they cannot, they can lose the voucher and return to the bottom of the waiting list.

Potential solutions

The report points to housing construction as one possible solution. More apartments and other housing can help slow rent increases and create more affordable options for voucher holders, reducing the amount of government assistance needed for each household. Helping families increase their incomes could also reduce reliance on subsidies and eventually free vouchers for others waiting for help.

“This research shows that Hawaiʻi鈥檚 housing affordability challenge cannot be solved by rental assistance alone,” Park said. “We need to think about how housing policy, economic opportunity and the structure of public benefits can work together to give more families a realistic path toward long-term housing stability.”

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糖心视频ERO and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning is housed in 糖心视频 Mānoa鈥檚 .

This week鈥檚 糖心视频 News Image of the Week is from Kauaʻi Community College’s Dayne Gonsalves, an undergraduate in creative media.

Gonsalves shared: “An image of Kaumualiʻi Highway on the morning after Hurricane Lowell, taken from Kekaha.”

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University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Darren Lerner, director of , consortium director of the and interim associate dean for research in the , was honored at the Governor’s Awards for Distinguished State Service as the 2026 Manager of the Year. Lerner, other award winners and nominees were recognized with a ceremony at the State Capitol by Gov. Josh Green on September 15. Members of Lerner’s Sea Grant team accepted the award for him, while he was working in Seattle.

Lerner was recognized for transformational leadership that has strengthened Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and expanded its impact across the university and the state. He has overseen more than $100 million in extramurally funded projects focused on improving the resilience of Hawaiʻi’s and the Pacific’s coastal ecosystems and communities. His leadership through periods of uncertainty has allowed the program to continue growing while supporting research, education and community partnerships that address critical environmental challenges.

“Honestly, as I鈥檝e said to the team, who went to the event and received the award on my behalf, I am just floored, really floored,” said Lerner. “And you know, beyond that, and the team gives me a hard time for saying it, but it鈥檚 all them. There鈥檚 no way I would even be considered in this position if it wasn鈥檛 for our team at Sea Grant.”

The awards honor the state’s executive branch employees and managers who exemplify the highest caliber of public service and dedication to serving the people of Hawaiʻi.

In addition to Lerner, Kapiʻolani Community College’s Darsh Davé and the Hawaiʻi Papa o ke Ao Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office were selected as the 糖心视频 nominees for the Governor’s Awards for Distinguished State Service.

Commendation letter from Gov. Green

September 15, 2026

I commend you for being selected as the 2026 State of Hawaiʻi Manager of the Year, in recognition of your visionary leadership, innovative program development, and unwavering commitment to advance community-centered coastal resilience throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

Under your leadership, the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program has become a national model for integrating cutting-edge coastal research with meaningful public service. Your efforts secured a historic $68.5 million grant to advance climate resilience through the restoration of traditional Hawaiian moku systems and expanded initiatives that combat marine debris, strengthen fisheries education, and expand research capacity across the Pacific.

Your service spans across Hawaiʻi and the nation, including directing the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center and serving as Interim Associate Dean for Research in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. You led projects leveraging over $80 million to restore over 1,000 acres of coastal habitats, educated thousands of students, and engaged residents statewide. As President of the Sea Grant Association, you advanced Hawaiʻi’s priorities nationally and championed Indigenous leadership in federal science policy.

Prioritizing workforce development, you developed specialized fellowships that train and foster the next generation of local coastal leaders. National reviewers recognized your mentorship as a best management practice model for building engaged, interdisciplinary teams.

I express my deepest gratitude for your extraordinary contributions, steadfast guidance, and enduring impact on coastal resilience, education, and community well-being across the State. Congratulations on your achievements, and best wishes as you continue your outstanding service.

Mahalo,

JOSH GREEN

Governor, State of Hawaiʻi

In a solemn tribute marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, 156 and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 scaled the steep, railway track of Koko Head Crater in the early morning hours.

The strenuous climb honored the nearly 3,000 lives lost, as well as the heroic first responders and military personnel who answered the call in the tragedy’s aftermath.

For Army ROTC Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Patrick Kelley, the remembrance is personal.

“I was in ROTC when 9/11 happened. That day changed my life in that it led to a career of multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during my career,” he said. “9/11 is always a reminder of the sacrifices a lot of Americans made, not only that day, but in the years that followed in combat, as well as the families that stayed behind to support them. I love that I am in a position to pass that knowledge and passion down to the next generation.”

Annual tradition of remembrance

According to program officials, the trek gives cadets an opportunity to reflect on the service and sacrifice of those affected by 9/11 while strengthening bonds with their fellow cadets.

The annual climb also helps a new generation of cadets understand the significance of the attacks and their aftermath. Many of today’s cadets were born after September 11, 2001.

The cadets carried that remembrance with them throughout the climb, marking the 25th anniversary with a shared commitment: “We climb to remember. We climb to honor. We will never forget.”

Since its launch in 2023, the Euclid space telescope has been sending images of the night sky back to scientists around the world, who combine its observations with data from telescopes on Earth, including the University of Hawaiʻi 鈥檚 on Haleakal膩.

The Euclid space mission is an imaging survey of an extremely large swath of the night sky, with the goals of creating a map of the large-scale structure of the universe in 3D, as well as exploring the nature and evolution of dark energy. But space telescopes like Euclid rarely work alone — their observations are almost always done in partnership with ground-based telescopes, like those on Maunakea and Haleakal膩.

Hawaiʻi telescopes and Euclid

Pan-STARRS is one of four Hawaiʻi-based telescopes working with Euclid to search for some of the earliest objects in the universe and build a richer picture of the deep sky. The collaboration also includes the , and on Maunakea.

The ground-based telescopes complement, enhance or further explore Euclid鈥檚 data, adding wavelengths, colors and detail that the space telescope is not equipped to do alone.

“It’s very common for a space telescope to discover something interesting in the sky but not have the capability or size to characterize it more thoroughly,” said John O鈥橫eara, chief scientist and deputy director at W.M. Keck Observatory.

Coming off a groundbreaking performance in Washington, D.C., dancers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo are bringing that national momentum home.

Inside the campus dance studio, they鈥檙e training with nationally renowned choreographer Mike Esperanza to prepare an original work for the stage.

The connection began last May, when instructor Kea Kapahua led 16 糖心视频 Hilo dancers to the American College Dance Association conference in Wyoming. Their performance of Haliʻa Aloha no Kaim奴, honoring Kapahua鈥檚 Kalapana heritage, helped earn 糖心视频 Hilo a spot among just 30 schools nationwide selected for the festival in Washington, D.C.

Esperanza, who served as an adjudicator, was moved by what he saw.

“There was something really spiritual about what we saw,” he recalled.

That encounter eventually brought Esperanza to 糖心视频 Hilo as an artist-in-residence. The week-long residency gave students a taste of professional company life, with fast-paced rehearsals and demanding physical training.

“For 糖心视频 Hilo students to have this opportunity is really special; a lot of larger schools don鈥檛 even get to experience a residency to this capacity,” Esperanza said.

The dancers will premiere the finished work on December 12 at the 糖心视频 Hilo Performing Arts Center.

糖心视频 Mānoa students are helping shape the future of one of the busiest and most visible areas on campus. The 糖心视频 Campus Design Lab invited students to share their ideas for reimagining Legacy Path during Welina Mānoa: Kick-Off! on September 10. The effort is part of the initial research for a project focused on transforming Legacy Path into a more welcoming and active gathering space while also exploring the future of nearby Andrews Amphitheater.

Legacy Path is a major pedestrian route connecting Campus Center with Dole Street and the main parking structure. The area also hosts campus fairs, pregame activities and other events, and serves as a location for food trucks during the school day.

At the Campus Design Lab booth, students used 3D models of the area to experiment with different configurations, moving miniature food trucks, benches and other features to show how they would like to use the space.

“I like how they’re trying to improve the walking and commuting experience,” said Hao Shen Zheng, a 糖心视频 Mānoa senior majoring in computer engineering. “I think it’s really important since students actually have to experience these things. They should have a say in these types of designs.”

Zheng said the hands-on approach made it easier to envision the possibilities.

“I like the models they have at the booth. You can put food trucks or benches where you would like them to be in a specific area. It helps you visualize it.”

The Campus Design Lab hopes to gather input from several hundred students over the course of the fall 2026 semester, with the official project kickoff planned for October.

“Our goal is to hear from as many students as possible and better understand how they use the space and what they want it to become,” said Brian Strawn, 糖心视频 Mānoa planning and spatial experience director. “We’re already hearing that students want a range of places to gather—from larger, more active public spaces to smaller, more informal places to sit, meet and spend time along Legacy Path.”

Strawn said student input is especially important because the way students experience campus varies widely.

“There isn’t a single student experience of campus,” Strawn said. “Some students commute, some live on campus and others live nearby. Those different patterns shape how students move through campus, where they spend time and what they need from the spaces in between. Engaging students directly helps us understand those differences and design a campus that better supports their daily lives.”

Engaging students in the design process has already proven successful across 糖心视频 Mānoa. Student input from previous workshops helped shape several major projects, including the ongoing McCarthy Mall renovation and the recently completed Aloha Towers renovation.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo鈥檚 Fiscal Year has been released.

The report highlights student success, new academic programs, faculty and staff achievements, impactful research, scholarships, community outreach, alumni accomplishments and campus improvements.

One area of focus is adapting academic programs to meet 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 evolving workforce needs.

“Across disciplines and programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, we are implementing new workforce-related initiatives to keep current with the rapid pace of workforce needs and changes,” said Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin.

New programs include an online pathway for law enforcement officers to earn bachelor鈥檚 degrees in administration of justice, a doctor of pharmacy online track, business programs focusing on artificial intelligence, a revised certificate in digital art and more.

The report also highlights the work being done to strengthen 糖心视频 Hilo as a Hawaiian place of learning, reflecting Hawaiʻi, its people, history, cultures, and natural environment.

—By Susan Enright

This article by Native Hawaiian Initiative Alakaʻi (coordinator) at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 Kamakanaokealoha Aquino was first published in

About eight years ago, Native Hawaiian Student Services (NHSS) at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 restarted the Hawaiian Youths Abroad (HYA) program.

This summer, they traveled to Keomolewa through Kapalakiko (from Vancouver, Canada, to San Francisco, California) for 10 days to retrace the 19th century connections between the Hawaiian Kingdom and the Pacific Northwest.

With two tuition-free courses (six credits), students learned about labor settlements, Hawaiian diplomacy and education, and engagement with the 19th-century world. The travel itinerary included visiting locations such as Vancouver (City), Salt Spring Island and Victoria Island in Canada; Seattle, Tacoma, Kalama and Fort Vancouver in Washington State; and San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Cruz in California.

The focus of Hawaiian Youths Abroad has been retracing the path of the aliʻi (royalty), diplomats, and citizens to engage students in different educational experiences and training around the world.

Priority considerations for student participation include undergraduate 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 students who have at least one or more semester remaining; and past or current NHSS students who have participated in prior programs, show promise for advancing in leadership, are interested in advanced graduate studies and research engagement at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补, and who have a demonstrated record of interest and engagement in Hawaiian education and research.

Long history

The program dates back to King Kal膩kaua鈥檚 reign, when the king, with the support of the Hawaiian Kingdom Legislature, supported sending 18 Hawaiian youth to travel abroad between 1880 and 1892.

The Hawaiian Youths Abroad program sent representatives to Italy, Scotland, England, China, Japan and the United States.

Personally selected by Kal膩kaua himself, these young people were to become the future leaders of the Hawaiian Kingdom and were sent out to study engineering, medicine, art, music, military science and foreign languages. They would acquire foreign knowledge and bring those skills back to serve their country.

The recently revived Hawaiian Youths Abroad program started by taking students to Paris and London in 2018. Then in 2019, students traveled to London, Turin and Naples. In 2024 program participants traveled to French Polynesia, and to Japan in 2025.

Nearly 100 new University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 students participated in the first ever runout across the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex field before the 糖心视频 football team took on New Mexico State Saturday, September 12. The runout is a long-standing tradition at several colleges and universities around the country to mark the new students鈥� journey as part of the campus.

“I think running on the field and getting to see all the fans was really fun and the cheering and how excited everyone was, it really just pumped up the game,” said new student Tiana Pardini.

“The whole atmosphere of the tunnel with everyone cheering,” fellow new student, Gabrial Guardado, said. “I thought it was all just a great experience.”

The students helped to fire up the crowd before the opening kickoff and helped propel the ‘Bows to their first win of the 2026 season.

“We are looking at ways to have our students find experiences on campus that help them to create memories and community as part of their college journey,” said Interim Vice Provost for Student Success Kap膩 Oliveira. “The energy and excitement of this moment is something we hope the students will carry on with them through their time at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补.&谤诲辩耻辞;

Each participant received a free T-shirt to commemorate the experience.

“Watching 糖心视频 students run across the field before the football game was a memorable sight,” said Athletics Director Matt Elliott. “The energy, excitement, and school spirit they brought with them made it a moment of celebration for the community. All students are a part of Our Team, Hawaiʻi鈥檚 team!”

The 糖心视频 Athletics Marketing team invited new students to sign up during the Fall New Student Orientation that was organized by the Office of Vice Provost for Student Success.

The runout gave new students a chance to connect with the 糖心视频 community and experience the excitement of supporting Rainbow Warrior football directly from the field. The students then got to watch the Rainbow Warriors defeat the Lobos 29–19.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Lala, which brought damaging winds and severe flooding to Hawaiʻi Island, members of the Hawaiʻi Community College kauhale (village) rallied to support hard-hit families in 碍补ʻ奴.

On August 21, members of the Hawaiʻi CC-affiliated K奴k奴ʻena hula cohort, college faculty and staff joined forces with University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo colleagues to support community-led relief efforts. In 奥补颈ʻ艒丑颈苍耻, the group met with Hawaiʻi CC alumni Nohealani Kaʻawa, Kaila Kaʻawa and Lanihuli Kanahele, who were establishing a community relief hub.

Partnering with staff from The Nature Conservancy, the 糖心视频 team delivered food, water and critical supplies to households in the Green Sands area, where residents had been without power and water for a week.

‘Stark, visceral reminder’

Seeing the physical and emotional impact of the storm firsthand left a strong impression on the volunteers.

“What stayed with me most was the strength and resilience of the people in 碍补ʻ奴,” said Nohea Pua, a support specialist for career and technical education at Hawaiʻi CC. “Going house to house, we were met with so many smiles and so much positivity in the midst of such a difficult time.”

Hawaiʻi CC Sociology Instructor Michael Branch noted the power of reciprocal community support, especially with students living in the affected area.

“It was a stark, visceral reminder of the extent to which a storm can disrupt the basic things that people depend on every day, but also of just how quickly people can come together and care for one another,” Branch said.

Following the initial trip, Hawaiʻi CC and 糖心视频 Hilo organized a campus donation drive. On August 27, team members returned to 奥补颈ʻ艒丑颈苍耻 with a van packed with donated supplies.

To support ongoing recovery efforts, follow and message on Instagram for updates on current needs at the K艒kua 碍补ʻ奴 Hub.

— By Katie Young Yamanaka and Drew Kapp

More than 100 chess players of all ages and skill levels gathered at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in September 2026 for the 2026 Hawaiʻi Open State Championship, showcasing the campus as a hub for learning, competition and community connection.

The three-day tournament in the Campus Center Ballroom, was jointly organized by the Hawaiʻi Chess Federation and the 糖心视频 Mānoa in the . Players from across Hawaiʻi competed in multiple divisions, including many students from 糖心视频 campuses and local high schools. One of the tournament鈥檚 winners, Gabriel White, is a 糖心视频 Mānoa alumnus.

The event also highlighted a connection between chess and mathematics while introducing prospective students and their families to the 糖心视频 Mānoa campus.

“Hosting the Hawaiʻi Open at 糖心视频 Mānoa was a wonderful opportunity to bring together people from across our community around chess, mathematics and learning,” said Department of Mathematics Chair and Professor Malik Younsi. “We were especially excited to welcome so many young players to campus and show them the opportunities available at 糖心视频 Mānoa. We hope this partnership with the Hawaiʻi Chess Federation can continue and grow in the years ahead.”

The tournament featured five-round open and reserve competitions, a one-day tournament for lower-rated players and a blitz chess championship.

The collaboration reflects 糖心视频 Mānoa鈥檚 commitment to serving as a gathering place for Hawaiʻi while creating opportunities that connect academic disciplines with the broader community. The Department of Mathematics and Hawaiʻi Chess Federation hope to build on the successful event through future collaborations promoting chess, mathematics and community engagement.

• Related 糖心视频 News story: National master, 糖心视频 lecturer headlines chess exhibition at 糖心视频 Mānoa, December 23, 2025

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo men’s soccer junior Tim Teicher was named Pacific West Conference Defender of the Week for September 8–13 after making a combined 11 saves (37 total shots faced) across two matches on the road in Colorado.

Teicher recorded five saves in a 2–1 loss to No. 4 UCCS before making six more saves against No. 22 CSU Pueblo in a 1–0 setback. Despite the two losses, Teicher helped keep the Vulcans within striking distance against two of the nation鈥檚 top teams.

The matches marked just the second and third starts of the season for Teicher, a junior transfer student from Coastal Bend College in Texas, who has stepped into a goalkeeper role for the Vulcans.

Read more at

To help protect 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 vulnerable coastal highways from erosion and rising seas, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) is launching the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project. Developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) via its Reefense Program and the University of Hawaiʻi alongside academic, community and industry partners the project is an example of nature-based coastal engineering—an emerging approach that combines engineered infrastructure with natural ecosystems to protect vulnerable coastlines. The hybrid reef system integrates engineered reef structures with living coral to reduce wave energy, strengthen shorelines and improve coastal resilience. The deployment marks the first large-scale ocean demonstration of the technology, following four years of research and development.

“Success at Kalaeloa could provide a model for protecting vulnerable coastlines throughout Hawaiʻi and beyond,” said HDOT Director Edwin Sniffen. “We鈥檙e not just defending our shorelines, we鈥檙e building a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem. By partnering with DARPA and 糖心视频, we are helping position Hawaiʻi as a global leader in nature-based coastal engineering.”

Funded by DARPA, the hybrid reef structures were researched, developed and deployed in collaboration with 糖心视频, Makai Engineering, Kuleana Coral Restoration and other partners. Following deployment, ownership of the structures will transfer to HDOT.

The first year of monitoring and maintenance of the project is funded by the State鈥檚 Green Fee program, which supports conservation and environmental initiatives that protect and restore 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 natural resources. The investment supports the first large-scale demonstration of a nature-based alternative to seawalls that aims to reduce coastal erosion, wave damage and storm surge while enhancing marine habitat.

“The Green Fee is about investing in innovative solutions that protect 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 people, natural resources and economy for generations to come,” said Governor Josh Green. “The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project is exactly the kind of forward-thinking partnership we envisioned, bringing together science, innovation and environmental stewardship to strengthen our coastlines while preserving the natural resources that make Hawaiʻi unique.”

“Through Reefense, DARPA is reimagining coastal defense by combining cutting-edge materials science with adaptive biology to protect vital infrastructure and personnel from wave damage, erosion, and severe storms,” said Catherine Campbell, DARPA Reefense Program Manager. “Our collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi, state leadership, and local partners at Kalaeloa translates high-risk, high-reward defense research into a scalable, real-world solution that safeguards critical transportation corridors while strengthening the surrounding marine ecosystem.”

A 鈥榣iving鈥� breakwater

The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef is a 糖心视频-developed living breakwater designed to reduce wave energy while improving the natural habitat. The system consists of 60 engineered, porous concrete reef mimicking structures manufactured in Hawaiʻi that dissipate wave energy while allowing water to flow through the reef. Coral settlement modules attached to the structures will support the recruitment and growth of native corals while specially developed biomaterials will repel competing algae and accelerate coral growth. These and other technologies being tested will allow the reef to develop into a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem over time.

The project site is a degraded area with a hard rock bottom south of Kalaeloa Harbor. Although there is minimal live coral in the project site, work at Kalaeloa will begin with the careful removal of any coral fragments present and preservation of that coral on growing tables near the project area. Next will be installation of the reef structures, attachment of live coral fragments to the structures, and continued scientific monitoring to evaluate their performance.

The deployment is the result of four years of research and development by the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) consortium. Led by the 糖心视频 and the , the initiative brings together researchers from five 糖心视频 laboratories, partner universities and local organizations, including Makai Ocean Engineering and Kuleana Coral Restoration.

“Kalaeloa will become a living laboratory where we can evaluate how nature-based coastal engineering performs under real-world ocean conditions,” said Ben Jones, R3D principal investigator and director of ocean science and technology at the 糖心视频 Applied Research Laboratory. “Our goal is to demonstrate that living breakwaters can provide an effective alternative to traditional shoreline hardening and to collect the scientific data needed to guide future coastal resilience projects in Hawaiʻi and around the world.”

Community helps guide long-term stewardship

Once deployed, the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef will serve as a living laboratory for the emerging field of nature-based coastal engineering, which integrates engineered infrastructure with natural ecosystems. Long-term monitoring will be guided by the newly established Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Monitoring Hui, a partnership of researchers, agency representatives, community organizations and cultural practitioners that will assess the reef’s environmental, engineering and cultural impacts. This local partnership includes community stakeholders such as the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board, and the mālama kai organization Hoʻola Hāniʻo.

“This project would not be possible without the partnership of the local community,” said Sniffen. “We are grateful to the organizations and cultural practitioners who have helped shape this effort and will continue to guide its long-term stewardship. Their knowledge and commitment are essential to the project’s success.”

The findings will be shared with regulators, engineers and coastal managers to help inform future shoreline protection projects in Hawaiʻi and elsewhere. If successful, the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef could provide a scalable, nature-based approach to protecting vulnerable coastlines while advancing the growing field of nature-based coastal engineering.

Building a living reef

The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef is an example of nature-based coastal engineering, integrating coastal engineering, marine biology and innovative deployment techniques to create a living coastal protection system. 糖心视频 has partnered with University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), Florida Atlantic University and Ohio State University on its development.

Engineered reef structures: The foundation relies on specifically designed concrete reef structures designed by Ocean and Resources Engineering at 糖心视频 cast by Kapolei-based firms Jensen Infrastructure and GPRM Prestress, located less than two miles from the deployment site. In large-scale wave-flume tests, these model breakwaters successfully reduced incoming wave energy by more than 80% while remaining stable during extreme conditions.

3D-printed coral habitat: To kickstart the living reef, the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology developed 3D-printed ceramic modules featuring small, spiral-shaped shelters called “helix recesses.” Experiments in Kāneʻohe Bay showed that these crevices yielded an 80-fold increase in baby coral settlement and up to a 50-fold increase in survival rates compared to flat surfaces.

Biomaterials: Researchers at the UCSD have developed novel materials that reduce algae competition while allowing for coral to grow on the structures. Other materials provision the juvenile coral with nutrients needed in their early life stages.

Acoustic Enrichment: Researchers at UCSD–SIO have recorded sounds of healthy reefs that will be broadcast near the living breakwater to encourage algae-grazing fish to the site.

Low-impact deployment: To minimize disruption to the marine environment during deployment, Makai Ocean Engineering has developed a shallow-water catamaran, eliminating the need for heavy crane barges. Additionally, the structures will be anchored using a novel rotary micropiling system, which significantly reduces the anchoring footprint and sound pollution compared with traditional pile drivers.

University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel and Vice President for Budget and Finance and CFO Luis Salaveria will host a hybrid public forum on Monday, September 28, to discuss 糖心视频‘s budget, current financial status and $123 million in strategic investments planned over the next several years.

Hensel and Salaveria will provide an overview of the university’s new budgeting process, the strategic investments and 糖心视频‘s financial request to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature for Fiscal Year 2028. The presentation will be followed by an open question-and-answer session for in-person and virtual participants.

“It is important that our campus community understand both how we made these important financial decisions and the plan for investing $123 million in support of our strategic goals over the next several years,” Hensel said in an email to the 10 campuses announcing the forum. “This is an important step in moving from planning to execution—aligning our resources with our priorities and being transparent and accountable about how we make those decisions.”

糖心视频 Budget and Strategic Investment Public Forum

• Monday, September 28, 4:30 p.m.
• BOR Conference Room (Kiawe), Bachman Hall 106, 糖心视频 Mānoa
• In person and online
• Participants can using password 902892.

A University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 study of high school football injuries nationwide found that a rule designed to reduce dangerous hits to the head did not lead to an increase in leg injuries, a potential consequence student researchers set out to examine.

The targeting rule, adopted in 2014, prohibits players from initiating forceful contact above an opponent鈥檚 shoulders. (JABSOM) students Nolan Tanji, Cameron Nishida, Philip Lee and Sasha Rovinsky wanted to know whether efforts to avoid the head and neck were causing players to tackle lower and shifting injuries to the legs.

“We were just thinking as people are avoiding the head and neck, they’re going to be tackling lower in the body, so maybe the injury burden might be getting shifted lower in the body,” Tanji said.

Thousands of injuries analyzed

The researchers analyzed high school football injuries among athletes ages 14–18 using a national database containing emergency department data from more than 100 hospitals across the country. They compared injuries from the five years before the targeting rule with the five years after it took effect.

The team reviewed more than 14,000 entries to determine how the injuries occurred.

Researchers identified 7,315 lower-extremity injury cases before the rule and 5,611 afterward. When used to estimate national totals, the numbers declined from about 242,000 injuries to 193,000.

“It was really surprising,” Tanji said. “It was something that was the complete 180 from what we were expecting before analyzing the data.”

The researchers cautioned that the targeting rule cannot be credited with causing the decline. Changes in training, injury prevention and equipment technology may have contributed.

The study also found that knee injuries represented a slightly larger share of lower-extremity injuries after the rule took effect, while the proportion involving collisions between players increased. The researchers said those findings warrant further study.

The database included only injuries treated in emergency departments and did not identify which positions the injured athletes played.

“It’s not completely safe but, you know, it’s looking promising for the future in terms of injuries in football,” Tanji said.

A new Deaf History Museum at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 is bringing a century of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Deaf history, culture and community into the heart of

The exhibit, “I ʻike ʻia, I lohe ʻia: Nā Moʻolelo o ke Kaiāulu Kuli o Hawaiʻi (To Be Seen, To Be Heard: The Stories of Hawaiʻi‘s Deaf Community),” features artifacts, stories and contributions from Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It opened on September 14 in recognition of Hawaiian History Month and Deaf Awareness Month.

“Deaf history is Hawaiʻi history. This museum keeps our stories alive so future generations can see where we came from, know who we are, and proudly say this is my history,” said Ed Chevy, a Deaf historian and curator of the museum.

Deaf history is Hawaiʻi history

The Deaf community came together for a grand opening ceremony at , filled with sign language musical performances and a keynote by Yvette I. Ibarra-Keohuloa, a Deaf descendant of Hawaiian high-ranking chiefs Kameʻeiamoku and Kamanawa, trusted advisors to King Kamehameha I.

Ibarra-Keohuloa shared her moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy), moʻolelo (stories) and manaʻo (perspectives).

“Deaf people have always been a part of Hawaiʻi—our families, our communities, our culture and our stories,” Ibarra-Keohuloa said. “Our experiences may not always have been recognized, but that does not mean we are not here.”

The celebration also marked the first Deaf show presented on Kennedy Theatre鈥檚 main stage.

Deaf community members and advocates express Deaf history and culture have often been overlooked, leaving many people in Hawaiʻi with limited exposure to the community鈥檚 language, experiences and traditions. The museum aims to help close that gap by making those stories more visible and accessible to a broader audience.

Growing student interest

Interest in American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture has been growing at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补.

This fall marked the launch of a new path for students, a standalone .

Interest in ASL courses at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 has surged in recent years. Enrollment has grown by 1,400% in six years, from 19 students in spring 2019 to 265 in fall 2025. Demand continues to exceed capacity, with long waitlists for courses.

A 2024 survey also found that 94% of ASL students are interested in pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in ASL-English interpreting.

糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 ASL instructor Gisella Tomita came up with the idea to bring the museum to Hamilton Library, placing it in the heart of the university in order to create space for greater awareness, connection and inclusion 鈥� inspiring students to carry those values into their future professions.

“Once, our languages were silenced. Today, we celebrate them openly. Both of my parents are Deaf, and they told me how sign language was discouraged in their school. Hawaiʻi also has a history of suppressing 鈥�ō濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) in schools and public life,” said Tomita who is one of three Deaf instructors of ASL at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补. “There鈥檚 something special about connecting with other Deaf and hearing Hawaiians and locals. We share culture, history, and experiences that connect us to Hawaiʻi. Deafness may be invisible, but when we sign, we find each other. When hearing people are willing to learn and connect, we unite our two worlds.”

University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 senior linebacker Jamih Otis was selected as the Old Trapper Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after helping the Warriors earn their first win of the season.

Otis led the Rainbow Warriors (1–2) to a 29–19 victory over New Mexico State (NMSU), making two out of three of the team鈥檚 takeaways.

He recovered a fumble on NMSU‘s opening drive, which gave 糖心视频 the opportunity to take a quick 7–0 lead. Late in the game, Otis picked off a pass in 糖心视频 territory to help seal the victory. The senior also added a team-high six tackles and a pass break-up.

The award is the first weekly Mountain West honor for a 糖心视频 player this season and the third of Otis鈥� career. He previously received the honor during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

糖心视频 will have a bye this weekend before a road game at Wyoming on September 26.

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