University of Hawaiʻi Maui College secured $178,424 in federal funding for the 2026–27 academic year to modernize classroom technology and expand hands-on training.

Under the direction of Interim Dean of Career and Technical Education Lorelle Peros, the grant will support six campus initiatives aimed at strengthening high-wage workforce pipelines for local students.

“This funding allows us to create meaningful opportunities and connections for our students through hands-on training, modern technology and industry-relevant skills that prepare them for success in the workforce,” Peros said.

High-tech and health upgrades

The funding brings artificial intelligence (AI) into classroom settings and expands equipment across medical programs.

• Generative artificial intelligence (AI) and high-tech curriculum: Led by Professor Debasis Bhattacharya, the project funds NVIDIA DGX Spark equipment (a compact desktop AI supercomputer designed for developers, researchers and data scientists to build, test and fine-tune large AI models) and faculty AI certification, impacting up to 1,250 STEM and business students.
• Dental hygiene training: Led by Dental Program Coordinator Leanne Higa, the initiative supports accreditation by Commission on Dental Accreditation, an autonomous body associated with the American Dental Association, and faculty laser therapy certification.
• Nursing lab upgrades: Led by Anne Scharnhorst, funds will purchase multiuse task-trainer manikins for realistic clinical simulations.

Skilled trades and career pathways

The remaining projects focus on automotive tech, trade partnerships and broad workforce development.

• Molokaʻi Skilled Trades Pathway: Led by the Molokaʻi Education Center鈥檚 ʻOlelo Schonely and Kelley Dudoit, the initiative creates an agricultural construction and carpentry pathway with Molokaʻi High School, including Early College courses and internships.
• Automotive technology enhancement: Led by Instructor Lawrence Martinson, funds provide modern steering and suspension lab equipment alongside Automotive Service Excellence certification exams for 50 students.
• Multi-sector workforce project: Led by Peros, the effort broadens access to industry credentials and professional development across healthcare, technology and trades.

The federal investment through the Perkins V funding (supporting career and technical education) ensures 糖心视频 Maui College students gain industry-validated skills to meet evolving local workforce demands.

At least 150 students are expected to apply artificial intelligence (AI) and data science concepts to real-world challenges through a new Kapiʻolani Community College and University of Hawaiʻi Maui College project, which received $657,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Transforming Two-Year College Information Technology, Applied AI, and Data Science Programs, is a collaboration with the Institute for Future Intelligence and will combine new and revised credit-bearing courses with industry-informed projects, hands-on learning and AI-supported learning tools鈥攊ntegrating into the colleges鈥� associate degree information technology programs. An industry advisory structure and industry-supported learning experiences will help connect classroom instruction with workforce needs.

“This initiative will equip students with practical AI and data science skills for today鈥檚 evolving workforce while strengthening their abilities in problem-solving, data analysis, collaboration and technology application,” said Principal Investigator Dale Nakasone, a Kapiʻolani CC assistant professor of IT.

Cross-campus opportunities

Students from both campuses will also participate in annual cross-campus project showcases and collaborative applied learning opportunities.

“By embedding AI, data literacy, and hands-on experiential learning into existing IT associate degree programs, we are strengthening workforce-relevant technical skills in applied AI, industry-informed learning experiences, stronger transfer and career pathways,” said Co-principal Investigator Thomas Blamey, an assistant professor of math at 糖心视频 Maui College.

The project will also provide professional development opportunities for working professionals and educators, and foster faculty collaboration across campuses. It will also examine effective approaches for teaching applied AI and data science in hybrid and online learning environments.

Curricular resources, findings and implementation models developed through the project will be shared with other two-year colleges seeking to expand AI education. The goal is to contribute scalable approaches for preparing technicians for increasingly data-driven and AI-enabled workplaces.

The University of Hawaiʻi helped bring technology professionals, community members, educators, policymakers and other stakeholders together for the inaugural (HiSIG), a one-day symposium focused on the future of Internet and digital governance in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

About 80 people attended the September 4 event at Servpac鈥檚 Activity Room in Mililani Tech Park during Hawaiʻi Tech Week. The free symposium featured presentations and discussions on Internet governance, artificial intelligence, digital equity, Indigenous knowledge and online safety under the theme “Navigating Global Digital Governance.”

The 糖心视频 Mānoa in in the was a sponsor of the event, with faculty and students participating in the symposium. The program鈥檚 involvement reflects its commitment to preparing students to understand the rapidly changing digital environment and its impacts on communication, society and communities.

Shaping Hawaiʻi鈥檚 digital future

“Internet governance is no longer simply a technical conversation. It touches how we communicate, how information is shared and who has a voice in shaping our digital future,” said School of Communication and Information Chair and Communication Professor Wayne Buente. “Having our faculty and students participate in these discussions creates an important opportunity to bring communication perspectives to issues that will affect communities across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”

糖心视频 also was represented on a panel examining Indigenous knowledge in the digital age. Leimomi Bong of the joined other experts to discuss the importance of ensuring that Indigenous communities have control over how traditional knowledge is digitized, protected and used.

The symposium featured national and international experts addressing topics including Internet governance, the multistakeholder model, digital equity, inclusive Internet access, and trust, safety and risk in a connected artificial intelligence world.

The keynote address, “State of the Internet,” was delivered virtually by Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, chief Internet evangelist at Google. The session explored the history of the Internet in Hawaiʻi and how the technology continues to evolve.

Building digital connections across the Pacific

HiSIG was created to raise awareness and build capacity around digital technologies across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The initiative grew from discussions held with the Internet Governance Secretariat during the World Summit on the Information Society+20 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in July 2025.

Participants in HiSIG gained a deeper understanding of how the Internet works, the factors that shape its development and the ways communities can contribute to the evolution of their digital pilina (connection, relationships).

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms the workforce and daily life, the University of Hawaiʻi is making AI education available to everyone with a new, free online course designed for the people of Hawaiʻi and beyond.

Artificial Intelligence for Hawaiʻi is an open-access, self-paced course that provides foundational AI knowledge and practical skills while addressing responsible and ethical use through a Hawaiʻi lens. Free and available to anyone (no 糖心视频 affiliation or login required), the course is part of 糖心视频鈥檚 broader effort to serve as a statewide leader and trusted resource as AI reshapes education, business, government and the workforce.

Demand for AI skills is surging globally, making broad access to AI education increasingly important. Eighty percent of hiring managers consider AI skills a priority when evaluating candidates, according to CNBC, and 60% of employers are already assigning interns projects involving AI tools, according to the National Association of Colleges + Employers. 糖心视频 President Wendy Hensel says 糖心视频 has both an opportunity and a responsibility to help Hawaiʻi navigate this transformation.

“AI is transforming the way we work, learn and live, and Hawaiʻi cannot afford to sit on the sidelines,” Hensel said. “糖心视频 has both an opportunity and a responsibility to help our state lead through this change. That means making AI education accessible to everyone and giving people the practical skills to use these tools effectively, responsibly and in ways that reflect 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 values.”

Demystifying AI

Hosted on the , the self-paced course uses instructional videos, Hawaiʻi-based examples and hands-on activities to make AI understandable and useful for people at all levels of experience. It is designed not only for 糖心视频 students and employees, but for anyone who wants to better understand and use AI, from educators and government employees to small business owners, nonprofit organizations and individual community members.

The course was also informed by 糖心视频 experts in Hawaiian values, culture, language and ʻike Hawaiʻi. A 糖心视频 Task Force on Hawaiian Values and Culture examined issues unique to the development and use of AI in Hawaiʻi, including appropriate protocols for how ʻike and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi resources should be used and what kinds of information should, and should not, be contributed to AI systems.

The 12 chapters take participants from basic AI literacy to practical applications:

• Chapters 1–3: AI fundamentals — How AI and machine learning work, along with key issues including bias, fairness and transparency.
• Chapters 4–6: Responsible AI and stewardship — Ethical AI use for individuals and organizations, AI鈥檚 environmental impact and opportunities to support conservation and climate resilience.
• Chapters 7–9: Education and strategy — How AI is changing teaching, learning, academic integrity and organizational operations.
• Chapters 10–12: Workplace and industry — Practical AI skills, including advanced prompting, and applications in Hawaiʻi industries such as tourism and agriculture.

“This course empowers our 糖心视频 campuses and local communities to actively shape how we use AI to make our island home better,” said Gloria Niles, 糖心视频 chief academic technology innovation officer. “By focusing our exploration on transparency and responsible deployment within a Hawaiʻi context, we can thoughtfully integrate these technologies while honoring our core values.”

Building 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 AI capacity

AI for Hawaiʻi is part of a broader 糖心视频 strategy to help prepare the state for an AI-augmented future and serve as a trusted resource for individuals, educators, businesses, government agencies and communities navigating the rapidly evolving technology.

Through the OneAI Hub, 糖心视频 is bringing together AI education, training and resources, including AI Communities of Practice and the AI 2 Xcelerate program. The university鈥檚 broader AI strategy encompasses governance, curriculum, workforce development, research and operations.

糖心视频 is also expanding the use and understanding of AI across its 10 campuses, including AI-powered student advising and 24/7 chatbots, faculty development through EL3vate and AI Innovation@RISE, which connects students across the 糖心视频 System with local industries to address real-world needs.

The free AI for Hawaiʻi course is available now through the . No 糖心视频 affiliation or login is required.

Award winning technology journalist and bestselling author Karen Hao is the 2026 Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Chair at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 . Hao will give a free public lecture exploring how the race for artificial intelligence is reshaping society, economics and the environment. Hao鈥檚 talk, scheduled for October 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Kennedy Theatre, will draw on years of reporting to examine the extraordinary concentration of wealth, resources and power behind the artificial intelligence boom and its consequences for communities around the world.

“Karen Hao鈥檚 work has been cited as a must-read for those who are interested in deepening our understanding of societal shaping of this key technology. She will provide nuanced contexts to the AI debates,” said Denise Konan, interim provost at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补.

AI and society

Hao, one of the world鈥檚 leading AI reporters, argues that companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are gaining enormous power. Her lecture will explore what that means and how governments, universities and the public can help shape AI鈥檚 future.

“Universities have served as a public space to discuss important social and environmental issues,” said Aya H. Kimura, senior sustainability advisor and professor of sociology in the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 College of Social Sciences. “We envision her talk to be a part of such broader discussion on how to govern AI with the principles of sustainability, transparency and accountability.”

Legacy gift

Hao鈥檚 appearance is made possible by the late Dai Ho Chun through his estate gift to the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation. The endowment is held in the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 College of Social Sciences.

The event is organized in coordination with the , a joint venture of 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补, The Learning Coalition and Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has received a $2 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead a multi-institutional effort to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools that can help detect environmental threats to food production systems before they become major problems. The effort comes as public health officials continue to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks tied to cyclospora, underscoring the need for faster, more proactive approaches to identifying potential threats in the food supply.

The $4 million NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Track II Focused EPSCoR Collaboration (FEC) award is led by 糖心视频 Mānoa in partnership with the University of Nebraska鈥揕incoln. 糖心视频鈥檚 portion of the award is $2 million, with the four-year project starting September 1, 2026. This marks only the second time 糖心视频 has received an NSF EPSCoR Track II FEC award.

Team of experts to cross variety of fields

The project will combine AI, environmental sampling, advanced genetic analysis and high-resolution chemical analysis to identify and monitor potential risks to aquaculture, livestock and agricultural systems.

Led by principal investigator Tao Yan, director of the (WRRC) and professor in the , the project brings together researchers from across 糖心视频, including WRRC, College of Engineering, 糖心视频 Cancer Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.

“Food production systems are increasingly challenged by microbial pathogens and chemical contaminants that can threaten animal health, food safety and economic sustainability,” Yan said. “By combining environmental surveillance with AI, we aim to develop early-warning technologies that can identify emerging risks before they reach critical levels. This collaboration will strengthen Hawaiʻi鈥檚 and Nebraska鈥檚 research capacity while preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers to address complex challenges in food security.”

Creating a proactive approach

Current monitoring methods often identify problems only after disease outbreaks occur or contaminants have reached harmful levels. The project aims to create a proactive approach by continuously analyzing environmental data to detect warning signs earlier.

Researchers will develop new AI models capable of interpreting complex biological and chemical data, including information from metagenomics (the study of genetic material collected from environmental samples) and high-resolution mass spectrometry, which identifies chemical compounds.

The research team will test the technologies in aquaculture and beef cattle production systems, with the goal of improving food safety, protecting animal health and increasing the resilience of food production systems.

The collaboration will support STEM education and workforce development by providing research opportunities for junior faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students, and K–12 participants. Outreach efforts will engage industry partners, regulators and communities to encourage adoption of new technologies.

The partnership builds research capacity in two EPSCoR jurisdictions (Hawaiʻi and Nebraska) while establishing a long-term collaboration focused on using AI and biotechnology to address food system challenges.

A new project led by the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict how rising seas and stronger storms could threaten coastal freshwater supplies and ecosystems.

Associate Professor Jonghyun “Harry” Lee of the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 and has been awarded a under its Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences program. 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 will serve as the lead institution on a three-year, nearly $1 million collaborative project, alongside the University of Texas at Austin, to advance AI applications in geoscience.

Rising seas, stronger storms, saltwater contamination of freshwater resources and coastal ecosystem degradation pose increasing threats to coastal communities. These environmental pressures impact drinking water supplies, agriculture, infrastructure, local economies and daily life for millions of people.

To address these challenges, the joint project will develop fast, accessible AI models to better understand how water exchanges between coastal aquifers and the ocean. By combining recent advances in AI with traditional environmental modeling, the team aims to predict critical coastal risks鈥攕uch as seawater intrusion into freshwater aquifers and freshwater flowing from land into the ocean鈥攆aster and more accurately.

“This project will improve our understanding and prediction of how groundwater and the ocean interact in Hawaiʻi鈥檚 coastal aquifers, helping communities better protect freshwater resources and coastal ecosystems from challenges, such as seawater intrusion and coastal inundation,” principal investigator Lee said.

Advancing coastal science through next-gen AI

The researchers will develop a new system that combines AI with proven physics models to better understand coastal water systems. This approach creates high-speed 鈥渟urrogate models鈥� capable of running complex simulations of groundwater and ocean interactions at a fraction of the cost, while preserving essential physics laws at the land-sea boundary.

Key features and goals of the project include:

• Flexible AI architecture: Combining different AI tools to analyze both long-term ocean patterns and short-term events, such as storm surges.
• Real-world testing: Validating models on benchmark applications in Hawaiʻi and Texas coastal systems.
• Near-real-time forecasts: Enabling rapid assessments of seawater intrusion and coastal groundwater discharge to support digital twin models of complex ecosystems.
• Practical decision tools: Providing actionable insights to guide water management, infrastructure planning and long-term coastal resilience.
• Open science and education: Developing open-source software, interactive visualization tools, and interdisciplinary training for students and early-career researchers.

“Students and postdocs working on this project will be supported by hands-on research and training at the intersection of groundwater hydrology, coastal science, computational modeling, and artificial intelligence, preparing them for careers addressing Hawaiʻi鈥檚 water and environmental challenges,” Lee stated.

From the rainforests of Hawaiʻi Island to a new artificial intelligence lab, nine student researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo spent the summer exploring how artificial intelligence can help scientists solve real-world problems, from tracking fish to improving the way AI assists with computer coding.

The eight-week, National Science Foundation-supported program marked the first student research experience at 糖心视频 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 newly renovated , or SCAIL.

Working with Travis Mandel, an associate professor of , students took on four projects examining how AI can become more useful, reliable and efficient for scientists.

“The name helps to let students know this is an important center of research on campus,” said Mandel of 糖心视频 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 AI lab. “The name reflects the fact that we鈥檙e very focused on not just AI, but AI that helps scientists do their job better.”

The research also moved beyond the lab for the first time. Students traveled to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to test computer vision software and learn more about the natural environment they were studying.

AI in action

Back on campus, the teams tackled questions at the heart of rapidly evolving AI technology.

One group worked on making AI-assisted coding more useful. Another explored better ways to measure whether AI systems are reliable. Other students focused on improving technology used to track fish and evaluating how efficiently AI systems learn from different types of human feedback.

The nine undergraduate and recently graduated students represented computer science, data science, astronomy and applied mathematics. They presented the results of their summer research at a July 31 gathering at 糖心视频 Hilo.

A $645,000 National Science Foundation is helping to fuel the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science into the .

The three-year project, scheduled to run from October 2026 through September 2029, aims to strengthen the state鈥檚 skilled technical workforce by equipping educators at and to confidently teach and research with modern AI frameworks. The goal is to build a robust pipeline of AI-literate graduates.

Online coursework, professional mentorship

Faculty cohorts will participate in self-directed study and online coursework, and receive individualized mentorship from AI and data science professionals. This collaboration is supported by the and a network of local AI experts.

“Community colleges play a critical role in training Hawaiʻi‘s skilled technical workforce, yet our STEM faculty may not have the specialized training or bandwidth to keep pace with rapid developments in AI,” said Principal Investigator Arjun Aryal, an instructor at Windward CC. “We are bridging this gap by pairing community college educators with industry AI experts, giving them the dedicated time and mentoring needed to embed data science and applied AI directly into their classrooms and research.”

The project will integrate AI concepts into STEM curricula, promote mentor-guided hands-on applications and host an annual symposium for faculty, students and local employers. Dissemination efforts will also include K–12 teacher workshops led by project faculty and the creation of open educational resources.

Co-Principal Investigator Aaron Hanai, a professor at Kapiʻolani CC, said. “Our sustained partnerships and annual symposiums will connect students directly with employers, and ensure our graduates enter the workforce with ethically grounded, highly valuable technical skills.”

This initiative complements the 糖心视频鈥檚 system-wide commitment to expanding AI literacy and preparing local talent to thrive in an AI -driven economy.

A new study co-authored by a University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 expert is shedding light on growing public concern about deepfakes—artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos, images or audio that realistically depict individuals saying or doing things they never actually said or did. This comes as the State of Hawaiʻi moved to strengthen protections against the harmful use of AI.

Gov. Josh Green signed legislation in July strengthening protections against harmful AI-generated content. Under HB 2137, now Act 247, individuals harmed by unauthorized AI-generated realistic digital imitations can pursue civil remedies, including monetary damages of up to $25,000 per piece of content.

Growing public concern

The international study published by Professor Jerry Agrusa highlights growing public concern about deepfakes. Among 924 respondents, 84.8% said deepfakes can mislead people, while 82.7% said the technology can put personal data at risk through the unauthorized use of images or voices. Participants also expressed concern that fabricated content could damage professional reputations, employment opportunities and businesses.

“Deepfake technology has enormous potential, but our research shows that people are deeply concerned about what happens when it is used to deceive or harm others,” Agrusa said. “Clear legal safeguards and meaningful consequences for malicious misuse are essential if we want the public to trust this technology while still allowing its responsible and beneficial uses.“

The study found that public acceptance of deepfake technology may depend not simply on eliminating risk, but on whether people trust the safeguards designed to manage those risks. Researchers point to legal protections, informed consent, transparency and accountability as important components of responsible AI governance.

The study was authored by Agrusa, Cathrine Linnes (脴stfold University of Applied Sciences), Giulio Ronzoni (Valencia College), Joseph Lema (UNLV) and Babu George (Alcorn State University).

To tackle a critical nationwide shortage of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) professionals, the has secured a three-year, $441,645 (NSF) to launch a groundbreaking project: “CyberAI Innovation: AI-Enhanced Cyber Data Analytics Education.”

Led by Principal Investigator Debasis Bhattacharya and Co-Investigator Thomas Blamey, the initiative builds on previous NSF-funded efforts and directly addresses a vital local need, as Hawaiʻi currently ranks among the top five states in the nation for unmet cybersecurity workforce demand.

“The intersection of AI, data analytics and cybersecurity is a critical frontier for modern digital defense,” said Bhattacharya, who also serves as the director of the . “With Hawaiʻi facing such a steep challenge in meeting cybersecurity job demands, this grant enables us to build robust, early-career pipelines. We are excited to empower local educators and students with the advanced skills needed to protect our critical systems.”

New curriculum, training

The project will introduce an AI-integrated curriculum by embedding six new modules鈥攊ncluding adversarial machine learning, AI-powered threat detection, secure AI pipelines and CyberAI ethics鈥攁cross six core computer science courses at 糖心视频 Maui College. Additionally, a three-year professional development program will deliver statewide faculty training across all seven 糖心视频 community colleges and Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE) secondary schools.

To cultivate early interest, the college will leverage the community of practice created by the NSF Project (a collaboration aimed at improving computer science education at the state level) to expand K–14 academic pathways. The project also extends beyond IT, developing customized cyberAI micro-modules for non-IT fields such as healthcare/nursing, automotive technology and accounting/finance.

AI, GenCyber cybersecurity camps

糖心视频 Maui College has also secured a supplement from the NSF to host two AI camps during the summers of 2027 and 2028 in conjunction with the HIDOE. These camps will provide middle and high school students with basic AI literacy, safety, well-being, vibe coding (software development utilizing AI) experience and guidance on responsible usage.

To continue the tradition of cybersecurity summer camps funded by the National Security Agency鈥檚 , 糖心视频 Maui College has been awarded $89,537 to conduct two in-person student summer camps on O驶ahu and an online student camp during the summer of 2027. More details on all these camps will be available at .

The University of Hawaiʻi hosted its inaugural AI Institute Day at the 糖心视频 Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom. Co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the State of Hawaiʻi Workforce Development Council, the gathering drew 158 in-person and 388 virtual participants across the 糖心视频 System on August 11. The event was structured to help the university transition from isolated, individual AI experimentation to coordinated, systemwide innovation.

AI Institute Day welcomed guest speaker Asim Ali, executive director of Auburn University’s Biggio Center and board president of UPCEA, an online and professional education association. Ali urged attendees to look past the technical hype of “prompt engineering” and instead approach AI as an ongoing, conversational dialogue. He highlighted the role of humans in training and refining generative AI, noting that “until we get to a system that’s able to teach itself… humans are still absolutely needed.”

Ali also introduced the concept of “unbundling” professional work into automated, augmented and human-only tasks. Citing data from tech consulting company Accenture and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ali predicted that by 2030, a third of workforce tasks will fall into each of these categories. He emphasized that technology is only beneficial if it frees up time for high-value human interaction rather than simply creating more work.

“There’s a lot of noise out there that is going to have almost no impact on your work, and you don’t have to know the daily update of everything that’s happening in the AI world,” said Ali. “But there are a few things that are grounded truths that aren’t going to change anytime soon that are fundamental parts of how the technology works that will endure and it is good and it is safe to invest your time in.”

$100 million investment

糖心视频 President Wendy Hensel described AI as “an infusion that touches all things” that will fundamentally reshape 糖心视频 operations, teaching and thinking. She announced a planned investment of approximately $100 million across 糖心视频 to boost student success, infrastructure and AI capabilities.

“We are either going to lean into this change and shape it and brand it and focus on who we are as a community and make it work or we’re going to constantly be waving in the wind as these things roll out and find ourselves in a defensive posture,” Hensel said.

To coordinate this scale, Hensel revealed 糖心视频 is hiring its first Associate Vice President for Workforce Development. This joins strategic partnerships with Google, Microsoft and MIT, alongside current initiatives such as the free, 12 chapter courses, a centralized and faculty curriculum incentives.

As the University of Hawaiʻi continues to enhance its digital learning infrastructure, a new tool is rolling out this fall 2026 to support academic integrity and student flexibility. The new tool will allow educators to conduct online proctored exams and quizzes across the 糖心视频 10 campus system.

The new online proctoring tools by Honorlock will be integrated directly into Lamakū, the university’s learning management system. Because it integrates directly into Lamakū, 糖心视频 students do not need to create a separate account, schedule appointments or commute to a physical testing center to take their assessments.

The platform’s 24/7 availability is designed to accommodate the varied lives of modern distance-learning students.

“This provides students in online courses the flexibility to complete their exam when it best fits their schedule, during the exam window established by the course instructor,” said 糖心视频 Chief Academic Technology Innovation Officer Gloria Niles.

Exam proctoring options

Most exams will utilize Honorlock鈥檚 automated, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven online proctoring tool. In these AI-only sessions, the software records the test-taker’s webcam, microphone and screen without the presence of a real-time human monitor. The AI flags specific behaviors—such as talking, looking away from the screen, accessing search engines, or using unauthorized devices—and compiles a report for the instructor’s review and discretion.

For exams requiring higher security, an “AI + Live Pop-In” version is also available. This upgraded option includes a human proctor who monitors the AI session in real-time and may intervene with the student if a potential violation is detected. Instructors seeking to use the Live Pop-In version must get approval from their 糖心视频 campus leadership due to a per-student charge to the campus, which cannot be passed on to the student. Regardless of the proctoring version used, the instructor retains full authority to make final decisions on any flagged behaviors.

Training and resources

To prepare for this rollout, the developed an Honorlock resource and practice exam, available for self-enrollment in the Lamakū Discover area. This allows both faculty and students to experience the AI-only tool in a low-pressure environment. For ongoing assistance, Honorlock technical support is available to test-takers 24/7/365 via email and live chat.

Two University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa research projects have been selected for the inaugural , placing 糖心视频鈥檚 flagship research campus among a select group of universities and research institutions nationwide using artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate scientific breakthroughs.

In the , the DOE said the projects were selected to develop and demonstrate AI-enabled tools and workflows designed to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, science and national security. Each project is eligible for Phase I awards of $500,000–$750,000 over nine months, providing investigators with the opportunity to develop innovative AI-driven research while positioning them to compete for future Phase II awards of up to $15 million.

“The selection of not one, but two 糖心视频 Mānoa projects for this highly competitive DOE mission reflects the strength of the 糖心视频 research community and the creativity of our faculty in pursuing solutions to some of the most complex challenges facing society,” said 糖心视频 Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad B. Walton. “At 糖心视频, we are committed to fostering an environment where bold ideas, interdisciplinary collaboration and emerging technologies can come together to create meaningful impact not only in Hawaiʻi, but across the nation, and around the world.”

The two 糖心视频 Mānoa projects selected are led by researchers in the and the .

AI security for critical infrastructure

One project, led by Assistant Professor Liuwan Zhu from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, focuses on improving the security and reliability of AI systems used in critical infrastructure. The project, called STRATOS (Security and Trust Runtime Architecture for Time-critical Operational Science), will develop an AI security platform designed to detect and respond to cyber threats targeting AI systems used in real-time operations, such as electrical grid management and forecasting.

The research team will test the technology using a dual-site platform that includes the 糖心视频 Mānoa campus microgrid and real-time computing systems at Argonne National Laboratory. The project includes collaborators from Old Dominion University and Argonne National Laboratory.

AI advances the search for extremely rare decay processes

The second project, led by Professor Zepeng Li from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, will develop an AI foundation model to support searches for neutrinoless double beta decay, one of the most important unanswered questions in nuclear and particle physics. Neutrinoless double beta decay is an extremely rare nuclear process that, if observed, could help scientists better understand the nature of neutrinos, the mysterious “ghost particles” that are abundant in the universe and are constantly passing through us without interacting. In particular, this rare decay process could tell us whether the neutrino is its own anti-particle.

Researchers around the world are searching for this phenomenon using different types of detectors, but each experiment typically relies on its own specialized software and analysis methods. Li鈥檚 project aims to create a shared AI framework that can learn from data across multiple detector technologies, helping researchers identify patterns, analyze results and improve collaboration among experiments studying this rare event. The project will develop a unified AI framework that streamlines data analysis across the diverse detector technologies used in neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments, accelerating the search for this rare process.

The Genesis Mission brings together DOE laboratories and universities to combine advanced AI, high-performance computing and scientific expertise. 糖心视频 Mānoa was among 168 universities selected for the first round of Genesis Mission projects, which included a total of 278 research efforts involving more than 340 institutions across the country. Through these projects, 糖心视频 researchers will contribute to emerging applications of AI in fundamental physics, energy systems and national security, while strengthening Hawaiʻi鈥檚 role in cutting-edge scientific research.

Jeff Hui serves as the entrepreneur-in-residence at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补’s Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) in the Shidler College of Business. Drawing on his extensive background running growth teams at major tech companies, Hui now mentors 糖心视频 students and guides them in harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to bring their ideas to life. In addition to running accelerators (programs that fast-track the growth of early stage businesses) and office hours, Hui has been doing public presentations to demystify AI. In a recent interview, Hui expanded on his core philosophies for success in an AI-driven world.

Everyone is an entrepreneur

“Moving forward is the only option. Keep trying new things and stay proactive. It’s not as simple as it was five years ago, when the path was to study computer science, join a software company, and earn a salary. Today, you must be entrepreneurial. To me, an entrepreneur is simply someone who makes things happen. That is the true origin of the (French) word, entreprendre. It isn’t about raising venture capital or launching a major business; it’s about being a doer. You could be working on side projects to demonstrate your ability to build. Some of my students securing AI jobs are simply those who tinker on their own. With AI technologies, you must forge your own path and create your own opportunities.”

We’ve been here before

“People are anxious about the future. While I do expect some jobs to be displaced, we have navigated major technological revolutions before, and the economy has always rebounded. The Internet and Industrial Revolutions were challenging for employment, yet they created roles we previously could never have imagined—such as prompt engineering (giving specific instructions to AI to get the desired output). Let’s examine historical precedents before concluding that this is the end of the workforce. I don’t believe AI robots will replace all jobs; rather, they will displace certain roles, and we will adapt to find new ways of earning a living.”

What’s happening in the market

“I reached out to 15 to 20 friends working at various private companies, startups and late-stage firms, and asked them, ‘What are you doing?’ I discovered some remarkable things. First, no one is certain of the path forward; everyone is experimenting. This reinforces my point that we are all entrepreneurs now. These individuals are on the business side—not natural engineers—yet they are all building. They may not know if these projects will be worthwhile, and they might even discard them, but they have the freedom to try and build. This is a significant shift. Previously, launching a project required dedicated engineering resources, potentially costing $100,000 in internal capital, which necessitated rigorous evaluation. Now, someone in marketing can simply build a product for themselves.”

Just do it yourself

“I practice what I preach by constantly tinkering. In my presentation, I demonstrated how quickly one can build a website, as I frequently encourage students to use AI for this purpose. There is a growing sentiment in the tech industry that traditional presentations are becoming obsolete. If you need to provide an update or show a mockup, you can simply create a website immediately; HTML is becoming the new PowerPoint. I find this to be accurate—I created a website for the Lychee Man in just a few minutes.”

Back to fundamentals

“At the university, I teach the lean startup methodology: at its core, it’s about listening to your customer, understanding their needs, and iterating rapidly. If you have an idea, talk to your customers and build something. That is the extent of it—no extensive planning or research needed, as talking to customers is the research. We don’t need to conduct giant market studies or assess viability upfront. Talk to customers; if they have a problem, solve it. The beauty is that anyone can now solve these problems using AI. It all boils down to whether you understand what your user wants. That skill is more important than ever because, with technical barriers removed, everyone has the ability to build.”

Future PACE initiatives

“At PACE, we are expanding our efforts significantly. Our most significant project is our AI innovation initiative at RISE, called AIR. We are hiring a new team focused on connecting students with local businesses and organizations to help them solve real-life problems. We will be hosting workshops on ‘vibe coding’—a software development approach using natural language prompts to have AI generate and iterate code—and on using agents, which are autonomous software systems that make decisions and take actions to achieve specific goals. Our goal is to connect students with university departments or local businesses and say, ‘Tell us your problem, and let’s see if we can solve it for you with AI.’ Ultimately, we want to teach students AI skills and connect them with organizations to address real-world challenges.”

• Related 糖心视频 News:
  1st Entrepreneur-in-Residence to elevate student startup opportunities, April 4, 2024
  Strengthening workforce readiness through ‘The Human Connection’, November 13, 2025
  POG to pop-ups: 糖心视频 students pitch fresh ideas to Meadow Gold, April 13, 2026

University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel presented a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) strategy to the (BOR) on July 16 at 糖心视频 Mānoa, detailing a bold vision to accelerate AI training and adoption across the university system and serve the needs of Hawaiʻi.

Likening the technology to “the new electricity,” the presentation emphasized the urgency to prepare Hawaiʻi’s workforce for a rapidly shifting landscape. Hensel highlighted industry statistics, noting that one-third of entry-level jobs now require AI skills, and 80% of hiring managers consider AI competency a priority when evaluating candidates.

“Because this is here, it is going to radically transform what we do, and the failure to talk about it as an institution of higher education means that we will constantly be reacting rather than setting the course for our students, our faculty, staff and the state,” said Hensel during her presentation at the BOR meeting.

To meet this demand, the university has adopted a holistic approach to AI that spans governance, curriculum, workforce development, research and operations. A cornerstone of this approach is the newly adopted 糖心视频 AI Policy, which establishes guidelines for the “responsible and ethical use of AI technologies,” promoting transparency, accountability and fairness across the university community. To implement this vision, 糖心视频 has formed a dedicated AI Task Force focused on Hawaiian culture and values, ethics and governance, and curriculum and pedagogy.

More than 100 AI-infused courses

The university currently boasts more than 100 new or AI-infused courses and has launched new AI certificates, concentrations and programs at 糖心视频 Hilo, 糖心视频 Mānoa, 糖心视频 Maui College, 糖心视频 West Oʻahu and Honolulu Community College. Furthermore, nearly 100 instructors from across the system have been supported in developing and incorporating AI-related assignments into their classes.

The university is also prioritizing hands-on experiential learning. Initiatives such as EL3vate provide intense faculty professional development to weave AI and design thinking into course curricula, while AI Innovation@RISE offers students systemwide opportunities to work directly with industry partners on real-world tech needs in Hawaiʻi.

Beyond the 10 campus system, 糖心视频 is providing resources to the public. The is a free, open-access, 12-chapter foundational course offering training and applied learning for communities across the islands. 糖心视频 is collaborating with tech companies such as Google and Microsoft, and is proposed as a regional anchor to adapt AI curriculum co-created with MIT. All of these tools, community practices and resources are centralized on the .

“It’s going to happen whether we embrace it or not, and the important thing is that we decide how we deploy it and use it through a position of information and knowledge, and not reacting to the winds of change,” said Hensel during her presentation.

Reliable operation of data centers has become essential to nearly all sectors of modern society, including healthcare, education, government services, power grid operation, banking, defense and disaster relief. New research published in and led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa revealed that future climate conditions may reduce the availability of one of the cheapest and most energy-efficient approaches to cooling data centers.

The research team, led by Christina Karamperidou, atmospheric sciences professor in the 糖心视频 Mānoa , assessed historical and projected temperatures and humidity levels around the world and compared them to the conditions required for “direct air free cooling,” wherein naturally cold outside air is brought in to cool a building or equipment.

A confluence of factors presents a substantial societal challenge: with the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, the demand for data centers is increasing, just as climate conditions are limiting an efficient approach to cooling these facilities.

“We found that periods of time when temperature and humidity exceed recommended operating thresholds for direct air free cooling are becoming more frequent and lasting longer in many regions,” said Karamperidou. “This will reduce the availability of air free cooling for a growing number of data centers globally.”

Looking to the past and future

Karamperidou and co-authors combined high-resolution hourly weather observations with climate model simulations and a global database of data center locations. This allowed them to evaluate how often environmental conditions exceeded recommended operating limits for direct air free cooling, both historically and in future climate scenarios. By analyzing global datasets, they were able to identify large-scale patterns and trends that would not be visible from studies focused on individual facilities.

The researchers found over the past 45 years, the number of hours characterized by high temperature and humidity conditions that limit direct air cooling has increased significantly, particularly across the tropics and the southeastern U.S. A site- and market-level analysis further showed that the share of data centers exposed to conditions that limit air free cooling availability for at least one quarter of the year is rising. Projections through mid-century indicate continued expansion of these constraints with sustained warming and increasing humidity.

Worst-day conditions

One of their key findings is that the largest changes are not always seen in average conditions. In several regions, worst-day conditions are intensifying more rapidly than average conditions, indicating that environmental stress is becoming increasingly concentrated in rare but consequential events.

“From an operational perspective, those worst-day conditions often drive contingency planning, system overrides, redundancy requirements, and reliability decisions,” Karamperidou shared. “This suggests that infrastructure planning may need to account not only for average environmental conditions but also for how the most stressful days are changing over time.”

This work was developed in collaboration with researchers working on cyberinfrastructure and next-generation cooling technologies, including partners through the , where 糖心视频 is a key partner institution.

Three Hawaiʻi educators, including University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (COE) alumni Kawika Gonzales and Leah Aiwohi, were named finalists in the Presidential AI Challenge for their work advancing responsible artificial intelligence (AI) education. As national finalists and winners of the regional competition, they received a monetary prize and access to web-based resources.

Empowering students through responsible AI

Along with colleague Chloe Sato, the educators were recognized in Washington, D.C., for Global Innovation Race Hawaiʻi, a statewide program that teaches high school students how to use AI responsibly while addressing real-world community challenges.

Gonzales, who earned a master of education in learning design and technology and a certificate in online learning and teaching from 糖心视频 Mānoa, said the program encourages students to think beyond simply using AI tools.

“Teaching our students how to use AI is no longer enough,” Gonzales said. “We also need to teach them when to use it, why to use it, and whether it should be used at all.”

Aiwohi, who earned a bachelor of education and professional diploma in elementary education from the College of Education, said her preparation at 糖心视频 continues to shape her teaching decades later.

“Although I graduated from the College of Education more than 36 years ago, the lessons that have stayed with me are not tied to specific textbooks or technologies; they are the enduring principles of effective teaching,” Aiwohi said.

The program connects students across Hawaiʻi to collaborate on community-based projects using design thinking and responsible AI, helping prepare the next generation of ethical technology leaders.

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For more on how Gonzales is inspiring his haumāna (students) on Molokaʻi, see this 糖心视频 News story.

Students from across the country gathered to explore how generative artificial intelligence (AI) could make language learning more interactive during a national hackathon hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (Tech Center).

The 2026 Hack the Language Flagship Hackathon, held at the University of Georgia April 10–11, brought together 45 students from 13 colleges and universities representing 15 Language Flagship programs. Participants worked in six languages: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese and Russian.

Led by 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 faculty members Molly Godwin-Jones and Richard Medina, students worked in multilingual teams to create AI-powered tools that build on InContext, a free educational app developed with support from the Tech Center to help language learners navigate cultural misunderstandings.

“This event gives students an opportunity to creatively and critically apply generative AI technology to authentic language learning challenges,” said Julio Rodriguez, director of the Tech Center and principal investigator of the national project. “By focusing on generative AI and intercultural communication, participants were able to imagine new ways of helping learners engage.”

Nine teams spent two days designing and testing ideas. Each team included at least one computer science student, while many participants also brought study abroad experience to the challenge.

Winning project: same language, different locations

The winning project, GeoNorm AI, transforms InContext language-learning scenarios into interactive AI conversations while helping learners understand how the same language is used differently across countries and regions.

Two additional teams earned honorable mention. A Day Abroad developed a game that challenges users to navigate real-world cultural situations. Study Abroad with a Cephalopod featured “Cece the Cephalopod,” a customizable octopus guide that helps students practice language and cultural skills through interactive study abroad simulations.

“We are always impressed with how far students go,” said project lead Godwin-Jones. “There鈥檚 really no predicting what they will come up with in response to challenges that they themselves have identified in their language learning journeys.”

The University of Hawaiʻi has secured additional licenses to keep up with employee demand for free courses on artificial intelligence (AI). Faculty, staff and students across the 糖心视频 system are building AI literacy and in-demand workforce skills through the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH)-Google Community of Practice. The initiative connects 75 campuses nationwide, offering free, self-paced online courses via Coursera.

The available curriculum includes two AI Essentials courses and nine Grow with Google Career Certificate courses, such as UX Design, Digital Marketing & E-commerce, and Cybersecurity. Participants earn digital badges upon completion, which can be displayed on r茅sum茅s and professional profiles. These micro-credentials are backed by the American Council on Education and demonstrate proficiency in skills identified as in-demand by more than 1,500 employers.

Previously, 糖心视频 secured renewable licenses for 3,500 simultaneous enrollments. Since the announcement in April, more than 4,800 糖心视频 community members have enrolled in courses. So far, more than 1,300 have completed one of these courses. To meet this ongoing interest, 糖心视频 has expanded capacity, making 5,000 licenses available for AI Essentials and 7,500 for Google Career Certificate courses through December 2027.

“AI is reshaping every industry, and our goal is to ensure the 糖心视频 community is ahead of the curve,” said Gloria Niles, chief academic technology innovation officer. “Expanding our partnership with NASH and Google allows us to remove barriers to professional development, giving our students, staff and faculty the tools they need to innovate in their current roles and thrive in the future.”

This initiative is part of 糖心视频鈥檚 broader commitment to workforce development as outlined in the 糖心视频 System鈥檚 Strategic Plan.