Two researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (SOEST) have been selected to receive National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Research Fellows awards.

The awards will support Helen Janiszewski of the and Lenore Pipes of the (PBRC) as they develop new directions in fiber-optic geophysical sensing and reconstructing ancient marine ecosystems.

“What鈥檚 exciting about these fellowships is that they give Helen and Lenore the opportunity to take their research in new directions and build on that work at SOEST,” said Rebecca Chung, SOEST director of research development, who worked with Janiszewski and Pipes on developing their fellowship proposals.

Turning submarine cables into seismic sensors

Janiszewski, an associate professor of earth sciences, will lead a project focused on distributed acoustic sensing (DAS)—a technology that enables telecommunications fiber-optic cables to function as dense, continuous arrays of seismic sensors. This work has potential applications for earthquake and tsunami hazard research in Hawaiʻi.

Despite Hawaiʻi sitting at the nexus of the Pacific submarine cable network, local DAS infrastructure and expertise remain limited. Janiszewski aims to establish the technical and collaborative foundation necessary to develop DAS capability at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补, enabling her to lead fiber-optic sensing research and education in Hawaiʻi and the broader Pacific. Janiszewski will use the pilot data to build an initial seismic event catalog for the Hawaiʻi region, establishing workflows that can be expanded to additional cable systems as they become available.

Unlocking biological history from ancient marine sediments

Pipes, an assistant professor in PBRC, will develop computational methods to recover biological information from ancient DNA preserved in seafloor sediments, helping to reconstruct past marine communities and build historical baselines for understanding how ocean biodiversity responds to climate change.

In standard marine environments, ancient DNA preserved in deep-sea sediments degrades into extremely short, damaged fragments. Current methods can mistake that damage for evolutionary change, making it difficult to accurately identify the organisms represented in the samples. Pipes will develop new computational methods that account for ancient DNA damage. The approach could recover highly degraded genetic material.

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In a historic milestone for the University of Hawaiʻi System, 100% of available performance funding—totaling $6,208,198—has been awarded across all 10 糖心视频 campuses for Academic Year 2025–26 under a revised transitional framework.

This marks the first time in the history of 糖心视频 performance funding that 100% of potential funds were awarded to campuses. In comparison, under the previous historical framework, only 49% of available performance funds would have been distributed for Academic Year 2025鈥�26. Designed to bridge the gap between historical practices and the finalized fiscal year (FY)27 vision, the transitional model used for this year is based on a new two-part funding structure that rewards both sustained progress on core student success metrics and proactive institutional innovation.

These resources will empower campus leadership to invest in initiatives that maintain and expand upon these positive outcomes.

Understanding the funding model

The FY26 performance allocation combines two integrated methodologies:

1. Segmented Lifecycle Model (Performance Pool: $3,795,621 awarded)

Recognizing that student success occurs along a continuum, a campus’s potential performance pool allocation ($4,966,558 total systemwide) is divided into two equal 50% allocations:

The Early Progression Pool (50%): Evaluates onboarding, credit momentum across full-time, part-time, and transfer cohorts, first-year retention rates, and gateway English and Mathematics completion rates.

The Long-Term Attainment Pool (50%): Evaluates how many students graduate within 6 years for a 4-year university and 3 years for a community college graduation rates, articulation and transfer rates, and median alumni earnings five years post-graduation.

Evaluations are grounded in three sequential three-year rolling averages (2021–23, 2022–24 and 2023–25) to reward sustained performance trajectories rather than single-semester variances.

2. Pillar-Activation Model (Innovation & Scaling Pool: $2,412,577 awarded)

Unawarded balance from the performance pool was combined with innovation funds to form a $2.41-million Innovation & Scaling Award pool. This pool rewards high-impact engagements aligned with the university’s Common Standard of Care pillars—including structured first-year support, academic design, career-oriented learning, proactive advising, financial wellness and outreach.

Campus allocations and strategic highlights

糖心视频 Mānoa ($2,564,257 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $1,971,127
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $593,130

Leeward Community College ($825,794 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $524,927
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $300,867

Honolulu Community College ($594,824 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $219,052
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $375,772

糖心视频 West Oʻahu ($448,293 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $279,865
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $168,428

Kapiʻolani Community College ($431,441 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $206,638
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $224,803

糖心视频 Maui College ($397,098 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $144,762
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $252,336

糖心视频 Hilo ($350,990 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $127,954
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $223,036

Hawaiʻi Community College ($222,634 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $150,281
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $72,353

Kauaʻi Community College ($207,405 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $95,929
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $111,476

Windward Community College ($165,462 total)

• Segmented Lifecycle Award: $75,086
• Innovation & Scaling Award: $90,376

John J. Stephan, a pioneering University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 emeritus professor of history whose scholarship advanced understanding of Russia鈥檚 role in Asia, died August 12, 2026.

Stephan came to Hawaiʻi in 1964 after studying Russian and Japanese at Harvard. At 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补, his interest in the Russian Far East grew through a course taught by Russian history professor John A. White and an intellectual community that included Patricia Polansky, now Hamilton Library鈥檚 Russian Bibliographer.

Stephan taught history at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 from 1970 until his retirement in 2001, producing influential scholarship focused on Russia in Asia. His books included Sakhalin: A History (1971), The Kuril Islands: Russo-Japanese Frontier in the Pacific (1974) and The Russian Far East: A History (1994).

He also served as founding director of the Center for the Soviet Union in the Asia-Pacific Region, established at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 in 1986 and later renamed the Center for Russia in Asia.

Landmark work published in Russian

Months before his death, Stephan received copies of a new Russian-language edition of Sakhalin: A History. The books arrived at Hamilton Library in December 2025 after being printed in Beijing, a route necessitated by disrupted U.S.-Russia postal connections amid the war in Ukraine.

During the Soviet era, Sakhalin: A History was denounced and restricted from general use. After the Soviet Union collapsed, portions were serialized in an independent Sakhalin newspaper.

“It is especially meaningful that John lived to see Sakhalin: A History translated into Russian,” Polansky said. “That a work once suppressed in the Soviet Union has now been published in Russian is a remarkable testament to the lasting importance of his research.”

Hamilton Library legacy

For more than two decades, Stephan supported Hamilton Library collections reflecting his scholarly interests and Hawaiʻi鈥檚 connections to Asia and the Pacific.

“John understood the importance of libraries because he knew firsthand how much they could shape a scholar鈥檚 work,” Polansky said.

University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel highlighted 糖心视频‘s response to recent severe weather events, efforts to simplify the application process for prospective students and an upcoming public forum on the university’s new budgeting process and $123-million strategic investment initiative during her September report to the 糖心视频 Board of Regents (BOR).

Hensel delivered the report at the September 17 BOR meeting at Leeward Community College’s Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center. She began by recognizing 糖心视频 teams who helped campuses respond to an unusually active year of severe weather, most recently Hurricane Lowell. The storm caused significant damage and prolonged power outages on Kauaʻi, forcing Kauaʻi Community College to close for a week before reopening to students on September 16.

Hensel also provided an update on fall enrollment, highlighted the October 1 launch of Apply Hawaiʻi, a single undergraduate application for all 10 campuses, and announced a September 28 public forum on 糖心视频‘s budget and $123 million strategic investment initiative.

• Severe weather response and emergency preparedness ()
• Fall 2026 enrollment ()
• Apply Hawaiʻi launch ()
• Direct2糖心视频 expansion to all 10 campuses ()
• Time, Place and Manner policy update ()
• September 28 budget and $123-million strategic investment forum ()
• 糖心视频 News highlights
  • Inaugural Waiʻanae EMT program ()
  • Hawaiʻi CC $920,000 NSF drone technology grant ()
  • Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project ()

Stay connected with President Wendy Hensel by following her on , , and

To honor the enduring legacy of alumna Diane N. Dods, her husband, Walter A. Dods Jr., partnered with the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation to establish the at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补.

The fund recognizes the best research paper written by an undergraduate political science student, carrying forward the academic distinction Diane demonstrated.

As an undergraduate in the 1960s, Diane examined Hawaiʻi‘s power dynamics for her senior thesis. She interviewed top executives to map the state鈥檚 influence network, resulting in her study, “Community Power Structure: A Case Study of Honolulu,” which earned 糖心视频鈥檚 Social Science Prize, and has maintained an air of intrigue.

“All the names were never revealed,” Walter said. “They were all a mystery.”

Distinguished career

After earning a master鈥檚 degree from Northwestern University, Diane became press secretary for then U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye—the youngest press secretary on Capitol Hill at the time. She helped craft Inouye鈥檚 keynote address for the 1968 Democratic National Convention before returning home as press secretary for then-Lt. Gov. George Ariyoshi.

“At the time, I was running George Ariyoshi’s campaigns, and I met her in his office,” Walter said. “I fell in love, and a year later we were married.”

‘Brilliance and deep grace’

Diane later served as director of public affairs and corporate secretary at the East-West Center. Despite her professional achievements, her family knew her best for her dedication as a mother.

“She was making history in Washington and Hawaiʻi but, to us, she was just mom, always present, and always our biggest champion,” said her son, Chris Dods. “She showed us what it meant to lead with both brilliance and deep grace.”

The endowment was established in spring 2026, when Walter received an honorary doctorate from 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补.

“We are especially honored to celebrate her life and legacy with this endowment,” said Denise Eby Konan, former dean of the College of Social Sciences and interim provost at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补. “Because Diane was a recipient of a similar award as an alumna, she remains a deeply valued part of our history and exemplifies the very best of our department. Through this award, her influence will continue to inspire future generations.”

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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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.

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.

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.”

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.

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

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.

Read more at .

Higher education leaders from the Philippines visited Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College and Kapiʻolani Community College in August to see how University of Hawaiʻi community colleges connect students to degrees, careers and lifelong learning.

The delegation included Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Michelle Aguilar Ong; Lora L. Yusi, director of CHED鈥檚 Office of Institutional Quality Assurance and Governance; and leaders from four Philippine colleges and universities. Patricia Espiritu Halagao, a professor in 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 College of Education鈥檚 Department of Curriculum Studies and co-director of the , also joined the discussions.

Focus on student success

Across the campuses, conversations centered on common challenges: aligning education with workforce needs, helping students complete or transfer, and creating flexible pathways through continuing education and microcredentials.

“I deeply appreciate the vision and dedication CHED brings to expanding educational access in the Philippines,” Leeward CC Chancellor Carlos Pe帽aloza said. “By sharing our approaches to local workforce development and culturally centered education, we鈥檝e laid the groundwork for strong, ongoing partnerships that will benefit our students, our institutions and our shared communities for years to come.“

Reinald Adrian Pugoy, of the University of the Philippines Open University, added, “I left Leeward with new insights and ideas that I can bring back to the Philippines.”

Cross-Pacific collaboration

Other 糖心视频 campus leaders welcomed the starting point for continued dialogue and partnership.

“Our shared dedication to practical education opens exciting possibilities for cross-cultural collaboration, and we look forward to building connections that expand opportunities for students in both Hawaiʻi and the Philippines,” Honolulu CC Chancellor Karen Lee said.

Kapiʻolani CC Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi added, “The visit highlighted many opportunities for further collaboration, particularly in supporting students with dual citizenship and developing regionally specialized programs that respond to the needs of our communities.”

The dialogue underscored the role community colleges play in serving diverse students and expanding access to higher education.

Halagao said, “The visit also strengthened the connections between Hawaiʻi and the Philippines and provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and explore areas for future collaboration.”

—By Tad Saiki

Investigating a hidden environmental health threat across Hawaiʻi—pollutants left behind by decades of agricultural and industrial activity, and whether wildfires and other disasters can bring those contaminants back into the environment and into people鈥檚 bodies—is the focus of a new University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai-led research project that received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The new study builds directly on the (MauiWES), 糖心视频鈥檚 longitudinal health study (a health study that follows participants over time) established after the 2023 Maui wildfires, and will expand that work to understand how Hawaiʻi鈥檚 historical environmental contamination may be affecting communities today.

The highly competitive NIH R01 grant, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will establish the Health and Environment Assessment Longitudinal (HEAL) cohort, following 1,000 Hawaiʻi residents over five years. It will be the first systematic investigation in Hawaiʻi of heart and lung health risks associated with these legacy pollutants, including arsenic, lead, dioxins and others related to “forever” chemicals.

The project, Impact of Legacy Pollutants on Cardiopulmonary Health Following Natural Disasters, is led by principal investigators Alika Maunakea, professor at the (JABSOM), Ruben Juarez, –HMSA Distinguished Endowed Professor of Health Economics at 糖心视频 Mānoa, and Alison Lee, a physician-scientist with ties to Hawaiʻi at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Hawaiʻi鈥檚 past may still be affecting health today

For generations, sugarcane shaped Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy, communities and landscape. But that history also left behind contaminants that can remain in the environment for decades. Former agricultural areas may contain arsenic, lead, dioxins and other mixtures. Arsenic was historically used in pesticides and in canec, a sugarcane-based construction material once widely used in Hawaiʻi homes and buildings. The concern is not only what remains in the ground, but what happens when these hazards are spread by flood or wildfires.

The 2023 Maui wildfires burned homes, buildings and infrastructure in communities with a long agricultural history. Researchers want to understand whether intense fires can disturb contaminants that have remained in soil or older structures for decades, creating new pathways of human exposure.

“Hawaiʻi has environmental exposures that are deeply connected to our history, but we still know remarkably little about what they mean for health today,” Maunakea said. “MauiWES gave us an unprecedented window into what happens to health after a major wildfire. Now we can build on that foundation to ask a bigger question: Are pollutants left in our environment decades ago still affecting people today, and can disasters bring those risks back to the surface?”

MauiWES to a statewide environmental health study

The new cohort will build on the infrastructure, community partnerships and scientific foundation developed through MauiWES while expanding the research beyond wildfire exposure alone.

Over five years, researchers plan to enroll 1,000 people across four groups: people with little-known exposure to wildfire or legacy pollutants; residents near former sugarcane lands; people exposed to wildfire but with lower expected exposure to legacy pollutants; and people exposed to both wildfire and legacy pollutants.

Researchers will combine soil and water testing, biological samples, heart and lung assessments, community-engaged citizen science, and geographic mapping to answer important questions: What is in the environment, is it getting into people, and is it affecting their health? They will examine outcomes including lung function, blood pressure and inflammation.

“Wildfires can burn homes and infrastructure and disturb contaminants that have been sitting in our environment for generations,” Juarez said. “By connecting environmental samples with what we find in people鈥檚 bodies and their health, we can begin to understand that full chain of exposure. This can help us design approaches to mitigate such exposures and improve the health of our community.”

Finding Hawaiʻi鈥檚 hidden contamination with national implications

One major goal is to identify potential contamination hotspots near former sugarcane areas and determine whether people living near those areas have higher levels of pollutants in their soil, water or biological samples. Researchers will then examine whether those exposures are associated with poorer heart and lung health and whether legacy pollutants help explain some of the health effects associated with wildfire exposure.

“Most environmental health studies look at one exposure at a time,” Lee said. “But communities experience many exposures together. Hawaiʻi gives us an important opportunity to understand what happens when a major disaster occurs on top of decades of existing environmental contamination.”

The implications extend far beyond the islands. Across the U.S., wildfires are increasingly reaching communities where homes, vehicles, industrial materials and historical contamination can all become part of the disaster environment. The researchers hope the study can ultimately help Hawaiʻi identify where contamination remains, who may be most exposed and what can be done before the next disaster occurs—while providing a model for other communities facing similar risks nationwide.

The NIH R01 grant, funded by NIEHS, is under award number 1R01ES038296.

If you are trying to detect or bait little fire ants in your backyard, scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa suggest swapping tuna for cooked beef and sunflower seeds.

The study, published in the , by researchers at the 糖心视频 Mānoa (CTAHR) revealed that the little fire ant鈥檚 (Allomerus auropunctatus, formerly known as Wasmannia auropunctata) preferred diet is not what scientists and homeowners previously thought. In laboratory food-choice tests, the tiny, stinging pests overwhelmingly chose cooked beef and sunflower seeds over water-packed tuna.

One of the world鈥檚 most damaging invasive species

The findings can help researchers and agencies managing invasive ants refine the food lures used for surveillance and bait development for little fire ants, one of the world鈥檚 top 100 most damaging invasive species. Little fire ants are established on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Kauaʻi, where they sting adults, keiki and kūpuna, damage food crops, and cause painful eye injuries in pets.

Community members often use food lures by placing chopsticks dabbed with peanut butter or tuna around yards to test for infestations. However, if the lure is less appealing than other competing food sources, fewer ants would be attracted to it, leading people to underestimate the infestation鈥檚 size.

Expanding menu of food lures

The research team from CTAHR鈥檚 Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences (PEPS) evaluated worker ant behavior across 24 foods rich in protein-lipid, carbohydrates or fatty lipids in laboratory choice experiments to identify top attractants:

• Cooked beef and raw sunflower seeds were by far the favorites.
• Honey dominated the carbohydrate category.
• Water-packed tuna and peanut butter with the oil removed performed the worst.

The study shows that oil-depleted versions lack the critical lipids (fats) that little fire ants prefer.

“These findings build on and expand the food-lure approaches currently used in Hawaiʻi,” said Jia-Wei Tay, associate professor of urban entomology in PEPS.

The research was led by Aradhana Shrestha, a master’s student in PEPS, and Tay, and funded in part by the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.