Students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa spent two days on Maui exploring wildfire recovery through the Bowers + Kubota Interdisciplinary Field Study, held September 17–18. The field study brought together students from architecture, engineering and urban planning to examine recovery, resilient construction, mass timber and community. Through visits with professionals, government officials, community advocates and construction teams, students saw how different disciplines contribute to the complex process of rebuilding.

“The most important thing I learned is how much effort it is taking from all disciplines to help rebuild Lahaina. It isn’t just one type of professional that will help rebuild Lahaina,” said 4th year undergraduate engineering student Eric Christian Aganon.

Learning across disciplines

Students visited the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum, met with American Institute of Architects (AIA) Maui and the Lahaina Town Action Committee, spoke with the County of Maui Department of Housing, toured the Swinerton Maui office and visited the Hawaiʻi Off Grid Bunkhouse with Habitat for Humanity. The experience encouraged students to think about their future roles as professionals working across disciplines and communities.

“Learning how architecture can be useful at the city and county level through very technical aspects of economics, business, etc. was extremely eye opening,” said Nevaeh Angel Nacion, a 3rd Year D.Arch architecture student.

Connecting technical knowledge with recovery

At the Hawaiʻi Off Grid Bunkhouse, students saw mass timber construction firsthand and connected building technology with housing and recovery. A meeting with the Maui County Department of Housing provided another perspective, highlighting the social, economic and environmental complexity of rebuilding.

“Every sector is doing what they know best, and our job is to support their approaches into aligning with the rest,” said Mai Lee, a 1st year graduate urban planning student.

A model for interdisciplinary education

“Recovery is a complex process that cannot be understood from a single professional perspective,” said Ho Kyung Lee, School of Architecture assistant professor and leader of the field study. “By bringing architecture, engineering and urban planning students together, we wanted them to see not only what each discipline contributes, but also where those disciplines intersect.”

The field study was supported by the Bowers + Kubota Fund and organized by Ho Kyung Lee, Eric Peterson from the School of Architecture and Vineeth Dharmapalan from the College of Engineering assisted with planning and accompanied students on the field study.

Special thanks to the trip hosts: Jeremy Stoddart (Past President at AIA Maui, Principal at PILI Design Build), Sne Patel (President at Lahaina Town Action Committee), Remi E. Mitchell (Director of the County of Maui Department of Housing), Duane Kreuger (Project Manager at Swinerton Maui), David Sellers (Principal at Hawaii Off Grid Architecture + Engineering), Matthew Kopp (Project Architect / Lead Designer at Hawaii Off Grid Architecture + Engineering), and Kaylah McHone (Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator at Habitat For Humanity Maui).

Two University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� graduate students received the 2025–26 Ping Yip and Jong Hung Chan Award, recognizing their commitment to community, integrity and creating greater harmony through their work and actions.

The award, coordinated by the , recognizes graduate students who exemplify moral character, strength and integrity through personal or public behavior. With a strong pool of applicants, two recipients were selected: Alondra Reyes and Ernest Bethe IV. Each received a $2,500 award.

Social contexts, racial disparities

Reyes, a PhD student, was selected during her first semester at ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�. Her research examines how social contexts contribute to racial disparities, including the ways media portrayals can reinforce social inequalities. She also works with community leaders through Mālama I Nā Ahupuaʻa, learning about traditional land preservation and restoration.

“Receiving this award has strengthened my mission as a first-generation PhD student to bridge research with community action, providing the support I need to continue grounding my work in the pursuit of true harmony for the people of Hawaʻi and beyond,” Reyes said.

Urban environments, reconnecting people with nature

Bethe graduated from the master of program in August. His work focused on creating urban environments that reconnect people with nature and each other, including through pollinator-friendly design, informal green spaces and food forests. His capstone explored how Honolulu could become a more multispecies city, where people have more opportunities to encounter and coexist with urban wildlife.

He also worked with the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice to help develop safe walking routes to school in Waipahu. Bethe said the award reminded him that people often discover their capacity to act when others need help.

“I think everyone has this in them. We beat ourselves up for the things we don’t do, but I’d bet most of us do the right thing in a crisis,” Bethe said.

Bethe will embark on a 10-month research initiative in Ecuador through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

The Ping Yip and Jong Hung Chan Award is open to any currently enrolled, full-time graduate student at ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�, regardless of field of study. Students may self-nominate through the STAR Scholarship portal. The deadline to apply for the 2026–27 award is October 15.

The Department of Psychology and Department of Urban and Regional Planning are housed in ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s .

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate candidate Ernest Bethe IV has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship for the 2026–27 academic year. After completing his master of degree from the this August, Bethe will embark on a 10-month research initiative in Ecuador. Based in Puerto Ayora—the fastest-growing town in the Galápagos Islands—he will investigate how overlooked urban spaces can be leveraged for ecological resilience (ability of ecosystems to adapt to environmental change).

Rethinking ‘informal’ green spaces

As tourism and development exert heavy pressure on the limited land resources of island ecosystems, Bethe’s research will look at cost-effective frameworks for sustainable growth. His project will focus on “informal green spaces”—such as vacant lots, roadside vegetation and unmanaged patches of land—and will examine their potential to:

• Support vital habitats for native bird species.
• Reduce localized flooding and mitigate the urban heat island effect (where built-up areas trap more heat than natural surroundings).
• Develop sustainable growth that balances tourism and development needs with limited land resources.

In Ecuador, Bethe will be hosted by the Charles Darwin Foundation, with a secondary academic affiliation at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador.

A model for island cities

The upcoming fieldwork builds directly on Bethe’s capstone project at ������Ƶ Mānoa, which focused on ecological urban design. A core outcome of his Fulbright project will be a bilingual planning toolkit designed for local officials and community stakeholders in Ecuador. However, the implications of his work extend far beyond the Galápagos.

“Islands everywhere are dealing with the same issue: how do you grow without paving over the very thing that makes the place worth living in?” said Bethe. “If we can highlight how the green spaces we usually overlook are actually cooling our streets, soaking up stormwater, and giving our native birds somewhere to land, that’s a low-cost tool that any island city—including Honolulu—can put to work.”

Ashok Das, urban and regional planning professor and department chair, said, “Ernest’s winning the Fulbright award is a matter of great pride for our department, college and university. It is a testimony to his ability to apply multiple concepts in creative ways to advance a core mission of urban planning—sustainable development.”

“It also underscores his commitment to making vulnerable island communities more resilient. Having grown up in Indonesia and studied in Hawaiʻi have definitely shaped his worldview. He is multilingual, loves experiencing new cultures and thrives in multicultural settings. He will be a wonderful ambassador of the Fulbright program and ������Ƶ Mānoa.”

The is administered by the U.S. Department of State and is one of the nation’s most prestigious international exchange initiatives. It aims to expand perspectives through academic and cultural exchange in partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide.

This article by Native Hawaiian Initiative Alakaʻi (coordinator) at the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� Kamakanaokealoha Aquino was first published in .

A new graduate certificate in will be offered at the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�. A partnership between the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the College of Social Sciences and the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies in the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, this graduate-level certificate offers students and professionals an in-depth understanding of Indigenous Peoples, processes, and practices to enrich urban and regional planning.

Through planning and several consultations over the past 2 years, Priyam Das, a professor in urban and regional planning, and Konia Freitas, a specialist in Hawaiian studies, developed a program that will prepare students to engage respectfully with Indigenous worldviews, knowledge systems, and methodologies; to apply Indigenous and Hawaiian-informed approaches to land use, sustainability, housing, and community development; and to center planning practices around core values such as pilina, kuleana, and aloha, with a focus on ethics, equity, and inclusion.

Students and professional planners will be equipped with culturally grounded tools to navigate complex land-use, social, and environmental challenges. This certificate requires the completion of six courses: one required course in the foundations of Indigenous planning; one capstone course on an individual project of analysis, plan preparation, policy, and program evaluation; and selection of four elective courses from planning, Hawaiian studies, geography, law, natural resource management, political science, or Pacific Island Studies.

This new graduate certificate is the latest collaboration between the urban and regional planning and Hawaiian studies departments, which began in 2017, when both departments signed a memorandum of agreement allowing urban and regional planning graduate students to enroll in designated Hawaiian studies courses with prerequisites waived.

Then, in Fall 2022, a bachelor’s-to-master’s degree pathway was established. Students can pursue a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian studies through a master’s degree in urban and regional planning within a shorter timeframe of 5 years by double-counting up to three courses at the undergraduate tuition rate. Students are able to save money and time to enter the workforce.

These programs will help build capacity in the planning workforce in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific that centers Indigenous values, concepts, and methodologies in the field of planning.

As the 2026 World Cup draws millions of spectators to stadiums across North America, the University of Hawaiʻi’s (NDPTC) is training emergency managers, first responders, transportation agencies and stadium operators on risk management and preparedness for extreme weather events.

NDPTC is a Congressionally-authorized, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funded national center which is part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium. Based at the ������Ƶ Mānoa and funded by FEMA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the training courses on “Extreme Weather Preparedness for World Cup Cities” was developed by subject matter experts in extreme weather, urban planning, transportation, emergency managers and stadium operations in U.S. host cities.

Managing potential extreme weather threats

The training focuses on assessing and mitigating risks associated with extreme heat, lightning, tornadoes, flash flooding and wildfire smoke. Participants learn to use publicly available data, planning tools and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to improve understanding of extreme weather risk and prioritize actions to increase safety and security for large-scale events.

“Large public events require organizations to prepare for hazards that can change rapidly and affect transportation systems, critical infrastructure and public safety,” said Karl Kim, professor of urban and regional planning in the ������Ƶ Mānoa and founding executive director of NDPTC. “Our role is to equip planners and decision-makers with practical tools and evidence-based strategies so they can anticipate risks and respond effectively when conditions change.”

The work involves downscaling climate and extreme weather models to the specific times and locations for the games and identifying protective actions to reduce harm to spectators and those participating in the World Cup. With teams and fans coming from different countries, there are many challenges with communications and coordination. NDPTC uses AI to support readiness and for different applications in urban planning and disaster management. Kim said that since many people are using AI, it is important to incorporate these tools into the work on risk management.

Extending NDPTC‘s impact beyond the tournament

The effort builds on NDPTC‘s broader mission of strengthening disaster resilience nationwide. Working with partners through the Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center and Federal Railroad Administration Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety Improvements program, the center develops risk assessment tools and provides training for emergency managers, first responders and community leaders across the country.

The World Cup training is updated regularly as guidance, operational requirements and weather conditions evolve. The curriculum also contains lessons learned from NDPTC‘s broader work in disaster preparedness and risk management. Since its establishment, the congressionally authorized center has trained more than 75,000 first responders and emergency managers nationwide, reinforcing ������Ƶ’s role as a leader in disaster preparedness education and applied research.

The World Cup weather preparedness and latest recording of the training on NDPTC’s are available for the public.

The University of Hawaiʻi at ��ā�ԴDz�’s (DURP) marked World Town Planning Day 2025 on November 6, with an event centered on building an age-friendly Hawaiʻi. The program, supported by the American Planning Association’s Hawaiʻi chapter, brought together students, alumni, faculty and planning professionals for an evening of networking and discussion.

Hawaiʻi House Speaker Nadine Nakamura, a DURP alumna, opened the public forum, which highlighted how the importance of long-term planning can ensure a resilient future for Hawaiʻi.

An interdisciplinary panel organized by Associate Professor Suwan Shen explored issues ranging from public health and aging services to community design. Nargis Sultana, ������Ƶ Mānoa DURP alumna and PhD candidate in public health, moderated the panel, which included Caroline Cadirao, Hawaiʻi Executive Office of Aging; Kealiʻi Lopez, AARP Hawaiʻi; Jordan Lewis, ������Ƶ Mānoa Center on Aging; and Emma French, assistant professor in DURP. The discussion examined how state agencies, nonprofits and local partners can better collaborate to meet the needs of Hawaiʻi’s growing aging population.

“I have always found World Town Planning Day and the other events DURP puts on to be very interesting and a great place to network and talk,” PhD student Candler Weinberg said.

The event also featured the department’s annual awards ceremony. Alumni Audrey Awaya and Erin Wade received the 2025 Dinell Outstanding Alumni Award, and Scott Glenn, senior advisor in the Office of the Governor, was honored as Planner Who Made a Difference. Scholarships supported by local planning firms were presented to urban and regional planning students.

“It was inspiring to see students, alumni and professionals in the same room discussing critical issues facing Hawaiʻi’s communities,” said Chrislyn DeMattos, DURP program specialist and event organizer.

Tom Fee, vice president of HHF Planners, a local firm, called the awards ceremony “very successful” and Dean Denise Konan of ������Ƶ ��ā�ԴDz�’s enjoyed a “spectacular evening and celebration.”

DURP is housed in ������Ƶ ��ā�ԴDz�’s College of Social Sciences.

A tsunami warning that sparked mass evacuations and traffic gridlock in many areas across the state, including Waikīkī, is drawing renewed attention to a that modeled how to save lives during a short-notice tsunami event.

On July 29, a magnitude-8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula triggered statewide alerts in Hawaiʻi. While the most severe impacts were avoided, the fear of an incoming wave prompted thousands to flee Waikīkī, leading to significant traffic congestion on key evacuation routes. It was a real-world scenario studied and investigated by researchers in the in ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s .

“The tsunami event is a powerful reminder of the need for research and training to increase preparedness and response capabilities,” Professor and study lead author Karl Kim said. “Because of the dense coastal development and exposure to tsunami and coastal hazards, we need to develop multi-modal evacuation plans. We need to encourage vertical evacuation as well as early evacuation to avoid congestion and delay.”

In their study, ������Ƶ researchers simulated pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle evacuations under a catastrophic tsunami scenario in Waikīkī. The findings revealed that without changes to infrastructure or improvements in early alert systems, an estimated 38,760 lives could be lost in a worst-case event.

Research looks at evacuation options

The study evaluated four evacuation scenarios and emphasized two life-saving strategies: vertical evacuation and increased travel capacity. Simulations showed that vertical evacuation—moving to upper floors of reinforced buildings—was the most effective option, potentially saving more than 55,000 lives. Conversely, motor vehicle evacuations were found to carry the highest fatality rates due to congestion and delay.

One key intervention modeled was the addition of a new bridge over the Ala Wai Canal, connecting Kālia Road to University Avenue. The proposed bridge, which has undergone a City and County of Honolulu feasibility study, would significantly increase evacuation capacity. The study found that the bridge could save an estimated 13,860 lives by easing bottlenecks and improving flow out of Waikīkī.

The researchers also explored how reducing tsunami detection and alert times from 10 to 5 minutes could save more than 4,500 lives by giving people more time to evacuate. When both the new bridge and earlier warning times were combined, the fatality rate dropped to approximately 20%, the lowest of all simulated scenarios.

The recent tsunami alert highlighted the challenges of mass evacuation in dense urban areas and underscored the study’s recommendations: invest in infrastructure, improve early warning systems and educate the public on vertical evacuation as the safest option in a short-notice event.

“In disaster planning, every decision, from where we build to how we evacuate, can mean the difference between life and death,” PhD candidate and study co-author Farnaz Kaviari said. “This recent tsunami warning shows that what we model is not hypothetical. Technologies and simulation models allow us to test what works and what doesn’t, so every well-informed decision brings us closer to saving lives.”

A researcher-keiki collaboration aims to foster a deep connection to the land and community through storytelling. The Coastal Research Collaborative (CRC) at the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� developed , a storybook that was inspired by a play researchers co-created with students at Kaʻaʻawa Elementary.

“It’s a poetic tale about friendship and beach dynamics, where dunes and waves dance in harmony, much like the relationships we nurture in life,” Andrade said. “When children explore the environment with wonder and care, they grow into empowered, compassionate citizens who understand the importance of mālama ʻ�徱�Բ�.”

The story, written by doctoral student Helena Andrade and illustrated by CRC researcher Richelle Moskvichev, is available and as an , and draws from Andrade’s years of coastal fieldwork in Brazil and Australia, her love for dance, and friendship with ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� in the doctoral student Kammie Tavares.

Tavares, who has engaged elementary to high school students in science education since the beginning of her academic career, shared, “As researchers, we have a kuleana to our community, including our keiki. Creating activities to explain complicated issues may seem challenging but in my experience teaching science through play is really heart-warming and has refined my own understanding of concepts. I highly recommend it!”

The Sand Dance is one of the newest products of Andrade’s CRC Keiki, the educational extension of the Coastal Research Collaborative which is led by Chip Fletcher in the ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� (SOEST).

Supporting stewardship and future leaders

Andrade’s doctoral research focuses on using beachrock to reconstruct sea-level history in Hawaiʻi. Understanding past sea-level fluctuations provides context for understanding modern trends and anticipating future changes. In Hawaiʻi, sea-level rise has already resulted in chronic coastal erosion, loss of cultural and ecological landscapes, and threats to freshwater aquifers and nearshore ecosystems.

“If children grow up connected to their environment, as a valuable part of their communities, they learn how to mālama ʻ�徱�Բ�, how to have their voices heard, and how to stand for what they love,” said Andrade when asked about the importance of involving children in environmental stewardship activities. “These are lifelong values that shape who they become and how they lead.”

As stewards of their coastline, students from Kaʻaʻawa Elementary started a dune restoration project. And recently, CRC Keiki participated in a coastal education workshop where second graders from Kaʻaʻawa taught first graders from ����ʻ���� Elementary about coastal erosion and mālama ʻ�徱�Բ�.

The students also created artwork that can be viewed in the titled “How do we love and protect our beaches?” Their pieces reflect their learning and connection to place.

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Twelve graduate students from the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� showcased innovative proposals to revitalize Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown through the establishment of a Business Improvement District (BID). Their work was presented on May 9, at the historic Liberty Bank Building—a mid-century modern landmark designed by popular architect Vladimir Ossipoff—in front of local planners, architects, engineers and community stakeholders.

The practicum course was led by Professor Karl Kim of the in the ; and Dean Sakamoto, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, professional architect and founder of Shade Institute, a non-profit community design organization. The project was also supported by ������Ƶ’s , a congressionally-authorized center that develops and delivers training on natural hazards, coastal communities and hazard mitigation.

The team explored alternative scenarios focused on cultural identity, transportation and sustainable development in order to address safety and security, public health and urban environmental quality. ������Ƶ has worked closely with the Waikīkī Business Improvement District Association, which is one of the most successful BIDs in the nation. The proposed Chinatown/Downtown BID uses coordinated public-private investment to address persistent challenges such as homelessness, crime, sanitation and commercial vacancy.

Each scenario outlined targeted strategies to improve safety, mobility, environmental resilience and economic vitality:

• The Historic and Cultural Scenario centered on strengthening community identity through preservation and cultural events.
• The Transportation Scenario aimed to increase connectivity and accessibility for pedestrians and transit users.
• The Clean City Movement Scenario promoted climate adaptation and sustainable design to support long-term urban health and safety.

The proposals address the need for enhanced services beyond what the city currently provides, such as waste management, security and beautification. This framework is designed to ensure ongoing maintenance, promote local businesses and attract both residents and visitors.

“The scenarios capture both broad directions as well as specific actions. It’s a way of taking a more messy, complex—sometimes called ‘wicked’—problems and narrowing it down into interventions with measurable improvements,” Kim said. “What’s cool about this project is that the students can track what happens. You’ll be able to see in a year, five years, 10 years—the changes and evolution that’s occurred.”

“This course was an amazing opportunity to participate in a real world planning project that was in a safe and supervised environment that was rooted in educating students,” student Kylie Yonamine said. “This experience has taught me many useful skills that I will utilize in my future professional career, but more importantly instilled a deep understanding and care that planning directly has due to its impacts on communities and people.”

Student Nolan Barringer added, “The urban planning lessons gathered during practicum were numerous, meaningful and richly deserving of more investigation.”

Building on Waikīkī’s success

The Chinatown/Downtown project builds on the department’s long standing collaboration with the Waikīkī Business Improvement District. Since its inception in 2000, faculty and students have contributed data-driven research to support Waikīkī’s development. Under Kim’s guidance, students have worked on diverse initiatives, including homeless counts, transit planning, evacuation strategies and asset mapping using geographic information system technology.

The university’s continued efforts in Honolulu’s urban centers demonstrate how academic institutions can drive positive change through interdisciplinary collaboration and applied research.

“For me the practicum course was about more than just academia,” said student Jared Quandt. “It was an opportunity to dive headfirst into the profession of planning and attain a much deeper understanding of what it takes to create change. It was an honor to be a part of something that truly has the potential to make a difference in the communities of Chinatown and Downtown.”

—By Marc Arakaki

SSFM International, Inc. (SSFM), a leading Hawaiʻi-based consulting and engineering firm, is building on its philanthropic investments at the University of Hawaiʻi with a new donation of $276,000. This gift supports scholarships at ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s and the (DURP) in the (CSS).

SSFM has committed to providing four years of full tuition and fees for three undergraduate students majoring in civil and environmental engineering, as well as full tuition for an incoming freshman in the College of Engineering. Additionally, the firm will fund the SSFM Graduate Fellowship in Planning, which offers financial support for tuition, fees and other expenses to a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in urban and regional planning.

Since its inception in 1999, SSFM scholarships have benefited 70 students, distributing a cumulative total of 105 awards.

“We have been dedicated to supporting these scholarships for over 25 years,” said SSFM President and CEO Michael Matsumoto (’67, College of Engineering), during a check presentation on the lawn of the College of Engineering. “Our goal is to nurture the next generation of infrastructure and development experts in Hawaiʻi. By investing in these students, we’re also strengthening the future of our industry.”

Invaluable experiences, tools for success

SSFM’s generous contribution is a transformative experience for recipients, and its significance goes far beyond just the monetary support it provides. For recent graduate Jena Kamalani Earle (BA ’22 ������Ƶ Hilo, MA ’24 ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�), the fellowship meant more than just tuition assistance.

“SSFM’s support in both my academic and professional endeavors have equipped me with invaluable experiences and tools needed to succeed,” Earle said. “I was able to gain professional planning experience in my role as a graduate student intern. So much so that I eventually got hired as a full-time planner before graduating.”

Brennon Morioka, dean of the College of Engineering, acknowledges that scholarships often serve as powerful motivators, inspiring students to work harder, achieve academic excellence and contribute positively to their communities.

“Scholarships provide students with the opportunity to concentrate on school without worrying about financial pressure,” Morioka said. “SSFM is one of our longtime supporters and we’re grateful for its investment in shaping Hawaiʻi’s future engineers, planners and construction leaders.”

Dean Denise Eby Konan of CSS agreed, underscoring the impact of SSFM’s support for aspiring urban planners.

“We are grateful to SSFM for funding this International Graduate Fellowship in Planning,” Konan said. “Our Urban and Regional Planning graduate students are becoming professional planners and policy analysts within private firms, public agencies, international organizations and community groups, particularly in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Asia Basin.”

University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� students had the rare opportunity to learn from acclaimed environmental journalist Rosanna Xia during her visit in January. Xia, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times, shared her expertise on crafting compelling stories, connecting science and humanity and addressing critical climate change issues such as sea level rise.

Xia’s visit was organized by the university’s (ISR), where she met with PhD students researching sea level rise. The group toured sea level rise hotspots across the island, from the North Shore to Kahala, discussing sea level rise-related challenges and some of the strategies that are being utilized or considered for sea level rise response.

“I really enjoyed learning about her approach to journalism and storytelling about climate impacts and sea level rise in California, and how important it is to connect with and compassionately represent the stories of those who are experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis firsthand,” said Tanya Dreizin, PhD student in the .

Xia also led the workshop for journalism students “Crafting Compelling Stories: Lessons from a Pulitzer Prize Finalist.” Held in Associate Professor Youjeong Kim’s JOUR 330 class, the session focused on narrative-building techniques. Xia emphasized intention, ownership and responsibility in writing while guiding students through the process of integrating technical language with cinematic and sensory details.

“If writing is magic, Rosanna Xia is the magician who reveals her secrets behind the illusion. Not only did Xia expose the techniques but she also taught us how to apply them effectively,” said student Lauryn Johnson.

Xia concluded her visit with a public lecture, “Telling the Story of Sea Level Rise: Lessons from a Los Angeles Times Reporter.” As part of the , sponsored by SSFM International and co-hosted by ISR and the , the lecture drew an audience eager to hear Xia’s perspective on some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

“Her talk was amazing and having the opportunity to spend the day with her was great—there’s so much more to learn from her and her knowledge of sea level rise cases in California,” said Renee Setter, PhD student in the .

A transformative experience. That’s how PhD students at the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s (CSS) described their week at an institute on global indigeneities in Seattle, Washington.

Among the CSS attendees were Kammie Tavares from Waiʻanae, Oʻahu, and Randizia Crisostomo from Barrigada, Guåhan (Guam)—whose stories reflect resilience, identity and the importance of finding community in academia.

At the institute, graduate students with interdisciplinary and decolonial research interests gained not only professional tools, but personal support. For Tavares and Crisostomo, the experience provided a sense of connection and purpose that extended beyond the classroom.

Tavares, a PhD student in , has always been fascinated by the relationship between people and places. Starting her academic path studying the geology of sandy beaches, she eventually realized her true interest lay in exploring the human aspect of these spaces.

“I first studied geology, but I wanted to explore how people interact with these environments,” she shared.

Especially memorable was a day spent in the Suquamish Nation paddling canoes in the Salish Sea.

“It was representative of our journey navigating our PhDs as Indigenous peoples,” Tavares reflected.

That day allowed her to connect deeply with other Indigenous scholars on similar paths.

Healing through art and politics

Crisostomo, a PhD student in in the , drew inspiration at the institute from her CHamoru heritage and a commitment to healing through collective grief using art and storytelling. To her, Indigenous politics isn’t just academic; it is personal.

“It’s fueled by my everyday lived experiences, especially as a CHamoru woman deeply connected to the political structures that shape, influence and interest with Micronesia and the broader Oceania region as a whole,” she explained.

Crisostomo was also deeply affected by paddling on the Salish Sea, and was nervous about the experience until she met an elder who reframed her thinking.

“I was told to be fully present in the relationship with the water,” she said. “The elder said as long as you paddle, the canoe will hold you. As long as you keep moving, you’ll stay afloat.”

In addition to Tavares and Crisostomo, two other CSS Indigenous politics PhD students—Ciera ʻIhilani Lasconia and Sara Maaria Saastamoinen—attended the institute.

������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s participation in the Summer Institute on Global Indigeneities (SIGI) is coordinated through , the Native Hawaiian initiative in the College of Social Sciences.

Applications for SIGI 2025 will open soon. For more information, contact Kamakana Aquino, CSS Native Hawaiian coordinator, at (808) 956-2581 or cssnhi@hawaii.edu.

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Four students from the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� have been named recipients of the 2024–25 . This award, administered by the Federal Highway Administration, aims to encourage students to pursue careers in transportation and research, helping to develop the next generation of transportation professionals.

The ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� facilitated the local competition, with the awards totaling $31,000. Recipients include undergraduate and graduate students from diverse fields—, , and :

• Dingyi Liu was awarded $10,000 to assess the relationship between zoning and walkability in Honolulu, under the guidance of Department of Urban and Regional Planning Associate Professor Suwan Shen. Liu is a master of urban and regional planning student and a research assistant with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant.
• Ruimin Lin received an $8,500 fellowship to explore equity in public transit services in Honolulu using open-source data. A junior in civil engineering, Lin also interns with SSFM’s Traffic Group. Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Associate Professor Roger Chen is advising her project.
• Paul Mullins earned a $7,000 fellowship to investigate design strategies for improving transportation accessibility for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Mullins, advised by School of Architecture Professor Kevin Nute, is a master of architecture student.
• Myra Angelica Ortigosa received $5,500 to study statistical data analysis for traffic signal control. She is a junior in computer science working under the mentorship of Department of Information and Computer Sciences Associate Professor Kyungim Baek.

“We are extremely grateful to the Federal Highway Administration for their support of our students,” College of Engineering Dean Brennon Morioka said. “This financial assistance helps our students focus and spend more time on their studies with the hopes this incentivizes them to continue working here at home to help solve our many problems we face every day here in Hawaiʻi.”

The program not only provides financial support but also offers fellows the opportunity to participate in the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. The event will take place January 5–9, 2025 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

������Ƶ is featured in this Waikīkī Business Improvement District Aloha Ambassador Documentary. ������Ƶ‘s section begins at 6’33”.

The University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s has been a critical partner in the (WBID) since its inception in 2000. For over two decades, faculty and students have provided support through data collection, analysis and research that helps shape the district’s development.

Professor Karl Kim, who has been involved since the beginning, initially contributed by mapping the area and developing financing scenarios based on various assessment calculations. Today, students gain real-world experience by tackling urban challenges alongside community professionals.

“It’s been largely a data-driven exercise that data and information can be used to improve the planning, design, management and operations of WBID,” Kim said. “Part of it is how do we get it right? How do we improve it? How do we not just sustain things as they are but how do we make things better? That’s what has been special and important about this partnership between WBID and the University of Hawaiʻi.”

Their work spans a wide range of issues affecting Waikīkī, from homelessness and design standards to transportation planning and disaster recovery. They have also done studies on evacuation planning and disaster debris management following hurricane or tsunami hazards. Students have conducted benchmarking reports on cleanliness, landscaping, and urban design, while also studying unique aspects of the district, such as street performers and holiday lighting.

This collaboration offers students practical experience in urban planning and design while connecting them with local professionals. They work with architects, engineers, and planners to develop and test solutions to a wide range of problems. Their efforts contribute directly to improving the quality of life and environment in one of Hawaiʻi‘s most iconic destinations. They are focused on sustainability and community resilience.

Real-world experiences

Dave Marasco, a ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� doctoral student in urban and regional planning and graduate assistant at the (NDPTC), worked as a homeless count coordinator.

“When we go out to do our semi-annual homeless counts, we identify homeless individuals by gender and age whenever possible, and then we record their respective locations on a map of Waikīkī,” Marasco said. “During these counts we have witnessed a variety of behaviors and conditions that clearly reinforce what a monumental struggle being homeless is.”

Jaeho Choi earned a doctor of architecture degree from ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning. Choi works at NDPTC as an urban design and machine learning specialist.

“My role in the WBID project involved conducting an asset mapping pilot using advanced tools like total station and GIS,” Choi said. “This project aimed to resolve challenges faced during the previous 2008 inventory, including improving spatial analysis and enabling more efficient updates of asset data over time.”

The research supports urban design and planning to make Waikīkī more clean, green, beautiful and safe.

The partnership between the university and WBID exemplifies how academic institutions can play a vital role in community development, providing fresh perspectives and research-driven solutions to real-world problems.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning is housed in ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s .

Faculty in the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s (DURP), conducted a summer course in Indonesia designed to enable students to appreciate challenges of urbanization, climate change and resilience in the Global South. This is the third year ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� has offered a two-week immersive program in partnership with the urban and regional planning department at Diponegoro University (UNDIP) in Semarang.

“The courses offered faculty and students from both universities an opportunity to share their knowledge and creativity in responding to urban environmental problems,” said Priyam Das, an associate professor in DURP who co-designed the co-led joint course in Indonesia. “������Ƶ ����ԴDz� students learned about resilience and informality—of settlements, services and solutions—by engaging with local communities in Semarang.”

Neighborhood visits

During the course, students attended lectures, conducted field research, and visited local neighborhoods facing unique and significant challenges. Studio-style group work enabled students to collaboratively analyze problems and propose potential solutions. They shared their findings and ideas at public presentations that concluded the program.

“Immersive and collaborative international learning experiences are essential to equip future professionals with the skills and sensitivity needed to tackle the urban challenges of a globalized world,” said Ashok Das, an associate professor in DURP, who conceived the collaborative program and led its design.

Critical learning

������Ƶ ����ԴDz� graduate student Lahela Mattos took her first trip outside the U.S. to Indonesia. The kānaka ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiian) scholar is part of the program at DURP. She aspires to become a professional planner and create spaces that allow Indigenous peoples to reclaim and flourish their cultural identities.

“Being able to see the effects of SLR [sea level rise] really helped me to understand what we will be facing as urban planners…we realized that planning interventions are limited for places that have already been inundated,” Mattos said.

These courses have been partly supported by the LuceSEA Transitions: Environment, Society and Change grant awarded to ������Ƶ ����ԴDz�’s and .

DURP is housed in the ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� .

An analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on food supply chains in Hawaiʻi and Fiji has earned a faculty member in the (DURP) at the a national award.

Subhashni Raj, a DURP assistant professor, is one of 11 recipients of the ’s (FFAR’s) 2023 New Innovator Awards. Raj’s projects focus on understanding the role of Indigenous and ancestral food pathways in maintaining food security during a crisis.

“Establishing food security post-disaster is critically important, yet marginalized or vulnerable communities—especially island communities—are less likely to be prioritized in these scenarios,” said Raj. “My hope is that, through this comparative research we will undertake In Fiji and Hawaiʻi, we can demonstrate that creating space for traditional, cultural, ancestral, and Indigenous foodways in our communities is central to building resilience.”

Raj, who has a PhD in urban and regional planning from the State University of New York at Buffalo, was a Fulbright scholar and Kaufman doctoral fellow in food systems planning.

The New Innovator Award is bestowed on early-career scientists supporting research in one of FFAR’s research priority areas. Cumulatively, the recipients share a total of $4.8 million over three years.

A weekend overnight field school on Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students highlighted the intersection of environmental stewardship, the pressing issue of sea-level rise due to climate change and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Six students were selected to participate in the field school led by Phoebe White, assistant professor of and Priyam Das, associate professor and chair of the (DURP) and hosted by the . It provided hands-on experience as students examined and addressed the impacts of coastal erosion and sea-level rise. The program, held in October, showcased the power of collaboration across disciplines for effective climate change adaptation.

The students represented programs at the , DURP in the College of Social Sciences, and the in the College of Engineering.

Student experiences

“The on-site experience, engaging in conversations with scientists, enriched my understanding not only of sea-level rise issues but also illuminated the significance of the facilities and their connection to the broader scientific research process,” said Sandy Kim, a PhD student in DURP.

Dingyi Liu, a master’s student in DURP, echoed the importance of interdisciplinary learning.

“The ideas from my peers in architecture and civil engineering opened my eyes and helped me gain a deeper understanding of site planning and adaptation to sea-level rise,” he said.

Participants experienced a unique blend of theoretical and practical knowledge.

“Through teamwork, I gained insight into different perspectives and seeing how different majors collaborate,” said Gavin Kondo, an engineering senior. “������Ƶing Coconut Island enhanced my understanding of coastal issues, assisting in my decision to pursue a master’s in coastal engineering.”

The field school, made possible through funding from the Bowers + Kubota Endowment, was a collaboration between the School of Architecture, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering.

A (������ƵCDC) reimagined Ala Wai Harbor project that addresses the harbor’s everyday functions while ensuring adaptability to long-term sea-level rise was honored with the Hawaiʻi Chapter of the American Planning Association’s Urban Design Award.

The project was led by Principal Investigator Phoebe White, an assistant professor of landscape architecture in the , and Co-Principal Investigator Priyam Das, chair and associate professor in the housed in the .

“We are honored that the Urban Design Award recognized our concept, which envisions the harbor as a vibrant and resilient public space that considers the projected impacts of sea level rise and respects its past. We are excited that the project will guide the future RFP [request for proposals] for the harbor,” said White and Das.

Features of the project

The project features a multi-modal promenade, wayfinding elements, watercraft amenities, mixed-use spaces and public comfort stations. Adaptive strategies include diverse plants to filter stormwater runoff, living shorelines, elevated structures to mitigate the impacts of sea-level rise, and a living seawall that doubles as seating and protection for the harbor’s edge.

The comprehensive plan also includes features like small watercraft storage, boaters’ markets, cafés, surf community centers, and educational marshes for habitat restoration and sea-level rise adaptation.

The collaborative effort between the School of Architecture and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning has been facilitated by ������ƵCDC, which actively supports university-community partnerships for the implementation of public interest projects. The Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor project has played a crucial role in providing applied learning, leadership and mentorship opportunities for students and young professionals, effectively connecting education with community-oriented projects.

The project was commissioned by the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

Within the past five years, the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) has grown exponentially. Currently composed of 36 masters and PhD students, a range of disciplines are represented such as astronomy, botany, computer science, Earth and planetary sciences, entomology, geography, linguistics, marine biology, oceanography, tropical plant and soil sciences and zoology.

annually funds a diverse group of outstanding graduate students with more than $110,000 for three years to become future scientists, engineers, researchers and STEM educators. GRFP graduates go on to pursue careers in federal agencies, national labs, academia, policy work and conservation management. Notably, ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� GRFPs have consistently been selected for other distinguished fellowships such as the and , both coordinated through the ������Ƶ Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant).

• Martha Newell, Knauss Fellow 2017
• Beth Lenz, Knauss Fellow 2020
• Sean Mahaffey, Knauss Fellow 2022
• Cuong Tran, Grau Fellow 2022
• Gina Selig, Knauss Fellow 2023
• Sarah Tucker, Margaret Davidson Fellow 2020 and Knauss Fellow 2023
• Erik Brush, Knauss Fellow 2024
• Ryan Jones, Knauss Fellow 2024

Cuong Tran: disaster preparedness

Former fellow and master of urban and regional planning graduate, Cuong Tran, applied his ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� experience into his post-graduate work as a Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Gordon E. Grau Fellow with the (NDPTC). Tran collaborates with various partners on several local, national and international disaster-related projects and co-designed the Red Hill Information Hub in collaboration with the ������Ƶ Red Hill Task Force. The Hub provides a one-stop-shop of the latest information, data, and tools the general public can use for education, communication and research. Tran also co-planned this year’s , a platform for Pacific Island communities to channel joint efforts toward becoming resilient. Upon completion of his Grau fellowship, he plans to step into the role of training technology program coordinator at NDPTC.

Tran’s number one advice for current students is to “always apply for fellowship and scholarship opportunities, even if you think you won’t receive them. You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Sarah Tucker: monitoring climate change

PhD graduate, Sarah Tucker, went on to fulfill the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship after three years as a NSF GRFP Fellow. Tucker was part of the inaugural cohort of Davidson Fellows and collaborated with the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve where she worked closely with staff and Paepae o Heʻeia managers producing outreach materials, mentoring an undergraduate student, joining community restoration work days and helping with scientific observations and monitoring within the Heʻeia Reserve.

After graduating, Tucker was selected as a 2023 Knauss Fellow and currently works in NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing (GOMO) Program. The GOMO Program supports half of the world’s ocean observations, which are used in climate and weather prediction models and help us understand our changing ocean. Tucker’s two main projects involve serving as the coordinating editor of the and a secretariat member and field operations team lead of the . Following Knauss, she will start as a Simons postdoctoral fellow in marine microbial ecology at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Tucker recommended, “talking to as many folks as you can about what the fellowship experience entails, review application materials from past candidates, and be clear about what you want out of it. Also, stay open to trying new things and follow your gut. I never thought I would work on Arctic Research and Policy, but it has been incredibly fulfilling and more connected to my previous work than I could have imagined.”

2025 Knauss applications now open

For those interested in applying for the 2025 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, visit the or contact Hawaiʻi Sea Grant assistant director for research and fellowships, Maya Walton, waltonm@hawaii.edu, to learn more. Application deadline is February 15, 2024, 5 p.m. HST through Hawaiʻi Sea Grant via .

The University of Hawaiʻi’s (NDPTC), led by Professor Karl Kim, participated in the (APEC) ministerial meetings in Seattle this summer. The center is an extension of the ������Ƶ ����ԴDz� in the . It is one of seven partners of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium.

NDPTC was part of the Senior Disaster Management Officials’ Forum, organized by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell. The theme was “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All” to address the importance of building interconnected, innovative and inclusive collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The forum is organized annually by APEC’s Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG). EPWG provides a platform for disaster management collaborations among 21 member economies, including Russia, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. EPWG was established after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Work by NDPTC

NDPTC has been facilitating disaster risk reduction capacity building in Indonesia with the support of the United States Agency for International Development. The Investing in Human Capital Development in Disaster Management project is a consortium between ������Ƶ, Mercy Corps, Peta Bencana and the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. It aims to support Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) in knowledge and technical skills development.

FEMA invited NDPTC to accompany and facilitate Indonesia’s delegation led by Lilik Kurniawan, BNPB’s logistics and equipment deputy. Kurniawan addressed the senior leaders’ roundtable on the importance of adaptive crisis management. Kim, NDPTC’s executive director, addressed a session on ������Ƶ’s experience facilitating disaster management knowledge exchange between the U.S. and Indonesia.

The delegation visited Mt. Vernon, Washington, to learn about a collaborative effort in flood mitigation. ������Ƶ also facilitated a knowledge exchange for the Indonesian delegation with NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the Institute of Hazard Mitigation Planning and Research at the University of Washington.