{"id":243112,"date":"2026-11-05T16:16:34","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T02:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=243112"},"modified":"2026-11-05T16:18:45","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T02:18:45","slug":"national-diversity-stem-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/11\/05\/national-diversity-stem-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"糖心视频<\/abbr> undergraduate student research featured at national STEM<\/abbr> conference"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Vivian Breman, Jillian Diego and Lillian Burkhart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Maui College undergraduate researchers with Project Kaihuwaʻa<\/span> II<\/abbr> (PKII<\/abbr>)<\/a>, an initiative supporting local undergraduate talent, showcased innovative scientific investigations at the 2026 National Diversity in STEM<\/abbr> Conference held in Long Beach, California in October.<\/p>\n

Organized by the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos\/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS<\/abbr>), the gathering drew more than 1,600 attendees.<\/p>\n

Groundbreaking island research<\/h2>\n
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Lillian Burkhart<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n
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Jillian Diego<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n
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Vivian Bremanj and Buddhi Rai<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n

The students tackled real-world challenges spanning public health, pest biology and aerospace technology:<\/p>\n

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  • Hospital sanitation: Biology major Lillian Burkhart evaluated hospital shoe decontamination methods, comparing disinfectant wipes, bleach, sunlight exposure and ultraviolet treatment to reduce microbial contamination.<\/li>\n
  • Bacterial analysis: Biology major Jillian Diego used DNA<\/abbr> extraction and polymerase chain reaction techniques to identify Wolbachia bacteria in German cockroaches collected across Maui.<\/li>\n
  • Satellite tracking: Computer science and technology student Vivian Breman engineered a portable ground station that received weather satellite transmissions and generated overhead imagery of the Hawaiian Islands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    “All three of our students\u2019 projects were very well received. I believe these unique research projects represent the talents and potential of the next generation of scientists on Maui,” says Buddhi Rai, an associate professor of physics at 糖心视频<\/abbr> Maui College. “What all three of these students and more scholars like them share is a passion for learning, for exploring new areas of science, for a willingness to venture outside their comfort zones, and a dedication to solving real-world problems here on Maui.”<\/p>\n

    Other 糖心视频<\/abbr> student research projects that were showcased included:<\/p>\n

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    • “Graph Theory Analysis of Scientific Coauthorship involving Native Hawaiian Researchers in Hawaiʻi<\/span>” by Sophia Kihei, Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College. Kihei received an Indigenous Student Research Abstract Award in the mathematics category.<\/li>\n
    • “KaniMoana: Development of a Low-Cost, Open-Source, Underwater Acoustic Recorder” by Leilani Phan, University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa. Phan received an Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award in the category of engineering.<\/li>\n
    • “Cloning and Purification of Leptospira LigA and LigB Virulence Factors Using Synthetic DNA<\/abbr>” by Andrea Colmenares, Leeward Community College.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Community-rooted mentorship<\/h2>\n
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      糖心视频 Maui College perfeormance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Rai directs the $2.6-million PKII<\/abbr> scholarship program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. PKII<\/abbr> supported roughly 60 scholarship recipients, including more than 10 peer mentors and research interns this semester.<\/p>\n

      Mentors Jung Park, Michelle Phillips and Michelle Gould joined PKII<\/abbr> program supervisor Sean Calder at the conference to provide student guidance and evaluate program outcomes.<\/p>\n

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      At the invitation of the SACNAS Board President, Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> offered oli and makana on behalf of Hawaiʻi<\/span> and the 糖心视频<\/abbr> campuses to Maril\u00fa Ch\u00e1vez-Leyva for her distinguished service to SACNAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      糖心视频<\/abbr> undergraduate scholars presented innovative research at a national STEM<\/abbr> gathering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":243116,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[63,65,313,660,71,9,60],"class_list":["post-243112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-stem","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-manoa","tag-maui-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t