UH Hilo 2017-2018 Annual Reporthilo.hawaii.edu/news/stories/annual-reports/uh-hilo-2017-2018-annual-report/

In 2017, the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo celebrates its 70th year providing access to highereducation for the people of Hawai‘i Island, the state, and beyond. The university began itsjourney in 1947 as the Hilo Program, a UH Extension Division program where courses weretaught at the old Hilo Boarding School. In 1951, the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo Branch wasfounded with an enrollment of 100 students. After several transformations, the four-year HiloCollege began in 1969, and by the following year merged with Hawaiʻi Community College,becoming the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

More recently, in 1991, UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College separated, but continue toshare many of the same resources. Over the years since, Hawai‘i CC and UH Hilo have workedtogether closely on many initiatives, most notably on the seamless transition of students intothe university and on developing Native Hawaiian protocols in our teaching, research, andoutreach activities.

Over the years, the university established five colleges, most recently the Daniel K. InouyeCollege of Pharmacy with its inaugural class ten years ago in 2007. It is the only accreditedpharmacy college in the region, with a presence not only on Hawai‘i Island but also on O‘ahu,Kaua‘i and Maui and in the South Pacific in Guam, American Sāmoa and Saipan. Curently, anew $31.3 million permanent home for the college is being built with a target date ofcompletion in 2019.

The following is a report on progress during the 2017-2018 academic year.

1/21

ACADEMICSNew Programs

UH Hilo takes first steps toward a Certificate in Sustainability program. To start theprocess, planners have begun a Sustainability Course Designation program and, startingin fall 2017 semester, 29 courses have been designated as focusing on sustainabilitytopics.The university is in the process of creating a brand new Data Science program.Theprogram, starting as a certificate program, is expected to commence in the fall semesterof 2018, with hopes of eventually forming into a baccalaureate degree program. Twonew professors are hired to kickstart the program: Travis Mandel, assistant professor ofcomputer science, and Grady Weyenberg , assistant professor of mathematics, arecollaborating with existing faculty to design new classes for the program. They will bejoined in the near future by experts in the natural and social sciences.

Students work on their projects in Applied Digital Visualization class.

CyberCANOE visual display technology is being used by severaldepartments throughout the university to enable users from varied disciplines to shareand collaborate on projects (e.g., a computer science, marine science, and art course).CANOE is the acronym for Cyber Enabled Collaboration Analysis Navigation andObservation Environment and is funded through the Academy for Creative MediaSystem, based in Honolulu. UH Hilo technology sites are located in the computerscience department, the Mookini Library, and ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i. Thetechnology also allows collaborative projects between UH campuses throughout the

2/21

Instructor Roberto Rodriguez (left) helps student prepare for fieldpractice of unmanned aerial vehicles (see field photos below). Photos

by Kimiko Taguchi, click to enlarge.

state.Planning for futureworkforce needs, theuniversity launches fournew courses this semesterto establish a Certificate inUnmanned AircraftSystems, a first step in thelong-planned aeronauticalscience program. Thecertificate program focuseson training in the use ofunmanned aerial systems(UAS) and the new coursesoffered this fall includehands-on classroom andfield work in an introductorycourse onUAS, robotics (building and flying drones), simulated missions, and flying techniques.

Expanding Programs

TeachingEducationNursingKinesiology and Exercise Science.

New College

UH Hilo consolidates natural and health sciences programs into new College of Naturaland Health Sciences that opens July 1, 2018. Interim Dean Jim Beets says the collegewill create new educational and research opportunities for students, foster greaterinterdisciplinary teaching, and lead to new and improved career pathways. The existingacademic units—natural sciences, nursing, kinesiology and exercise science—will alsohave better representation of student, faculty, and budget issues.

Agreement

In spring 2018, UH Hilo enters into an agreement with Bangladesh maritimeuniversity. The universities will share academic and research opportunities in maritimesafety, security, and navigational technologies, and marine, maritime and environmentalmanagement.

ADMINISTRATION

3/21

In July of 2017, UH Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney announces his reassignment to a UHSystem leadership role as vice president of academic planning and policy, effective Aug. 1,2017. Straney served as UH Hilo chancellor beginning in 2010 and is credited with improvinggraduation rates and increasing the number of Native Hawaiian, STEM and transfer studentsfrom local community colleges. Under his leadership, the campus worked closely with localeducational, agricultural and business communities to address economic, workforce andquality-of-life issues.

Marcia Sakai, UH Hilo vice chancellor for administrative affairs, takes the helm as interim UHHilo chancellor, as of Aug. 2017. Sakai joined the UH Hilo faculty in 1991 in the field ofeconomics becoming tenured and promoted to the top professor ranks over the years. Shewas the founding dean of UH Hilo’s College of Business and Economics in 2005, and then wasappointed vice chancellor for administrative affairs in 2011. As vice chancellor, she madegreat progress toward improving campus-wide efficiency in several areas, notably technologyinfrastructure and sustainability measures with special focus on energy conservation.

New director of UH Hilo Mookini Library starts in June 2018. Joseph Sanchez, who previouslyserved as director of a public library system in Colorado, is a nationally recognized leader on e-books, e-content, technology and intellectual property in public libraries.

Greg Chun is appointed as senior advisor to UH President David Lassner and UH Hilo InterimChancellor Marcia Sakai in overseeing the fulfillment of the responsibilities of the entire UHSystem on Maunakea. Chun is a UH Mānoa faculty member whose work focuses on theintersection of land use, community engagement and culture. Chun also chairs the MaunakeaManagement Board.

BUDGETFY 2018 Initial Budget Allocation 9/18/17 (PDF). Additional budget documents and furtherinformation can be found at the UH Hilo Budget Office website.

CAMPUS LIFEUH Hilo ranks well in 2018 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges Rankings. UH Hiloranked 66 among Best Regional Universities West, placing it in the top 47 percent in thecategory. The report rankings surveyed 1,600 colleges among more than 3,000 four-year

4/21

institutions throughout the U.S. Its methodology considers, among various factors, endowmentsize, rate of alumni giving and student-to-faculty ratio, which tend to favor private institutions.

The UH Hilo LGBTQ+ Center celebrates its one-yearanniversary in September 2017. In the first yearsince its creation, the center hosts and participates inmany events on campus including Hilo Pride Parade,the social justice film series, and Coming Out Day.The events are a great success with large numbers ofstudents and community members in attendance. Asa result, the LGBTQ+ community is able to spreadawareness and create a more inclusive community.

“Local First” menu is available at the Campus CenterDining Room. Each day, the majority of the foodserved on the campus of UH Hilo is from local sources, increasing annually since 2012. Once amonth, on the first Wednesday of the month, the daily menu is 100 percent locally grown foodand called “Local First.”

UH Hilo receives Blue Zones status; the university is now part of nationwide program topromote healthy living. UH Hilo joins a number of businesses and organizations workingtogether to transform Hilo into a Blue Zones community by adopting healthy best practices.

2018 Spring Commencement. Photo by Bob Douglas/UH Hilo Stories.

FALL AND SPRING COMMENCEMENTS

5/21

At 2017 Fall Commencement, candidates petition for degrees and/or certificates from thecolleges of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management (17); Arts andSciences (255); Business and Economics (33); Pharmacy (1); Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlaniCollege of Hawaiian Language (9); and also various post-graduate credentials (14). Keynotespeaker is Master Navigator Kālepa Baybayan and student speaker is communicationmajor Anne Rivera.

At 2018 Spring Commencement, UH Hilo students petition for degrees and/or certificatesfrom the colleges of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management (22); Arts andSciences (589); Business and Economics (57); Pharmacy (143); Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlaniCollege of Hawaiian Language (48); and for various post-graduate credentials (19). Keynotespeaker is Henk Rogers, a Dutch-born, Hawai‘i Island resident, video game entrepreneur andleading clean energy advocate. Students speaker is Matthew Ruiz, Jr, a sociology major whowill be entering UH Hilo’s Master of Arts in Teaching program this summer.

COMMUNITY OUTREACHThe UH Board of Regents affirms UH’s commitment to the collaborative stewardship ofMaunakea’s cultural, natural, educational and scientific resources by passing a resolution atthe Aug 2017 BOR meeting. The resolution directs the university to move forward to build aglobal model of harmonious and inspirational stewardship that integrates traditionalindigenous knowledge and modern science.

Subaru, Keck and NASA Telescopes. Mauna Kea Summit, Hawai‘i Island. Photo by Robert Linsdell via Wikimedia.

Healthcare providers throughout the state are using technology from a project led by the UHHilo pharmacy college that helps pharmacists manage high-risk patients’ medications acrossa variety of settings. The technology was first used in the federally funded $14.3 millionPharm2Pharm program, operated from the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy.Pharm2Pharm established a set of tools that were implemented through the Hawaiʻi HealthInformation Exchange system to communicate important clinical information to supportpatient care.

6/21

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center

UH Hilo Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center is doing workforce training andhelping develop sustainable seafood production. About 400 students have been employed atthe aquaculture center since workforce training started there in 2008. UH Hilo has theonly four-year aquaculture program in the state, and the center has the only facility dedicatedto aquaculture and coastal management education, research and outreach to the communityand industry.

Hōkūle’a visits Hilo; UH Hilo co-sponsors educational expo featuring programs that promote “mālama honua” or care for theplanet (see photo essay). Crew members gave presentations, canoe tours, and shared wayfinding lore and lessons learned

from the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center

‘Imiloa Astronomy Centercontinues its mission tobring together members ofthe Hawaiian andastronomy communities toshare the cultural andnatural history of Maunakeato school children, students,teachers, local residents,and visitors from around theworld.Serves 90,000 patrons in

7/21

FY18.The center’s total revenue from all sources is $3,070,615.

Earned revenue at the center itself is $585,940, and the restaurant’s is $190,136.Donations (Including membership) total $440,607. Of note: $200,000 is donated tothe garden fund—the center plans to create an outdoor classroom in its nativegarden; the garden is named in memory of Patricia Anna Weber Lee, whose familymade the donation.Total grant awards are $473,440.State funds total $884,051 (Tuition and Fees Special Fund) and $496,440 (GeneralFunds).

AdministrationThrough a UH Hilo reorganization, ‘Imiloa acquires several new positions: DeputyDirector (formerly Conference Center Director), Marketing Director, OfficeAssistant and Events Facilitator. These positions support ʻImiloa operations whilealso contributing to the overall success of the UH Hilo campus.

New outreach programsʻImiloa Culture & Science Teacher Training Program: a partnership with the UHHilo School of Education that provides ʻImiloa access to current Department ofEducation/Charter science teachers. The teachers are given access to ʻImiloacurriculum, facilities, and expert partners to formulate culture-based sciencecurriculum. They pilot their curriculum in their classrooms, and also at the centerthrough ʻImiloa programs.A Hua He Inoa: A pilot project that convenes high school students, Hawaiianlanguage experts, and astronomy experts in order to support the students increating Hawaiian names for astronomy discoveries made from Haleakalā andMaunakea.Maunakea Scholars MANU ʻImiloa: A new curriculum is created to supportʻImiloaʻs partnership with the Maunakea Scholars program.

Annual outreach programsMerrie Monarch Cultural EventsʻImiloa Annual Birthday CelebrationʻImiloa Wayfinding FestivalEducational outreach in support of community events

ENROLLMENT, RECRUITMENT, GRADUATIONDespite declining fall 2017 enrollment, graduation and recruitment continue to improve asUH Hilo meets the growing graduation performance targets set by the UH System. Fall 2017enrollment at UH Hilo is 3,539 students, down 3.5 percent from last fall. But it’s important tonote that UH Hilo recruits 415 first-time freshmen in fall 2017, up 12.5 percent from lastfall. Further, graduation rates are improving; UH Hilo sets a record in fall 2017 with 798undergraduate baccalaureate degrees awarded, a 37.3 percent increase from 2011. Totaldegrees awarded in FY18 are 942 (down 1.36 percent from FY17, which was a 6.94 percent

8/21

increase from the previous year): 785 baccalaureate degrees, 77 master degrees, 2 doctoraldegrees, and 78 professional practice. For details, see UH Hilo 2017-2018 Hawai‘i GraduationInitiative Scorecard.

Fall 2017 enrollment, detailed characteristics (selected, UH Office of Institutional Researchand Analysis) :

Total enrollment: 3,539Undergraduates: 2,945Graduate: 568Men: 1,294Women: 2,229Hawai‘i residents: 2,525Hawai‘i Island residents: 1,834Resident status: 2,429Non-resident: 1,110Western Undergrad Exchange: 300U.S. citizen: 3,163International: 136Full time: 2,743Asian: 808Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 1,222Hawaiian ancestry: 1,056Caucasian: 833Mixed race: 479First time freshman: 415First generation: 556

There are 740 students living in UH Hilo residence halls, an all-time high for occupancy inuniversity housing (compared to 672 students last fall).

The university is developing a new Enrollment Management Plan that takes an integrated,strategic and holistic approach to student success. The goal is to return enrollment to 2010levels by the year 2020. Resources are being redeployed into strengthening and developingnew student and residence life programming and creating pathways for transfer studentsfrom within state of Hawai‘i. This is part of a UH system-wide initiative to focus on coreeducation function and grow enrollment, even while the general national trend is for continuedhigher education enrollment decline. Each of the 10 campuses are developing their ownenrollment management plans with specific goals.

The Office of Financial Aid awards more than $64 million in financial aid in fall 2017 andunveils a new micro-scholarship program to Hawai‘i Island high school counselors. Thisprogram will allow students, starting from their freshman year in high school, to earn fundstoward a scholarship redeemable only upon enrollment at UH Hilo after graduation. Financial

9/21

Aid also increases communication to students through weekly emails about requirements,deadlines, and students’ financial aid academic progress status—this is expected to greatlyimpact retention.

Advising to freshmen is now mandatory, and students are required to declare a major after60 credits. Select departments are conducting their own advising, some using peer mentors;there are now dedicated academic advisors and peer advisors in psychology, kinesiology, pre-nursing, and marine science. In fall 2017, 83 students spent a total of 427 hours with mentors.Currently, the advising office is in the process of reviewing the matching of students andmentors for fall 2018 registration.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITYThe UH Hilo Office of Equal Opportunity expands its work. Here is some of the important workdone by the office in 2017-2018:

Continues to work to advance the Strategic Plan of the UH System, UH Hilo, and Hawai‘iPapa O Ke Ao.Responds quickly to allegations of sexual misconduct and other forms of discriminationon campus. Processes over 100 informal complaints, concerns, or requests forassistance/resources brought forward. Formal complaints are limited to only a handful,but are fully investigated, leading to findings and sanctions in some cases. OEO alsoresponds to external formal complaints such as those filed with the U.S. EqualEmployment Opportunity Commission and/or the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, withno findings of discrimination determined by these external agencies.Increases outreach, in-class education, faculty and staff education, tabling at events,and sponsoring or co-sponsoring events that promote the following themes: You AreNot At Fault, Take Back the Night, Hawai‘i Says No More, Blanketed by Blame, Hands areFor…, and #BehindthePost. Events include Hawai‘i Island Pride Parade and Festival; theClothesline Project; Lyrics, Lines and Love; Healthy Relationship Conversation; DenimDay; Prep Day; and the Sexual Assault Awareness Flag Display.Launches a new program called Confidential Advocacy and Prevention Education(CAPE) that focuses on strengthening resources, awareness, and preventativemeasures about sexual harassment and assault.Analyzes university’s employment data and creates an annual Affirmative Action Planas required by law and continues to offer recruiting and hiring guidance to ensure adiscrimination free selection process.Makes workplace accommodations for numerous employees , while continuingaccommodations for employees granted in prior years. The office anticipates ADArequests will continue to increase as the workforce ages and as work is more and morestationary.Reaches out to the community , collaborating on efforts to strengthen equal opportunityacross sectors. Partners include Hawai‘i Community College, the UH System’s Office ofInstitutional Equity, UH Mānoa’s PAU Violence, the Hilo Prosecutor’s Office, the localYMCA, Zonta International, and the American Association of University Women, as well

10/21

as other local and national advocates.

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS (SELECTED)

Ken Hon (far right), interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, stands with new faculty at theFall 2017 Welcome Event.

11/21

Interim Chancellor Marcia Sakai, at right, stands with faculty who received tenure in 2017 (leftto right) Andrew Polloi, Junior Specialist, Counseling Services; Celia Bardwell-Jones, Associate

Professor of Philosophy; Jiren Feng, Associate Professor of Chinese; and Marina Karides,Associate Professor of Philosophy.

The university welcomes new faculty and staff : 15 new faculty, three administrators, and fivestudent support staff joined the UH Hilo ‘ohana, in fall 2017.

Twenty-three faculty receive tenure and/or promotion.

In Nov. 2017, two Hawaiian language experts name the first interstellar object seen passingthrough the solar system using the Pan STARRS telescope on Haleakala. The object isofficially given the name ʻOumuamua. The name, which was chosen in consultation with UHHilo Hawaiian language experts Kaʻiu Kimura, executive director of ʻImiloa AstronomyCenter, and her uncle Larry Lindsey Kimura, associate professor of Hawaiian language,reflects the way this object is like a scout or messenger sent from the distant past to reach outto the solar system (ʻou means “reach out for” and mua, with the second mua placingemphasis, means “first, in advance of”).

Two faculty members of Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke’elikolani College of Hawaiian Language at UHHilo are honored at ceremonies held at the capitol where the State Legislature recognizes 40Years of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) as a state language. The UH Hilo kumu (teachers),among five statewide, are honored for their leadership in reviving and teaching ‘ōlelo Hawai‘iand teaching other subjects through ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. The honored are Associate Professor LarryLindsey Kimura and Assistant Professor Kananinohea “Kanani” Kawai‘ae‘a Māka‘imoku . Both

12/21

Kaʻiu Kimura and her uncle Larry Kimura at ʻImiloa Astronomy Center,UH Hilo campus.

are members of the faculty at Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language.

UH Hilo alumnus Jonathan Koch is awarded a prestigious fellowship, becoming one of five2018 David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellows, to study genomic diversity of Hawaiianbees. Koch is doing postdoctoral work at his alma mater, helping to establish the Hilo campusas a hub for high impact genomics science.

UH Hilo English professor’s new book explores the history of Korean immigrants to Hawai‘iIsland. The making of The Paths We Cross: The Lives and Legacies of Koreans on the BigIsland (Ka Noio ʻAʻe Ale, UH Hilo Independent Press, 2018) was a long and arduous journeytaken by Professor of English Seri Luangphinith to unveil past mysteries about the island’sKorean immigrants.

Three UH Hilo faculty are honored with annual awards in teaching excellence. Honorees: UHBoard of Regents Award for Excellence in Teaching to Steven Lundblad, professor of geology;the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching to Patricia Hensley,assistant professor of nursing; theChancellor’s Award for Excellencein Teaching to Lisa Parr, instructorin marine science.

Interim Chancellor Marcia Sakaihosts event May 3, 2018, torecognize the year’s retirees andlongtime employees’ servicemilestones. At the sameevent, award-winning members ofUH Hilo ʻohana are honored.

GRANTS AND CONTRACTAWARDS SUMMARYGRAND TOTAL FY18:$12,950,593.

Chancellor: $1,958,215 (5awards)College of Agriculture,Forestry and NaturalResource Management:$1,077,332 (16).College of Arts andSciences: $2,928,255 (32)College of Business and Economics : $120,000 (1)College of Continuing Education and Community Service : $31,750 (2)College of Pharmacy: $196,873 (8)

13/21

Seri Luangphinith

Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center : $1,142,235 (7)‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i: $832,854 (9)Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language : $1,774,041 (7)Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: $57,000 (1)Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs: $2,250 (1)Vice Chancellor forResearch: $1,482,154 (32)Vice Chancellor for StudentAffairs: $1,347,664 (12)

INFRASTRUCTUREThere are 14 ongoing CapitalImprovement Projects underwaytotaling $60 million. Top projects:

Daniel K. Inouye College ofPharmacy, $31.3MUH Telescopes onMaunakea, $4.2MLife Sciences BldgRenovations, $4.9MEmergency Shelter, Student Housing, $2.8M

A $6.4 million air conditioning upgrade at Hale ‘Alahonua Housing is initiated ($3M approved,$3.4M request FY19).

A new gathering place is created on campus outside the Sciences and Technology Building .The new solar charging stations—picnic tables with overhead solar panels and ports forcharging electronic devices—were built through a collaborative project in the summer of 2017with UH Hilo and Hawai‘i Community College pooling resources.

Three classrooms at UH Hilo are transformed into spacious, interactive learning spaces infall 2017. The rooms are outfitted with technology for students to plug in laptops throughwhich they can interact freely with each other and professors, absorb information from smart3-D screens and sound bar systems, and write down ideas in shared media. The project is partof the UH System goal to create 21st Century Facilities and “modernize facilities and campusenvironments to be safe, sustainable and supportive of modern practices in teaching, learningand research,” and is the first step in the development of a formal UH Hilo 21st centuryclassroom plan.

RESEARCH (SELECTED)Lava Flow

UH Hilo has a vital role in response to historic lava eruption on Hawaiʻi Island . UH Hiloprofessors, scientists and students are providing valuable expertise and resources on

14/21

Shihwu Sung

multiple fronts, helping government officials assess the hazards to the public and itspersonnel, and decide where and how to respond.UH Hilo is providing real-time chemistry analysis of lava samples to U.S. GeologicalSurvey scientists to help determine how the lava will behave and how fast it willmove. UH Hilo has been analyzing lava flow samples from Kīlauea since 2013 but thecomposition barely changed. Then came the May 2018 flow and a dramatic change. UHHilo volcanologist Cheryl Gansecki says it’s the first time anyone has tried to really lookat the chemistry at the same time the volcano is erupting. UH Hilo researchers are using seafaring robots to study lava entering ocean at KapohoBay. Now that the lava flow is entering the ocean at the bay (June 2018), a team ofresearchers is using autonomous ocean robots, an unmanned technology, to capture liveocean data close to the entry area.

Shihwu Sung, professor ofapplied engineering at UH Hilo, isconducting research onconverting waste into biodieselenergy. The research project isSung’s primary focus since he washired in 2014 as coordinator of theuniversity’s energy engineeringprogram after previously servingin a prestigious position at IowaState University.

Aquaculturist Maria Haws isleading a new project to developopportunities in shellfish farmingfor Hawaiʻi and the U.S. affiliatedPacific Islands. The project is funded by the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration via the UH Sea Grant program. Haws, an associate professor of aquacultureand director of the UH Hilo Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center, will manage the$150,000 grant, which is part of 18 Sea Grant programs around the country to receive fundingfrom NOAA Sea Grant. The purpose is to advance the development of a sustainable marineand coastal aquaculture industry in the United States.

UH Hilo researchers, in affiliation with Duke and Cornell universities, co-author a study thatsuggests making croplands more efficient through algae production could unlock an importantnegative emission technology to combat climate change. The research is funded by a U.S.Department of Energy award and is published in the journal Earth’s Future. This funding is aMarine Algae Industrialization Consortium (MAGIC) grant for which Bruce Mathews, dean ofthe UH Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management, serves as thefacilitating principal investigator at UH Hilo.

A collaborative team from several institutions, including UH Hilo, are investigating behavior15/21

Adam Pack prepares to measure a female humpback whale usingvideogrammetry in waters off Maui, Hawai‘i. Courtesy photo.

of humpback whale mothers in Hawaiian breeding grounds. The researchers believe whalemothers with calves employ astrategy in habitat selection thatmay help them avoid maleharassment. A member of theteam, Adam Pack , is a professorand researcher at UH Hilo withjoint appointments in psychologyand biology. Pack’s researchfocuses on marine mammalbehavioral ecology and cognition;he has been studying humpbackwhales in Hawai‘i, their majorbreeding grounds, for over 20years.

UH Hilo researchers are part of team studying coral under historic World War II battlefield. Analumnus and a graduate student from UH Hilo take part in an expedition in early April with ateam of researchers to study a forgotten World War II battlefield in the Western Pacific. Theresearch team is studying the impact on surrounding coral communities from the amphibiousinvasion of Peleliu in the Republic of Palau.

STEMThe National Science Foundation awards $1,099,959 to UH to support the advancement ofwomen and minorities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fieldsat its seven community colleges. A partnership between UH Community Colleges and UH Hilo,the project will use virtual tools to connect remote island campus locations in mentoring andcoaching trainings for administrators and senior faculty. The program will also implement amentoring and coaching program for women STEM faculty of diverse race and ethnicbackgrounds.

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS (SELECTED)Rose Hart, a graduate student in tropical conservation biology and environmental science,wins a prestigious award for her climate change research using drones. Hart received anExcellent Award at the 2017 Forum Math-for-Industry conference held at UH Mānoa for herresearch using small unmanned aerial systems to map shoreline change at Hapuna StateBeach Park.

Current UH Hilo undergraduate Rosie Lee and recent graduate Keelee Martin spend a monthas part of a NOAA research team studying the effects of climate change on the reef and fishpopulations in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The purpose of the voyage aboardthe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Hi‘ialakai to PapahānaumokuākeaMarine National Monument is to conduct research on coral and fish populations. Lee istrained to be a part of the Rapid Ecological Assessment fish team. Martin is an intern on the

16/21

Graduate student and researcher Rose Hart holds a drone she used tosurvey coastal areas.

Keelee Martin (front) conducts benthic surveys during her 33-dayinternship aboard a NOAA ship in the protected French Frigate Shoals.

Photo by Stephen Matadobra/NOAA.

Benthic Team, the group that investigated coral.

UH Hilo presents the annual Parade of Nations as part of International Education Week inNovember. The event celebrates United Nations Day and the university’s geographic andethnic diversity. United Nations Day honors and promotes human rights, social progress, andworld peace. Students from different parts of the world also shared displays about theircountries on the Library Lanai.

17/21

A group of international students who participated in the Parade of Nations.

English students in Rome, Italy, where they presented their research papers at an internationalconference.

18/21

Juvette Kahawai‘i and Interim Chancellor Marcia Sakai at HIPlan awardceremonies, Sept. 2017.

English majors U‘ilani Dasalla, Tynsl Kailimai, Ciarra-Lynn Parinas, and LeomanaolamaikalaniPeleiholani-Blankenfeld eachpresent their research papers at atthe International Journal of Artsand Sciences conference held atThe British School of Rome, Italy.The conference featured over 100international scholars in Nov.2017.

A senior from the School ofBusiness and Economics wins thecost of tuition for her entry in abusiness plan competition.Business major JuvetteKahawai‘i draws up a plan tolaunch Kupa‘a Tax and Accounting Corporation, a family business that will provide not only taxpreparation but bookkeeping and payroll administration for small businesses. For the award,UH Hilo will cover the cost of Kahawai‘i’s tuition next year, about $7,200.

Graduate student Jeffery Stallman is taking part in an ambitious worldwide project headedby the Smithsonian. The goal of the Global Genome Initiative is to collect at least one speciesfrom half of the genera (estimated 160,000 -200,000) on Earth by 2020. In support of theexpansive project, the Smithsonian has provided funding for Stallman to take the lead ongathering tissue samples and analyzing the DNA from all native plants inthe Compositae (daisy) family found on Hawai‘i Island.

UH Hilo students excel at the 13th Annual Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) –Future Health Professionals State Leadership Conference held on O‘ahu in Feb. 2018. All 10delegates placed in competitive events, with one team taking first place in the public serviceannouncement category. The students are undergraduates at UH Hilo and have varying majorsand fields of interest such as nursing, pre-nursing, pre-pharmacy, and pre-medicine.

UH Hilo hosts the annual International Nights (see photo essay) in Feb. 2018. Each year, theUH Hilo International Student Association produces a two-night show that features danceperformances from the many different cultures and countries represented at UH Hilo.International Nights is a long-standing tradition at the university that spans over threedecades, and is a favorite event on campus among students, the community and visitors.

UH Hilo Marine Option Program students bring home awards from statewide MOPSymposium. The students are outstanding representatives of UH Hilo, and bring home fourmajor awards, including best research presentation. Winners: Julia Stewart wins best research

19/21

State Rep. Mark Nakashima (center) stands with UH Hilo HOSAdelegates (l-r) Jeremy Villanueva, Lark Jason Canico, Kelly Gani, LeslieArce, Travis Taylor, Sheldon Cabudol and Deserie Pagatpatan. Missing:

Daniel Kimura, Kateleen Caye Bio and Kendrick Justin Dalmacio.Courtesy photo.

UH Hilo’s PV array system has a capacity of about 500 KW and isdistributed among the Student Services Center, the College of Businessand Economics facility (formerly the old Student Services Building), the

Mookini Library, and the Performing Arts Center. The array saves theuniversity approximately $300,000 per year in electricity costs. Click

photo to enlarge.

presentation and also the Ana Toy Ng MOP Memorial award for her outstanding contributionsto MOP; Wheatley Crawley winsbest poster presentation for herproject; and Michelle Nason winsthe John P. Craven Child of theSea award for her workestablishing a coral nursery onHawai‘i Island.

Sixty-six UH Hilo Vulcans arehonored for academicachievement. Student-athleteswho were on a team last fall, andachieved an accumulative gradepoint average of 3.3 or higher,qualified for the award.

SUSTAINABILITYUH Hilo continues to take the leadin many initiatives that focus onclean energy andsustainability. There are manyprojects and initiatives happeningon campus that stretch across awide variety of sectors. Some ofthese projects include repair andrenovation, moving the universitytoward a more sustainable andgreen future. A major goal of theseprojects is to become carbonneutral by 2050—the renovationsand changes are helping to reachthis goal. Learn more about UHHilo’s battery storage, lighting,energy rebates, and “The BigPlan.”

In energy savings, UH Hilo is a leader in the UH System on sub-metering and baseline datarecording, bi-level lighting, energy requirements in design contracts, a reinvestment account,and Hawai‘i Energy Rebates. The campus is implementing full energy metering and monitoringof campus buildings. Currently, 100 meters record and report photovoltaic array data for all PVinstallations on campus. The data helps assess and calculate savings. To date, LED lightingconversion has been completed in 20 buildings, saving a calculated 217,524 kWh annually, andpower savings continue to increase.

20/21

An Energy Storage and Green Waste to Energy project is under construction at UH Hilo . Thepilot project, which consists of a new 250KW/500KWH self-contained turn-key battery storageand power generation system, will provide a new self-contained turn-key battery storage andpower generation system for the campus. The battery storage is designed for peak utility rateshaving and storing renewable energy, meaning energy will be stored during lower demandenergy periods and then used during high demand energy periods.

UH students, faculty and staff gather for the 6th Annual Hawaiʻi Sustainability in HigherEducation Summit in Feb. 2018 on Hawaiʻi Island. This year’s theme is on the “ Meeting ofWisdoms,” with focus on indigenous ways of knowing and western empirical science.Delegations from all 10 UH campuses learn from local practitioners, national experts onsustainability, and each other while setting the action agenda for upcoming campusinitiatives. A panel discussion on incorporating Hawaiian cultural knowledge with modernwestern science to meet the sustainability challenges facing Hawai‘i is held on the Hilocampus during the summit.

The Students of Sustainability (SOS Club) is working on a campus compost initiative bysecuring bins for the Campus Center Dining Room. The bins will help UH Hilo reduce its foodwaste because the waste collected will be composted near one of the campus’s sustainabilitygardens. Members of the SOS club are providing the labor for this project and will help ensurethe composting process is completed correctly and safely.

Send comments/corrections on the report to Susan Enright.

A PDF of this report can be downloaded by clicking on the printer icon below and selecting thePDF option. If things don’t line up properly in the PDF, or if you want to include only a section ofthe report, you can delete selected sections or photos as you wish before saving to your files.

21/21