A faculty member and student took home national awards from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) annual conference held in Kentucky in April. The AACC represents more than 1,000 two-year associate degree granting institutions in the U.S.

Christina Keaulana

Assistant Professor Christina Keaulana received the 2024 Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Award, which recognizes faculty who demonstrate passion for their ߣsir��Ƶ by supporting them in and out of the classroom, participating in college committees, and going above and beyond to ensure student success.

Playing an integral role in designing innovative solutions to long-standing accessibility barriers to higher education, including those facing the state’s Native ߣsir��Ƶian population, Keaulana created two pathways to teacher licensure for candidates with a bachelor’s degree as well as those without any higher education background. Utilizing a community strengths-based approach, her pathways target local candidates, creating a home-grown, sustainable workforce to serve our unique public school population.

“I am deeply proud of the program I designed to cater to the needs of ߣsir��Ƶ who are working full-time, caring for children or kupuna (elders), or who simply need an affordable and flexible pathway to become a teacher in their home community. Receiving this award is a testament to the hard work of a committed team of professionals at Leeward. We have built a reputation as a welcoming, supportive college community that provides each student with the individualized care and consideration they deserve to receive,” said Keaulana.

Megan Riddle

Student Megan Riddle, will be ߣsir��Ƶuating in May with an associate degree in applied science in health information technology. She was named as a 2024 New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar for which more than 2,200 applications were received. Riddle was the top scoring student from ߣsir��Ƶʻi. She was also selected as a 2024 Pacific Region Transfer Scholar, as one of two top-scorers in the Pacific Region for the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship competition. Riddle will receive scholarships of $2,500 and $1,000, respectively, for these awards.

Riddle was once homeless and struggles with working as a low-income, single parent. She enrolled in college out of desperation and now excels academically and contributes to her community, through her work with Mālama Puʻuloa (a nonprofit restoring Pearl Harbor).

“Winning these awards helps me realize that others can see that same potential I always knew I had deep down,” said Riddle.

“I am so proud of Christina and Megan,” said Leeward CC Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza. “They are shining examples of how resilient our ߣsir��Ƶ are, and how committed our faculty are to their success at Leeward and beyond.”

Graduating from is an extraordinary accomplishment for Sasha DeLima, after overcoming devastating adversity, including struggling as a low-income single mother, surviving domestic abuse and losing a beloved family member. Despite these challenges, and with the support of her family and friends, DeLima will soon be a first-generation college ߣsir��Ƶuate.

Young single mother

DeLima was born in Kailua, Oʻahu, but moved to California with her grandparents while still an infant.

“Growing up, my mom (also a single mother) was always working and they (grandparents) practically raised me.” she recalled.

After ߣsir��Ƶuating from high school in California she took a year off, unsure of what to do. She had a desire to take care of her aging grandparents, and this led her to explore work as a pharmacy technician, with aspirations of becoming a pharmacist.

Her plans to attend pharmacy college in California changed, however, after the birth of her son in 2017. Soon after, while on a trip to visit family in ߣsir��Ƶʻi, she broke up with her then boyfriend and was unable to return to California. Having only the “shirt on her back,” she worked hard to earn full custody of her son and was determined to build a life on Oʻahu.

Depression and abuse

A spinal injury that resulted from complications during childbirth continued to impact her, and DeLima fell into depression. Her friends and family encouraged her to socialize.After making an effort, she began dating someone, but he turned out to be manipulative and abusive. He assaulted her, stole her car and was later arrested for attempted robbery. DeLima later found out that he abused drugs.

This happened while she was trying to go back to college at Leeward CC in 2019, and her abuser prevented her from attending classes.

Returning to college

Her family and her best friend continued to support DeLima and encouraged her to go back to college, after leaving her abuser. Her best friend even paid off her outstanding debt so she could return to Leeward CC.

“When the abuse happened… I thought everything was my fault,” she said. “He wouldnʻt allow me to go to school, wouldn’t allow me to go to work. But, once I found my way out, I took that chance and I never looked back.”

Upon her return to college, she was doing very well until her grandfather fell ill and eventually passed. It was very difficult for DeLima. Not knowing where to turn, she sought help from her Leeward CC counselors in order to keep up with her classes and provide support for her family.

“ I’m so thankful that I had the support and the knowledge from people here at Leeward,” she said. “ Everybody was there when I needed them the most. I would not have been able to make Papa (her grandfather) as comfortable as he was before he left us (without their support).”

The future

On May 10, DeLima will proudly participate in commencement with Leeward CC’s class of 2024. After receiving her associate degree in liberal arts, she will attend to pursue a bachelor’s degree and plans to continue on to medical school at .

Despite not having a college ߣsir��Ƶuate within her immediate family to encourage her, DeLima always valued higher education.

“This is the path I want to be on because now I have my own son. Since I didn’t have that role model… I want to be my own role model to my family,” DeLima said. “I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m just thankful that I’m here—I’m just overwhelmed with joy and happiness.”

In an effort to advance a sustainable blue economy in ߣsir��Ƶʻi, the University of ߣsir��Ƶʻi (CliRAIM) and , the world’s first aquaculture accelerator, hosted the AquaHack workshop in Kona, ߣsir��Ƶʻi on April 18. The blue economy refers to coastal- and ocean-based industries such as aquaculture, biotechnology or blue carbon, in which carbon dioxide is sequestered from the atmosphere to mitigate climate change.

CliRAIM, and Hatch Blue welcomed ocean stewards, technology trailblazers, entrepreneurs, engineers, innovators and scientists who seek to create positive social, environmental and economic change in ߣsir��Ƶʻi.

“We are particularly focused on advancing innovations for the blue economy in ways that are sustainable and culturally informed—a major goal is to identify strategies to generate more food locally and create livelihoods that improve our societal resilience,” said Erik Franklin, CliRAIM director and associate research professor at the in the ߣsir��Ƶ Mānoa (SOEST). “For the AquaHack event, the participants generated exciting potential solutions to current challenges in aquaculture for both traditional Native ߣsir��Ƶian fishponds as well as modern aquaculture approaches.”

Taking talent to the next level

“We hope that the AquaHack eliminates barriers to progressing sustainable ocean-related food or business ideas,” said Dylan Howell, Hatch Blue Operations Manager, Americas. “The impetus for organizing the workshop was to help bring �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s talent to their next level—we’ve now connected a solid network of innovators that will lead the charge.”

AquaHack was focused on acquainting people with varying and complementary skill sets. Whether attendees were innovators with a great idea who needed to network with talented, successful industry leaders, or entrepreneurs with technology in-hand who could benefit from expertise in sales and marketing, the event aimed to connect the dots. It provided an opportunity to engage, consult and form business relationships with industry experts from all over the blue economy supply chain.

CliRAIM is a program of a National Science Foundation-funded Development Engine led by ߣsir��Ƶ that advances an equitable and inclusive regional innovation ecosystem for climate resilience, food security and renewable energy in ߣsir��Ƶʻi and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

The University of ߣsir��Ƶʻi at Mānoa Justin Lisoway was named to the Men’s Swimming and Diving Academic All-America third team on April 24. Lisoway, majoring in computer science, was one of the seven honorees with a perfect GPA and the first member of the ߣsir��Ƶ men’s swimming and diving team to earn this recognition since 2004.

Lisoway has a remarkable list of accolades, as a three-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Academic Team selection and made the CSC Academic All-District team the last two years. He also received the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America’s Scholar All-America award multiple times. Recently, he received the Jenny Matsuda Award—the ߣsir��Ƶ Athletics Department’s highest academic honor—for the fourth straight year.

In the pool, Lisoway won the 100 breaststroke title and swam on two record-breaking relay teams at the MPSF Swimming and Diving Championships in February. He contributed 47 points to ߣsir��Ƶ‘s total to help the Rainbow Warriors capture their first team championship since 2020. He earned AllMPSF first-team honors in four events and made the second team in the 200 individual medley.

For more on Lisoway, go to

The mission of the University of ߣsir��Ƶʻi at Mānoa (CTAHR) is to secure the future of ߣsir��Ƶʻi by building local self-sufficiency in food and agricultural products, according to CTAHR’s new Dean Parwinder Grewal who started on March 1. It was part of Grewal’s first speech to CTAHR faculty and staff at the four-day, state of the college conference in April 2024.

“CTAHR’s inclusive vision is to secure the future of ߣsir��Ƶʻi through collaborative innovation and merging the Western, Asian, Hispanic, and Native ߣsir��Ƶian knowledge systems,” said Grewal, adding that local self sufficiently has to happen while also, “enhancing the health of ߣsir��Ƶian ecosystems, families and communities through research, teaching and cooperative Extension.”

Grewal also focused on the challenges in ߣsir��Ƶʻi that CTAHR research and extension can help address including �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s energy supply, with more than 80% of the energy being imported (mostly as oil); �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s food supply with 85–90% of our food being imported; and food security with 11% of families and 1 in 6 children facing food insecurity in the state.

“We can help develop ag stations as hubs of prosperity by establishing sustainable production systems with locally relevant food, feed, forage, fiber, floriculture, timber, seed production, livestock, swine, and small ruminant (sheep, goat) production,” said Grewal.

Grewal also discussed CTAHR’s student enrollment trends over the past five years. Student numbers have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, however programs such as natural resources and environmental management, molecular biosciences and bioengineering and more are trending upward. In the past three years CTAHR ߣsir��Ƶ have also been awarded $780,618 in scholarships to support student success. Currently 43% of CTAHR ߣsir��Ƶ are ߣsir��Ƶʻi residents with Native ߣsir��Ƶians representing 13% of the student population.

Grewal also identified supporting student success, cooperative extension workforce and extramural awards as other areas that CTAHR will focus on moving forward. CTAHR faculty had a record year in 2023 with $47 million in extramural awards.

The conference included keynote speakers, educational sessions and showcased research at the symposium. CTAHR faculty and staff had the opportunity to tour some of the CTAHR‘s research and Extension stations based on Oʻahu.

With more than two months to go before the close of fiscal year 2024 (FY2024), the University of ߣsir��Ƶʻi has already exceeded last year’s record $515.9 million extramural funding haul with a total of $516.6 million, as of April 22. This marks the third consecutive year that ߣsir��Ƶ has topped half a billion dollars in extramural funding and is on track to establish a new record total estimated at $550 million to close FY2024. This year’s estimated record-setting number would represent a $34.1 million or 6.6% increase over the previous record last year.

“We are extremely pleased with our record-setting intake of extramural funding, which again must be attributed to our hard-working and dedicated faculty, staff and ߣsir��Ƶuate ߣsir��Ƶ,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos. “While more is good, we also need to be better. Over the next three to five years, ߣsir��Ƶ must make the necessary upߣsir��Ƶes to our current research infrastructure to accommodate this rapid growth and to continue our leading role as a knowledge provider and economic driver for the state of ߣsir��Ƶʻi.”

Research that matters

Much of ߣsir��Ƶ’s success can be attributed to its strategic focus on “research that matters,” including an expansive range of cross-disciplinary projects in land and ocean conservation, renewable energy, food and agroforestry, space science and engineering, cancer research, sea level rise, wildfire mitigation and healthcare initiatives. The recent success is also attributed to the establishment of the , the first of its kind at a major university, which has brought together ߣsir��Ƶ researchers with ʻ�徱�Բ� (land) organizations and practitioners to conduct important place-based research initiatives.

“We are very proud that the faculty, staff and ߣsir��Ƶ at ߣsir��Ƶ Mānoa are leading the way toward this record-breaking performance,” said ߣsir��Ƶ Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “It is important to also recognize that we have greatly expanded the involvement of underߣsir��Ƶuate ߣsir��Ƶ in our world-class research, thereby ensuring that student learning is inspired and informed by research and creative work that matters to ߣsir��Ƶʻi and to the world.”

Extramural funding is defined as external investments from agencies such as the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and training activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Extramural projects support research and innovation that helps to increase knowledge and provide solutions to improve quality of life.

“Increasing extramural funding is a key strategy in our commitment to diversify our resource base from traditional reliance solely on state general funds and tuition, and I couldn’t be prouder that each of our four major academic units is ahead of last year,” said ߣsir��Ƶ President David Lassner. “This half billion dollars represents the confidence of the federal government and many other funders in the excellence and effectiveness across the ߣsir��Ƶ System and allows us to create thousands of high-quality jobs across the islands with overall economic impact well over a billion dollars for ߣsir��Ƶʻi.”

Research conducted by ߣsir��Ƶ has a major impact on the state’s economy. A 2021 study by the ߣsir��Ƶ Economic Research Organization showed that research-related expenditures totaled nearly $477 million in FY2020 and generated $735 million of total business sales, $237 million of employee earnings and $42 million of state tax revenue, while supporting an estimated 5,400 jobs.

A new opportunity to support professional development opportunities and foster diversity and inclusion was launched within the University of ߣsir��Ƶʻi at Mānoa (SOEST). A total of 16 projects were awarded funding for spring and summer 2024.

Catalyst Awards for Science Advancement (CASA) are small grants, up to $3,000, in three focus areas: technical training and holistic career development of female ߣsir��Ƶuate ߣsir��Ƶ, staff, and faculty who are a part of ; advancing diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and/or fostering a Native ߣsir��Ƶian place of learning in SOEST; and attracting and training the next generation of planetary explorer-scientists.

“It was amazing to see such innovative and impactful activities proposed,” said Barbara Bruno, CASA program director. “Many were collaborative, bringing together faculty, staff and ߣsir��Ƶ from across SOEST. It’s exciting to support such great projects.”

Supporting professional development

Women-in-SOEST members received support to conduct fieldwork and laboratory experiments, purchase equipment, attend workshops, present at national and international conferences, and develop new research collaborations. Fernanda Henderikx-Freitas traveled to University of California, Santa Barbara to learn a state-of-the-art technique to characterize oceanic particles, Emily Costello will present an invited talk at an upcoming astrobiology conference, and Juliana Peckenpaugh and Meryem Berrada enrolled in an online data science course.

“I’m incredibly thankful that the CASA funding will allow me to take a prestigious course in data science offered by Harvard University to boost my skills in this field and provide workshops to Women-in-SOEST members to ensure nobody gets left behind when it comes to programming and data science,” said Peckenpaugh, a SOEST ߣsir��Ƶuate student.

Community, student outreach

All SOEST ߣsir��Ƶuate ߣsir��Ƶ, faculty or staff members were eligible to apply for a grant to further DEI or conduct outreach to train the next generation of planetary science explorers. Funded projects also included outreach to community members and K-12 ߣsir��Ƶ in ߣsir��Ƶʻi.

“I was so thankful for the CASA grant funding that allowed me to bring Graduate Women in Science volunteers to four high schools around the state of ߣsir��Ƶʻi, as well as fund a visit from female ߣsir��Ƶ at Maryknoll High School to come and visit labs at ߣsir��Ƶ Mānoa,” said Linnea Wolniewicz, a ߣsir��Ƶ Mānoa computer and information sciences ߣsir��Ƶuate student. “It was very special to be able to educate ߣsir��Ƶ on discovering exoplanets from a completely female cohort of scientists, and inspire young girls to attend college and study science.”

In addition, the CASA program requires funded projects to disseminate what they did or learned, creating a positive ripple effect wherein others can benefit from their experiences and knowledge gained.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

The U.S. Mint celebrated the recent release of a quarter in Washington, D.C. honoring Patsy Takemoto Mink, a distinguished University of ߣsir��Ƶʻi alumna. The quarter honoring Mink is the second release in 2024 and the 12th coin overall in the .

Nearly 200 attendees enjoyed the special celebration in the Cannon Caucus Room in the Cannon House Office Building. It included formal remarks, a short film about Mink, a coin pour and a panel discussion. The event was held in partnership with the National Women’s History Museum and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

Special guests included Wendy Mink, daughter of Patsy Mink; Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono and Ed Case, Judy Chu and Jill Tokuda members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

• Related ߣsir��Ƶ News stories: Q&A: Patsy T. Mink’s legacy and impact, April 16, 2024
  Quarter honoring Title IX champion Patsy T. Mink is released, March 28, 2024

“Remember that Patsy’s sacrifice has benefited each of us, not only individually and collectively, but benefited us as a nation because Title IX still stands,” said U.S. Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson.

Hirono said “I hope this quarter will serve as a similar reminder and motivator to women and girls, and men in our country, because equal rights should be a matter of solid support from all of us…this quarter will be a reminder that the fight continues.”

Following the formal remarks, Gibson, Pelosi, Mink and Hirono participated in a coin pour, a ceremonial way of introducing the coin to the public. The women emptied 2,000 Patsy Mink quarters into two lauhala baskets surrounded by lei.

The program concluded with a panel discussion led by Erika L. Moritsugu with panelists Felicia Kornbluh, Judy Tzu-Chun Wu and Elizabeth A. Novara.

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Fun, hands-on STEM lessons are a focus for Candide Krieger, who is earning her master’s degree from the College of Education (EDCS) at the University of ߣsir��Ƶʻi at Mānoa.

A part-time STEM/STEAM resource teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, Krieger is in the college’s .

She is creating ߣsir��Ƶʻi-focused, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Edukits—filled with lessons and supplies—for kids in Title I schools with support from a $1.7-million , for which EDCS Professor Pauline Chinn serves as principal investigator. Krieger is also conducting research on the effectiveness of the kits for teacher and student engagement and learning.

• Related ߣsir��Ƶ News story: Teacher leadership program promotes integration of science with culture and place, June 26, 2017

“Candide’s ߣsir��Ƶ learn and retain so much when the lessons connect to their lives and interests, like using Oreos to study moon phases!” Chinn said. “She continues to seek funding opportunities through competitions and fundraising platforms in order to develop these hands-on lessons that ߣsir��Ƶ find engaging and fun-damental.”

Krieger also started a ����ʻ���� lapaʻau (medicinal ߣsir��Ƶian garden) at Jefferson, and she volunteers there on the weekend. In one project, her ߣsir��Ƶ used branches trimmed from a wauke (paper mulberry) in the garden to create a rainforest. And, before going to the Symphony of the ߣsir��Ƶian Birds performance, they crafted rainforest birds to hang from the branches.

Entrepreneurship grant

Krieger recently won a $1,000 from the (PACE) for Edukits ߣsir��Ƶʻi. This prize will cover a portion of her start-up costs, such as non-profit filing fees, website development, and other resources for the kits. She is also in the final round of PACE’s , which includes a $10,000 cash prize.

“Sometimes I put my own money towards my classroom because I want my ߣsir��Ƶ to do more than just worksheets,” Krieger said. “It’s really important to me that they have fun hands-on activities like clay, kinetic sand, pipe cleaners and construction paper. We even learned how to make pickles last year!”

After ߣsir��Ƶuating from Kaimukī High School, Krieger earned her BS in natural resource and environmental management as well as an AA in ߣsir��Ƶian Studies, AS in communication arts, and a certificate of competence in entrepreneurship.

“Place-based education was something I was doing naturally in my teaching by combining my knowledge from my multiple degrees and from my experiences being born and raised here in ߣsir��Ƶʻi,” Krieger said. “I did not know place-based education was an actual method of teaching until I took a seminar with Dr. Chinn. Her class sparked my interest in pursuing an MEd. Everything that we did in class was relevant to me and helped boost my confidence with starting my non-profit.”

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The ’s highest individual honor, the Jack Bonham Award, was presented to Olivia Davies of , Kaylee Glagau of and Spyros Chakas of at the 11th annual H Awards on April 23.

The tie for the women’s award marks just the fourth tie since the award was first presented in 1974. Davies is the second basketball student-athlete in the last three years to win the award and 11th all-time. Glagau is just the second beach volleyball recipient joining Katie Spieler in 2016.

Chakas is the fifth men’s volleyball honoree in the last six years along with Jakob Thelle (2023), Rado Parapunov (2021), Colton Cowell (2020), Stijn van Tilburg (2018), and 11th all-time.

ߣsir��Ƶ’s first Bonham Award recipient, Joey Estrella, was on hand to present the awards on its 50th anniversary.

Considered the most prestigious award in ߣsir��Ƶ athletics, the Jack Bonham Award is named for the late assistant athletics director who was killed in 1974 in a plane crash in American Samoa. Since 1974, the Bonham Award is given annually to the top male and female senior student-athlete who “best exemplifies the ideals for which Jack Bonham stood for in the areas of athletic excellence, academic achievement, public service, leadership and character.”

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