Next week, the Joint Western Directors Summer Meeting will be held in faraway Fairbanks, Alaska, and will include an awards ceremony that will honor, among others, Yanghua He of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences.

The 2023 Dean’s Award for Outstanding Alumnus goes to Ken Kamiya, founder of Kamiya Gold, Inc. Since graduating from CTAHR in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Tropical Crop Production, Ken has shown a significant and lasting impact in the local papaya industry, applying his expertise in agriculture and knowledge in collaboration with CTAHR. He is an exemplary individual and we are proud he is our alumnus; his dedication to our college, the Hawaiʻi agriculture industry, economic vitality, and people is immeasurable. 

Raised on a sugar plantation on Hawaiʻi Island, Lorraine Inouye rose to become the first Filipino-American woman in the United States to serve as mayor of a U.S. County. A public servant for more than four decades, she has faced tough decisions on controversial issues, but through them all has remained true to her core values: “Work hard. Always be honest. Help one another whenever possible.”  

Susan Crow, a professor in the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, is the 2023 recipient of the CTAHR Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research. Susan brings technical expertise and leadership to diverse tables for land-based climate action and (re)perpetuating landscape health with formal training in soil biogeochemistry and ecology. 

Angelina is a member of the Horticulture Society, SOFT and C.A.R.P. She works well in teams that promote interests and involvement in horticultural science and plant production in all stages from planting and growing, including selling to raise funds for the club, and cleaning up after events.