The 2023 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching goes to Sothy Eng of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences. The award is a testament to Sothy’s dedication, passion, and positive impact he’s had on students and broader educational community. His commitment to fostering an environment of learning and innovative teaching methods have not gone unnoticed.

The 2023 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Extension goes to Nancy Ooki of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Since 2018, Nancy’s “My PI Hawai‘i” has trained Maui youths in fire safety and suppression, search-and-rescue, C.P.R., disaster psychology, and other topics in FEMA’s Teen Community Emergency Response Team. By the final disaster simulation, youths can demonstrate knowledge and skills in first aid, triage, communications, and damage assessment. 

Nine lucky students traveled with me to one of the largest fashion conventions in the world in Las Vegas, February 14 and 15. Each year, “Magic” attracts vendors and manufacturers from around the world to showcase their collections to industry buyers. This event is not open to the public, but as faculty in the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences, I was able to take students to experience this aspect of the fashion industry. 

In response to the wildfire disasters in Lahaina and Kula, Maui 4-H quickly organized a statewide disaster response training – Hawai‘i’s first-ever event tailored specifically for teens. With 110 high school students from every Hawaiian island gathering at Baldwin H.S. in Wailuku, and a program based on the national Community Emergency Response Team administered by FEMA, it was a rare and valuable opportunity to both train for emergencies and discuss ways to contribute to the long-term disaster recovery process and future disaster planning.

You’ve seen Shark Tank? Well, welcome to Space Tank. A UH research team led by Shu-Hwa Lin of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences, Fashion Design and Merchandising Program, is heading to Houston to compete in NASA’s MITTIC Competition. Besides participating in the federal space agency’s contest – the first Hawaiʻi group to do so – the team will seek guidance from NASA experts who study fire resistance during spaceship re-entry.