The 2021 CTAHR Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research recognizes the outstanding scientific contributions of Michael Melzer, Associate Researcher in the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences (PEPS) and Principal Investigator for the UHM/CTAHR Agrosecurity Laboratory.  After completing both his MS and PhD degrees at UHM, Mike joined the PEPS faculty and quickly established a notable research and education program specializing in agrosecurity, with a focus on pest detection, survey, management, and eradication.

A highly productive researcher who is also recognized for his excellent teaching, extension, and interpersonal skills, Mike was awarded tenure in PEPS in 2019.

In just three years (2018-2020), Mike authored or co-authored 27 refereed journal articles and, as Principal Investigator, garnered 27 contract and grant awards worth $7.3 million.

Mike’s dedication to safeguarding agriculture in Hawaiʻi is evident in his exceptional program on agrosecurity, which is providing the scientific understanding needed to more effectively detect and control emerging and invasive pathogens in our Islands. His research is also proving beneficial to scientists, farmers, regulators, and other stakeholders around the world.

“Can Urban Farming Solve Hawaii’s Food Crisis?,” which ran Monday in the online Honolulu Civil Beat, includes input from Ted Radovich and Kent Kobayashi of the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. CTAHR continues its long-standing commitment to providing students and stakeholders training on a wide range of agricultural technologies, Ted explains. We’ve identified ‘protected agriculture’ technologies (including greenhouses and screenhouses) as a priority area for expansion in the future.

He adds that already, hydroponics and aquaponics are a component of multiple TPSS classes. Also, there are always opportunities for directed study, and students have focused on indoor hydroponics and aquaponics. As an example, he cites a controlled-environment aquaponics system developed by MSc student Marissa Lee under advisor JP Bingham (see photo).

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For this year’s UHM Aloha United Way campaign, all faculty and staff in the CTAHR database get a free ticket for a chance to win! But wait, there’s more! Every time you donate to the UHM AUW, you get a second ticket. Donate again and you’ll get a third ticket!

What could you win? Why, an awesome box set of door prizes from the Office of Communication Services (OCS)!

• 1 CTAHR polo shirt (traditional or brand new design)
• 1 CTAHR baseball cap (sweeet!)
• 1 CTAHR groceries bag (high-quality canvas)
• 1 CTAHR baby onesie (not pictured but incoming)

At end of the UHM AUW campaign (Oct. 8), OCS will obtain a list from AUW of all CTAHR donors and donations, add these extra tickets to the CTAHR directory list, pull a random ticket, and announce the lucky winner of this fabulous door prize.

How to donate online:

1. Visit UHM AUW
2. Log on with your UH ID and Default Password “”
3. Create a personal AUW account
4. Donate online
5. Also visit Instructions and FAQs if any questions.

Operators are standing by! So visit the UHM AUW campaign now and boost your chances for winning cool CTAHR gear.

Kualoa Ranch has a half-dozen positions open in its Diversified Ag Department, including soil-based farming, aquaculture, and other fields. “We’re glad to recruit from the CTAHR ‘ohana, and help place them in areas where they would fit in well!,” says Anthony Mau, an MBBE alum. “There’s plenty of opportunity.” Get more info at Kualoa Ranch.

If you missed the premiere of the 55th annual UHM Fashion Show, it’s not too late to catch the designs and virtual show of our talented students. Tune in this Sunday, May 16, at 5:30 p.m. on KFVE. The show also airs multiple times on ‘Olelo channel 53. Or, you can visit Hawai’i News Now. The virtual fashion show features collections from three senior undergraduate students in the Fashion Design and Merchandising program of the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences, as well as 2020 fashion design student graduates. The runway footage was shot by the students — all on their smartphones.

Read the full story on UH News.