Alumni News

If you made a New Year’s resolution to be more eco-conscious…or show off your CTAHR pride more…or wear more green and white…then the brand-new CTAHR reusable canvas tote bag is for you! It’s a durable, fashionable, sustainable way to carry around whatever you need with you. Pick up one…or two…or three at the Office of Communication Services (Gilmore 211). 

On any given day, regardless of rain or blazing hot sun, you’ll find a dedicated group of volunteers in the Fruit Orchard. They maintain the grounds and trees, volunteering some 9,000 hours annually. They also collect surplus fruit and vegetables to donate to the Hawaiʻi Food Bank—a total of 14,000 pounds in 2019, and all of it fresh and nutritious!

Looking to improve your Extension programs by using innovative and emerging technologies?Join in for the “Using Innovative Educational Approaches to Enhance Ecosystem Health” webinar on February 20^th at 8:00 a.m. Hawai‘i time. This is the first in a series of nine webinars sponsored by Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA) that are geared toward showcasing innovative Extension programs. 

In the rapidly changing world of invasive species, nimble and novel outreach mechanisms that reach a cross-section of society are necessary to positively impact the renewable resources in range, forests, and wetlands. Maintaining ecosystem health at the landscape scale can be more feasible when using communication tools that link people together at the regional level.

Extension professionals are constantly seeking new strategies to effectively reach and engage audiences. While traditional methods are still effective in many places and for certain audiences, innovative approaches can expand connections, deepen impact, and broaden scope. They also give a chance to learn new skills and professional advancement.

This webinar will feature Andrea Lorek Strauss, University of Minnesota, discussing the uses of video; Megan Weber, University of Minnesota, who will present on 3-D printing; and David Coyle, Clemson University, who will discuss social media.They each will explain how they use innovative media strategies in their Extension programs!

This and the other webinars in the series will be an opportunity for renewable resource Extension professionals to share, learn, and connect with their colleagues across land-grant institutions and disciplines. If you have questions, you can contact Kris Tiles, natural resources educator at the University of Wisconsin.

The webinar is open to all; feel free to distribute to colleagues and others who may be interested.

Cheng-Sheng Lee, the executive director of the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture, was recently interviewed by Aquafeed about the status of aquaculture in Hawai’i and the Pacific. He has long worked throughout the region with industry stakeholders and researchers to identify and provide solution for challenges to sustainable aquaculture. 

The Office of Communication Services is updating its CTAHR CALENDAR OF EVENTS, and your kokua is appreciated: we’re asking each department, unit, program, or county office to email OCS a list of events you have planned—or will participate in with stakeholders—during the Spring 2020 school year.