Alumni News

Interested in biofuels from oilseeds? Come to a special seminar in the TPSS Departmental Seminar Series, where Jay Thelen, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Missouri – Columbia, will be discussing “New Insights on the Regulation of de Novo Fatty Acid Synthesis in Plants.” Dr. Thelen’s lab studies how to leverage findings about the regulation of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in plants to improve oil production.

Local and national journalists know FDM professor Andy Reilly is the one to consult about sartorial choices and Hawai'i fashion history. He's been interviewed for and quoted in several news stories recently, for Hawaii News Now and even Huffington Post, from everything about the origins of the rubber slipper to the potential mood-altering effects of clothing.

Many congratulations to Emeritus Professor Richard Criley (TPSS), who was recently awarded the IPPS Western Region’s most prestigious award at the organization’s annual banquet. The Curtis J. Alley Award of Merit is presented to a Western Region member who has made an outstanding contribution to the Society and to plant propagation and who is dedicated to the ideals of the Society.

CTAHR faculty and staff were instrumental in discovering a new fruit fly pest that’s recently been identified in Hawai‘i for the first time: the olive fruit fly (OLFF), Bactrocera oleae. It can attack all species of Olea, including the common olive (Olea europaea), unfitting them for either oil processing or table consumption. 

Last year’s artistic and ecological success, the Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds, spearheaded by Melissa Price (NREM), is coming back with two additional free keiki concert dates! This multimedia production with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra brings together music, art, and hula to teach students in grades 4 through 12 about Hawai‘i’s endangered forest bird species.