Alumni News

Two members of the CTAHR ‘ohana were among the six finalists chosen for the 2019 Titans of Tech – Startups by Pacific Business News! Soojin Jun (HNFAS, pictured) and his company Jun Innovations were chosen for his amazing supercooling technology, and Heidi Kuehnle, a former horticulturist in TPSS and still a collaborator in the field of anthurium breeding, was chosen for her start-up Kuehnle AgroSystems, Inc.

Swine Extension can look back at a job well done, saving pigs from disease and producers from loss. When Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) first appeared in the Wai‘anae area in 1996, it caused devastating losses to swine farms. Swine specialist Halina Zaleski and then-Cooperative Extension veterinarian Brad LeaMaster responded by vaccinating all sows in the area to stop the spread of the disease.

Longtime partner of CTAHR and local farmers Peter Merriman has been named “Restaurateur of the Year” for Honolulu Magazine’s Hale ‘Aina awards, as a creator of delicious food and pioneer of the Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine Movement. “I’m super optimistic about the future of farming and ranching in Hawai‘i,” he says.

Many may not know it, but CTAHR hosts an important potential collaborator and ally right in Gilmore Hall: the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture! CTSA is one of five regional aquaculture centers in the United States established by the USDA, which integrate individual and institutional expertise and resources in support of commercial aquaculture development.

The Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program is looking for an academic support – educational specialist to be housed in TPSS. The successful hire will assist SOAP in providing statewide management of the program, including applied research, outreach, and evaluation of sustainable & organic farming systems.