Alumni News

This past summer, four UH students traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, for the 19th Biennial International Association for the Study of the Commons conference. With our mentor, Dr. Mehana Vaughan of the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, we relished the rare opportunity to share community-rooted research with an international audience.

“Blue carbon” is the carbon stored in mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses. These coastal and marine ecosystems sequester and store large quantities of blue carbon in both the plants and sediment below. In fact, recent research shows that 50% of all carbon in the ocean is stored in coastal habitats, despite taking up on only 2% of ocean area. Which means these ecosystems could be an underutilized yet critical component to battling climate change. 

The Genius Day Program holds its STEM program for Hawaiʻi public middle schools every summer. It all started in 2006 by Dr. Ania Wieczorek. For the month of June, middle school students participated in a week-long course filled with lots of educational and hands-on science related activities. The overall significance of this program is to educate middle school students on the field of science, and interest them in a STEM-related career.  The all-day program ran from June 5-30, Monday-Friday. 

After a four-year hiatus, the landscapers are back. Thatʻs right, the 2023 Green Industry Annual Conference is set for Sept. 14-15 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Hosted by the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaiʻi, the event will be jam-packed with learning opportunities, including can’t-miss presentations by CTAHR faculty. 

Register now for a new AgrAbility Regional Workshop in Hawaiʻi; the event will be held at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo. Sessions will include topics on WRASAP, AgrAbility, assistive technology, behavioral health resources, and business planning. Participants will also tour local agricultural businesses, including coffee and tropical horticulture farms, volcano winery, and farms serving Hawaiʻi military veterans.