Alumni News

The name of this compound is currently a secret, so for now we’ll call it the “Chelsea.” But if further studies pan out, the whole world might someday learn about a promising new drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. “Our lab has discovered anti-Alzheimer’s properties in several small molecules from natural sources such as corn silk and soybeans,” says Chelsea Miller, a PhD student in the lab of Qing X. Li in the Dept. of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. “My hypothesis is that their mechanism of action is the direct binding and inhibition of an enzyme called GSK3-beta.”

“The college initiated a strategic positioning effort in the middle of a pandemic. That may seem like a bad idea, but the timing was fortuitous.” With this opening Aloha message to faculty, staff, and stakeholders from Dean Nick Comerford, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources laid out its new “Strategic Positioning and Visioning 2022-2027” report.

Congrats to Rajesh Jha of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences, who was named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar. The award is granted by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The Fulbright Program is the federal government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions.

The highest honor bestowed by the American Society for Nutrition is induction as a Fellow of the Society, and Rachel Novotny of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences is among only 14 individuals nationwide who make up the 2022 class.

Ag teachers on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lanaʻi haven’t been able to gather, share knowledge, and renew friendships for a while now. So along with Britney James of the Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks Program, in partnership with Maui County Farm Bureau, we decided to host a professional development. It was great to see Ag teachers from across Maui County come together for the event. We kicked off with a tour of HokuNui Maui’s Agroforestry program. The Hewahewa family shared the history of the farm and how they decide which plants to grow in their agroforest so teachers could implement the same choices in their classes.