Alumni News

Congratulations to Jessica Lau for being named a 2022 Truman Scholar! Jessica is a double major undergraduate in Human Development and Family Studies and psychology with double minors in peace studies and communicology. She was selected from a pool of more than 700 students from universities around the U.S for her dedication to public service, academic excellence, and outstanding leadership potential. In addition to national recognition, Jessica will receive $30,000 in funding for her graduate studies, as well as access to leadership training, internship opportunities, and a network of public service scholars. 

CTAHR’s very own Fashion Design and Merchandising students were featured last week on KHON2 news to promote their upcoming show, Vogue 56, FDM’s 56th Annual Fashion Showcase. “The point of the show is to showcase four collections by our student designers, and the show is also created by our production team,” explained production team lead student Oliva Maguire to KHON news reporter Kamaka Pili. “So it is all student-run and student-created to show off the passion, the hard work, the skill of all of our designers, and really give them that fashion show experience they can take on into the real world post-graduation.”

The 2022 CTAHR Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research recognizes the outstanding scientific contributions of Rachel Novotny, Professor of Nutritional Sciences. Since joining CTAHR in a tenure-track position in 1990, Rachel has developed a highly productive and significant research program focused on maternal and child nutrition and health, particularly among culturally diverse populations. She has obtained more than $40 million as the principal investigator of federal grants, including $25 million for establishing the Children’s Healthy Living Program, and recently an additional $10 million award to expand that program into a Center of Excellence in Food System Resiliency for Children’s Healthy Living. Rachel has published more than 150 peer reviewed papers and successfully mentored more than 50 graduate students and 15 post-doctoral candidates in Nutrition and Epidemiology. In briefly describing her research, she states that she “conducts intervention trials to improve diet, physical activity, community environment and other systems approaches to improve health of women, adolescents, and young children in diverse understudied populations.”

Rachel will be honored at the 2022 CTAHR 'Ohana Banquet.

David has been with CTAHR for more than 27 years, serving as a chair and professor in MBBE. His passion for teaching and ability to relate complex concepts in a way that makes the subject of molecular biosciences easier to understand has inspired confidence in his students to go further in their academic careers and achieve more than they once thought possible. David regularly ties in current events into his teachings, driving home the relevance and importance of the world of biotechnology and successfully engaging students to want to learn more. The spark that few can ignite in their students is a skill that he possesses, which is only part of what makes him deserve this year's Teaching Award. His impact as an educator and mentor was echoed through 15 letters of recommendation from current and former students, who cite the main cornerstone of their success being his teaching.  Thank you, David, for your dedication, infectious spirit, and guidance to the next generation of scientists! Congratulations!

David will be honored at the 2022 CTAHR 'Ohana Banquet.

Thao is a professor in the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) program and has been with CTAHR for more than 11 years. In that time, she has built a reputation for engaging, encouraging, and inspiring the students she comes in contact with. She has persuaded countless students to join HDFS and find their calling. Through their interactions with Thao, many students start to believe in their ability to achieve goals they might not have thought themselves capable of.  Beyond her duties as a professor and mentor, Thao has written two children’s books on social and emotional learning, freely distributed to teachers and heal/social service providers throughout the pandemic. Her coaching and guidance have paved the way for many of Hawaiʻi’s current educators and social workers. They are making a positive difference in the lives of our keiki and their families.  Many of these former students note that Thao was a significant factor in their success, and for this, we recognize her with the Ka Pouhana award!

Thao will be honored at the 2022 CTAHR 'Ohana Banquet.