Dr. Joseph DeFrank, a Researcher Emeritus at UH Manoa, is CTAHR's 2023 Outstanding Extension Volunteer.

Joe is an internationally renowned expert in tropical weed sciences and, on the local scale, the “go-to” person for weed management. In 2023, he volunteered at the Hawaiʻi School for the Deaf and the Blind, providing on-site non-chemical turf renovation that included installing drip and overhead irrigation, covering weedy turf with tarps, raking and killing weeds that germinated, and installing Bermuda grass seeds and fertilizer – these were strenuous tasks that required tremendous effort and time.

Joe’s success serves as a model for other turf-renovation at Hawaiʻi DOE schools and sports venues, just as his other efforts to promote CTAHR Extension education during his retirement have immediate impacts to both a local and worldwide audience.

It is with a heartfelt and grateful Mahalo that we express our appreciation for volunteer service above and beyond the call of duty to Joe.