Alumni News

Mahalo to the Oʻahu County ʻOhana for your ongoing support of our various CTAHR programs in the county, especially our student summer program. Whether it’s picking plumeria, teaching students how to transplant seedlings, approving their supply purchases, packing vegetables for donations, editing their paperwork, prepping their workspace, or attending their various presentations, the time and kindness you’ve extended to these students will pay off greatly in the future.

Congrats to Susan Miyasaka of the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences and John Hu of the Dept. of Plant andEnvironmental Protection Sciences. Last month, UH president David Lassner conferred upon them the titles of Researcher Emerita and Researcher Emeritus, respectively.

The Hawaiian Islands have just the right water resources and climate to support the aquaculture farming of fish, shellfish, algae, etc. So what’s holding back this potentially profitable industry? A lack of affordable local feed. Feed accounts for 60%+ of aquaculture production costs, and all of it is imported. 

Frederick Waichi Fujimoto, 92, of Mililani, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and granduncle, passed away on May 23. He was born on September 24, 1931, in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and is survived by son Owen Fujimoto (Yuan-Sun); daughter Donna Fujimoto-Saka (Alan); and 4 grandchildren.

Dictyota sp. is a seaweed native to Hawaiian waters that is notable for its ability to produce fucoidan and alginate. What are these compounds, you might ask? Why, they’re high-value ingredients with wide application in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food processing, medical, and dental industries.