Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation
Graduate Assistantship Opportunities

MEET THE FELLOWS

2026 Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation – Graduate Assistantship Opportunities

 

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management 

The Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation (www.hauolimauloa.org) and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) are pleased to announce the availability of three graduate assistantships for local students dedicated to careers in natural resource management in the state of Hawai‘i. Each assistantship comes with generous support for two years (2nd year pending satisfactory academic performance), including a Graduate Assistantship salary (approximately $28,000/year plus fringe benefits), full tuition, & $5,000 per year in professional development funds (books, fees, travel to local & national conferences, supplies, etc.).

The overall goal of the Hau‘oli Mau Loa graduate assistantships is to develop the next generation of natural resource management leaders in Hawai‘i. The following eligibility criteria apply: (i) good academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.0 prior to and throughout the assistantship); (ii) from Hawai‘i, as evidenced by graduating from a Hawai‘i high school; (iii) pursuing a Master’s of Environmental Management (MEM) degree in NREM;  (iv) track record of supporting Hawai‘i’s environment (e.g., internships, volunteer opportunities, etc.) and serving in a leadership capacity (e.g., academic, athletic, extracurricular, and/or professional); and (v) commitment to pursuing and attaining a long-term career in natural resource management in Hawai‘i.

 

Application Details:

Please download the flyer here.

(1) You must apply to the MEM program by the January 1, 2026 deadline by submitting all required application materials (note that all application materials need to be submitted online to the UHM Graduate Admissions Office, and GRE is NOT required); see https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/nrem/graduate for application details)

 

(2) Submit by February 1, 2026 (i) an additional essay (2 pages, single spaced) clearly describing how you do/do not meet all eligibility criteria listed above and (ii) transcripts (unofficial copies accepted) by email with “HML Application” in the subject to nrem@hawaii.edu and Cc rdacks@hawaii.edu; and (iii) have a letter of recommendation sent directly to nrem@hawaii.edu and Cc rdacks@hawaii.edu,.

 

(3) Successful applicants are expected to begin their MEM graduate degree program in NREM in August 2026 and finish in May 2028. Please contact the NREM department (nrem@hawaii.edu) with any questions regarding this opportunity and Cc Dr. Rachel Dacks (rdacks@hawaii.edu) with “HML Question” in the subject line.



Graduate Chair

Dr. Yin-Phan Tsang
Office: Sherman 243
Phone: (808) 956-6361
Fax: (808) 956-6539
nremgrad@hawaii.edu

Graduate Committee

Dr. Yin-Phan Tsang

Dr. Susan Crow

Dr. Rachel Dacks