Congrats times three to Mason Russo, Jordie Ho, and Benjamin Wiseman – all CTAHR PhD students and all recipients of 2024 Scholar Awards from the ARCS Foundation, Honolulu Chapter.
Mason wins the Maybelle F. Roth Award in Conservation Biology and the Jane and Dan Katayama ARCS Scholar of the Year Award. His research, Evaluating the Impacts of the Invasive Hala Scale on Native Hala Forest Regeneration in the Hawaiian Islands, examines the invasive insect that damages the native hala tree used for weaving, lei-making and landscape in poor soils. He aims to determine the distribution of the scale in the islands and identify chemical control methods. Mason also studies the coconut rhinoceros beetle.
Jordie wins the Ellen M. Koenig Award. Her research, Ecology, Evolution, and Emergence of Plant Pathogenic Viruses with a Focus on Higrevirus Waimanalo, aims to refine the techniques for examining the mechanisms and interactions of unique, emerging Breviplpus. These mite-transmitted viruses threaten agricultural and natural ecosystems, costing millions of dollars in control expenses and economic impacts.
Ben wins the Helen Jones Farrar Award. His research, Healthy Soil and Pest Management in Organic Sweet Potato Cultivation, seeks sustainable, effective organic pest management. Ben uses both quantitative data and qualitative feedback from farmers to gauge the use of velvet beans as a cover crop to control soil-borne nematode pests in sweet potato fields.
Congrats and Mahalo for making CTAHR look good!
The ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation, Honolulu Chapter, advances science and technology in the United States by providing financial awards to academically outstanding students who are U.S. citizens studying to complete degrees in science, engineering, math, technology, and medical research. Read more.