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Student and Faculty Activities

CTAHR strives to maximize students' personal growth and development by providing a variety of opportunities to network, build and strengthen relationships, and get involved in fun, enriching co-curricular activities.

Below are selected examples of recent student activities sponsored by CTAHR.

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Spring Event

On Friday, February 17th, CTAHR held its annual Spring Event. Eight teams competed this year, after the much anticipated return of dodgeball. Over 200 CTAHR students, faculty, and staff turned out for the traditional team costume/theme contest and dodgeball competition. Congratulations to NREM team “I’ll Tell You When You’ve Had Enough” for sweeping the team costume/theme contest and dodgeball competition. Also, $400 was collected in monetary donations at this year’s event to support a cause close to home: our CTAHR student organizations.

Big thanks to Charlie Nelson, Ryan Kurasaki, Chef Mark Segobiano and his students for helping to prepare lunch. Thanks to the team costume/theme contest judges, team representatives, the Spring Event student committee, and scholarship recipients, and to everyone who attended and donated to this year’s cause for helping to make this Spring Event a success. Also, a big mahalo to the Kamehameha Lions Club for their generous donation for prizes that went to each of the winners of the team costume/theme contest and dodgeball competition, as well as to the recipient of our special Facebook prize.

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Annual Blood Drive

Every day, 200 blood donors are needed to meet the needs of Hawaii’s patients. Although statistics show that 60% of us will need blood sometime in our lives, only 2% of our state’s population donates. To continue its support for this important cause of saving lives, CTAHR hosted its eighth blood drive on Friday, March 9, 2012.

This year, we collected 91 pints of blood, including the 100th pint donation of Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Charles Kinoshita. Since each pint of blood can be separated into three components, as many as 273 lives can be saved solely from donations collected at our drive. The precious gift of life not only helps those who need the blood, but touches the lives of the families of the recipients as well.

The Blood Bank and CTAHR truly appreciates the time and generosity of everyone who contributed to this successful event and giving the precious gift of life. Much mahalo to those who came out to donate blood. Thank you to the CTAHR Alumni Association for the support and generous donation to supply pizza and refreshments for our blood drive, as well as Elsie Kawahara and ASAO for providing baked goods. Also, thanks to the scholarship recipients who helped throughout the day and provided a positive and comfortable environment for those who came to donate.

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Annual Research Symposium

Students at the University of Hawai‘i have few opportunities to present their scholarly work in professional conferences due to the geographic isolation of Hawai‘i and the high cost of travel to attend conferences outside the state. One of the main goals of the annual Student Research Symposium is to give students the experience of presenting their work in a friendly, yet professional setting similar to national and international conferences. Through travel grant awards, the symposium enables graduate students to compete for funding to share their research findings at a professional conference outside the state.

Once again, CTAHR teamed up with the College of Engineering (COE) for this year’s 24th annual Student Research Symposium. Over 300 students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered at the Agricultural Sciences III building on the UH Mānoa campus on April 13 and 14, 2012 for a lively, scholarly exchange over the 126 poster and oral presentations by undergraduate and graduate students in all six CTAHR departments and three departments in COE. The topics spanned all stages of the process of research and development as well as all types of student learning, including discovery; advanced diagnostics and laboratory testing; design, validation and field testing; and adoption of new methods and technologies. The caliber of the students’ work was truly impressive. Thank you to those whose hard work made this event successful, including the student participants and faculty advisor/mentors, judges and moderators, staff and student volunteers, members of the Symposium Planning Committee, to Chef Mark Segobiano and his students for preparing the food and refreshments for the symposium, and to SAPFB for funding part of this event.

Mahalo again to all participants in the 2012 CTAHR-COE Student Research Symposium, and congratulations to the following award recipients:

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Awards Banquet

Academic excellence, a diverse economy, a healthy environment, and strong families and communities: these goals are central to CTAHR's mission. This shared mission is embraced at our annual Awards Banquet, where the excellence and accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff are recognized; an outstanding alumnus who has made important contributions to a field or discipline represented by CTAHR is honored; and tribute is paid to an exceptional individual from the community whose commitment to the college has greatly furthered CTAHR’s goals.

Attendees at the 23rd Awards Banquet on May 6, 2011 were entertained by the high-energy Derek Kurisu, CTAHR alumnus and local TV star, and the personable Jayna Tasaka (FCS) as they feasted on Farm-to-Table fare and applauded members of the CTAHR ‘ohana and friends. In all, almost 400 people attended, including President Greenwood. She remarked on the important role CTAHR plays in Hawai‘i’s communities—and they know how to throw a great party, too!

Honorees who were recognized that evening:

The 2011 Outstanding Alumna is Dr. PingSun Leung (PhD, Agricultural & Resource Economics), a professor in Natural Resources & Environmental Management. Dr. Leung is also an internationally renowned aquaculture and fisheries economist, advancing the field through research, founding the journal Aquaculture Economics and Management, and serving as a consultant to various local and international organizations and agencies. This year’s Ka Lei Hano Heritage Award recipient is Mr. Harold Tanouye, president and owner of Green Point Nurseries. He is a leader and innovator in the local agricultural industry, and through strong collaboration with CTAHR, has helped keep Hawai‘i’s anthurium industry competitive and thriving in the global marketplace.

Excellence in Teaching – Dr. Jon-Paul Bingham (MBBE)
Excellence in Research – Dr. Arnold Hara (PEPS, Hawai‘i County)
Excellence in Extension – Dr. Barbara DeBaryshe & the Early Reading First Team (Center on the Family)
Ka Pouhana (Mentor) Award – Dr. Wayne Iwaoka (HNFAS)
Alvin T. & Charlotte C. Nakamura Hoku Award – Dr. Linda Cox (NREM)
Outstanding Civil Service – Ms. Marla Fergerstrom (Mealani Research Station, Hawai‘i County)
Ka Hana Po‘okela Service Awards: graduate student – Noe Abejon (NREM)
Ka Hana Po‘okela Service Awards: undergraduate student – Gabriel Sachter-Smith (TPSS)

Thank you to the many people who helped to make the event a success including the Awards Banquet Planning Committee, Elsie Kawahara for serving as IT technician, the CTAHR student ambassadors, CTAHR’s Office of Communication Services and Office of Academic & Student Affairs, and to the many donors who provided the floral arrangements and gift bags.

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Ag Awareness Day

Born on Kaua‘i 14 years ago, Awareness Day has become a CTAHR tradition on the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu and Maui. More than 600 fifth graders from schools around O‘ahu, the largest group yet, embarked on a fun-filled voyage of discovery, investigating how agriculture and environmental science affect their lives and can shape their future. This year’s O‘ahu Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day was held on February, 17, 2011 at the college’s Urban Garden Center (UGC) in Pearl City. More than 40 presenters and exhibitors from CTAHR’s departments and programs, and Hawai‘i’s public and private organizations helped the students examine important issues such as providing enough safe food for Hawai‘i’s and the world’s population, protecting Hawai’i’s delicate ecosystem, and providing alternative sources of energy. They were also introduced to a broad spectrum of careers such an entomologist, biotechnologist, animal scientist and nutritionist.

Congratulations to the fifth graders from Hale Kula, Iliahi, Wheeler, Palisades, Pearl City Highlands and Punahou elementary schools for completing the Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day quiz which helped to reinforce what they learned as they experienced the various exhibits and sessions.

This year’s Awareness Day was well covered by local media. KHON and Hawaii News Now broadcast several news items on the event, and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin published photographs.

Thanks to the many volunteers, presenters, and exhibitors from CTAHR and partner organizations, who worked so hard to provide the exhibits and presentations, as well as lead students group, set up and clean up for the event, and the many other behind-the-scenes tasks that must be done in order to provide this learning opportunity for Hawai’i’s students. Special thanks to Larry Jefts and Armstrong Produce for donating bananas, and to Pioneer HiBred for providing support for the event. Thank you also to the UGC staff, the UGC Ohana volunteers, and the Master Gardeners, for hosting the event, and the Waialee station and Waimanalo Research station staff for setting up and breaking down the tents and support during the event. We would especially like to thank the committee, Ray Uchida, Steve Nagano, Jayme Grzebik, Desmond Ogata, Richard Kablan, Charles Kinoshita, Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi, Mackynze Snyder and Traci Sylva who led the effort. We hope that those who volunteered this year will generously do so and join us again next year and those who weren’t able to participate this year will join us next year in any way possible.

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New Student Orientation

CTAHR’s New Student Orientation provides a great introduction for incoming freshman and transfer students to our college. This year’s orientation had record-high attendance in recent years, with 50 incoming students representing all nine undergraduate programs in CTAHR.

Interim Dean Yuen started the morning off with a inspirational and warm welcome to the new members of our college. The students then got to know their peers on a more personal level with a fun beach ball icebreaker. Dr. Kinoshita’s presentation followed, outlining the four main values of our instructional philosophy: Scholarship, Ethical Behavior, Diversity, and Service. Students then learned more about the college and CTAHR experiences, with presentations by Sylvia Trinh on the general education and CTAHR program requirements, and by current students Michael Perez and Scott Iwamura who shared their personal experiences on developing Critical Skills and Competencies including problem solving, personal characteristics, communication, and global perspective, and ending with introductions to CTAHR clubs and organizations to get students involved with the college. After the formal portion of the program, students were divided into groups and had the chance to meet with their academic advisor for guidance on what classes to take and what to expect in college. The orientation ended with a delicious and filling lunch in the company of their peers, faculty, and staff. The new students left with a little more knowledge of what it means to be a part of CTAHR.

This orientation would not have been possible with the assistance of many individuals. A big thank you to Interim Dean Yuen, ASAO, the student committee members, faculty advisors, and student club and organization representatives!

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Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash

On Monday, September 12 in the Sherman Courtyard, representatives from CTAHR’s departments and Administration competed for best costume design and fastest ice cream eating time at CTAHR’s 23rd Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash. Once the winners were crowned, CTAHR students, faculty and staff assembled to enjoy a variety of frozen treats. Once again, Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii graciously provided all the cartons of ice cream and popsicles. Debuting this year also was a delicious sorbet created by FSHN (Dr. Watters, Dr. Huang, and students Karl Sloss, Scott Iwamura, and David St. Jules), made from a variety of locally-grown mangoes provided by Mark Suiso.

Competing in this year’s contests were A’rel Boies (Family & Consumer Sciences), Nate Black (Human Nutrition, Food, & Animal Sciences), Edward Drielak (Molecular Biosciences & Bioengineering), Philip Potter (Natural Resources & Environmental Management), Jordie Ocenar (Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences), and Adrian Lee (Administration). Congratulations to winners A’rel Boies (costume contest) and Nate Black (ice cream eating contest).

The charitable organization we collected monetary donations for at this year’s event was Kokua Hawaii Foundation, whose mission is to foster within young children a sense of appreciation for the environment so that they become lifelong stewards of the land. For more information on Kokua Hawaii Foundation, please visit their website at http://kokuahawaiifoundation.org.

Thank you to all who attended the bash, our contestants, and especially to those who donated to Kokua Hawaii Foundation. A big mahalo goes out to Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawaii for their continuous support of CTAHR; Ryan Kurasaki and Charlie Nelson; the HNFAS and NREM departments; Ray Uchida of the Oahu Extension Office and Lito Cacho and Richard Fisher of Pearl City Urban Garden Center; and our ice cream scoopers. Lastly, thank you to the committee, scholarship recipients, ASAO, and everyone whose efforts made the 23nd Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash a resounding success!

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Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Enrichment Day

Last fall, 29 students from agriculture programs at Kea‘au, Pāhoa, Kealakehe, Kaua‘i, Lahainaluna, Kahuku, Mililani, and Wai‘anae High Schools attended the college’s first Agriculture and Natural Resources Student Enrichment Day. The students visited the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Division and UH Mānoa.

After touring the Mānoa campus, students participated in engaging educational activities hosted by CTAHR faculty, students, and staff, including a visit to the Magoon Research and Instruction Facilities, a hands-on lesson on composting with worms, “Feed Your Tribe” (an exercise relating to seeds and natural selection), and an opportunity to extract DNA from papaya.

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A Meaningful Experience

Early in the morning of October 1, 2011, 19 CTAHR students and staff members headed to Molokai, the Friendly Isle, for the Eighth Annual Meaningful Experience trip. Immediately after disembarking the plane, the group made their way to a mule barn for their tour down to Kalaupapa. Unforgettable for all during the journey to their destination was the exhilaration of having to trust their lives to the mules that brought them along the precarious edges of the world’s highest sea cliffs mixed with the breathtaking ocean views. Memorable too was the guided tour through the colony of Kalaupapa, where the students learned of the history of its inhabitants with Hansen’s disease/leprosy as well as the current state of the town.

Later that evening, students engaged in team-building exercises led by Rouel Velasco of Student Life and Development that strengthened their communication and group skills. After a few hours of activities that brought the group closer to one another, they traveled to Kanemitsu’s Bakery for a late-night Molokai hot bread run. After a full day of activities, the exhausted group called it a night.

The next morning, students continued their Meaningful Experience at Rick Tamanaha’s organic farm. Stories from accountant-turned-farmer Rick entertained and educated the group as they helped prepare seedlings for the next papaya planting and pruned the papaya trees. After a few hours in the sun, all came back for a huge lunch with the Tamanaha Ohana and family friends who came out to help that day. Following the delicious home-cooked meal, the students were rewarded with the fruits of their labor, literally, as they got to pick fresh papaya to take home. With bags full of treats, the students headed home to Oahu, an excellent conclusion to yet another educational and meaningful experience.

Huge mahalo to Rick Tamanaha and his family for graciously hosting our group on his farm, Alton Arakaki of the Molokai extension office for assisting in the arrangement of our activities on Molokai, ASAO for supporting our students to go to Molokai, and Rouel Velasco for facilitating the team-building exercises! Also, thank you to the students who participated and made this experience meaningful for all the attendees.