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CTAHR Alumni & Friends

Issue 48   |   May 13, 2016   |   Archive   |   Subscribe

News & Events

Pests-B-Gone

Bagrada bugs on pepperThere will be an edible crop mini-conference offered at the Turtle Bay Resort in the Conference Room on May 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pests were highlighted as the main priority issue based on O‘ahu’s needs assessment survey in 2015, and this conference will provide growers with a quick update on some of the latest research-based work being conducted on a number of priority crop issues. An RSVP is mandatory, as space is limited. Please let Lynn at Wahiawa Cooperative Extension Service know if you will be coming by May 19, either by phone at 622-4185 or by email at Wahiawa@ctahr.hawaii.edu. Presenters and presentations include “Healthy soils and locally produced fertilizer inputs” by Amjad Ahmad and “Crop protection chemical resistance management program” by Jensen Uyeda (both TPSS), and “Overview of common pest groups and variety trial summaries” by Jari Sugano, “Organic and sustainable pest management options” by Koon-Hui Wang, “Reflective mulch for vegetables” by Leyla Kaufman, “Basil diseases—Field trial summary” by Janice Uchida and Mike Kawate, and “New pest on vegetables: Bagrada bug update,” by Ronald Mau and Robin Shimabuku (all PEPS). (The bagrada bug, pictured here on pepper, is a new pest in the Islands—now find out how to deal with it!)

Like It!

Kauai Extension Facebook pictureIn an effort to become more active and visible within the CTAHR and county communities, Kauai County Extension and Agricultural Research Center has established a presence on Facebook and Instagram. The public is welcome to follow these accounts to view upcoming events offered by Kauai County Extension, pictures samples submitted to the office for identification, achievements by the faculty and staff, and also daily pictures of interest by the researchers and Extension agents. Follow them on Instagram (@kauai_county_extension) and Facebook.

Interim Dean Heir-Apparent

Rachel NovotnyWith the departure of Dean Gallo, Rachel Novotny has been recommended as interim dean by VC Reed Dasenbrock; the appointment will go to the Board of Regents for approval on June 2 and should run from July 1, 2016, until June 30, 2017. Rachel, the first-ever winner of the award for Excellence in International Programs, has served as department chair of HNFAS, currently chairs the Ph.D. in Nutrition, and is a prolific and well-funded researcher. A national search for the next permanent dean of CTAHR should be launched this fall and a permanent dean hopefully selected within the year.

Hoof It Over to HOFA

HOFA logoTed Radovich (TPSS) and Hector Valenzuela (PEPS) will be presenting on soil amendments and on cover crops and markets, respectively, at the Hawaii Organic Farming Association’s (HOFA) Annual Conference on May 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Key Project in Kane‘ohe. All are invited to come for a day of farming and organic certification information, hands-on gardening, booths, and breakfast and lunch. The Hawaii Organic Marketplace and Small Farm Exemption Affidavit will be relaunched there as well. You can register online here.

Grants & Awards

Another Honor for Outstanding Alumna

Diane RagoneDiane Ragone, director of the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s Breadfruit Institute and CTAHR’s 2015 Outstanding Alumna, has been awarded the Medal of Honor for excellence in horticulture from the Garden Club of America (GCA). The medal, which is given for outstanding service to horticulture, will be presented in a ceremony at GCA’s annual meeting in Minneapolis on May 22. In honoring Diane, the GCA said, “Her work is in every sense the epitome of the best in horticulture: quest for knowledge, preservation, conservation, research, creative experimentation, sharing, mentoring and fulfilling a humanitarian mission.” In her more than 30 years of working with breadfruit, she has researched, collected, and curated the world’s largest and most diverse collection in existence. She has conducted field research in over 50 Pacific islands to not only seek and collect rare varieties but also document the cultural knowledge associated with them that would have otherwise been lost.

Vulnerability and Threat

Kaipo DyeKaipo Dye (NREM) recently was awarded a full travel and accommodations package by the Society of Conservation Biology (SCB) to present the findings of a global species analysis, “The multi-threat context of species vulnerability to climate change,” at the 2016 SCB Oceania conference in Brisbane, Australia. Kaipo, a second-year PhD student, has worked as a research analyst with the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC), an agency collaboration between UH, Hawaii Cooperative Study Unit (HCSU), and USGS’s Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (PIERC). The paper based on this work, done in collaboration with Dr. Lucas Fortini, was published in the SCB’s scientific journal. Kaipo is also preparing for the IUCN world conference in Hawai‘i this fall, since much of the analysis was based on the IUCN species Red List of endangered species. The co-authors anticipate that this work should pave the way for future researchers to look at extinction from multiple perspectives, especially from the rich and diverse bio-cultural context that Hawai‘i offers.

Horticulturists in the Making

2016 ASHS student winnersTropical Plant and Soil Sciences undergraduates Micah Grumblis (top left), James Green (top right), Amber Au (bottom left), and Marc Ouye (bottom right) were recently honored with the American Society for Horticultural Science’s Collegiate Scholars Award. This award celebrates the academic achievements of junior and senior undergraduates who are majoring in horticulture and are in the top 15% of their class based on academic standing. These four TPSS undergrads were selected based on their scholarship achievements, leadership abilities, participation in campus or club activities, and services to their department. Congratulations to them all!

Educator Extraordinaire

Charly KinoshitaAssociate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Charly Kinoshita has received the Distinguished Educator Award from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA), the premier organization in the U.S. with a mission of advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning in agricultural, environmental, natural and life sciences. The award, including a ceremonial plaque and life membership in NACTA, recognizes meritorious service to higher education and to NACTA through teaching, educational research, and/or administration. Charly wil be honored at the 2016 NACTA conference, which will be held in Hawai‘i on June 21 through 24 at UH.

Outstanding Contributions

Kent KobayashiKent Kobayashi (TPSS) was selected as a fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS). He was recognized for his research on the use of microcomputers in horticulture, lights and plant growth, and Extension information systems, and for his significant role in ASHS committees. Six previous CTAHR faculty have also been selected as fellows, including, most recently, Richard Criley in 1992 and Bob Paull in 2014. Being elected as a Fellow is the highest honor that ASHS can bestow on its members, in recognition of truly outstanding contributions to the science, profession, or industry of horticulture and to the Society. Kent and other newly elected Fellows will be honored at the Awards Ceremony at the 113th ASHS Annual Conference in August in Atlanta, Georgia.

Green Day!

Kristen Jamieson getting Green AwardNREM student Kristen Jamieson, who is the UH System student sustainability coordinator, was one of the students recognized by Governor Ige in his chambers for their work in producing the 4th Annual Hawai‘i Sustainability in Higher Education Summit. The Summit itself was recognized at the 2016 Hawaii Green Business Program (HGBP) awards ceremony with a Hawai?i Green Business Program Award for being a zero-waste event, including compostable plates, reusable utensils, no paper handouts or plastic bottles, carpooling and room-sharing, sustainable and locally sourced vegetarian fare, a service learning project, and Hawaiian cultural learning. Not only that, but all food waste from the event was collected for composting by SOFT members. The event brought together more than 150 faculty, staff, students, and administrators from all of the UH System campuses to work on strategic energy management, sustainability curriculum development, formalizing the Statewide Student Sustainability Coalition, and campus sustainability planning.

Spotlight on Our Community

Project Convocation

Photo booth shot at CTAHR 2016 graduationOver 350 CTAHR students, with their families and friends, and CTAHR faculty and staff attended CTAHR’s Spring 2016 Convocation. The celebration, co-emceed by Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi and Irene Morrow, began with congratulations from Dean Gallo and CTAHR Alumni Association and Friends (CTAHR AAF) president Kauahi Perez. The Spring 2016 student marshals, Flora Wang and Ericka Yiu ( both FSHN), selected for their academic achievements, leadership and service to CTAHR and the university, were then recognized. Graduating students in CTAHR-affiliated student organizations were acknowledged, as were five students who completed the Dietetic Internship Program. The ceremony concluded with the individual recognition of 60 graduates. Then there were refreshments and a chance to mingle and capture memories in the photo booth. Congratulations and good luck to the graduating students! A big mahalo goes to all those who supported the graduating students, including ASUH for partially funding the event, Commuter Services for providing parking passes for the graduates, the Office of Admissions for use of the photo booth backdrop, CTAHR AAF for their support, Steven and Karen Sato for funding purchase of the lei, CTAHR scholarship recipients and student ambassadors for volunteering, and ASAO for the CTAHR memorabilia presented to the graduates and organizing the event.

Students of the Soil

Student at Soil DayKaua‘i agents Joshua Silva (TPSS) and Matthew Stevenson (HNFAS) partnered with the Kaua‘i Soil and Water Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service to host Soil Conservation Day 2016 at the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center. High school students from Waimea and Kaua‘i High Schools participated in the daylong event, learning about soil science, soil conservation, and careers related to soil. In preparation for the county and state Conservation Awareness Contests held in fall, students practiced different land-judging techniques such as determining soil texture by the feel method and differentiating soil horizons in a soil profile. By participating in these contests, students learn about land-use suitability and best management practices to protect our natural resources. Since 1988, Kaua‘i has won the state contest 11 times, and in recent years, has twice placed in the top ten in the national contest! Let’s cheer on these “students of the soil” as they compete against other Island high schools and bring home the state title once again!

Plants…in…Spaaaace!

Aleca Borsuk and Kent KobayashiAleca Borsuk, a senior Mechanical Engineering student in COE, presented her research with her mentor Kent Kobayashi (TPSS) into “Spatial Optimization of Artificial Lighting for Space Grown Amaranth” at the Spring 2016 Hawai’i Space Grant Consortium Fellowship & Traineeship Symposium. Aleca, a NASA Undergraduate Space Grant Fellow, demonstrated that crop yield of densely planted beds of Amaranthus tricolor can be enhanced solely by using spatial configuration of LED lighting, with no additional energy inputs or chemical treatments. This investigation is supported by the Hawai’i NASA Space Grant Consortium and provides insight into horticultural practices suitable for long duration spaceflight. Aleca will also be presenting her research at the 113th Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science in Atlanta, Georgia, in August.

Kaua‘i’s Got Awareness

Laura at Kauai Ag Awareness 2016The Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Station hosted over 500 5th-grade students from around the island at the 20th Annual Agricultural and Environmental Awareness Day. Sponsored by CTAHR and the Kauai County Farm Bureau, the event was a great opportunity for students to learn about food, agriculture, and the environment. CTAHR presenters for a series of mini-classes included Laura Kawamura (FCS, pictured), Matt Stevenson (HNFAS), and Joshua Silva (TPSS). Terri Moats and Richard Ebesu (both PEPS) had display booths. There were representatives from large and small farms; federal, state, and county agencies; gardening clubs; businesses; and non-profit organizations. The fun and informative event was also a great expression of cooperation and partnership between CTAHR and its many partners throughout the Kaua‘i community. Special thanks go to Frank Matsuno, the Research Station farm crew, the Kauai Invasive Species Committee, and many Farm Bureau volunteers for planning, setting up, and taking down the event. Mahalo is also due to all the CTAHR faculty, government and community agencies, and businesses who volunteered their time and knowledge. The event is featured in the Garden Island, but note one error: Amanda Skelton is not with the Master Gardener program.

The Plume on the Plumeria Conference

Kauahi PerezTPSS grad student Kauahi Perez (pictured) and Emeritus horticulturist Richard Criley will be speaking at the 2nd International Plumeria Conference, sponsored by the Plumeria Society of America and the Naples Botanical Garden, in Naples, Florida on May 19–22. Rich Criley is the keynote speaker; he will be giving an overview of plumeria research in Hawai‘i since the 1960s, including breeding, propagation, culture and management, and post-harvest handling. He will also provide the pictorial introduction to a workshop on sewing plumeria lei, at which conference-goers will make their own lei. Kauahi will give a presentation on her research into plumeria DNA and the ways it can be used to determine how plumeria variants are related to one other. Their research is blooming!

CTAHR at CCD

CTAHR was integral to the 4th annual Conservation Career Day (CCD), held on Friday, April 23 on the UH Hilo campus. CCD is part of Teaching Change, a youth education program designed to inspire and empower the next generation of natural resource managers and scientists for Hawai‘i, from Hawai‘i. Teaching Change is a collaborative effort between CTAHR-NREM, the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Friends of Hakalau Forest, amongst others. It’s headed by program manager Catherine Spina, and Creighton Litton (both NREM). CCD brings local land management and research science agencies together with higher-education programs related to natural resource management in Hawai‘i to encourage local middle and high school students to become environmental stewards and to pursue careers in natural resource management. CCD is held in collaboration with the annual Earth Fair organized by UH Hilo and Hawai‘i CC. This year, the event drew about 2,000 local students! Funding for the event was provided by The Learning Coalition, Kamehameha Schools, CTAHR, and NREM. Special thanks go to Amanda Knauf (NREM grad student) and ‘Olana Chow (NREM undergrad student, pictured right) for staffing a table on educational opportunities in CTAHR related to natural resource management.

Food Wasted, Food Saved

Heather Fucini Joy Nagahiro-Twu and Mariah Martino at SEEQSFood waste—and what to do about it—is big news, and CTAHR’s in the midst of the discussion. Research by Matthew Loke and PingSun Leung (NREM) on food waste in Hawai‘i is highlighted in Civil Beat and Hawaii News Now—the state wastes a quarter of all food, $1 billion overall! This is less in terms of quantity than in other states but more in money because of the high food costs. This is scary but necessary information—because knowing is half the battle. The other half is doing something about it, which is where the Food Recovery Network (FRN) comes in. Follow-up articles in the Star-Advertiser and the Civil Beat on the dietetics students who started a food-saving revolution when they created a certified chapter of the FRN explain that thanks to the original publicity, more students have joined the FRN, and they can now collect food two days a week, doubling their impact. Two more organizations have also requested UH’s unsold food, the Youth Outreach drop-in center and the Next Step shelter.

Bear the ROD

JB FridayA new video from the San Diego Zoo features Extension forester JB Friday (NREM) discussing the ways to identify Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death (ROD)—one of them is that infected wood smells like bananas!—and the devastating impacts of the disease. He emphasizes that the most important way to help stop the spread of the disease is not to move any ‘ohi‘a materials or the soil surrounding the trees while research is being undertaken to figure out possible ways to combat the problem.

Feel the Burn

Clay TrauernichtClay Trauernicht (NREM) is featured in a Hawaii News Now video on the increased wildfire risk Hawai‘i is facing this summer. He explains that although the El Nino is subsiding, summer is traditionally drier than winter, and winter’s rainfall was substantially less than normal, leaving a lot of lands susceptible to burning. The state’s drought will likely worsen over the summer and peak by early fall. Wildfires have already been up; the Division of Forestry and Wildlife is already over its fire-response budget by some $400,000. Clay reminds viewers that there are many things we can do to reduce fire risks; a new wildfire prevention and preparedness campaign will soon be launched to help.

On the HBT Mission

James LearyJames Leary and his innovative herbicide ballistic technology are featured in a Hawaii News Now video, which goes aboard the helicopter used to scout out and shoot invasive miconia in Maui’s remote watersheds with a specially adapted paintball gun. James describes the process as performing weedectomy, because it can so specifically target the species to be destroyed. He explains that over 20,000 acres of watershed have been protected, at a cost of only $10 per acre, and that complete containment of miconia should only take 30 years using this method.

Global Vision

Ramesh KanwarDirector of international programs Ramesh Kanwar is featured in the Spring 2016 issue of The Prism, UH’s newsletter on international programs, students, and education. In the full-page feature, Ramesh gives a glimpse of his (extensive!) background in international projects and collaborations and his (impressive!) credentials as faculty member, researcher, and administrator. He also expresses his excitement and the many international programs already in place in CTAHR and throughout the university, and shares his vision for how these can be strengthened still further, including changes he’s already started implementing during his brief tenure at the college. As he explains, “We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected and interdependent, and where international boundaries have more or less diminished. Our students are the future leaders of this global society and deserve our best attention in educating them about diverse cultures and complex global problems so that they are prepared as responsible global citizens and competitive professionals.”

Love the Land

Sweetie Kuehu and CTAHR students at Aloha Sweetie Kuehu (HNFAS), Lehua Wall (HNFAS), Emily Cadiz (NREM), and Jessie Kai (HNFAS) (l to r), who are members of the group KaPA‘A (Ka Po‘e Aloha ‘Aina), participated in the Aloha Aina Fair for high school students at the Halau o Haumea Center for Hawaiian Studies and Ka Papa Lo?i o Kanewai. The fair, which included speakers, informational booths, and organizations focused on land-based practices, was part of the week-long teach-in and educational event Our Theory of Change (OTC) sponsored by Native Hawaiian Student Services. OTC also featured presentations and roundtable discussions on subjects ranging from la‘au lapa‘au and the meaning of kuleana to juvenile justice and socioeconomic inequality. Find out more about the event here.

Coffee and Cream

Jen Burt and Andrea Kawabata at Cream of the CropThe Kona Coffee Council recently held their annual Cream of the Crop event at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay. This event brings in a large group of visitors, local residents, and coffee farmers—last year there were over 800 attendees. Jen Burt and Andrea Kawabata (both TPSS), with Rob Curtiss of the HDOA (l to r), had a booth at the event to share information about coffee quality, methods of coffee berry borer control, and invasive insect prevention.

Nutrition Never Gets Old

Maria Stewart at Kupuna presentationOn Friday, April 22 Maria Stewart presented nutrition workshops at the Kupuna Health and Safety Fair in Ewa. Over 100 senior citizens from the community attended the event, at which Maria presented practical approaches to maximizing health through diet in two workshops entitled “Eat Well, Stay Healthy: Nutrition for Healthy Aging.” The third annual event was sponsored by Ewa Weed and Seed, the Office of the US Attorney, and the Honolulu Police Department. This was the first time CTAHR was represented at the event, but the nutrition workshops were extremely popular, so it probably won’t be the last!

Doctor’s Orders

Nobuhisa MorimotoMS alumnus Nobuhisa Morimoto recently checked in after passing his medical boards at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University and advancing to become a resident. Nobu plans to become an internist, specializing in nephrology and/or endocrinology. He’s also interested in conducting research in these fields. He favors a holistic approach, explaining, “Besides treating my patients, I would like to help them adopt healthful dietary and exercise habits to prevent the onset of various chronic diseases.” He’s having a hard time deciding whether he’ll practice in Hawai‘i or Japan, but we hope he comes back! Nobu keeps in touch with CTAHR professors and friends and is working on research projects with Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal (both HNFAS). His advice to those interested in pursuing a medical career is that it’s important to be passionate about being a health professional and to enjoy learning about how the body functions. There’s a tremendous amount of knowledge that one needs to digest during and after med school, he points out, which is much easier if you can enjoy the subject matter. He says, “Many individuals in CTAHR made a difference in my life, and I would like become someone who can make a difference in other people’s lives. I would like to do my best at each task so that as many people as possible in the world will become healthier and happier.” What a great prescription!

New Publications

In Position

Helen SpaffordHelen Spafford (PEPS) chaired the five-person writing committee for the Entomological Society of America’s position statement on invasive species, titled “The Not-So-Hidden Dangers of Invasive Species.” The statement discusses the threat of invasive species and the potential risks they pose to U.S. national interests by undermining food security, trade agreements, forest health, ecosystem services, environmental quality, and public health and recreation. Position statements are a well-respected and versatile tool for a scientific society to publicly establish its view on issues of public policy concern. ESA position statements serve as an official way for the society to offer scientific input on many timely policy discussions. The Invasive Species position statement, along with other position statements on collections, tick-borne diseases, and pollinator health published over the past year, are useful tools in ESA’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. These statements are often employed by ESA’s government relations firm in meetings and will also be hand-delivered by ESA’s Science Policy Fellows next month when they participate in Capitol Hill meetings.

Elder Statesmen of Natural Resource Economics

Chennat GopalakrishnanChennat Gopalakrishnan has a new book out titled Classic Papers in Natural Resource Economics Revisited, the culmination of seven years of work. In the short period the book has been out, it has received much praise, including from Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Solow of MIT. The volume brings together classic papers in natural resource economics written by distinguished economists, five of them Nobelists, coupled with analyses by highly regarded scholars of how these papers have impacted the field. The papers represent the five core areas in natural resource economics: the intertemporal problem; externalities and market failure; property rights, institutions, and public choice; the economics of exhaustible resources; and the economics of renewable resources. Check it out!

Man, Oh, Manganese!

Teresa LeMoonJoannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal discuss the work of their FSHN MS student Teresa LeMoon in a recent Star-Advertiser column, “Too much of a ‘healthy’ diet can lead to severe problems.” Teresa’s research, for which she got the MS Student Poster Presentation Award of Merit at the recent Student Research Symposium, showed that several modern diets may be too high in manganese, but diets considered healthy, such as the “Mediterranean” diet and vegetarianism, can be even higher than an omnivorous diet. While manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient, it can have irreversible neurotoxic effects when chronically consumed in excess amounts! Food types providing the greatest amounts of Mn were whole grains, nuts and seeds, and fruits. That’s not to say people shouldn’t eat these, but just keep your intake of Mn no more than 11 mg/day.

In Memoriam

Dr. Allen Y. Miyahara, DVM

Allen MiyaharaWe are saddened to report that Allen Y. Miyahara, DVM, emeritus Extension veterinarian and animal scientist, passed away on April 2, 2016. As a faculty member in the Department of Animal Sciences, Dr. Miyahara was instrumental, along with Dr. Bob Nakamura, in establishing the department’s Pre-Veterinary Medicine program. He taught courses in the department and published research in animal disease, including sugar-induced heart lesions in swine. In 1980, Dr. Miyahara organized one of the first ever and most comprehensive conferences on the human–animal bond. Born in 1928, he earned his DVM from Iowa State University and was on the faculty of the Animal Sciences Department in CTAHR until 1982. Dr. Miyahara also sponsored a CTAHR scholarship named for himself. He was a leader in the veterinary community of Hawai‘i, active in the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, where he served as executive vice president, and the Honolulu Veterinary Society. In 2006 he received the AVMA Award, the highest honor given by the American Veterinary Medical Association, for his work to strengthen the veterinary profession internationally. While serving as AVMA ambassador for the Pacific, Dr. Miyahara was largely responsible for bringing over 450 veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and others from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines to the 2006 AVMA conference in Honolulu. He also served as vice president of the AVMA.


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