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2010


December



Banana with a Baseball Bat

12/20/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Banana with a baseball batDian Dooley (HNFAS) was pleased recently to receive an email from a local teacher who had come upon her “FitKeiki/Produce an Athlete” site on the Web and was using it with great success in her classes. “Your page had a lot of great stuff I could use,” the teacher enthused. Besides offering newsletters for coaches, a downloadable calendar, and games to get kids moving, the site uses bright, kid-friendly graphics to encourage kids (and others) to eat fruits and vegetables (produce—get it?). Dian says, with pardonable pride, “It’s now actually pretty spiffy...we (students, Extension faculty, and I) designed the “FitKeiki” site in 2002 as the students’ semester project. None of us knew ANYTHING about creating Web sites then...and we learned a lot. Extension redid it a bit, and then the 2005 FSHN 452W class did some revamping work with/for Claire Nakatsuka. This coming spring, I’m planning on another Web site development with the FSHN 452W students...an informational site about food for health-care professionals, especially here in Hawai‘i.” The nicest part of the teacher’s appreciative email? One of her students had been inspired by the site to want to contribute links to more games for it, the circle of influence spreading outward.

Head, Heart, Hand, Health...and National Defense?

12/20/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Carmen Golay at 4-H in Tokyo4-H and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) have long had partnerships with military after-school programs, both in the US and around the world. For the past several years, BGCA has invited 4-H to participate in the Asia Impact Conference, which brings together military program staff from Japan and Korea to train them on programs, youth development, and recognizing outstanding professionals. At the most recent conference, 4-H staff conducted workshops and led staff training on integrating 4-H and BGCA programming to strengthen teen and school-age programs. This year, Asia Impact was held at the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo, where about 100 military program staff attended workshops for 3 days. Among the trainers was Carmen Golay, Military 4-H Program Coordinator at UH (left, with David Brittain and program staff DeeDee, from Daegu, South Korea). Carmen says of the conference, “This was a great opportunity for 4-H staff.... Staff that we trained reported feeling more confident to improve their after-school programs using 4-H philosophy and materials.” For more information about the military 4-H club programs, contact Claire Nakatsuka (Military/4-H Liaison) or Carmen Golay at 956-4125.

Jungle Fever

12/20/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

KoCongratulations to Carol D’Angelo (APDM, FCS), whose artwork “Ko‘olau Jungle” is featured in the 2011 UH Alumni Association’s art calendar. This is the first calendar produced by UHAA, and only 12 works of art were selected from more than 325 entries.

A Million Says You Can Make the Islands a Better Place to Live

12/20/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Globally, sustainability has become a pressing issue, and in Hawai‘i the need is even greater, given our geographic isolation, fragile ecosystems, and limited resources. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education (OVCRGE) now announces a second Renewable Energy for Island Sustainability (REIS) Project (http://reis.manoa.hawaii.edu/). The competition, first held in 2009, is only open to UHM faculty and features a single $1 million research grant in the broad area of sustainability. Funding will be provided over 2 years for an interdisciplinary sustainability research effort of significant relevance to Hawai‘i. After 2 years, the successful applicant team should be able to transition the project to an externally funded center/program that will continue to address critical issues around sustainability science, technology, and policy. The 2-stage application process first requires submitting a “Planning Letter” outlining research ideas and collaborations and defining the diversity of research areas to be addressed and the approaches to be undertaken. Skill-sets of the key participants are to be summarized, and potential links to other disciplines identified. Planning letters must be submitted in PDF electronic format, and sent to vcrge@hawaii.edu by 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2011. Invitations from the OVCRGE to write full proposals will be sent out no later than Feb. 1, 2011, to approximately 25% of the applicants. Full proposals, including a detailed budget, will be due on Mar. 18, 2011. The recipient(s) of the $1 million grant will be announced on Earth Day, Apr. 22, 2011. Project funding will run from Jul. 1, 2011, through Jun. 30, 2013.

Give to Receive

12/20/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Servers at IHSChef Mark not only fed the CTAHR ‘ohana; he made enough food to feed the clients of both the men’s and women’s shelters at the Institute for Human Services, nearly 250 extra meals. He and his assistants spent days shopping and cooking, and the results were fabulous. Gladys Leong (MBBE, Institutional Support), Aileen Maldonado (student, MBBE), and Parashar Thapa (student, MBBE) (right to left), Cheng-Sheng Lee (CTSA), Charlie Nelson (MBBE Shop), J.P. Bingham (MBBE), Harry Ako (MBBE), and Joan Ako served the food at the shelter. Harry writes, “We had some very profound impressions. We take food and shelter for granted. The people there were very grateful for the meal we brought them. They thanked us profoundly. They were also very pleased to have great food from Chef Mark. To our surprise (since we gave out large portions) many of the women came to get seconds (“May I have more stuffing please?”). As anticipated we received more than we provided.” He continues, “There was a special pan containing greens, which are in scarce supply, since all their food is donated. They were harvested from Ted Radovich’s wall gardens and Harry Ako’s aquaponics set-up. We will go back and provide them with more fish and send our teaching assistant to help them with adult training on aquaponics.” CTAHR also collected 9 boxes of canned goods and $460 for the IHS at the luncheon, and COF had previously collected an additional $537 and more food (see photo in previous item).

And a Good Time Was Had by All

12/20/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

COF with the results of their food drive
Kristie Matsumoto (MBBE) writes, “Just wanted to send a quick note of thanks for yesterday’s events. In my 12+ years employed in/out with CTAHR, this has truly been the BEST experience I’ve had with a college gathering. It had all the warm fuzzy feelings to go along with the delicious food. I was very thankful for many things yesterday, and I did take the time to reflect on others. It was a nice touch acknowledging each retiring individual, and with each department pitching in and the great effort to have everyone stay to socialize (I really appreciated the many seats encouraging people to sit and dine), CTAHR was one big ‘ohana. And just in case you may not have heard personal praises from other CTAHR faculty and staff, there are many other people who feel the same way as I do, too =)!”
Doug Vincent (HNFAS) says, “The holiday season is a wonderful time for fellowship, sharing, recognizing good friends, and making new ones. We hope that while you were also filling your tummies with fantastic food, you had a chance to talk with colleagues or friends that you might not had time to with the hustle and bustle of the closing semester. The recognition of longtime faculty and staff, who will be leaving us in just a few days, made the day all that more important. Mahalo nui loa to Interim Dean Sylvia Yuen for her leadership and ideas about doing things differently this year. It was her idea to create more spaces for sitting and conversing, and it worked very well. I can’t say enough about Chef Mark Segobiano and his abilities to create a wholesome, delicious meal with limited resources. The HNFAS students who helped in the kitchen (during finals week!!) made the work go smoothly. We couldn’t have done it without them. I’d also like to thank the HNFAS faculty and staff who pitched in, in particular Colleen Bird, Steve Spielman, Cory Tauyan, and Wayne Toma.”

Party for the People

12/20/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR Holiday PartCTAHR administration, staff, faculty, students, and friends followed their noses toward the smell of turkey, sage stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, carrots, green bean casserole, cranberries, and freshly baked rolls at the annual holiday luncheon held on Dec. 15. It was a time for fellowship, sharing, reconnecting with colleagues, and making new friends across the college. Many thanks to ADSC, COF, FCS, HNFAS, PEPS, MBBE, NREM, Oahu County, OCS, TPSS, Chef Mark Segobiano, students, administration, and the Leadership Team for their support and assistance in helping to make this annual event possible. Thanks also to Tisha Uyehara of Armstrong Produce and Dan Nellis of Dole Foods, whose companies donated some of the food!

Keeping Up with Carbon

12/6/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

NREM students studying climate change effects in native forestToo much carbon dioxide in the air leads to global warming. That’s understood. What’s less well understood is how to draw the excess out of the atmosphere. Much of it is stored in the soil and in plants, but this balance is likely being altered by climate change—how much, we’re not yet sure. Joey Quitan (undergrad, NREM), Kevin Kaneshiro (technician, NREM), Darcey Iwashita (master’s candidate, NREM) and Olivia Schubert (undergrad, NREM) are part of a large collaboration that is using a natural elevation/temperature gradient in the Laupahoehoe area of the Island of Hawai‘i to understand how rising temperatures will impact ecosystem services and processes in native Hawaiian wet forests. Find more information here.

A Lot for a Little

12/6/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

EFNEP presentationThe Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) helps limited-income families with young children to expand their knowledge of nutrition and improve their diets, teaching basic cooking skills, food safety, and ways to better manage their food budget. The program collaborates with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), formerly Food Stamp Nutrition Education, another federal–State partnership that supports nutrition education for the improved health of those with limited resources. Program graduates say it works: They have increased knowledge; enhanced skills; and greater nutrition, health, and well-being. In Hawai‘i, both EFNEP and SNAP-Ed are now under the umbrella of the Nutrition Education for Wellness (NEW) project called LIFE-II, a community nutrition outreach project for limited-income audiences. Extension educators statewide are helping to make this new collaboration a success, including Julia Zee, Lynn Nakamura-Tengan, Naomi Kanehiro, Laura Kawamura, and Claire Nakatsuka. To find out more about EFNEP’s programs, check out their newsletter here.

Local-Style Grinds

12/6/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

SPAM musubiThe subtitle of the Hawai‘i Foods Web site is “Nutrition with Aloha.” We figure that they decided “One of the few places on the Web where you can find out how much zinc is in a SPAM musubi”* isn’t as catchy, but it’s just as true. Beyond that important information, hungry searchers can look up recipes and nutrition information for a cornucopia of local foods, including Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and more. Already had too much mac salad and meat jun and want to start watching your diet? Hawai‘i Foods includes the “PacTrac” or “My Diet” feature, an interactive portal into which users can enter the foods they have eaten and get a personalized analysis of their food intake. The Web site, begun in 2007 by researchers from COF and HNFAS, is being updated to incorporate the USDA’s revised Food Pyramid, and more recipes and foods are continually being added. The site also offers a library of downloadable food publications on such subjects as food additives and safety, historical foods, and the impact of technology on foods.

*How much zinc is there, you ask? Visit the site to find out.

You Like Trade 20 Negi for One Kabocha?

12/6/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Kabocha with seedsIn these tough economic times, finding a low-cost or free family outing that also provides a holiday gift or two is a boon. The O‘ahu Urban Garden Center Seed Swap, held Dec. 11, fits the bill! Learn how to collect and store seeds, and exchange your seeds for others. Seeds will also be available for sale. These packets of potential can be great stocking stuffers! The Garden gives these pointers: If bringing seeds to exchange, package them in a moisture-free Ziploc bag and label with as much information as you have, including a description of what the flowers, fruit, or vegetables will look like. Finally, package every variety in its own separate baggie. If you’re not sure how to collect seeds in order to swap them, think about attending the Seed Saving for the Home Gardener workshop, given from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and repeated from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Alvin Yoshinaga, from the Lyon Arboretum Seed Conservation Lab, will be there to offer foolproof tips for saving your seeds year after year. The cost is $5 at the door for the workshop (the exchange is free). Walk-ins are welcome, and pre-registration is not required. Space is limited, though, so sign in at the door by 9 a.m. to reserve a seat.

Future Scientists of America

12/6/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The 4-H program, in order to prepare children for the brave new world they’re growing up in, has been placing increasing emphasis on science and technology. Hawai‘i recently received a Science Implementation grant of $1,500 from 4-H, to be used by teams attending the Science Academy at the national 4-H Center to gain information to share with other staff back home. The grant will also help staff and volunteers to achieve their 4-H Science Plan of Action goals through trainings, webinars, and orientations in the first part of 2011. These grants are made possible through the generous funding of the Noyce Foundation and the hard work of 4-H National Headquarters and the National 4-H Council.

Thorne on the Range

12/6/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Mark Thorne awarded Range Manager of the YearMark Thorne (HNFAS), State Range Extension Specialist, received the Range Manager of the Year Award from the California-Pacific Section of the Society for Range Management at the Hawai‘i Cattlemen’s Convention held Nov. 19. One award is given each year to a professional in range management in California or Hawai‘i who has made a substantial contribution to their field. Mark’s extensive research and education programs throughout Hawai‘i and the Western Pacific earned him this well-deserved recognition. The Society for Range Management is an international professional organization of individuals with a common interest in the study, management, and rational use of rangelands and related ecosystems. Pictured from left to right are Tim Richards, Alan Gottlieb, Mark Thorne, Glen Fukumoto (Extension), and Matt Stevenson (Extension).

A SMART Collaboration

12/6/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Women in Nepal collaborating with SMARTSThe Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management has received funding for several international projects, including Sustainable Management of Agroecological Resources for Tribal Societies (SMARTS). Principal investigators Travis Idol (NREM), Catherine Chan-Halbrendt (NREM), and Chittaranjan Ray (Water Resources Research Center) are joined by Susan Crow (NREM), Carl Evensen (NREM), Ted Radovich (TPSS), and Krisna Suryanata (Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning) are collaborating with local non-governmental organizations, universities, and institutes in India and Nepal. Due to environmental degradation and increased population density, there is less and less productive land that tribal peoples can use for their traditional agricultural projects in regions of India and Nepal, resulting in, as the researchers point out, “lower productivity, degradation of soil and water resources, impairment of health—including severe malnutrition—and loss of livelihood options.” The project aims to help local peoples to use resources more effectively, practice conservation measures, and target ways to sell their products. It is also finding ways to address the needs of local women who have been traditionally barred from these farming practices.

November



It's a Party!

11/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Lemon barsCTAHR faculty, staff, and students are all invited to CTAHR’s annual Christmas party on Dec. 15, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Ag Sci II. Chef Mark Segobiano and his helpers will prepare an ‘ono holiday luncheon for us and for the homeless women and children at the Institute for Human Services. Plenty of others will be helping, to PEPS and HNFAS will do facilities set-up; O‘ahu County, ADSC, and PEPS will provide decorations; FCS and OCS will be serving; NREM will do the clean-up; and TPSS is organizing donations of fruits and vegetables. MBBE will be serving at IHS, and COF will be conducting the canned food drive. Want to be part of the celebration? Please RSVP to events@ctahr.hawaii.edu by Friday, Dec. 10. Please call Robyn Chow-Hoy at 956-5375 if you have any questions or need any assistance. Oh, and donations of desserts will be happily welcomed! (Lemon bars? Who said anything about lemon bars?) This is your opportunity to meet new and old friends, to honor those who will be retiring at the end of the year, and to enjoy a delicious meal!

How to Feed the World

11/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Suzanne Murphy and HNFAS 415 classCorilee Watters’ FSHN 451 Community Nutrition class recently heard a talk by Suzanne Murphy, researcher at UH’s Cancer Research Center and recent inductee into the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academy, on national policies on nutrition. Suzanne, through her work on the Food and Nutrition Board, has been instrumental in establishing policy and standards for nutrition in the US, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, National School Lunch Program, the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program and most recently, the Child and Adult Care Food Programs. Her talk was right in line with Corilee's class, which is focused on analyzing "nutritional problems of local, national, and international communities."

Learning from the Ground Up

11/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Maria Stewart in peapod costumeAbout 50 Noelani Elementary School first-graders gathered at the Magoon student garden plots on Nov. 17 to hear a talk by Maria Stewart (HNFAS) on nutrition and health choices, and how food groups are related to body health. Then they got to harvest some of the vegetables they planted and have been tending all semester. Noelani has partnered with SOFT to bring students into contact with the ‘aina and teach important lessons at the same time—including how to wear a giant pea pod with aplomb!

Sleep Tight; Don’t Let the You-Know-Whats Bite!

11/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Bed bug closeupKen Grace (PEPS) was quoted in “Do Not Let the Bed Bugs Bite” in Midweek, Nov. 3. According to Ken, bedbugs have made a major comeback in recent years, due both to the declining use of long-lasting insecticides and to the little pests' own ability to become resistant to the insecticides that are still used. Lucky we live Hawai‘i—as Ken points out, “we get 15 new insects introduced here every year.” All this pest activity is sure to keep CTAHR researchers and Extension professionals busy for many years to come. Unfortunately, because of their ability to hide, bedbugs are almost impossible to control by yourself. The best advice if you suspect bedbugs? “Call a professional!”

Putting Safe Food on Hawai‘i’s Tables

11/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Jim Hollyer and food safety teamPacific Business News (Nov. 5) recently reported on the growing pressure on Hawai‘i's farmers to obtain food safety certification. In the wake of some highly publicized recalls of contaminated produce from other regions of the US, plus some quiet ones in Hawai‘i, consumers and food retailers are looking for assurance that food is grown under sanitary conditions, using the best agricultural practices. Jim Hollyer (PEPS; front right), director of the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific (ADAP) program, has been leading CTAHR's efforts to coach farmers through the process of obtaining annual Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) audits (also known as food safety certification) for several years. Along with Lynn Nakamura-Tengan (HNFAS Extension; back left), Luisa Castro (NREM; front left), Donna Meyer (PEPS; back middle), and Vanessa Troegner (ADAP; back right), Jim has helped at least 70 Hawai‘i produce farmers and wholesalers prepare to pass the third-party, internationally recognized audit. Check out the list of agricultural businesses with active audits here. The CTAHR farm food safety coaching team and our Master Gardeners are now working on food safety practices for Hawai‘i’s school gardens.

Not at Home for the Holidays

11/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Homeless woman and boyCOF and the Homeless Programs Office of the Hawai‘i State Department of Human Services have released the Homeless Service Utilization Report: Hawai‘i 2010. Authored by Sarah Yuan, Heather Trundle, and Grace Fong (all COF), the report provides state- and county-level data about the characteristics of individuals and households who accessed homeless support services during the 2010 fiscal year, based on agency-entered data in the Homeless Management and Information System (HMIS). A total of 13,886 people experienced homelessness and received shelter and/or outreach services in the state in FY 2010, an increase of 3% from a year ago. Almost 3,000 were children. “We developed the report to provide easy access to important statistics on the homeless, especially for those who need the data to improve policies, programs, and services for the homeless,” says Sarah. Sandra Miyoshi, administrator of the Homeless Programs Office at the DHS, confirms that “the use of the HMIS data will help us to make better decisions and take appropriate actions to reduce homelessness in Hawai‘i.”

All Together Now

11/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

There have been 46 grants awarded to CTAHR researchers from September through November, amounting in total to $7,635,401. Scanning the list of grants one is struck by how many relate to more, shall we say, collaborative and nonviolent ways of interacting with the ‘aina and its creatures. A scattering of examples might include alternative waste management for piggeries that reduces wastewater contamination of our streams (Glen Fukumoto, HNFAS), improving disease resistance of taro rather than killing off whatever attacks it (Susan Miyasaka, TPSS), managing varroa mites to keep honeybees healthy (Ethel Villalobos and Mark Wright, PEPS), and “Sustainable Management of Agroecological Resources for Tribal Societies” (Cathy Chan-Halbrendt, NREM). We humans are not alone on the planet, and it’s heartening to see so many in the College focused on coming to terms with such an important concept.

CTAHR Style

11/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR polo shirts being modeledBack by popular demand, a new batch of soft-collared CTAHR polo shirts has just arrived! They come in men’s and women’s sizes; the price is $20, and shipping is free to off-campus CTAHR offices. Checks should be made out to RCUH. Download order forms here. Questions? Contact Sharon Tasato (OCS) at 956-7036 or at stasato@hawaii.edu.

From the Sea to the Land

11/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Bags of invasive seaweedKHON recently featured a story about the Sustainable and Organic Agriculture program's use of invasive algae to make compost. If you’ve been down to Maunalua Bay recently, you know it’s choked with invasive mudweed, and you may have seen people hauling odorous bags of it onto the shore. The algae is then taken to a site in Kamilo valley, where it is turned into compost. Working together with SOA, under the direction of Ted Radovitch (TPSS), are Aloha ‘Aina O Kamilo Nui, the Nature Conservancy, and Pono Pacific. The compost will be given to farmers when it is ready. Check out KHON's coverage and the longer writeup in Hanai 'Ai, SOA's newsletter.

This Doesn't Mean Exfoliating with a Pineapple

11/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

David Christopher with a pineappleRecently featured on KITV as well as in Malamalama was the possibility that enzymes activated in ripening pineapple can help us to understand humans’ aging processes. David Christopher (right), Leon Neuteboom, and Kristie Matsumoto (all MBBE) identified a “genetic trigger” found only in pineapple that can keep the fruit from ripening—and that, they say, is not only useful for agricultural purposes but also may have implications for our own “ripening”—the softening and cell death that occur during human aging. Their findings were originally published in Plant Physiology.

A Step towards Green

11/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Cucumbers at Kakaako homeless shelterCTAHR’s been in the news lately—on KITV twice and KHON once in the past week or so. One story concerned the Next Step homeless shelter in Kaka‘ako, which has created a hydroponic vegetable garden with the help of CN Lee (HNFAS). Other helpers include Bradley "Kai" Fox (post-doc, MBBE); Joe Blanco, a former Board of Regents member; Mark Quintan; and JJ Peng. Utu Langi, the director of H-5 (Hawaii Helping the Hungry Have Hope), is hoping to ease the food burden of the shelter as well as to help their clients feel more proactive about helping themselves. CN says, “Many of the homeless have health problems due to poor diet, and the project helps to put fresh vegetables on their table. Besides the reduction of the carbon footprint, it is bringing agriculture closer to urban Honolulu. For many of them, it was their first time growing and caring for something. We feel that agriculture is beyond the production of food. It is caring, nurturing and working as a team. In return, the plants nourish us and bless us in many ways.”

Decided against the Ferrari and Need Some Legit Funding?

11/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The CTAHR Research Office has issued grant specialist Sharee Pepper’s latest newsletter of “New Funding Opportunities.” This newsletter, which is issued approximately once a month, is a must-read for CTAHR faculty who are looking for extramural funds, and who isn't? This issue includes current requests for proposals from USDA-NIFA and several private foundations. The newsletter can always be downloaded from the Extramural Grant Opportunities section under Research & Extension on the Employees’ page of the CTAHR Web site.

Should You Accept the Ferrari?

11/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

FerrariThe State Ethics Code—Chapter 84, Hawai’i Revised Statutes (HRS)—is administered by the Hawai’i State Ethics Commission. The Ethics Commission issues advisory opinions, investigates and considers charges of alleged violation of the ethics and lobbying laws, and educates State government officials and employees and the citizenry on ethics in government. How does this relate to the people of CTAHR, you may ask? One area may be gifts. With regard to gifts (covered in HRS 84-11), there are three factors the commission looks at: (1) the value of the gift; (2) whether the State official, employee, or board member takes official action affecting the donor of the gift; and (3) whether the gift is personal in nature or whether, instead, there is a State interest that would be furthered by accepting the gift (i.e., is there a benefit to the State?). For instance, a recent case judged by the Commission concerned an individual offered airfare, hotel accommodations, admission fee to a conference, and a cocktail reception: They decided the individual could not ethically accept the accommodations or the invitation to the cocktail party. If you’re questioning whether you should accept a gift or not, you're invited to email the State Ethics Commission at ethics@hawaiiethics.org or call 587-0460. They also have a Web site with more information, including frequently asked questions on the Gifts Disclosure Law.

We Know You’ve Got Something to Say!

11/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

A few weeks ago we solicited thoughtful visions and passionate suggestions on the subject of CTAHR’s off-campus and Magoon Lab facilities, in order to develop recommendations regarding their use to meet current and future program needs and sustainability. We’re asking again that you please submit your comments (general and/or specific to a particular facility or facilities) if you haven’t done so already. If you have, thank you for taking the time to improve the college! The deadline has been extended to Monday, Nov. 15. Please click here to make your (virtual) voice heard: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/SurvFac/facilities.aspx .

After the Pigs Are Gone

11/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Mauna Loa reforestation after feral pig removalRebecca Cole (NREM, postdoctoral researcher) is monitoring the recovery of native plant communities and key ecosystem processes following the removal of feral pigs from wet Hawaiian forests located on the eastern slope of Mauna Loa on the Big Island. Click here for more information on this and other NREM projects.

Taro: Not Just for Eating

11/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Colocasia We’ve all had some tasty poi or kulolo, or one of those increasingly common purple-colored items (mochi? Rolls? Pancakes?), but there’s a whole community of growers more interested in taro for its looks than its taste. A new version, Colocasia esculenta ‘Diamond Head,’ developed by John Cho (PEPS Emeritus) has been praised recently as far away as Texas for its spectacular and unique appearance: shiny, black-purple leaves with ruffled edges. Apparently the leaves reflect the light and actually shimmer, making for a dramatic eye-catcher in the garden.

Welcome Forward

11/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

In other (upcoming) “New Faces” news: The Academic and Student Affairs Office is recruiting for a Student Services Specialist to replace Allene Chun, who will be retiring in December, and TPSS, HNFAS, and MBBE are recruiting APT staff members to assist with administrative responsibilities. In addition, after a careful review of requests for positions, the following nine faculty positions were selected (final approval pending from Chancellor) for immediate recruitment: FCS: Merchandising, Family Development, and Product Development; HNFAS: Nutrition Education; NREM: Ecological Economics; PEPS: Sustainable Plant Pest Management; TPPS: Plant Breeding, Sustainable Ornamental Production, and Coffee and Orchard Crops. CTAHR looks forward to welcoming an outstanding group of new faculty and staff to our ‘ohana!

Welcome Back

11/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Robyn Chow-HoyCTAHR welcomes Robyn Chow-Hoy, who will begin serving as the Dean's administrative assistant on Nov. 15, replacing Eunice Morisaki, who has retired. Robyn is returning to the ‘ohana, as she received her bachelor’s degree in Family Resources from CTAHR, then went on to Colorado State University for her M.S. degree. She was an outstanding student, serving as Student Marshall and on Mortar Board and the Golden Key National Honor Society, and for many semesters she was on the National and UH Dean’s list. Robyn was previously employed at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children.

Could One of the Four H’s Be for “Hollywood”?

11/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Kids of KoaThe National Association of Extension 4-H Agents selected the video created by the Kids of Koa‘e 4-H Club as a winner in their "Film Festival" Contest, and the kids were thrilled to see Hawai‘i's video, which won in the "Future of 4-H" category, presented on the big screen at the film festival showcasing all the winning entries. Located in Kapoho on the Big Island, Kids of Koa‘e started less than 3 years ago. They’ve come a long way since then, learning farming techniques (right) and participating in malama ‘aina as well as creating videos, some of which have been used for 4-H promotion during the Hawai‘i County Fair and at other public events. We are also happy to report that Becky Settlage (FCS), the assistant Extension agent for 4-H Hilo, was recognized by the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents with an Achievement of Service Award!

Bugging Out

11/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Bug City at LCC“Bug City,” staffed by Helen Spafford (PEPS) and PEPS Entomology grad students, was a big hit at the LCC Discovery Fair last Saturday, Nov. 6. Adults and children alike were delighted by the live and preserved insects on display; they got to ask (numerous) questions and had lots of fun crafting their own butterflies. Bug-knowledgeable grad students included Rosalie Leiner, Michael San Jose, Ming-Yi Chou, Clesson Higashi, Luc LeBlanc, Reina Tong, and Will Haines.

Farm to Table—to Senate?

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Sylvia Yuen, Dan Inouye, and John GordinesThe Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation recently met for its 63rd annual convention; Interim Dean Sylvia Yuen (left) was their luncheon speaker for the first day, while Wayne Iwaoka (HNFAS) and farm-to-table pioneer Chef Alan Wong spoke on the second. During its Fellowship Night, the HFBF recognized Senator Daniel K. Inouye (middle) for his many years of steadfast support to Hawai‘i’s agriculture. Pictured on the right is John Gordines, farm manager of CTAHR’s Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center.

Nice Place to Be on a Rainy Day

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Hilo Komohana Open HouseDespite the drizzle, an enthusiastic crowd came out in large numbers to Hilo’s Komohana Research and Extension Center for their open house on Oct. 30. Three featured speakers demonstrated the art of processing fresh peppercorns to make your own gourmet pepper blend (Master Gardener KT Egley), the art and science of grafting fruit trees (Mike Nagao, TPSS), and the intricacies of cacao and chocolate manufacturing (Skip Bittenbender, TPSS). Ray Uchida (ADSC), Janice Uchida (PEPS), Scot Nelson (PEPS), and Brian Bushe (PEPS) helped baffled gardeners in the plant diagnostic clinic and soil pH booths, while 4-H displayed baby chicks and helped kids make Hawaiian-style jack o’ lanterns from papayas and anthuriums. The plant sale held by the Master Gardeners was also a big draw—and the weather was just right to get those plants started. :Check out video coverage of the open house here.

Extending Extension

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Julia ZeeJulia Zee (HNFAS) has been asked to serve an additional year on the USDA NIFA Nutrition and Health Committee for Program Planning and Guidance. Established in 2008, the committee provides important stakeholder input to USDA NIFA and is comprised of Extension nutrition and health professionals representing all regions and over a dozen states across the U.S. Its mission is to provide expert opinions to NIFA national program leaders regarding future national health and nutrition policies and programs, in order to strategically position the Cooperative Extension System for the future. Julia, who is also a Hawai‘i County’s Extension Educator and State Extension Nutrition and Health Program Leader, is one of the original committee members and has served as secretary and on the Evaluation Indicators subcommittee.

Keeping the Water Flowing

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The Irrigation Association Education Foundation organizes a Student Essay/Video Contest every year—the theme of this year’s (seventh annual) contest was “The Role of Irrigation in Sustainability.” Twelve NREM students entered their projects; William Conner won the essay contest in the Turf/Landscape category with an essay on rainwater catchment and graywater recycling, while Arlen McCluskey and Nancy Niklis won the video category with a video on taro irrigation in Hawai‘i. William, Arlen, and Nancy, along with their teacher, Ali Fares, have won an all-expenses-paid trip—airfare, housing, meal stipend, conference registration, and classes—to the association’s annual conference in Phoenix, AZ, where they will be recognized for their achievement. Of the twelve students who entered, however, their excited teacher avers, “As far as I am concerned, they are ALL WINNERS!”

Red for Green

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Harold and Jon Tanouye with Tropic Lime AnthuriumsThe anthurium 'Tropic Lime,' developed by a team of CTAHR researchers, recently won a red ribbon in the 2010 Outstanding Varieties Competition sponsored by the Society of American Florists (SAF). The beautiful green flower was entered by Hilo’s Green Point Nurseries (the Nurseries’ founder, Harold Tanouye, is here pictured with his grandson Jon). Besides its bright verdancy, 'Tropic Lime' has excellent vase life (about 27 days) and tolerates bacterial blight. It was developed by the CTAHR team of Heidi Kuehnle (TPSS), Haruyuki Kamemoto (TPSS, Emeritus), Tessie Amore (TPSS), John Kunisaki (TPSS, retired), Janice Uchida (PEPS), and Joanne Lichty (TPSS). Haruyuki established UH-Manoa’s anthurium research program in 1950 to develop disease-resistant and novel anthuriums for the flower industry. Tessie now manages this highly successful program, which has released more than 40 new commercial varieties since 1963, helping the anthurium to become the state’s most valuable cut-flower crop, with a farm-gate value of nearly $3 million in 2009. Eight other CTAHR anthurium varieties have received ribbons from the SAF since 2004: blue ribbons for 'Marian Seefurth' (2009), 'Tropic Sunrise' (2007), and 'Lavender Lady' (2004); red ribbons for 'Tropic Ice' (2009), 'Mauna Loa' (2008), 'Hokuloa' (2007), 'Kalapana' (2005), and 'Tropic Fire' (2004).

Aloha for Allene

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Allene ChunAllene Chun, our Student Services Specialist, is retiring after 29 years of dedicated service to the college. CTAHR has established a fund at UH Foundation to honor her and continue her legacy of generosity by creating the Allene Chun Scholarship for undergraduate students at CTAHR. We would like to raise sufficient funds to establish an endowment (a minimum of $35,000) so that the scholarship can be awarded in perpetuity; it’s hoped that this scholarship will eventually touch many lives and leave a lasting impression on many, just as Allene has done. If you’d like to make a donation, please send your check made out to UH Foundation, with “Allene Chun Scholarship” in the memo section, to UH Foundation, P.O. Box 11270, Honolulu, HI 96828-0270. To make a donation online, please go to Allene Chun Propose Endowed Scholarship.

CTAHR Products That Look Good on Hollywood Stars

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

What do Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria and Twilight vampire Ashley Greene have in common? They’ve both been spotted wearing dresses by Fighting Eel, a local clothing company co-founded by FCS alumna-made-good Lan Hai Chung. The clothing has been featured on the bodies of many other Hollywood stars and local fashionistas, and on the pages of numerous local and national fashion and lifestyle mags. It gets high marks for CTAHR-style sustainability—much of it is made from renewable bamboo, and those in the know say it's also tops for Island-style wearability and comfort—much more comfortable than you'd think wearing a fighting eel would be!

Alumnae Achievements

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Erica KubotaErica (Oshiro) Kubota was one of the first USDA Multicultural Scholars Program scholars in CTAHR in 1995. She graduated with a B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition in Spring 2000. She then worked as a graduate assistant in CTAHR’s Academic and Student Affairs office, while at the same time pursuing a master’s degree in teaching. She taught at Pearl City High School for three years in its math and science department, then in 2006 returned to CTAHR as an Instructional and Student Support Specialist in the Academic and Student Affairs office. She now coordinates the college’s Student Ambassador Program to recruit the best and brightest into the college. She tells us, “After I was offered the scholarship and entered CTAHR, my life changed. I would never have been able to attend college if it were not for the scholarship.” See below for another achieving alumna.

Making Learning Meaningful

11/5/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR students harvest taroCTAHR people get to do fun things! Recently 24 of our students and staff embarked on the seventh annual Meaningful Experience adventure. This year, the group started with a visit to CTAHR’s Waimanalo Research Station, where they learned about organic farming and corn and taro varieties—everyone harvested corn and dryland taro—and were taught indigo dyeing by Japan’s master clothing dyer and designer to the royal family, Tokunari Fujibayashi. Mr. Fujibayashi and Eri Takebayashi, an APDM student, showed the students how to design their own handkerchiefs using indigo dye. Then the group headed to Coconut Island’s Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology by boat, where they were met by Clyde Tamaru (MBBE). “Bo” Alexander taught the group about the ‘opakapaka’s life cycle, and then Kim Holland explained about internal shark tagging, and sting rays’ and other marine creatures’ behaviors. Everyone was impressed (and perhaps relieved) to see the juvenile tiger shark in captivity, a rare sight. Finally, Kuulei Rodgers introduced the group to anthropogenic impacts on coral reefs and had them participate in a fish-measuring activity. All in all, an exciting and fulfilling learning experience. The group wishes to offer many thanks to all of the gracious hosts and instructors who took time out from their busy schedules to share their passion and expertise.

October



Get WELD

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The Western Extension Leadership Development program (WELD) requests nominations for their 2011-2012 internship class. The program emphasizes development of leadership skills and entails a personal leadership inventory, two Mainland seminars (Feb. 2011 and May 2012), and development of a leadership project. Recent WELD interns include Linda Cox (NREM), Jari Sugano (PEPS), and Kelvin Sewake (PEPS); and Lynn Nakamura-Tengan (HNFAS) is on the WELD Planning Committee. Please contact your Department Chair or County Administrator to request nomination and application materials. Send completed applications to Carl Evensen by email (evensen@hawaii.edu) or fax (956-9105) by Nov. 8. Here's the program Web site.

Close Scrutiny

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The National Science Foundation awarded a Major Research Instrumentation Grant to David Christopher (MBBE), Marilyn Dunlap (PBRC), and Allison Sherwood (Botany). The $404,128 award will allow the University to purchase a new transmission electron microscope, which is vital for cellular biological research on plants, animals, and microbes. It will be located at UH’s Biological Electron Microscope Facility in Snyder 118 and will be used by researchers throughout the UH system. For examples of electron microscopy work, click here and here. Learn more about the facility here.

Stream Re-Leaf

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR students planting Manoa StreamWhen the City and County of Honolulu mounted its own Make a Difference Day earlier this month, students in Janice Uchida’s (PEPS) class stepped up to the challenge as well, participating in an environmental demonstration sponsored by the Adopt a Stream Project and coordinated by Iwalani Sato, the Deptartment of Environmental Services’ Community Relations Specialist. The students cleared out weeds such as honohono grass and replanted the stream banks with native plants, including naio, 'uki'uki, 'ahu'awa, and 'a'ali'i.

Dealing with Disaster

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Hawai‘i’s agricultural growers face multiple challenges, and here's one more: a major change in national disaster assistance rules. The USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Disaster Assistance Programs are now directly linked to federal crop insurance—producers must get crop insurance to be eligible for the FSA disaster funds. For non-insurable crops (vegetables, cut flowers, animals, cacao, taro, and fruit other than bananas and papayas), they must get coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. CTAHR’s Local Immigrant and Farmer Education (LIFE) program, with co-sponsors USDA Risk Management Agency and the Farm Service Agency, is offering workshops statewide through November and December for growers to learn about crop insurance, disaster assistance, and risk management. For more information, check out UHM's news release for specific dates and times, or contact Stuart Nakamoto at 956-8125 or snakamo@hawaii.edu.

Bee There or Bee Square

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Honeybee with deformed wingsCTAHR’s Honeybee Project will host the Honeybee/Pollinator Expo 2010 on Friday, Nov. 5, at the East-West Center’s Keoni Auditorium. International and local bee researchers will present their most recent findings on Varroa mites, sustainable beekeeping, stingless bees, pollen usage, and more during scheduled talks throughout the day. Demonstration booths will also be open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and honey producers from various islands will provide free honey samples from their apiaries. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., students from the Slow Food International-KCC chapter will provide samples of foods made with local honey. The event is free and open to the public; for more information, check out the Expo's Web site.

Gumbo for the Gulf

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Gumbo for the GulfOn Friday, Oct. 22, HNFAS hosted “Gumbo for the Gulf,” a fundraiser to support sea turtle rescue in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. HNFAS faculty, students, and staff—including Department Chair Doug Vincent, Chef Mark Segobiano, Ashley Stokes (right), Shawn Murakawa (MS-ANSC, left), and Colleen Bird—planned and organized the event. Several hundred attendees, including Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw (middle), did their part by feasting on the delicious Cajun food. Special thanks to Clyde Tamaru (MBBE) for arranging the donation of shrimp from Romi’s Shrimp Shack in Kahuku; to Hansen Foods for a donation of chicken; and to John Johnson of One Breath Photography, who donated photography of sea turtles for a silent auction. The event raised over $1,400 for the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies of Gulfport, MS.

Manoa Makeover

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR Scholarship recipients participate in Manoa MakeoverOctober 23, 2010, was National Make A Difference Day, and in honor of it CTAHR’s Scholarship Recipients volunteered their Saturday morning to participate in a Manoa Makeover project in QLCSS courtyard. They pulled weeds, tugged on roots, turned soil, mulched, and planted in order to beautify the courtyard. Ken Leonhardt and Andy Kaufman (TPSS) partnered with UHM to create a design that would delight passers-by—but since this picture doesn't do all their hard work justice, we suggest you pass by and be delighted!

That Mess in the Gulf

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

In other Gulf oil spill news, Chennat Gopalakrishnan (NREM) recently co-authored a paper, "Promoting Ecological Sustainability and Community Resilience in the US Gulf Coast after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill," detailing the immense scope and ramifications of the spill and discussing the steps that must be taken if the problem is ever to be resolved, let alone prevented in the future. Gopal was then featured in UH's Malamalama newsletter (see here), describing the spill in words that sound like an understatement but actually turn out to be a technical description (in the language of problem-solvers, that is): "It's a messy problem," he says.

Got Something to Say?

10/29/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The CTAHR Task Force on Facilities will be assessing CTAHR's off-campus and Magoon Lab facilities and developing recommendations regarding their use to meet current and future program needs and sustainability. The task force is soliciting your comments on the current and future needs, opportunities, value, etc., of our off-campus facilities. Please submit your comments (general and/or specific to a particular facility or facilities) using this link by Nov. 12, 2010. The members of the task force include Wayne Nishijima, retired and former CTAHR Associate Dean/Director of Cooperative Extension (Chair); Duff Zwald, Director of the UH system’s Procurement and Real Property Management Office; David Hafner, UHM Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Services; Walter Harada, retired and former Director, CTAHR Planning and Management System Office (PMSO); and Thomas Lim, Support Staff, Director PMSO.

Keeping Track of Our Elders

10/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Sarah Yuan, Yanhan Nie, and Sylvia YuenThe Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society awarded its 2010 Research and Teaching Award to COF’s Sarah Yuan, Yanhan Nie, and Sylvia Yuen (now CTAHR’s Interim Dean and Director). The award commended their achievement in developing and establishing the Data Center on Hawai‘i’s Aging, an electronic research tool used by gerontologists, public policy-makers, and program directors in Hawai‘i and elsewhere for research, education, and planning. Indicator data on a variety of subjects at the county, state, and national levels are presented and tracked over time. The Data Center also contains a large digital repository of Hawai‘i-relevant publications. Check it out at http://uhfamily.hawaii.edu/cof_Data/aging/aging.asp.

Achievement of a Lifetime

10/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

James Brewbaker standing in cornJames “Dr. B” Brewbaker (TPSS) received the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) 2010 inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes an individual active in the plant breeding field who has shown exceptional accomplishments in their research, teaching and collaboration with others. He will be invited to participate as a special guest at NAPB’s May 2011 meeting in College Station, Texas. Dr. B joined CTAHR’s faculty in 1961 and was instrumental in founding Hawai‘i’s corn industry, now the state’s largest agricultural industry, in the ’60s. Many of Dr. B’s 280 publications are on corn genetics and breeding, but he is best known internationally for genetic improvement in the tropical legume tree leucaena. He also founded and directs the stock seed organization Hawaii Foundation Seeds (see www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hfs).

Inside Information

10/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Carl Evensen has been appointed by the Western Extension Directors Association to begin a three-year term this November on the Western Multistate Review Committee. This group reviews and approves all regional projects (research and extension) for the western US. Carl will thus be better able to determine which projects might be appropriate for CTAHR faculty and to advise faculty in developing joint projects which include the Pacific Island territories and/or other western states. He is hoping that more joint projects for CTAHR will improve programs, reduce duplication of efforts and better meet USDA funding requirements.

Goin' for the Money

10/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Interim Associate Dean for Extension Carl Evensen and Special Research Director Ken Grace will be hosting a “Q&A with C&K” session to address any questions that CTAHR faculty may have about the two recent requests for proposals (see below). The informal session will be held on Tuesday, October 26, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Gilmore 212.

Scaling the Summit of Diabetes Treatment

10/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Diabetes Health Fair at KTA Super StoresStaff of the Diabetes Detection and Prevention Project of the CTAHR Cooperative Extension Service in Hilo recently hosted the 2nd Annual Big Island Diabetes Summit. Over 130 participants attended the health fair (a few are pictured at right) and workshops for physicians, other health professionals, and patients and caregivers in Hilo and Kona. Presenters focused on diabetes behaviors and beliefs, essential approaches to diabetes care and education, practical diabetes management skills, and dispelling diabetes myths and misinformation. The Diabetes Project, headed by Associate Extension Agent Julia Zee, is part of a multi-state Extension diabetes education research project funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture in cooperation with the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston. For more information, visit the project Web page at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/NEW/Diabetes or contact project staff at (808) 969-8222 or diabetes@hawaii.edu.

It's a Field Trip

10/22/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Anyone interested is invited to join Interim Dean Sylvia Yuen on a visit to the Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center (HARC) Kunia facility on October 29. See the plantation village, biotech lab, and product-development structure owned and operated by HARC, and learn more about the work undertaken by HARC’s staff. The visit will start at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Directions to the site will be provided, and participants can meet at HARC or carpool from campus. Please sign up with Caren Char (charc@ctahr.hawaii.edu) by Oct. 25 if you’d like to go.

Grass Ceiling

10/15/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

School for the Deaf visits green roof gardenStudents from the Hawai‘i School for the Deaf recently visited a green roof demonstration project at NREM’s mauka campus facility. This project utilizes native coastal plants that can survive the harsh environment of an exposed rooftop while helping to create cleaner air and reduced energy costs. Botany student Leyla Cabugos installed the demonstration for her master’s thesis, and it is now maintained and used for educational purposes by NREM.

Passion for Fashion

10/15/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The Apparel Product Design and Merchandising (APDM) Program in FSC was recently presented with a $2,000 grant from Retail Merchants of Hawaii (RMH), half to be spent maintaining and adding to the UH Historic Costume Collection and half to be used for the UH-Manoa Senior Fashion Show. The Collection is one of the largest at a public university, containing more than 10,000 items. Indeed, it was recently declared a State Treasure by the Hawai'i State Senate. The fashion show, which takes place in the spring, is a collaboration between design students, who create the fashions, and merchandising students, who put on the event. The 2010 show drew approximately 500 guests. RMH and APDM have been associated for almost 20 years.

Banana Prodigy

10/15/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Gabriel Sachter-Smith with bananasGabriel Sachter-Smith (junior, TPSS) may someday help to feed the world. His fascination with growing and studying bananas has led him from his home in Colorado to UH, and thence to special training in Uganda and Guangzhou, China. Now he’s back on the farm—the UH student farm, of which he was one of the founding members, that is. He’s also done training in the tissue culture lab, essentially cloning bananas, he recently told Ka Leo for their feature article on him. He pointed out that bananas are of enormous importance to the world's food supply: in fact, he says, "There are places in the world where the word for banana is the word for food."

Cat Colonies Questioned

10/15/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Feral cat with dead native birdChristopher Lepczyk (NREM) was recently commended for his “concrete suggestions” as to the problem of feral cat management. A common management technique is trap-neuter-return (TNR); however, as Christopher and his coauthors note in the esteemed journal Conservation Biology, TNR is not a viable solution to the problem. In fact, they point out, “releasing cats into the wild and supporting feral cat colonies is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act.” Certainly the birds would weigh in on the side of greater control: Here a photograph taken at Honouliuli shows a feral cat, with the distinctive notched ear denoting it has been trapped-neutered-and-returned, stalking off with a freshly killed Hawaiian coot (Fulica alai), a native bird on federal and State endangered species lists.

The Garden Masters

10/11/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The Master Gardeners plant an organic gardenThe First Annual University of Hawai‘i Master Gardener Statewide Conference, Growing Together in Hawaii, will take place on October 15-17, 2010, at the Ala Moana Hotel. It will showcase an important home gardening resource: UH’s Master Gardener program and its volunteers. The Master Gardeners’ newly renovated organic herb garden (right) will be showcased at the conference’s pre-registration event on Thursday, October 14, 2010, 3-6 p.m., with a local chef presenting Flavors from the Garden. The conference will also include specialized field trips, educational sessions, and networking opportunities. For more information, including a list of educational sessions and updates, please call 453-6059 (O'ahu) or visit http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/MG/conference/agenda.html

Partners in Protection

10/11/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Back view of coffee berry borerOn September 15, we reported on a new invasive pest, the coffee berry borer (CBB), which eats and destroys the green coffee bean. Here’s an update on efforts to control it:

First it was necessary to assess the problem's extent and offer information. So far, CBB has only been found at 7 south Kona farms in the state, and further spread must be curbed. Farmers, processors, legislators, and City Council members met with representatives of CTAHR, the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), and USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) on September 13 in Kona. There followed a meeting in Ka‘u, arranged by PEPS Extension agent Jari Sugano and NREM specialist Stuart Nakamoto; and a workshop in Lihu‘e, arranged by PEPS Extension agent Richard Ebesu and Kaua‘i county administrator Roy Yamakawa. Workshops and briefings will also be offered on Maui, Moloka‘i, and O‘ahu.

Elsie Burbano and TPSS Extension specialist H.C. “Skip” Bittenbender are informing farmers of cultural control practices, such as removing and destroying fallen coffee cherries, to slow the pest’s spread. Web updates and bulletins are being issued by HDOA and CTAHR, whose point of contact is Special Research Director Ken Grace. PBARC entomologists, CTAHR alumni Eric Jang and Robert Hollingsworth, are working with PEPS entomologist Russell Messing to improve sanitation and beetle-monitoring methods, and to investigate biological control methods, such as insect diseases.

It's unlikely CBB reached Hawai‘i in imported green coffee beans, which are fumigated to prevent such a problem. CBB also cannot survive in dry coffee with less than 15% moisture. It probably arrived in clothing or possessions of agricultural workers or farmers returning from visiting another coffee-growing region.

CBB is a worrisome foe, but a strong partnership has been assembled to combat it , and CTAHR is at its forefront.


Enthusiastic Response

10/11/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Quarantine First Responders Team with governor“Outstanding work performance,” “creativity and innovation,” “exemplary initiative and innovation,” and “significant contributions” are among the criteria for the Governor’s Team of the Year Award, presented to the Quarantine First Responders Team at the Governor’s Awards Ceremony on October 7. The team, led by Arnold Hara, includes members from UH-Manoa’s CTAHR and UH-Hilo’s College of Agriculture: Ruth DuPonte, Marcel Tsang, Charles Nelson, Susan Cabral, Kris Aoki, and Jon Katada. They have created new methods of treating harvested foliage and flowers to allow Hawai‘i to ship them to Guam, Japan, and California.

Like (Local) Beef?

10/11/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Chef Segobiano serves local beef slidersMealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range, a continuing celebration of Hawai'i's locally grown foods, celebrated its 15th year on September 10 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. This popular food and agricultural event features Hawai‘i’s grass-fed beef as well as a staggering array of other Island meats, fruits, vegetables and value-added food products. Twenty-nine Island chefs, including Chef Mark Segobiano of HNFAS, right, participated, feeding over 720 enthusiastic participants. Honored this year were the staff of CTAHR’s Mealani Experiment Station who have made this event such a success over the years: Milton Yamasaki, Damien Arruda, Marla Fergerstrom, Lori and Leslie Hasegawa, and Roy Ishizu. Significantly, this was also a zero-waste event: All wastes were separated into biodegradable materials for composting and food waste for animal feed. For a view of the festivities, see the news video at: http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2010/09/10/video-mealani-taste-of-the-hawaiian-range-2010/

Playing—and Learning—in the Dirt

10/11/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Noelani schoolchildren in the gardenCTAHR’s Sustainable Organic Farm Training program and the state 4-H club have teamed up with Noelani Elementary School to teach schoolchildren valuable lessons in ecology and environmental awareness, nutrition, observation and data collection, botany and biology, and the importance of getting one’s hands dirty. CTAHR participants include Thomas Lim, Theodore Radovich, Linda J. Cox, and Gary Heusel. Students work towards meeting benchmarks in science, math, social studies, and language arts while participating in preparing the soil, planting, weeding, and harvesting garden produce. Doesn’t that sound like more fun than you remember in elementary school?

Planting Seeds for the Future

10/11/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Monsanto Gift SigningCTAHR has received a scholarship award of $100,000 from Monsanto Company to support students who are pursuing studies in the plant sciences, including plant biotechnology and biological engineering. Thanks to Monsanto for making a significant contribution to Hawaii’s future workforce in the agrisciences! Scholarships remain effective recruitment and retention tools for students’ academic success in CTAHR. The college’s Academic and Student Affairs Office awards 30-40 scholarships annually, totaling over $100,000. An equally large number of scholarships are awarded by CTAHR’s academic departments and other foundations and organizations outside the college. It is estimated that, in total, more than 60 scholarships are awarded annually, totaling over $300,000.

September



Everybody Loves a Fair

9/30/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Maui County Fair PumpkinCTAHR faculty and staff will be supporting the 88th annual Maui County Fair (September 30 through October 3 at the War Memorial Complex in Kahului). CTAHR handles the horticulture contests (some entries, like the giant pumpkin, right, take some muscle!). They’ll be selling proteas, disease-resistant taro, and other plants, including UH Seed, and offering educational booths and presentations ranging from general garden questions to genetic engineering, “Kitchen Crime Scene Investigation,” and “Herbicide Ballistic Technology.” Sound intriguing? Check it out! More than 100,000 other fair-goers will be doing the same over the four-day period. More information is available at http://www.mauicountyfair.com/

Where the Cool Kids Are

9/30/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR Faculty, Staff, and Students at Welcome Back BashEnrollment in CTAHR has increased significantly this fall. As of the third week of the Fall 2010 semester, our enrollment was 822 (565 undergraduates and 257 graduate students), a 10% increase over the third week of Fall 2009. The count is expected to rise slightly in the coming weeks as additional students declare their majors. Special recognition goes to the ANSC, FAMR, and FSHN undergraduate programs and to the MBBE and NREM graduate programs, which saw the largest increases.

Graduate Awarded

9/30/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Jonathan AwayaJon Awaya, who received his doctorate in MBBE and then went on to become an assistant professor in Biology at UH-Hilo, was back in town for a convocation ceremony at UH-Manoa’s Kennedy Theater on September 14, where he was awarded the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Teaching for UH-Hilo.

Invasions!

9/30/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

PEPS/NREM Class Collects SeaweedInvasive species, be they animal or vegetable, can have significant negative impacts on Hawai‘i’s fragile ecosystem—and on its economic system as well. Here are three things CTAHR students and faculty are doing to help: Carl Evensen (NREM), Janice Uchida (PEPS) and Brent Sipes (PEPS), team teachers of Introduction to Environmental Science, took their students to Kane‘ohe Bay this past weekend and collected half a ton of invasive seaweed as part of the course’s service-learning activity. The seaweed was then taken by SOFT students to be composted and used as fertilizer.

Baaaad News

9/30/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Mark Chynoweth Tracking GoatNonnative feral goats have helped to make the Hawaiian dry forest ecosystem arguably the most degraded ecosystem type in Hawai‘i. Mark Chynoweth (NREM-MS) is looking at movement patterns of the goats using GPS satellite collars and remotely sensed imagery, collecting valuable information to guide restoration and conservation. For more information, check out http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/LittonC/research.html.

Add Your Voice

9/30/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Cheryl Lohr (NREM-PhD) is developing a survey regarding the damage that rats, parrots, pigs, and other introduced wildlife are doing to crops and livestock across Hawai‘i. The survey will help wildlife managers incorporate farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns into new wildlife-management plans as they decide how to best deal with the problems. If you would like to receive a survey, please contact Cheryl at (808) 956-2434 or cheryl26@hawaii.edu.

May



Gene-ius day Brings DNA to Life for Third Graders

5/28/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Dr. Ania Wieczorek's (TPSS) Biotechnology and Agricultural Education Program was highlighted on KHON-TV. Also featured were Carol Tran, Gayle Hori, and Jessica Radovich.


Rubinoff Selected for Regents' Research Medal

5/28/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Dr. Daniel Rubinoff (PEPS) has been selected by the University Research Council to receive the 2010 Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research. Dan will be recognized at the 2010 Convocation ceremony on September 21, 2010, when the medal and a $1,000 monetary award will be presented. Please join us to congratulate Dan on receiving this prestigious award!


Dunn and Deenik Receive Chancellor's Teaching Award

5/28/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Drs. Michael Dunn (HNFAS) and Jonathan Deenik (TPSS) were two of five UHM faculty members to be recognized for their excellence in teaching by being selected for the Chancellor's Citation for Meritorious Teaching Award. In giving the citation, the Chancellor stated that "this award recognizes faculty members who have made significant contributions in teaching and student learning. The faculty honored exhibit an extraordinary level of subject mastery and scholarship, teaching effectiveness and creativity, and personal values beneficial to students." Michael and Jonathan will be honored at UH's Convocation on September 21.


CTAHR Student Receives Award from American Dietetics Association

5/28/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Mele Kealoha Fernandez, MS graduate student in Nutritional Sciences, was awarded the first-ever Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Research Award from the American Dietetics Association. Mele's research project is entitled "Creating a Vegetarian Meat-Alternative Database." Her co-investigators on the project are Alan Titchenal, Maria Stewart, and Joannie Dobbs (HNFAS). Mele also just completed her dietetic internship through the University of Northern Colorado. She did the internship locally, rotating through Kamehameha Schools, Tripler Army Medical Center, Liberty Dialysis Hawaii, and the Castle Medical Center. She also worked with CTAHR's (and HNFAS') Nutrition Education for Wellness Program. Naomi Kanehiro (HNFAS) served as her primary local preceptor.


Urban Garden Center Unveils New Garden

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR’s Urban Garden Center in Pearl City hosted the grand opening of the Alika Rabbit Garden this past Saturday. The garden is a multi-station educational adventure that is based on the Beatrix Potter children’s story, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” The story has been adapted to Hawaii, and children and adults alike will enjoy the interactive journey with Alika Rabbit in his adventure through Uncle Kimo’s garden, full of its many tempting vegetables, both common and unusual.

For more information, visit these links:
http://www.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=3575
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100422/GETPUBLISHED/100422021
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20105010302  


CTAHR Students Win UHM Business Competition

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Ryo Kubota, PhD candidate in the MBBE program, was the lead member of "Diagenetix," a team that won first place in UH Manoa's 2010 Business Plan competition. "Diagenetix" seeks to commercialize reagent mixes that enable rapid isothermal DNA detection of microbial pathogens on a disposable platform with a simple portable instrument. The Diagenetix product line is based on technologies developed and provisionally patented by Ryo with his research mentor Dr. Daniel Jenkins. Other members of the Diagenetix team include Scott Shibata, former MS student in the Biological Engineering program and current project manager at Hawaii Bioenergy LLC, and Jimmy Saw, PhD candidate in UHM's Microbiology program. Diagenetix beat out 14 other student teams at UH that advanced to the competition semi-finals, and will receive a $10,000 cash prize and more than $17,500 in legal, marketing, and other services to promote the development of the business. Diagenetix is also the recipient of a fellowship through the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE), which supports a team of business and legal students to further develop marketing plans. The team is seeking to reach commercial maturity through investor support, funding through SBIR grants, and strategic partnerships with non-profit agencies and other businesses.

Link to video (Diagenetix appears at 19:50 into the video):
http://vimeo.com/11474505

Link to photo and more on the competition results:
 


Plant Disease Diagnosis iPhone Application Released

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Scot Nelson (PEPS) developed a free plant disease diagnosis application for iPhones. The Plant Doctor 1.0 provides interactive diagnosis and cost-effective management recommendations for plant diseases in gardens, landscapes, nurseries, and farms. The application collects user-supplied information about the problem and sends it to a professional plant pathologist with a PhD and more than 20 years experience in the science. The user promptly receives live communications from the pathologist, including the probable name of the plant disease and causal pathogen, tactics for managing the disease, and contact information for local university experts who may be able to provide more information or examine samples in person.


Landscaping with Non-invasive Plants

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Patti Clifford and Kent Kobayashi (TPSS) published “Non-invasive Landscape Plants with Fragrant Flowers.” This document gives a brief outline of the characteristics of seven plant species with fragrant flowers. Because of their low risk of invasiveness, they are suitable for planting in Hawaii landscapes. Resources for in-depth information on plant care are included in the references section.

To view the article, visit this link:
http://blog.hawaii.edu/newsatuh/2010/04/landscaping-with-non-invasive-plants


Federal Crop Insurance and Disaster Assistance Program Offered

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Workshops on risk management, AGR-Lite, and USDA-FAS disaster assistance programs are scheduled for Maui, Kauai and the BIg Island. Producers of all crops are encouraged to attend. Each workshop will also cover crop-specific USDA-RMA crop insurance products for bananas, coffee, macadamia nuts, papayas, or nursery products. Workshops on Oahu and Molokai are also being planned. For a schedule of workshops, contact Dr. Stuart Nakamoto at 808- 956-8125, snakamo@hawaii.edu.


CTAHR Volunteers at State Science Fair

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Twenty-one CTAHR faculty members participated in the 53rd Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair, held at the Hawaii Convention Center April 5–7. This year's fair was the largest to date, with nearly 450 projects. CTAHR faculty graciously donated their time to the event, which motivates Hawaii youth to explore careers in science and technology.

With funding from USDA-NIFA, Associate Dean Charly Kinoshita presented the UH Consortium Science Fair Award of $500 to McKinley High School sophomore Megan Talaro. Megan's project "Designing a Bio-geochemical Food Production System" beat out over 185 entries in the Senior Research Division (Grades 9–12) and 22 Plant Sciences projects. Congratulations also go to Megan's mentor, MBBE aquaculture specialist Clyde Tamaru, and her proud teacher, Lisa Kaneshiro. Congratulations also go to St. Andrew's Priory student Laura Nakata, teacher Michael Grech, and mentor Ania Wieczorek. Laura's project, "Exploring Genetically Engineered DNA in Processed Food and Papaya Grown in Hawaii," won an award from Pioneer Hi-Bred. The CTAHR Alumni Association deserves special recognition for their generous cash awards to Tammy Kanei, Balley Hopkins, and Titus Strickland of Mililani High School, and to Jessica Pacpaco of Kapolei High School.

CTAHR Mentors: Ania Wieczorek, Nguyen Hue, Andrew Kaufman, Pratibha Nerukar, Michael Melzer, Janice Uchida, Clyde Tamaru CTAHR Head Judges: Spencer Malecha, Dian Dooley, Soojin Jun CTAHR Judges: Travis Idol, Daniel Jenkins, Charles Kinoshita, Kent Kobayashi, Bob Paull, Eden Perez, Brent Sipes, Sabina Swift, Glenn Taniguchi, Brian Turano, Doug Vincent.


NREM Students Receive Accolades in Competitive Fellowship Program

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

We are pleased to announce that Mark Chynoweth (MS student, NREM) is the recipient of a 2010 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and that Darcey Iwashita (MS student, NREM) received honorable mention for her fellowship application. Over 11,000 students across the US applied for this year's competition, with the top 2,000 applicants receiving fellowships, and an additional 1,900 receiving honorable mentions, across all scientific disciplines. Considered one of the highest awards for a graduate student, the competition requires students to propose strong and transformative research ideas and be able to share them with both science and society through their broader impacts. Mark's research will focus on the movement ecology of nonnative feral goats across a large landscape on the island of Hawaii composed of a mixture of native and nonnative plant assemblages, and how movement corresponds to vegetation structure, composition, and seasonal dynamics. Darcey's research will examine the role of climate change and coarse woody debris in native Hawaiian wet forests, including their importance for ecosystem carbon sequestration and native species seedling establishment and vegetation dynamics. Co-advisors for Mark are Dr. Creighton Litton and Dr. Chris Lepczyk. Dr. Litton also serves as Darcy's advisor.


Henry Cheng Selected as Luce Scholar

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Congratulations to Henry Cheng for earning a BS degree, with high honors, from CTAHR's Biological Engineering program in December 2009, and for being selected from a very competitive pool of hundreds of candidates, nationwide, as a Luce Scholar. The Luce Scholars Program (http://www.hluce.org/lsnews.aspx) provides a one-year cultural and professional experience in Asia for young college graduates who are seen as potential leaders in American society. Henry’s year-long (2010–2011) internship placement at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand will allow him to work on pandemic preparedness projects involving either avian influenza or the Nipah Virus, an emerging zoonotic virus that has infected hundreds of humans in Southeast Asia with a 40–70 percent mortality rate. At the end of Henry's Luce Scholars experience, in fall 2011, he will enter Stanford University's PhD program in Bioengineering. Congratulations to Henry Cheng and his mentor, Dr. Daniel Jenkins of MBBE!

For more information, visit this link:
http://hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=3583


NREM Student Rewarded with Computer

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

NREM student Rebecca Fonoimoana, along with four other students, received brand-new laptop computers for their significant service to the campus community. Rebecca was presented with her computer from Sony Electronics in early May in Sinclair Library's Heritage Reading Room. UH news release.


HNFAS Students Receive Special Awards

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Dustin Lee, incoming FSHN Council president, is the recipient of an eight-week Foodservice Management Internship at Penn State University. The internship was established to provide real-world job experiences in university food service management to the best and brightest college students. Dustin will receive funding for room and board, plus a stipend.

Kacie Ho was selected as one of nine recipients of a CAPAL (Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership) internship award. She will be working for eight weeks in one of the laboratories at ARS in Beltsville, MD this summer. CAPAL internships have been awarded annually since 1992; they have enabled promising students with leadership potential to explore public service and to learn how policy-making affects our communities.


Local Tea Growers Credit UHM CTAHR Tea Project

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Big Island extension agent Dwight Sato was mentioned in the April issue of "Fresh Cup" magazine (page 84).


Mike Duponte in Advertiser

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Mike DuPonte was mentioned in a Honolulu Advertiser article titled “Natural farming pioneer offers workshops.


More on Amphibious Catepillar

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Dan Rubinoff and post-doc Patrick Schmitz’s discovery of amphibious caterpillars are further mentioned in the news.

To view an article in the Star Bulletin, visit this link: http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100426_rare_caterpillars_at_home_underwater.html

To view an article in the New York Times, visit this link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/science/06obbugs.html

To view an article in the American Scientist, visit this link:
http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/amphibious-caterpillars

To view an article in Science News, visit this link:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/57525/title/Hawaiian_caterpillars_are_first_known_amphibious_insects


Saving Seeds from Your Garden

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

An article written by Russell Nagata appeared in the Hawaii Tribune Herald on April 11. The article discussed how a home gardener can properly and successfully store seeds for future use.


Ripe Pineapple Yields Clues to Aging

5/12/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

MBBE molecular bioscientists David Christopher, Leon Neuteboom, and Kristie Matsumoto described the pineapple ripening trigger in the October 2009 cover feature for the journal Plant Physiology. Malamalama article.


February



CTAHR to Participate in Maui County Ag Festival

2/26/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

On April 3, CTAHR will be participating in the Maui County Agricultural Festival at the Maui Tropical Plantation. CTAHR will have various exhibits/activities that include: Fruit Fly Education and Control Program with Anne Gachuhi and the Maui Master Gardeners; Plant Clinic with Plant Doctors Norman Nagata, Robin Shimabuku, and Harold Keyser; Cooking Scene Investigation in the Kitchen with Lynn Nakamura-Tengan and Heather Greenwood; Food to Your Table: Do It Right! with Luisa Castro and Lynn Nakamura-Tengan; Career Opportunities in Agriculture with Charly Kinoshita; CTAHR seeds, plants, and publication sales with Harold Keyser and Pam Shingaki; Master Gardener Docents: Victory Garden with Anne Gachuhi, Tom Mason, and the Maui Master Gardeners; and lastly an Invasive Weeds exhibit with James Leary.


Dooley in Hawaii Parent Magazine

2/26/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR's Dian Dooley (HNFAS) was interviewed for the February-March 2010 edition of Hawaii Parent Magazine. In Mary Young's article "A Recipe for Togetherness," Dian emphasizes the importance of families eating together, as (among other benefits) it can improve the quality of a child's diet. Dian also links the importance of having breakfast with a child’s school performance. Breakfast does not have to be just "cereal and milk." "Having familial, ethnic kinds of foods for breakfast is a way to teach the kids and also have the parents interact with the kids."


CTAHR Helps Saipan with Grazing and Livestock Management

2/26/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Mark Thorne, Glen Fukumoto, and John Powley (HNFAS) and Jonathan Deenik (TPSS) just returned from Saipan, where they conducted a three-day livestock and grazing management workshop for farmers, ranchers, and technical resource personnel with the goal to move the island economy toward improved food security and self-reliance. In an article in the Marianas Variety, Mark says "the project's main focus is to help producers here sustain or even increase their productivity while at the same time protecting the resources, the soil, the plants, and the animals."


Addressing Rat Lungworm Infection

2/26/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Jim Hollyer, Vanessa Troegner (ADAP), Robert Cowie, Robert Hollingsworth, Lynn Nakamura-Tengan (HNFAS), Luisa Castro (NREM), and Arlene Buchholz’s article titled “Best On-Farm Food Safety Practices: Reducing Risks Associated with Rat Lungworm Infection and Human Eosinophilic Meningitis” was featured in News at UH.


January



CTAHR Dean Search Update

1/28/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The search for the new CTAHR Dean has been narrowed to three final candidates who will be visiting the UH Manoa campus and CTAHR facilities on the Big Island in the upcoming months.

The candidates and the dates they will visit UH Manoa are:

Manjit K. Misra, from Iowa State University, visiting February 17-18. Misra is the Dean’s Chair of Distinction at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Director of the Seed Science Center, Director of the Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products, and Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State.

Rolando A. Flores, from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, visiting February 24-25. Flores is Professor and Department Head of Food Science and Technology and Director of the Food Processing Center at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Michael E. Vayda, from the University of Vermont, visiting March 10-11. Vayda is the Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Associate Director of the Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station, and Professor of Plant Biology at University of Vermont.


Nelson Discovers New Pathogen

1/28/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Scot Nelson (PEPS) has discovered a new pathogen infecting noni plants. A severe foliar blight and fruit rot disease of noni (Indian mulberry, Morinda citrifolia L. var. citrifolia), was discovered on the island of Hawaii in 1999. The disease, named noni black flag, can cause the complete defoliation of a noni field within a few weeks after infection. Noni black flag is caused by a previously unknown pathogen that Scot has recently named Phytophthora morindae. This pathogen species is a member of one of the world’s most significant genera of plant pathogens, Phytophthora, meaning “plant destroyer.” Since the time of its discovery, it took a decade before sufficient data on pathogenicity, pathogen morphology, and DNA sequences were obtained to justify the establishment of a novel species. Also, collaboration with USDA mycologist Z. Gloria Abad helped to provided key pieces of information.


COF’s New Publications

1/28/2010  Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR’s Center on the Family recently issued three new publications. The first is the “Homeless Service Utilization Report,” which includes data on individuals, families, and households who accessed homeless support services from agencies that input data into the Homeless Management and Information Systems for the 2009 fiscal year. The “Quality of Life in Hawai‘i: 2009 Report” provides a snapshot of community well being in Hawaii and tracks relative quality of life and its progress over time. The third report is the “Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services Report: Hawai‘i, 2000-2008,” which contains information on juveniles and adults who were admitted to treatment programs, as well as the use of different modalities of services, funds expected for services, and data relating to treatment service outcomes and follow-up.