CTAHR News

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2015

December Big Sendoff on the Big Island 12/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Two gatherings were held on the Big Island to thank Dr. Russell Nagata for his support and leadership in Hawai‘i County, at Komohana (pictured) and at Mealani. Russell Nagata served as Hawai‘i County Administrator starting in 2009 and finishing in December 2015. He is due many thanks for his service and is offered best wishes in his future endeavors.
Glad to Have Them With Us 12/16/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Two members of the CTAHR ‘ohana have reached important milestones in their work with the college: Chi Ming Lawrence Chan and Carol Oshiro have both made the decade mark! Lawrence is an accounting officer with NREM, and Carol is an educational specialist who works in TPSS in the Biotechnology Outreach Program and is a co-coordinator of the Gene-ius Day Program. It’s thanks to dedicated people like these that CTAHR is the great college it is!
Spreading Pre-Christmas Cheer 12/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The TPSS Horticulture Society and TPSS Graduate Student Organization recently teamed up to put on the annually awaited Poinsettia and Bake Sale. Ben Vanegtern (right) spearheaded a successful sale on poinsettias to raise funds for the TPSS undergrads, while TPSS GSO president Kauahi Perez (second on the left) led a successful sale of baked goods to raise funds for the TPSS grad students. Also pictured are TPSS undergrad James Green (left) and MS graduate Greg Hoover. The Horticulture Society and TPSS GSO say mahalo nui loa to the CTAHR 'ohana and friends for supporting their cause!
Buy Local at Christmas—It Still Matters! 12/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Emeritus Professor Norman Bezona offers helpful hints for buying Christmas trees in his recent column in the Hawaii Tribune Herald, especially why and where to buy them locally. He explains that there are plenty of locally grown tree options, including living Cook or Norfolk pines that can be planted after the holidays and Monterey pines and Portuguese or Mexican cypresses that you can cut yourself from tree farms. He also explains that the more traditional Christmas trees, such as noble and Douglas firs, are starting to be grown in Hawai‘i, with CTAHR researchers presently testing which varieties do best. So they’ll become available as locally grown choices soon, thus bringing that indescribably Christmassy fragrance into the house as well as boosting the Island economy—and limiting the potential for invasive species to hitch a ride on the trees.
Thanks for Thanksgiving Fete 12/1/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The TPSS GSO wishes to thank the TPSS students, faculty, and staff who joined together to make their Thanksgiving potluck last Wednesday such a convivial and collegial gathering. Special thanks go to Shirley Ishihara for cooking the turkey early in the morning and to Susan Takahashi and Peter Toves for all that they did to help bring the party together behind the scenes. Mahalo also goes to Tessie Amore and Orville Baldos for suggesting the Thanksgiving potluck and to the TPSS GSO officers for their contributions of time, energy, and punch! The department plans another gathering for Christmas.
Baking Their Way to Success 12/1/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR At its recent pie sale, the FSHN Council made over $1000 to support the group’s activities. The FSHN Council board members and other club volunteers spent nine hours baking all of the pies and mocha, not to mention countless more obtaining, assembling, and preparing the ingredients. The hard-working bakers made a total of 116 pies and 145 bags of mochi! Chef Mark Segobiano (HNFAS) offered invaluable help to the project, dedicating his own time to helping shop, prep, and bake; the FSHN Council writes, “We could not have done it without him, and we are truly grateful!”
November Nalo Momona 11/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR’s Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Lab participated in the Nalo Momona Country Fair held at the Waimanalo Market Co-op and Ai Love Pono Restaurant to celebrate the abundance and thanksgiving of the Makahiki season. Graduate students Chandra Gangaiah and Tiare Silvasy (pictured) along with lab members Amjad Ahmad and Sarah Moore shared research information about local organic fertilizers and provided links to recent publications. Several local vendors, including healing practitioners, farmers, artists, and nursery growers, also participated. Former CTAHR student Leinaala Bright, now an instructor at Windward Community College, helped to organize the event, and her students set up an educational display on Hawaiian la‘au lapa‘au, or healing plants. It was a beautiful sunny day in Waimanalo, and fun was had all!
Making Fruit Flies Flee 11/11/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR All are welcome to a presentation by Dr. Sheina Sim of the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences and Agricultural Research Services of the USDA in Hilo. The presentation, which will be given on Friday, November 13, from 11:30 to 12:30 in Gilmore 306, is entitled “Flying by the seat of our pants: applying basic science and novel genomic techniques to the control of economically important tephritid pests.” Dr. Sim explains, “Tephritid pests are of major economic concern globally and in the United States. Several invasive fruit fly species are routinely intercepted in rich agricultural areas of the US and pose a threat to the nation’s economy and food supply. It is important to be able to identify their point of origin to prevent future invasions and implement a pest management strategy for the eradication of insipient infestations. The purpose of our research program is to use modern and high-throughput molecular techniques in concert with classical population genetics and Mendelian genetic theory and apply them to current pest management strategies.”
Chew on This 11/11/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Maria Stewart (HNFAS) appeared on ThinkTech Hawaii’s Likable Science, where she spoke on “Dietary Fiber: Not All Is Created Equal.” As she explains, certain types of fiber are more effective than others. It’s a good idea to stick with the fiber that naturally occurs in foods, rather than relying on inulin and other types of fiber that are added to some processed foods in order to label them as having a higher fiber content.
Help Pre-Vet Get Wet! 11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The UH Pre-Vet Club, sponsored by HNFAS, has been working hard to raise funds by selling T-shirts and tote bags, but they still need funding to support their planned educational activity for members, a pelagic research dive. During this trip the students will have the opportunity to free dive with ocean creatures, including sharks, and learn about the conservation efforts to preserve these species. Here the club is pictured contemplating getting into some shallower water, but if you want to be kind to animals and the environment—and those who love them—consider funding the club directly via GoFundMe.
Pie Perfection 11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Thanksgiving is almost here, and we are happy to announce the arrival of the FSHN Council’s annual Thanksgiving Bake Sale! The Bake Sale is the Council’s biggest fundraiser of the year, helping to raise funds for FSHN Council activities such as the annual fall leadership retreat, guest speakers, club activities, and helping to send students to the Hawaii Dietetics Association’s annual meeting in the spring. Order now to get your homemade Apple Crumble Pie ($13), Pumpkin Pie ($10), or Pumpkin Mochi ($2/bag). The pre-order period will close on Friday, November 13th. After you have placed your pre-order, please visit room 216 in Ag Sci to submit your payment. There will be a collection box with envelopes for you. Please submit payment no later than Friday, November 20, at 4:00 p.m. You can pick up your toothsome treats on Monday, November 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Ag Sci lobby. If you have any questions, just email fshnnews@gmail.com.
Trees for Free 11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR In honor of Arbor Day, an article in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald by Emeritus Professor Norman Bezona of the Kona Extension Office extolls the virtues of trees as “natural air conditioners” and suggests that landscaping with them can also block winds, increase rainfall, and beautify areas. Trees will be given away on the Big Island at the Amy Greenwell Ethno Botanical Garden in South Kona from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday, November 6 through 8. The Garden will be offering native trees and canoe plants. Native plants will also be given away by the Hawaii Department of Forestry’s Waimea nursery from 8 to noon on Friday the 6th.
Professor Peabody and Friends 11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Thanks to Maria Stewart and her students, HNFAS/Nutrition has been well represented in the community! On October 31, 2 FSHN undergrad students, Max Wellein and Jason McMurray (pictured), joined Maria to host workshops at the Lacy Veach Day of Discovery to promote STEM skills to elementary and middle school students. In these workshops, students learned “what happens to your food after you eat it?” by completing several hands-on activities exploring the wonders of the human digestive system. At this month’s HOSA (Health Occupations Student Association) meeting on November 2 at the Campus Center, Maria represented Nutrition/Dietetics as part of a panel that discussed integrated medical approaches and the teamwork necessary for good medical care. They presented to UHM college students and local high school students who are aspiring health professionals. And Maria still had time to take on her iconic role and costume as “Professor Peabody” to teach Noelani Elementary first-graders about healthy eating habits and the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet at the Magoon SOFT garden. The first-graders are growing fruits and vegetables in the garden plots at Magoon.
October Planting Trees for the Future 10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR is supporting the two tree-planting and plant giveaway events with which UH Manoa will be celebrating Arbor Day. Richard Criley (TPSS) is donating the trees for an event on November 4 that will focus on planting and maintaining trees on campus in order to encourage commitment to creating a sustainable future. William Haines (PEPS, pictured) and Kari Bogner (Botany) propagated the mamaki seedlings that will also be given away. CTAHR is also partnering with Hawaiian Electric for the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway on Saturday, November 7. Trees and shrubs will be distributed at sites across the state, including the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. Experts and volunteers will be onsite to answer questions and provide information on plants. The November 4 Arbor Day Tree Planting and Plant Giveaway will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Metcalf Field (across the street from Hunnewell Street on the College of Education side of campus). The event is free and open to the public. The November 7 Arbor Day Tree Giveaway at the UGC will begin at 7 a.m. Giveaways will be available while supplies last. For more information on plant giveaways and additional distribution sites, visit the Arbor Day Hawaii website.
Learning Leadership 10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Maui Extension staff helped advance Maui agriculture by inviting the Ag Leadership Program to use a meeting room for a breakfast seminar. Cynthia Reeves welcomed the Ag Leadership participants and gave them a brief overview of the history of Cooperative Extension, the state of Extension now, and programs planned for Maui County in the coming year. She also discussed the new projects selected for inclusion in the Maui CTAHR proposal. Not only that, but the food, information, and good fellowship fueled participants up for their learning tour of the island.
Taste-y Treats 10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range held its 20th celebration of local agriculture on October 9 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Over 1500 people attended this premier food-grazing event, with 31 top chefs preparing local, pasture-raised meats and locally raised fruits and vegetables in mouth-watering entrees and desserts. CTAHR was well represented at the event with educational booths by Sharon Motomura (TPSS) and Lynn Nakamura-Tengan (HNFAS), who presented on Farm Food Safety; Jensen Uyeda (TPSS) and Kiersten Akahoshi (DHHL Hawaii County), who displayed a live aquaponics tank; and Susan Miyasaka (TPSS) who provided tastings of four different sweet potato varieties. The Hilton Waikoloa Village featured a rotisserie Steamship Round that originated from a steer raised on pastures at the CTAHR Mealani Station. Finally, PIE Center director M’Randa Sandlin (TPSS) conducted a survey of participants during the event, with the help of students Kauahi Perez (TPSS), Cassie Ferguson, and Emily Teng (TPSS), pictured here from left to right. Preliminary results of the survey showed that out of 112 respondents, 86% had attended the Taste for 1-5 years. And the top two reasons that people attended the Taste were to support local agriculture and have a good time!
How Bullying Hurts 10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal changed things up a bit in their Honolulu Star-Advertiser column: instead of focusing on nutrition, they discussed the health impacts of workplace bullying. This was in honor of the fact that October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In “Gossip, sabotage both signs of bullying in the workplace,” they explain that bullying, so far from being only an issue in the schoolyard, is a common problem in many work settings. They point out that the bullying can have both psychological and physical consequences, such as mental distress, sleep problems, depression, muscular tension, and even cardiovascular symptoms. They advise that the best way to keep bullying out of the workplace is never to let it in, by being careful in hiring practices and not tolerating or ignoring it.
Keeping Food Safe in the Pacific 10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A total of $1.2 million has been awarded to establish the Western Regional Center for Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance. Hawai‘i is the lead for the Pacific SubRegion, for which the grant, awarded to PI Aurora Saulo (TPSS) and Co-PI Lynn Nakamura-Tengan (HNFAS), is $105,000. They will be developing a cadre of Produce Safety Alliance (PSA)- and Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA)-certified trainers in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, and Guam, later expanding to the other Pacific Islands as the budget allows. They will then develop and deliver region- and stakeholder-specific education, training curricula, and technical assistance. The initiative is part of an effort by the federal government to help growers and processors of fruits, vegetables, and nuts comply with requirements established under the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The CAP to a Great Event 10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR This year’s contest was a muddy one, but students from Leilehua, Castle, Nanakuli, Olomana, Kalani, and Waipahu High Schools assessed three different land-use sites prepared by the CTAHR Waimanalo Research Station crew at the Conservation Awareness Day held there last weekend. Students also heard from specialists on soil science, natural resource management, and careers in agriculture and conservation and toured the certified organic plots. The Station crew supported the day’s activities, and the Station’s community coordinator, Ilima Ho-Lastimosa, helped to organize the event. Generous financial support was provided by the Windward Oahu SWCD, and volunteer support was also provided by Pioneer, SOAP, HAF, Kiloanui Farm, NRCS, SWCD, and CTAHR. Leilehua High School won the top team group score and will go on to compete in the upcoming State Conservation Awareness Program on Hawai‘i Island!
Amazing Apparel 10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The exhibition of rare historic costumes from the UHM Costume Collection that is showing in Hamilton Library through December 5 is highlighted in a Star-Advertiser article. The collection, which includes a rare Qing dynasty dragon robe, aloha wear, and historic Japanese dolls, needs a permanent exhibition space, Shu-Hwa Lin explains in the article. However, she continues, taking care of it and making it available to students and researchers is a labor of love that will continue.
Algae Be Gone 10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Students from the PEPS 210/NREM210 class on Introduction to Environmental Science took a field trip to He‘eia Bay to gather invasive algae as part of their Service Learning Project for the class. About a ton of algae was collected; it went to the Waimanalo Research Station for use in compost and to Koon Hui Wang’s (PEPS) Sustainable Agriculture program at the Poamoho Research Station. And no one got stung by a Portuguese-man-of-war! Brent Sipes and Janice Uchida (both PEPS) led this energetic class in their prodigious clean-up project.
Postharvest Handling in Tehran 10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Robert Paull (TPSS) has just returned from giving an intensive four-day course in postharvest handling of fruit and vegetables in Tehran, Iran. Sixty-two participants, including graduate students, researchers, and faculty from universities and institutes throughout Iran, attended the course. It was sponsored by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and National Iranian Productivity Organization (NIPO) and was organized by the Institute of Technical & Vocational Higher Education, Agriculture Jihad, a section of the Ministry of Agriculture. He organized the program into eight modules, first giving lectures and then organizing group discussions and participant exercises. Dr. Aslan Azizi from Iran also gave presentations on postharvest losses in Iran and helped in the evaluation of the group exercises. Topics included postharvest supply chains, postharvest biology, handling systems, quality control, safety, transportation and storage, diseases, and minimal processing of fresh commodities. Plans were discussed to repeat the successful program elsewhere in Iran!
Day of Food, Coming Soon 10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Join the UH Manoa dietetic interns in celebrating the fifth annual Food Day on Thursday, October 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Campus Center courtyard! Food Day is a nationwide event to build awareness of healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods. This year’s event will feature a canned food drive for the Hawaii Food Bank: those who donate canned goods will be granted priority entrance to the event and will receive extra raffle tickets for a chance to win door prizes. Other highlights include free food samples prepared by Manoa Dining Services, a raffle giveaway every 15 minutes, educational activities, and a photo booth. For more information please visit the Food Day at UH Manoa website, or check out the Food Day 2015 at UH Manoa Facebook page.
Meat for the World 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Based on a paper written by the UH System’s new Student Sustainability Coordinator Kristen Jamieson (NREM), the latest Biotech in Focus bulletin warns that increased global meat consumption will likely lead to increased use of genetically modified crops, because GM corn and soy are the primary feeds for meat animals worldwide. The bulletin suggests that since it is an inefficient use of water and grain crops, even those genetically modified to tolerate drought, to produce meat, hunger might better be addressed by looking toward alternate sources of protein, including insects. This and previous issues can be found at the Biotech in Focus website.
Eat the ’Weeds 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A story about the bioavailability of nutrients in edible seaweeds in which Joannie Dobbs and Michael Dunn (both HNFAS) are quoted recently appeared in Hakai Magazine. Interest in the article was triggered by a paper based on M.S. research completed by Shireen Flores, Michael Dunn’s student, “Mineral nutrient content and iron bioavailability in common and Hawaiian seaweeds assessed by an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model.” The paper, published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, was co-authored by Shireen, Joannie, and Michael. Joannie also served on Shireen’s thesis committee, along with Alan Tichenal. Shireen is presently working towards her PhD at the University of Florida–Gainesville. As Joannie (pictured) points out, iron deficiency is a significant public health problem that is frequently under-diagnosed because it can occur even without anemia. It is especially common to see this problem in those who eat plant-based diets, so she and Michael began looking for plant iron sources with good iron absorption, and several seaweeds fit these criteria.
Kaua‘i’s AgCurious 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR GoFarm Kaua‘i, which had its AgCurious event this past weekend, is featured in an article in Kauai's newspaper, the Garden Island. This program will be continuing with AgXposure on September 26, October 3, and October 10, after which comes AgSchool, the third phase of the GoFarm program, which meets Thursday evenings and Saturdays from October 17 through February 6. Congratulations to GoFarm for its successful expansion!
Don’t Spread Death 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR J.B. Friday (NREM) is quoted in an article on ‘ohi‘a wilt on the Big Island in Honolulu Magazine. This fast-spreading disease, which can kill trees in as little as a few weeks, is only found on Hawai‘i as yet, and the article emphasizes that ‘ohi‘a and the soil around them should not be transported. J.B. suggests that the trees’ increased susceptibility may stem from Hurricane Iselle in 2014, which broke their branches and allowed pathogens to enter their systems.
Touring Arizona 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A group of lucky O‘ahu Master Gardeners went on a special VIP tour of the Arizona Memorial, thanks to Todd La Vine, a volunteer Master Gardener at the Pearl City Urban Garden Center. This was a rare opportunity for the group, as this tour is not available to the general public. The Commander of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Swift hosted the tour; the group enjoyed a potluck luncheon at the Boathouse Compound immediately following, and a historically satisfying time was had by all.
CTAHR + ESA 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Entomological Society of America (ESA) has recently been enriched with CTAHR expertise: Helen Spafford and Mark Wright (both PEPS) have been selected for prestigious and responsible positions in the Society. Helen has been named one of ESA Science Policy Fellows. The purpose of the program is to develop scientists to serve as effective advocates for entomology and entomological research. Last year’s fellows engaged in hands-on education events designed to teach them the basics and nuances of federal science funding and science advocacy, as well as to provide opportunities to meet with lawmakers and federal agency leaders both in Washington, D.C., and in their home districts. Helen’s 2015 class of Fellows will begin their training at the ESA Annual Meeting in November in Minneapolis and have their first trip as Science Policy Fellows to Washington, DC, in May of 2016. Mark has been elected vice president of the Plant–Insect Ecosystems section of ESA, which deals with insect interactions with plants: behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary relationships in natural landscapes; integrated pest management in agriculture, horticulture, forests, and lawn and garden; crop protection, host-plant response, and plant pathology.
Save the Soil! 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has selected a CTAHR project headed by Koon-Hui Wang (PEPS) to help develop and demonstrate cutting-edge ideas to improve conservation in the Pacific Islands. Koon-Hui’s group was awarded $74,951 to improve water-use efficiency through no-till cover cropping and solarization. The project is aimed at helping farmers to adopt soil conservation practices by demonstrating that water-holding capacity and available water content can be modified by cultural practice regimes compatible with vegetable crop production that affect soil health or weed population densities while maintaining or increasing the crop yield. CTAHR will participate with NRCS staff in a Soil Health Workshop Planning Group to deliver workshops and field days, and to provide extension services and scientific articles.
NASDA’s Next Generation 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Earlier this month, four CTAHR students, Jireh Cebricos (FSHN), Kenneth Choi (NREM), Jabez Meulemans (NREM), and Mandy Chen (ANSC), participated in the 1st Annual National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) First Generation Program held in Kailua-Kona. The goal of the program is to educate college students about NASDA’s mission during agricultural policy events at the annual meeting of NASDA members. The students participated in sessions on biotechnology, marketing, international trade, biosecurity, rural development, food safety, endangered species, and jurisdictional challenges in agriculture. They networked with state agricultural directors and commissioners, including Scott Enright, NASDA president and Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture Chairman (pictured between the students) and Michael Scuse, Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. Dean Gallo and Noa Lincoln (TPSS) spoke about the potential of Hawaiian breadfruit as a global staple crop. The students toured Greenwell Farms and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority, where they learned about ocean thermal energy to power Hawai‘i’s energy needs and about growing and developing coffee in the Islands. The conference concluded with a fun-filled dinner at Hulihe‘e Palace, starring local chiefs and entertainers. Special thanks go to ELANCO and CTAHR’s Academic and Student Affairs Office for nominating the students!
Trouble in the Fields 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Extension agent Jari Sugano was interviewed for a Hawaii News Now story on the problems farmers face when production falters due to natural causes. A case in point is Aloun Farms, whose pumpkins weren’t pollinated by bees at the critical point because downpours deterred the insects. Jari notes, “For the most part, I think growers take the blow from the damages and have to pick themselves back up and start all over again,” hard to do but something that farmers are no strangers to.
Sleepy Orange Has Wings 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR News about the new butterfly found in the Islands is taking flight! The story has been picked up by KHON, Civil Beat, Hawaii News Now, the Star-Advertiser, and news outlets further afield such as the Washington Times, and Dan Rubinoff (PEPS) was also interviewed on The Conversation on HPR on Wednesday morning. In fact, the news is spreading as fast as the butterfly!
A Helping Hand 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Esther Yasuda (FAMR alumna) didn’t return to college until she was 29, but once she started, she was hooked: she just graduated this summer with a master’s degree in Education from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. Family Resources wasn’t her first choice, either, she admits; she had originally planned to go into nursing, but a counselor suggested she look into FAMR, and she couldn’t be happier with her decision. She writes, “I had many people help me realize what I wanted to do with my career. All of my instructors instilled in me the values, skills, and knowledge that equipped me, along with sound advice and wisdom.” After graduating, in addition to working on her master’s, she took a position with a non-profit organization working with youth and senior citizens in Kalihi; now she works with the YMCA of Honolulu as an outreach treatment counselor for middle-school students. She says, “My job is quite a challenge, but it is quite fulfilling and rewarding, too. I am glad that I am able to help the people of Hawai‘i through my job. I don’t know what the future holds as far as a career path, but as long as I can help people that’s fine by me.”
Teach the Children Well…About Ag 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Almost 150 high school ag students and their teachers and chaperones participated in an Agricultural Career Fair at the Komohana Extension Office in Hilo. The event, which happened on national “Teach Ag Day,” was put on by Hawai‘i County 4-H agent Becky Settlage through a grant the Hawai‘i County 4-H Livestock Association received from the Department of Labor and Industry. A variety of organizations and businesses involved in the agricultural industry set up displays to educate the high-schoolers and encourage them to consider their fields as possible career choices after graduation. Students learned about career opportunities in animal husbandry, agribusiness management, agri-science, resource development and management, horticulture, natural resource management, and production agriculture. Representatives from UH Manoa, UH Hilo, and Hawai‘i Community College explained to students what types of classes they would need to get different agricultural degrees, and students also were able to investigate agricultural internships. Check out photos of the event on the East Hawaii 4-H & Hawaii County 4-H Livestock Facebook page.
Keeping Bed Bugs From Sleeping Tight 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Helen Spafford (PEPS) is a contributor to a comprehensive survey on managing bedbugs in low-income multi-unit housing published in the magazine Pest Control Technology. The working group surveyed pest-management professionals to determine what they considered to be the most challenging aspects of attempting to eradicate bedbugs from these housing units and the methods that they most often used and found the most effective in eliminating the pests.
Vet to the Stars 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Past and present recipients of the Charles Reid, DVM Scholarship gathered in the AgSci building for the unveiling of the portrait of the Hollywood veterinarian whose bequest has generated more than half a million dollars in scholarship support for pre-veterinary students at UH. Ten students are on Reid scholarships this semester, and Reid Scholarship applications are due in March for next year’s support. Former Pre-Vet Club faculty mentor and Interim Associate Dean for Extension Ashley Stokes participated via Skype, and Pre-Vet Club members were on hand to sell t-shirts and tote bags to support the club, which has an amazing 80 members this year. Pictured are former scholarship recipients Michael Wong, associate UH veterinarian, and Karin Fujitani, now with University Animal Hospital, as well as present recipient Rebekah Morales, ANSC major and president of the Pre-Vet Club, with the dean and Professor Emeritus Bob Nakamura, who was friends with Dr. Reid and whose invitation to Dr. Reid to speak to his class resulted in the bequest to fund the scholarships. In the picture behind them, Dr. Reid is shown with one of his famous patients, Lassie.
Farm-to-Fork Inspiration 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR As part of their Entrepreneurship Live speaker series, PACE and Hawaii Student Entrepreneurs are presenting “From Farm to Fork with Dean Okimoto and Roy Yamaguchi” on Tuesday, October 20, in Campus Center room 307. At 5:00 there will be a presentation by Dean and Roy, followed by an audience Q&A at 6:00, and a reception with light refreshments at 6:30. Past recipient of CTAHR's Ka Lei Hano award, Dean Okimoto is the chairman and president of Nalo Farms, Inc. and former president of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. Roy Yamaguchi is the chef and founder of a collection of restaurants. Chef Roy, who is revered for his culinary skills and innovation of Hawaiian-inspired cuisine, is a master at incorporating local ingredients in his menu. His restaurants served as a catalyst for many more opportunities for farmers to break into the restaurant scene. Today, Nalo Farms services over 90 restaurants on O‘ahu and Maui. These speaker series events are free to UH students and are made possible by First Insurance Company of Hawaii.
Biotech Promotion on Maui 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Maui County Farm Bureau recently announced its honorees at its annual award celebration, among them former Maui County Administrator Harold Keyser. The awardees were recognized for demonstrating tremendous support for Maui agriculture at MCFB’s annual General Membership Meeting on September 16 at Kula Community Center. Harold was honored as the Friend of Agriculture award winner for his decades-long commitment to Maui ag and his lengthy list of professional accomplishments and community involvements. Though retired from CTAHR, he’s still busy writing about and promoting genetic technologies and continues to volunteer with MCFB’s Agriculture in the Classroom program as well as the horticulture exhibit at the Maui Fair. He is quoted as saying, “A better understanding of modern agriculture by the general public and policy makers is critical for support of continuous agricultural innovations. It is important that society be informed about the tremendous progress that is being made and the future challenges that will be solved in part through agricultural biotechnology.”
Patent-Holder Party 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR More than 60 faculty members, researchers, and graduate students who hold U.S. patents, including Associate Dean for Research Ken Grace and Winston Su (MBBE) were honored by UH and sponsor American Savings Bank at a dinner on September 24 at the Waialae Country Club when UH launched the first Hawai‘i chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, an organization of more than 200 U.S. and international universities and research institutions and more than 3,000 individual members who have obtained patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. CTAHR collaborator and former professor Heidi Kuehnle, co-founder and CEO of Kuehnle AgroSystems, was also there, as one of three speakers at the dinner who explained how they had commercialized technologies they developed.
“Made in Maui” Makes It Big 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Maui County Administrator Cindy Reeves (shown here, right, with the Dean), in partnership with the County of Maui Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce, had been awarded a grant to develop an online marketing hub for vendors of value-added “Made in Maui” ag products. The project was awarded $69,194, as part of the nearly $35 million in new funding that the USDA is distributing through four grant programs to support local and regional food systems, including farmers’ markets. Strengthening local food systems has been identified as one of the four pillars of USDA's efforts to revitalize rural economies and communities.
Grand Carers 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Heather Greenwood and Lori Yancura (left and middle left, both FCS) successfully collaborated with colleagues from Colorado State University to secure a four-year, $1.3 million grant from USDA NIFA's Children Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) - Sustainable Community Project. Lori and Heather are co-PIs of the Hawai‘i $686,954 four-year UHM subcontract. This important intergenerational and evidence-based program seeks to improve the quality of life for custodial grandparents and their grandchildren. The four-county program will take place in Maui and the Big Island in Hawai‘i and Adams and Larimer counties in Colorado. This GRANDcares project will develop a systems-based intervention for vulnerable grandparent-headed families. This tripartite intervention, based upon family resilience theory, focuses on strengthening self-care and parenting skills of custodial grandparents, development of communication and leadership skills in grandchildren, and increasing the ability of service providers to meet grandfamilies’ needs. The collaborators will develop, test, and evaluate the GRANDcares intervention.
Ho‘olaule‘a Kalo 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Moloka‘i’s Taro Field Day, which is organized by Extension agent Alton Arakaki and other Moloka‘i Extension staff, is featured in an article in the Molokai Dispatch. The annual Field Day gives the community a chance to learn about and help preserve historic taro species, as well as taste-test poi and kulolo made from varieties grown at the UH Maui Community College Farm in Ho‘olehua. Attendees could also harvest huli from their favorite varieties to grow at home. The Queen’s Challenge was also included in the Field Day. It is held annually in honor of Queen Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonalani Na‘ea Rooke, who valued and wrote on Hawaiian taro varieties and propagation. Extension agent Glenn Teves’s son Ioane Teves, of Ho‘olehua, won first and second place for piko ‘ula‘ula corms of four and over three pounds with a mix of conventional fertilizer and organic inputs! Extension agent Alton Arakaki, quoted in the article, has calculated that at the height of production, an estimated 500,000 people throughout Hawai‘i were each eating a seven- to nine-pound kalo plant every day! The Extension service also joined with local nonprofit Sust‘ainable Moloka‘i to sponsor the Kalo Cooking Contest, with 14 ‘ono entries, including chocolate-dipped kalo chips!
Maui Meaningful 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Maui was the site of the Twelfth Annual Meaningful Experience for 21 CTAHR students and staff. Arriving, they first headed for Haleakala to learn about the region’s biodiversity, native birds and plants, and conservation/ecological restoration efforts. Then they visited Ag Incubator client Maui Gold Pineapple, where they measured the factors in determining when a pineapple is ready for sale: translucency, acidity, and sweetness. The last activity of the day was team-building activities to foster interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills, led by academic advisor Jennifer Custodio. The next morning, the group embarked on their main adventure of the day: heading out to the red dirt fields of Lahaina for an in-the-field exploration of Maui’s ag industry. They talked with a cacao farmer working on a line of premium chocolates and contributed by planting 21 cacao trees and two ‘ulu trees on the premises. After this labor-intensive work, everyone lunched and shopped for Maui omiyage before heading home. Thanks go to Darren Strand and Maui Gold Pineapple, to James Kimo Simpliciano for coordinating the farm visit and to Gunars Valkirs for hosting the group on his cacao farm. Gratitude also to ASAO for supporting the students’ trip to Maui and to the students who participated and made this experience meaningful!
Poster Children 10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Bishnu Prasad Bhandari (PEPS) and Kauahi Perez (TPSS) (pictured), along with Roberto Rodriguez III (MBBE), presented posters of their research at the 15th Annual Landscape Industry of Hawaii Green Industry Conference and Trade Show on October 8. Kauahi’s poster on “Testing the Utility of Intergenic Spacer Regions to Identify Distinct Plumeria Taxa” and Bishnu’s poster on “Hosts and Management of Lobate Lac Scale, Paratachardina pseudolobata Kundo and Gullan, in Hawaii’s Urban Landscape” were voted by conference attendees as the best posters! They will be featured in the next issue of Hawaii Landscape Magazine. Roberto’s poster was entitled “Tracking the Performance of Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT) for Improved Invasive Species Management.” Also at the Green Industry Conference and Trade Show was TPSS alumnus and newly hired research support Orville Baldos, who spoke on an important project he and Joe DeFrank (also TPSS) are involved, in growing native plants along highway rights-of-way.
Breakfast Get-to-Know-You 10/6/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Dean Gallo hosted a breakfast for four incoming (first-year and transfer) CTAHR students who had expressed an interest in meeting her, in order to get to know them better and make sure their early experiences of the college are positive ones. A good time was had by all!
September Keeping Us Posted on Plant Disease 9/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The journal *Plant Disease* is lucky to have Scot Nelson (PEPS)! Not only has he been a contributor to the prestigious journal; he served as associate editor for three years, reviewing research articles; then he moved on to become senior editor, soliciting reviews of research articles, making decisions about acceptance, and editing the articles. Recently, he’s been tapped by the editor-in-chief to become feature editor. Feature articles appear each month as the premier, flagship articles in the journal; he solicits the articles, arranges for reviews, makes decisions about acceptance, and edits them. The number of submissions to the journal is increasing, he estimates—perhaps that’s a sign of a growing number of plant diseases found internationally. But not to worry—Scot’s keeping tabs on them!
Legislators Work Out Their Legs 9/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The lawmakers from O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, and Maui who participaned in the 2015 CTAHR Legislators’ Open House stayed on their toes on their tour. After a greeting by Dean Gallo, they learned about SooJin Jun’s super-cooling technology and Alvin Huang’s breadfruit project (both HNFAS). They learned about a sake project and did a sensory evaluation of a gluten-free cereal. Then they tasted sugarcane juice from Ted Radovich (TPSS) and mamaki tea from retired Extension agent Rose Saito; chocolate from Skip Bittenbender (TPSS), honey from Ethel Villalobos (PEPS), and salsa made with tomatoes harvested from Leyla Kaufman’s (PEPS) reflective mulch trials. They enjoyed Maui Gold pineapple supplied by Ag Incubator client Hai‘ilimaile Pineapple and admired new orchids and anthuriums being developed by Tessie Amore (TPSS). They took home cucumbers from Koon-Hui Wang’s (PEPS) trials, seeds from the ADSC, and info about the Costume Collection exhibit at Hamilton, and they learned about Ania Wieczorek’s Gene-ius Day classes for kids. They also learned about projects from last year’s SRS, including Elyse Bowman’s work on a tropical probiotic beverage and Daniella Orias’s research on anti-inflammatory effects of bittermelon (both HNFAS) and Jessie Chen’s investigation of oyster production (NREM).
Discover AgDiscovery! 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in conjunction with CTAHR, hosted its fifth annual AgDiscovery program this summer. Ten high school students from Hawai‘i, the Mainland, and American Samoa participated in two weeks of intense ag learning and career exploration in animal and plant health, veterinary science, animal and plant disease eradication, plant pathology, entomology, and wildlife services. Participants lived on the Manoa campus, learning about agricultural science from university professors, practicing veterinarians, industry representatives, and US government professionals. AgDiscovery is a nationwide program, but Hawai‘i’s program is unique in its emphasis on tropical agriculture and the traditional Native Hawaiian values. The students visited a local commercial aquaponics operation, worked with anthuriums and orchids, learned about local ranching and ecotourism, helped out at a lo’i, or taro patch, made Hawaiian cuisine using traditional methods, learned about local biotechnology ventures, gained understanding of the management of imports and exports to and from the state, and extracted honey from the comb. Photos and videos can be found here or here. For more information, contact Charly Kinoshita at kinoshitac@ctahr.hawaii.edu.
Bees in the News 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The UH Honeybee Project, and their research at the Waimanalo Research Station, are *featured in Midweek* magazine** (page 6). Ethel Villalobos and Scott Nikaido (PEPS) are quoted as to the importance of pollinators for local agriculture. For instance, did you know that each pumpkin that ripens to full size is the result of 12 visits from a bee pollinating its flower? Macadamia nuts, too, are highly dependent on bees for pollination. The two explain the important work the Honeybee project does in protecting these pollinators and educating the community about ways to make their farms and gardens more pollinator friendly. It must be working—they point out that there were more honeybees this past year than have been seen for a while. And that’s as sweet as honey!
Never Enough Pie… 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR County Extension agent Becky Settlage gives new meaning to the phrase “Big Ag” with the giant pumpkin she grew for Hilo 4-H’s 2015 Giant Pumpkin Contest. It’s not just a pumpkin, though; it’s an edible advertisement for the 7th Annual Big Island Giant Pumpkin Contest, which is coming up in October. The contest is an activity of the Hawai‘i 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program, in collaboration with Kekela Farm Market, Waimea Towne Market at Parker School, and the Hawaii Island School Garden Network. Last year’s contest not only featured the weighing and displaying of the mammoth squash; there were also pumpkin-cooking contests, a “Best-Tasting Tomato” contest, and a display of other giant and unusual-looking vegetables. Expect as much fun and enormous plant products this year!
Guardians of the Garden Isle 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Scores of Kauai residents braved steady rain showers to participate in the first annual Guardians of the Garden Island event at the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center. Organized and hosted by the Kauai Invasive Species Committee, and sponsored in part by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the event brought together presenters from CTAHR, the Kokee Resource Conservation Program, U.S. F&W, Malama Kauai, Makauwahi Cave Reserve, Kauai Forest Birds Recovery Project, Nene Habitat Conservation Plan, Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (DLNR-DOFAW), and the Hanalei Watershed Hui. Several of these agencies now have offices at the Research Station, which is increasingly recognized as a community focal point for activities related to the interface of agriculture and the environment. Here CTAHR partner Michelle Clark from the US Fish & Wildlife Service highlights contraband wildlife artifacts in a display at the Kauai Agricultural Research Center. Kudos to Rachel Smith, the KISC Outreach team, and the CTAHR farm crew for organizing this event!
History and Future on Moloka‘i 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Twelve members of the student Horticulture Society visited Moloka‘i to explore its horticulture and agriculture. Proceeds from plant sales hosted by the society are used to help reduce the costs of their annual trip. They visited and toured UH’s Demonstration Farm, near Kualapuu. There they met Extension agent Alton Arakaki, who gave a brief history of the farm and explained its future endeavors to foster diversification in Hawai‘i’s ag sector. They saw test plots of peppers, onions, kalo, and koa, and compared windbreaks of cassava, banana, and shade cloth for effectiveness. Commercial fences and green fence material were discussed in terms of keeping the increasing populations of deer out of cash crops. The group got to hike into the Kalawao/Kalaupapa settlement to learn the history of Hansen’s disease and to help out the National Park Service. They helped with beach cleanups, weeded the grounds at the native plant greenhouse, collected rare palm seeds for propagation efforts, and air-layered avocado trees planted by past patients. Some even participated in the annual Hapai Pohaku workshop, in which volunteers rehabilitate and rebuild old stone walls, recording and photographing artifacts found within the walls. Ken Leonhardt (TPSS) also visited Kalaupapa to solidify future positions and internships for upcoming CTAHR students. Thanks to USDA-NIFA for partially funding the trip!
Much Ado About Mulch 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Leyla Kaufman, Marisol Quintanilla, and Mark Wright (all PEPS), in conjunction with WSARE, held a field day that showcased the benefits of using reflective plastic mulch in tomato production at the Poamoho Research Station. Eighteen farmers and agricultural professionals attended the event. There, participants were able to see firsthand the differences of on-farm application, and the improvements over conventionally used black plastic mulch were (almost literally!) blinding. If you missed this event and are curious about the results of this research, you can access the Extension field day handouts here or watch this video of the field day from the comfort of your home or office. Thanks go to the O‘ahu Extension Office for facilitating the field day!
Passion for Fashion in Berlin 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Andy Reilly (FDM) took seven UHM students to Berlin this past summer through the Study Abroad Program. A mix of FDM students and German-language students, they had the choice of taking classes in either German or English; those taking English classes took Andy’s course on fashion and society in 20th-century Germany. The group spent six weeks there, the last week coinciding with Berlin’s fashion week. Students went to fashion shows, attended a retail convention, visited designers and manufactures, and toured museum exhibitions that centered around the fashion industry. One student, Jeremy Divinagracia, was even asked to model in a fashion show for the menswear brand Evidence on Monday! Here Jeremy (left) stands next to Evidence on Monday designer and founder Marcin Kleiber.
Sleepy Orange Isn’t So Sleepy 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Dan Rubinoff and Will Haines (both PEPS) are co-authors, with Janis Matsunaga and Forest and Kim Starr, of an article in News of the Lepidopterists’ Society describing a new butterfly that has crossed the Pacific and rapidly established itself throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The Sleepy Orange butterfly, they explain, was first seen in December of 2013 in Waialua on O‘ahu and since has been seen on Maui, Kaua‘i, the Big Island, Moloka‘i, and Kaho‘olawe, even becoming quite abundant on several islands. As the article comments, “It is remarkable how quickly and thoroughly A. nicippe spread throughout the archipelago.” The larvae eat Senna species, which include shower trees.
Fathers in the ‘Ohana 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Selva Lewin-Bizan (FCS, research collaborator with COF), has written a demographic report, “The State of Fathers in the State of Hawaii,” for the State Commission on Fatherhood (under the State Department of Human Services) about fathers in Hawai‘i that’s been generating a lot of press, including a Honolulu Star-Advertiser article and coverage on Hawaii Public Radio and KITV. Selva showed that fathers in Hawai‘i score higher than the national average in some important areas, including education, employment, and income. They’re also more likely to be part of a two-parent family and are less likely to be absent. However, Selva also pointed out areas which fathers need support: in Hawaii there’s a greater proportion of single fathers among men who have no formal schooling than those who have higher educational attainment. The proportion of single fathers is higher among men with annual earnings of less than $10,000 compared with any group of fathers with higher earnings. “This combination of factors impairs some men’s ability to financially support their children,” Selva is quoted as saying in the Star-Advertiser article. The report, which was released at the state Legislature’s Keiki Caucus at the State Capitol, is being hailed as an important tool to help the State to help those father who need extra support.
What’s in Your Soil? 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Susan Crow (NREM) is part of a working group that has been recently funded by the USGS Powell Center to map the vulnerability of soil carbon to change and understand how changes to the soil will feedback to the climate system. The group’s proposal asks, “What lies below? Improving quantification and prediction of soil carbon storage, stability, and susceptibility to disturbance.” As it explains, “Soils are a vast reservoir of organic carbon (C), rendering the fate of soil C an important control on the global climate system. Widespread changes in soil C storage capacity present a potentially strong feedback to global change. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of how soil C will respond to climate and/or land use disturbance remains elusive, resulting in major uncertainties in global climate models. Our working group will synthesize information on the processes controlling soil C storage across different spatial scales and develop new procedures to translate local measurements to the regional and global scale datasets used by models. These activities will improve our ability to map the vulnerability of soil C and constrain the role of soil change on the climate system.” Congratulations to Susan and her working group on their important and timely work!
Good Sports (Nutrition) 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR HNFAS/FSHN recently offered the college’s first-ever proctored exam for becoming a Certified Sports Nutritionist from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Maria Stewart (HNFAS, pictured) organized and proctored the exam at the request of one of the FSHN Sports and Wellness Nutrition Students. Six students passed the 220-question certification exam and now have the privilege of including CISSN as one of their credentials. Congratulations, new Certified Sports Nutritionists!
In Style in Hamilton 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Have a passion for fashion history? You can feed your craving at Hamilton Library, where the second-floor Bridge Gallery is hosting a costume exhibition curated by ShuHwa Lin (FDM) with help from Minako McMarthy, JuYoung Kang, Melody van Buren, ShuFeng Lin, and Jennifer Bright (all FDM). In Style: Celebrating 50 Years of the UHM Costume Collection is an exhibition of 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century clothing, textiles, and dolls from the Costume Collection’s Hawai‘i and Asian sub-collections. This exhibit, which runs September 16 through December 6, features a Qing Dynasty dragon robe, a Japanese uchikake from the 1970s, and a variety of aloha wear, along with 17 research posters and 15 Asian dolls. While most of the documentation of the artifacts was provided by Collection inaugurators Oma Umbel and Mary Ellen Des Jarlais, former curators and other experts were consulted, including Hamilton's Jack Kormos and Deborah Dunn, Andy Reilly (FDM), and Theresa Sull and Rayneld Johnson. Thanks also go to Ryan Kurasaki (MBBE) for delivering eight professional mannequins and transporting the costumes, as well as to Jacqueline Tani and Wayne Fujino (both FCS), and members from of the FDM 491 course on Costume Museum Management.
Looking for Home 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Ethel Villalobos (PEPS), the director of the UH Honeybee Project, is featured in a recent KITV news story about the increasing amount of bee swarms that are being seen. The warm, wet weather is just right for bees, and Ethel explains that overcrowded bee colonies are expanding, which causes swarms as groups of bees leave with their queen to create a new colony elsewhere. This is all great news for the bees and for the crops they pollinate, and Ethel reassures those who may be nervous of the swarms that all the bees are looking for is a peaceful place to settle down; they don’t want to attack, so don’t give them any reason to change their minds!
A Bash to Remember 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR At the 27th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash, representatives from CTAHR’s departments and administration vied for the top honors in the costume contest and the ice cream-eating competition. Competing this year were Von Kaanaana (FCS), Makena Dyer (HNFAS), Roberto Rodriguez (MBBE), Jonathan Marshall (NREM), Gerald Crank (PEPS), Nicholas Krueger (TPSS), and Cheryl Ernst (Admin). Congratulations to Nicholas—aka Brock—for winning the costume contest dressed as a funkadelic broccoli stalk and Von—to-ga! To-ga!—for his athleticism and coordination during the relay race and for downing his ice cream in record time. Then students, faculty, and staff enjoyed free ice cream and popsicles generously donated by Meadow Gold. Over $175 was collected to support CTAHR’s Pre-Veterinary Club. Big mahalos go out to Meadow Gold for its continuous support of CTAHR; Joannie Dobbs and the NREM and MBBE departments for use of their facilities; Ray Uchida of the O‘ahu Extension Office and Ernesto Ortal and Nester Dela Cruz of Pearl City UGC for tent coverage; and the tireless ice cream scoopers. Thanks are also due to co-emcees Alex Navarro and Hailey Pederson and the rest of the planning committee, scholarship recipients, ASAO, SAPFB, and everyone whose efforts made the 27th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash a huge success!
Seeing the Forest Stewards for the Trees 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Now entering its fourth year, the Hawaii Forest Stewards Program celebrates its class of 2015. Sixteen forest landowners gathered at Kilauea Military Camp at Volcano to participate in an intensive three-day workshop, balancing half-day classroom sessions with afternoon field trips to managed private forests. Forest Stewards from the inaugural class of 2012 and the class of 2013 returned to relate their experiences with applying good forest management and conservation techniques learned at the workshop to their own land. They also shared stories of how they reach out to friends and neighbors to pass on their new forestry knowledge. There are now over 58 graduates of the Hawaii Forest Stewards program serving the Hawaii community via a wide range of activities such as school outreach, forest tours, and planting native trees in public areas!
A Honey of a Project 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR UH alumnus and longtime supporter Samuel Kakazu, Jr., has a new plan to help the university and the environment: the creation and marketing of bumper stickers whose proceeds will help to support the UH Honeybee Project. In the spirit of the popular “HE>i” logo, the stickers read “BEES>me.” Mr. Kakazu explained, “The concept of the mark is a selfless one, in that the welfare of our pollinators supersedes the individual. The goal of the campaign is to increase the awareness of their plight and financially support projects promoting the health of pollinators.” The stickers are on sale for $2.00 at all Koolau Farmers locations and will also be available at special events. The Kakazu family has developed a Facebook page to further the project.
Horticulture in the Big Easy 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Science and fun went together at the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) meeting held in New Orleans in early August. Here, TPSS grad student Kauahi Perez and junior Extension agent Sharon Motomura pose for a photo op in Mardi Gras attire provided by ASHS. Kauahi presented a poster on her plumeria research, and Sharon presented one on production of ginger seed in Hawai‘i. Also presenting their research findings at the ASHS conference were TPSS grad student Chandrappah Gangaiah and recent TPSS alumna Amanda Ackerman. Other TPSS faculty and staff attending included Richard Criley, Kent Kobayashi, Nguyen Hue, Susan Miyasaka, and Amjad Ahmad.
Eating Local, Big Isle Style 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Faculty and staff from the Nutrition and Health program area of Hawai‘i Extension recently spent two days on the Big Island learning about local efforts in producing, marketing, and selling food that’s grown or made on the island. The group learned about the Mountain Apple Brand with former Oustanding Alumnus Derek Kurisu at KTA Super Stores; CTAHR research with farm manager Marla Fergerstrom at Mealani Experiment Station; tomato production at Kawamata Farms; the outdoor living classroom of the Mala‘ai Garden at Waimea Middle School; mushroom cultivation at Hamakua Mushrooms; and the increasing availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for the hungry through the Food Basket, Hawai‘i Island’s Food Bank, a development that also supports local farmers.
In Line for Success 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Lynn Sakutori, a fashion design graduate with local roots, has a new line of clothing, a-line, available in Macy’s stores. The recent Midweek article about her collection explains that she’s been making clothing ever since she was twelve, when she joined 4-H and began a sewing project. After getting her degree in APDM (now FDM), Lynn worked in New York for such celebrated designers as Nine West, Kenneth Cole, and The Limited. Returning to Hawai‘i in 2007, she began her own lines, which have also been carried by Nordstrom. Macy’s special event on November 23, Night of the Stars, will include the chance to meet Lynn and receive a free clutch bag, so go check it out!
ROD Squad on the Job 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR J.B. Friday was consulted for a recent Civil Beat article describing efforts to instate a quarantine on ‘ohi‘a trees and products and the soil surrounding them in an attempt to stop the spread of rapid ‘ohi‘a death (ROD), also called ‘ohi‘a wilt. The disease has only been seen on the Big Island thus far. It kills off these iconic native trees, which make up half of the native canopy, within weeks. “This is something new and alarming,” J.B. is quoted in reference to the disease and its rapid spread.
SMARTS Practices 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A new book, Conservation Agriculture in Subsistence Farming: Case Studies From South Asia and Beyond, edited by Catherine Chan and Jean Fantle-Lepczyk (both NREM), has recently been published by the non-profit development and informational organization the Centre for Biosciences and Agriculture International. This collection, based on the SMARTS project of Sustainable Management of Agroecological Resources for Tribal Societies, includes a foreword by Dean Gallo, while numerous CTAHR faculty wrote the chapters with co-authors. NREM and TPSS contributors include Susan Crow, Ted Radovich, and Travis Idol (shown here with a SMARTS team in India), as well as recent NREM alumni Brinton Foy Reed, Jacqueline Halbrendt, Cynthia Lai, Bikash Paudel, and Aliza Pradhan. Its timely and important topics include cover-cropping, low-till systems, and food security, subjects of concern to Hawai‘i as well.
Anthuriums (Heart) Anthurium Blight Website 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Are your anthuriums looking…blighted? Anthurium blight is a serious disease that has severely impacted Hawai‘i’s anthurium industry. CTAHR has been instrumental in the fight against the pest since it was first discovered, and now a new website created by Scot Nelson (PEPS) describes its history and shows what’s in store for the future. Anthurium Blight: Pathogen, Symptoms and Management offers just what its title suggests, including what the disease is, what’s been done about it in the past, and what is being done to curb it now. The faculty involved with the associated 5-year HATCH project “Production, assessment and disease management of hybrid anthurium cultivars” are PI Anne Alvarez (PEPS) and co-PI’s Teresita Amore (TPSS) and Brent Sipes and Kelvin Sewake (both PEPS). The website will continue to be updated over time as new data and publications from the project and investigators become available.
Oh, Gee, Algae! 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Check out the latest issue of Biotech in Focus. This issue, based on a paper written by student Megan Manley for the class TPSS 416 Introduction to Social, Ethical, and Political Issues Associated With Biotechnology, focuses on the possibility of using genetically engineered algae as a possible source of biofuel. As the issue points out, “Algae are among the most efficient producers of biomass”; therefore, they have the potentially to be a readily renewable source of a variety of resources, including energy production. This issue and previous ones can be found at the Biotech in Focus website.
Fueling Bio-Fuel Research 9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Four students from Samir Khanal’s (MBBE) Energy and Environmental Research group received NSF conference grant funding to attend S1041, the Science and Engineering for a Bio-Based Industry and Economy Annual Meeting and Symposium, in Wooster, Ohio earlier in August. The award recipients are MS students Edward Drielak (second from left) and Shilva Shrestha (right) and PhD students Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat (second from right) and Duc Nguyen (left). The students presented posters of their research work in the symposium: Edward’s on “Dilute Acid Pretreatment: Investigation of Acid Concentration, Time, Temperature and Solid to Liquid Ratio on Total Sugar Release from Napier Grass”; Shilva’s on “Anaerobic Digestion of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Rumen Contents For Enhanced Biogas Production”; Chayanon’s on “Enhanced Volatile Fatty Acids Production With Micro-Oxygenation During Anaerobic Digestion of Lignocellulosic Biomass”; and Duc’s on “Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP)-based Micro-aeration for Anaerobic Digestion.” Thanks go to the students, and to Samir, for their work towards increased energy self-sufficiency!
Funded on Maui 9/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A gratifying variety of faculty had projects selected for inclusion in the recent Maui County grant competition, which will be included in the FY16 grant proposal to the County. Thanks are due to everyone who submitted a proposal for consideration, and all are encouraged to consider this opportunity again next year. Projects selected included the following: “Evaluation of the effectiveness of using cassava as an axis deer hedge-fence to protect interior farm crops,” “Survey of lobate lac scale, a severe invasive pest, on Maui, Molokai and Lanai,” “Evaluation of ‘ulu (breadfruit) varieties in Maui County,” “Succession planning for Maui’s agriculture-related businesses project,” “Isolation and characterization of probiotic bacteria in poi manufactured in Maui,” “Development of two 4-H Livestock Day Camps for Maui 4-H Livestock Council and one 2-day overnight camp for Molokai 4-H Livestock club,” and “Proposal to improve disease control in Protea, Leucadendron, and Leucospermum crops on Maui.” A great cross-section of the many areas of interest in the college!
August New Faces: Cynthia Nazario Leary 8/26/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR’s new Urban Horticulture agent on Maui, Cynthia Nazario Leary, began work in her new position just this week. Cynthia got her Master’s in Horticulture and her PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Management, both from CTAHR. She brings 14 years of educational and leadership experience with her to this position—she’s been a lecturer at UH Maui College and Leeward Community College, as well as the director of the UHMC New Farmers Network program. In addition to her new responsibilities with CTAHR, Cynthia is also currently the President of the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens Board of Directors. Mahalo goes to all of those who served on the search committee, TPSS department chair Russell Yost, and to CTAHR leadership for their support and assistance with the recruitment process for this critical position. Welcome, Cynthia, to the CTAHR ‘ohana!
A Waffle Breakfast Welcome 8/26/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR To welcome the new faculty of TPSS—Orville Baldos, Alyssa Cho, Noa Lincoln, and Michael Muszynski—and new graduate students—Peter Maher, Tia Silvasy, Tony Rocha, Jason Myers, Nicholas Krueger, Nolan Johnson, and Aimee Uyehara—TPSS grad chair Ania Wieczorek and her staff held a Welcome Waffle Breakfast. Faculty and students took photos for the TPSS Department’s new graduate program website, feasted on waffles prepared by Ania, enjoyed a lighter version of coffee prepared by Skip Bittenbender, and had a chance to meet, greet, and catch up with each other before the start of the fall semester. A big mahalo to Richard Manshardt as well for providing delicious fresh papayas and lime for the festivities!
Well Oriented 8/26/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR’s newest members were welcomed at the New Student Orientation, where they were addressed by the dean and given an overview of the college’s main values of instructional philosophy by AD for Academic and Student Affairs Charly Kinoshita. Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi then briefly talked about co-curricular programs and campus resources, and representatives from various student clubs and organizations in CTAHR publicized their groups to encourage new students to get involved. Current CTAHR students gave advice to the newcomers, sharing tips about campus resources and services and describing their own college experiences. Then there was a campus tour photo scavenger hunt, academic advising, and lunch. Congratulations to Group 3, consisting of BE students Saul Bernal Ramos, Michael Di Martino, Samuel Fisher, Jaclyn Lee, Kyle Rafael Marcelino, Cody Shinsato, Alisa Tseng, and their BE student leaders Sheldon Arakawa and Brandon Ngao, for winning the photo scavenger hunt! Thank you to CTAHR’s three professional advisors for judging the competition. A big thank you to SAPFB for funding a portion of this event, the UH Manoa Bookstore for contributing to student survival kits, the student committee members and Scholarship Recipients/Student Ambassadors who served as NSO leaders; the Dean; professional and faculty advisors, student club and organization representatives; and ASAO for helping to welcome the newest members of our college!
Gene-ius for a Saturday 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Ania Wieczorek and the Saturday Gene-iuses science program for elementary and intermediate school students were featured in a *recent Star-Advertiser* story**. Registration for the program geared towards grades 1 through 6 is still open, but the classes for 7th- and 8th-graders are already full. Next year, the program will be expanded to include high school students as well, one more sign of the growing popularity of this successful program—and of the important need for hands-on science education that it fills.
Homeless in Paradise 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Diana Kim, a lecturer in FCS as well as a law student at UH’s William F. Richardson School of Law, was featured in NBC News’s Asian America for her moving photographs and commentary on the journey from her discovery of her father living homeless on the streets to his subsequent recovery and the resumption of their relationship. Also check out Diana’s blog on her work with the homeless here.
Making a Difference in Myanmar 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Glen Fukumoto (HNFAS, left) and Jonathan Deenik (TPSS, middle) recently completed a two-week assignment as Winrock International Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers in Mandalay and Yangon Regions of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. They were invited to assist farmers, businesses, and livestock industry sectors in improving livestock waste-management systems through integration of a composting program to treat livestock waste and use in cropping systems to improve soil fertility and organic matter content. Livestock waste management and its link to water-quality impairment has recently been identified as an area of concern as the livestock industry expands to meet the demand for animal protein in human diets. Winrock’s John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program is funded by USAID and sends about 125 volunteers each year to assist farmers, agribusinesses, and local organizations worldwide. Skilled U.S. volunteers provide expertise in a wide variety of areas, including agricultural sciences, farming, food processing, and agribusiness; enterprise development, marketing, international trade, credit, and financing; organizational development; and renewable energy. Find out more about Winrock International's Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Program and opportunities here!
Get the Buzz on Coffee… 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Coffee berry borers, that is. Two publications gather together the combined knowledge of CTAHR and other Hawai‘i institutions on the devastating pest of coffee for the use of growers who continue to battle it. There are the 2015 Recommendations for Coffee Berry Borer Integrated Management in Hawai‘i, incorporating another year’s worth of field and laboratory research and the experiences of the coffee producers themselves, and there are also the Proceedings of the 2015 Coffee Berry Borer Summit, which builds on established knowledge to move in possible new directions in the continuing fight.
What’s New Among Island Growers? 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Glad you asked! Several new CTAHR publications feature a range of new-to-the-state—and even new-to-the-world!—plants and problems. Blueberries are a recent addition to the state’s fruit-growing possibilities, and home growers will be glad there’s now a Guide to Growing Blueberries for Home Production in Hawai‘i to steer them past common pitfalls and on into luscious berry heaven. On a more disturbing note, there’s a new pest attacking an iconic native tree, the ‘ohi‘a, causing Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death in large areas of the Big Island. But CTAHR’s and HDOA’s ROD Squad is on the job! Finally, there’s a bright new twist on an old favorite: a new red obake anthurium, named ‘Maui’ after the island and the demigod, has been created, and this publication tells all about it.
The Hale Is Up 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The new outdoor classroom and learning center at the Waimanalo Research Station, Hale o Pu‘u o Kona, has been dedicated! There was a traditional Hawaiian blessing and some good music, and then Ted Radovich (TPSS), one of the drivers of the project, unveiled the plaque listing the contributors who made the learning center possible. These included Dean Gallo and former Interim Dean Sylvia Yuen, pictured here with Ted and other supporters in the group photo. The menu was almost all from the learning center, including Rocky Farms greens from GoFarm participant Ikaika Rogerson and sugarcane ale and champagne grown and produced at the center. Attendees enjoyed lu‘au, kalo, and u‘ala grown at the Research Station, papaya dressing concocted from papaya grown there, and tilapia from the Station’s aquaponics research area. Pa‘i‘ai was made by the architect of the Hale, Alberto Ricordi. It was not only a delicious dinner; it was a fitting beginning to the life of the learning center, which will shelter CTAHR students, elementary students, and community members as they learn about the myriad possibilities of agriculture—including how much of one’s diet can be derived from local sources!
New Directions 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Former Interim Dean Sylvia Yuen has been chosen as the new executive director of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i (RCUH), effective July 1. Sylvia, who was CTAHR Outstanding Alumna in 2010, was previously the long-term director of COF and was the first woman to direct CTAHR since its founding. She is also the recipient of more than $22 million in grants and other funding and has been given commendations for distinguished service from the Hawai‘i State Legislature. Best wishes to her in her new career!
CRATE News 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Koon-Hui Wang (PEPS) and members of her lab worked with Extension agent Jari Sugano to host a CRATE Day at the Poamoho Experiment Station. Local farmers, GoFarm Hawai‘i participants, NRCS specialists, and others who attended the field day received an update on the team’s research into non-chemically based pest management approaches and the use of a cover crop calculator in Hawai‘i for enriching soil. The Center of Rural Agricultural Training and Entrepreneurship (CRATE) aims to address a growing interest among farmers in Hawai‘i in reducing farm inputs.
It’s a Biotech Summer 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Twelve K–12 teachers and Extension agents successfully completed the UHH/UHM summer course AG403/ TPSS491 Agricultural Biotechnology, co-taught by Susan Miyasaka (TPSS), Mike Shintaku (UHH), and Mario Patino (KSBE science educator). The class consisted of three weeks of online instruction followed by five days of face-to-face laboratory exercises and field trips, using the context of genetically engineered papayas. Travel stipends were offered to seven teachers through USDA-NIFA (Agribusiness Education, Training, and Incubations project, administered by CTAHR). Here, educators Jeff Garvey, Puanani White, Jessie Radovich, and Margarita Alo-Chu (left to right) visit a papaya field with Eric Weinert of Calavo.
Fam-R on the Hill 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Through hard work and determination, Fam-R student Lena Phomsouvanh earned a full-time internship in Washington, D.C., with Sen. Mazie Hirono during spring 2015. She was immersed in the political realm and learned firsthand about the legislative process and the political sector. Lena writes that she was truly humbled to be one of the four students representing UHM. She felt fulfilled knowing that she was making a difference through the work she did. She has always had a strong interest in family public policy and how legislation can impact minority families, and now she is strongly committed to public service and hopes to continue on to serve her community. During her time in D.C., Lena was able to analyze how U.S. legislation affected Hawai‘i in the areas of education, health, and social welfare. Lena explains that the government crosses all sectors, and interning in D.C. is a great opportunity for all majors to learn about its role. She concludes, “I encourage all CTAHR students to apply because you will gain more than you would even imagine. Students do not necessarily need a political science background to intern! As CTAHR students, we are able to bring a unique perspective to the Hill through our diverse majors. If you have a willingness to learn and bring your own knowledge and experience, you can achieve anything.”
All Rise for the Rhizome 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A YouTube video produced by Scot Nelson with the help of Bernie Kratky (TPSS, Emeritus) and ag technicians Christopher Bernabe and Earl Arakaki, “Production of Edible Ginger Clean Seed by Sub-Irrigation Methods in Hawaii,” has passed 26,485 hits at latest count, in the neighborhood of 75 to 100 per day! This places the video on track to achieve the 50,000-view mark sometime next year. The video was produced as part of a WSARE-funded project entitled “Control of Bacterial Wilt of Ginger through an Integrated Pest Management program” and shows how to consistently produce pathogen-free ginger to use to grow subsequent crops.
Good for the Mouth and the Mind 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A recent MOA between Kapi‘olani CC and UHM/HNFAS will facilitate the transfer of KCC students with an AS degree in Culinary Arts to UH for a degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a Culinology option. Not only that, but the program has just been distinguished as one of only 15 RCA-approved programs in the country. The Research Chefs Association (RCA), which invented the term culinology, is a major source of culinary and technical information for the food industry, with a diverse membership including chefs, food scientists, and other industry professionals who hope to shape the future of food research and development. The RCA defines the term as “the blending of culinary arts and the science of food.” Sounds tasty!
A Growing Concern 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR TPSS PhD student Emily Teng has been selected by AmericanHort as one of six HortScholars from across the country. The goal of the highly competitive HortScholars program is to provide students with education and networking opportunities in an enriching professional development experience that increases their knowledge, industry awareness, and career enthusiasm. HortScholars also get to help out and learn at Cultivate’15, the largest horticultural industry event nationwide, assisting with events, conducting presentations, attending the exhibitions and educational sessions, meeting with industry mentors, and networking at various social events. Emily (photo by her MS advisor Ken Leonhardt) is studying poinsettia pigmentation and works at Pang’s Nursery. Scroll down here for more information about her and the other HortScholars.
Chilling Out 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Jun Innovations, the spinout company founded by Soojin Jun (HNFAS) to commercialize his supercooling technology, was one of the two first UH invention companies to be invited to present at the prestigious First Look LA showcase of university technologies held at UCLA. Soojin wasn’t able to make it himself, but Jun Innovations was represented by XLR8UH’s Luke Tucker, who made a presentation to an invitation-only audience of 250 investors, entrepreneurs, and university faculty and staff. First Look LA showcases emerging technology investment opportunities from high-ranking research institutions in Southern California, Arizona, and, now, Hawai‘i. That’s a super cool opportunity!
New Heights of Chocolate 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR If you’ve heard that chocolate is good for your health, it must be true—it was being served at JABSOM’s 50th anniversary dinner. H.C. “Skip” Bittenbender (pictured here with a cacao tree) provided the cacao from two of his Hawaii State Cacao Trial sites, at Kualoa Ranch and in Pearl City, to create the luscious chocolate pyramids. Not only that, but the chocolate is being made by Manoa Chocolate, which is owned by Dylan Butterbaugh, who was mentored by Linda Cox and who spent time in Skip’s lab before going into business. Local food, important Extension work, antioxidants…and, according to the label that will accompany the pyramids, “taste notes of coffee, full-bodied red wine, and berries.” What more could you ask for?
KIDS COUNT in 2015 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT, for which COF is the designated Hawai‘i grantee, has released its *2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book. Focusing on key trends in child well-being after the recession, the Data Book* presents data on 16 measures in four domains: Economic Well-being, Education, Health, and Family and Community. It shows that child poverty, both in Hawai‘i and nationwide, is worse now than it was in 2008, at the height of the recession. Over 40,000 children in Hawai‘i, or roughly one in eight, live in poverty. Ivette Rodriguez-Stern, the Hawai‘i KIDS COUNT project director, is quoted as explaining, “Many families did not recover once the economy started improving.” However, the Data Book also shows some improvements in other indicators of child well-being, including rising math and reading proficiency and a lowered teen birth rate.
Supercool Student 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR MS student Timothy Shafel (HNFAS), who works in Soojin Jun’s food engineering lab, recently won second place at the Refrigerated & Frozen Foods division of the student competition at the 2015 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) meeting at Chicago. Following his presentation, “Extension of Supercooled State in Beef Steak Using Pulsed Electric Fields and Oscillating Magnetic Fields as a Novel Preservation Technique,” and interviews with the judges, Tim received a $750 cash award and recognition by Phi Tau Sigma, the Honor Society of Food Science and Technology. The IFT is the primary international professional association for food scientists. This year’s annual meeting hosted over 20,000 food scientists, students, R&D professionals, suppliers, marketers, and others involved in the food industry. Not only that, but Tim received travel support from the college for this competition, since he had previously won CTAHR Best MS Student Poster Presentation in 2014 Student Research Symposium. Congratulations to Tim, and to Soojin for his mentorship!
CRATE Is Great! 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Center for Rural Agriculture Training and Entrepreneurship (CRATE), headed by Koon-Hui Wang (PEPS), has published several posters useful to beginning and established farmers. Growers can find out about how to utilize the nematicidal properties of oyster mushrooms in compost to combat plant-parasitic nematodes; calculate the plant-available nitrogen (PAN) contributed by leguminous cover crops to reduce fertilizer; use hot-water treatments to manage arthropod pests such as spider mites, whiteflies, and scale insects; and grow insectary plants to entice beneficial insects that are important components of organic IPM.
Learning to Eat Online 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Jinan Banna (pictured), Maria Stewart, and Marie Fialkowski (all HNFAS), in collaboration with Grace Lin of UH’s Educational Technology department, have recently had an article accepted for publication in the MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT). The article, entitled “Interaction Matters: Strategies to Promote Engaged Learning in an Online Introductory Nutrition Course,” focuses on the evaluation of interactive features incorporated into an online introductory nutrition course offered UH. The authors discuss the utility in the course of interactive features such as synchronous discussions and polls in scheduled sessions, and social media tools for sharing of information and resources. As a number of new online courses are being developed at UH, the article provides a useful reference for those planning to teach using this modality. The article will be published in an upcoming issue of JOLT.
CTAHR Fosters Local Businesses 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Alumnus Sean Aukanaii Fong, the president and owner of Hawaiian Turfgrass, recently won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Small Business Administration’s annual SBA Awards (scroll down). Sean draws on his BS in TPSS and his BA in Hawaiian Studies to create a company that serves the community and the ‘aina. He expanded his grass fields from a seventh of an acre to 67.5 acres and now employs 8 workers—and he’s only 31! This year’s SBA Awards also honored CTAHR collaborator Eric Tanouye of Green Point Nurseries, who won the Entrepreneurial Success Award.
High Fashion, Getting Higher 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR FDM has risen in ranking among schools teaching fashion, according to FashionSchools.org, a website that offers information on careers in fashion and the schools that can further them. In fashion design, the program has been ranked #36 nationally (in the top 30% of schools considered), #17 nationally among public schools and colleges, and #7 on the West Coast. In Fashion Merchandising, it’s also #36 nationally (top 30%) and #7 on the West Coast. This is a large jump since last year, when the program was rated #60 nationally in fashion design and #45 in fashion merchandising. The ranking is determined by fashion design and merchandising faculty across the country and reflects the achievements of FDM students and graduates as well as the diverse scholarly work of the FDM faculty members, including Shu-Hwa Lin, Andy Reilly, Young Jin Bahng, and Ju-Young Kang. Pictured: Dean Gallo, Shu-Hwa, and participants in the program’s most recent Fashion Show.
Get a Leaf 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Scot Nelson (PEPS) has published a paper on his Leaf Doctor app with co-author Sarah Pethybridge in the prestigious journal Plant Disease, “Leaf Doctor: A New Portable Application for Quantifying Plant Disease Severity.” The app quantifies the percentage and severity of disease on an individual leaf, important information for plant pathologists and other researchers and Extension agents. It not only works better and faster than the previous program used for the same purpose; it’s also free, while the previous program costs $800! The paper and the app are also discussed in an article in the Cornell Chronicle.
Peruvian Adventure 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Four CTAHR students—Mandy Chen (ANSC), Rheanna Dominici (FAMR), Brandon Ngao (BE), and Flora Wang (FSHN), accompanied by Sylvia Wu (ASAO)—spent part of their summer on a twelve-day international adventure exploring the city of Cusco, volunteering in the Amazon jungle, and visiting one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. They volunteered at the organic Gamitana Farm harvesting dead trees from the jungle to break down into mulch, sifting compost, cutting plantains to dry and grind into flour, clearing land for agriculture, and harvesting banana saplings. They observed wildlife at an animal sanctuary and went on a snake hunt. Then they hiked Huayna Picchu, from which they could see the lost city of Machu Picchu, and then took a guided tour of the city itself, learning about its innovative water systems and architectural techniques and its religious, secular, and political factions Thanks are due to IVHQ, Maximo Nivel, and InkaTerra for making the tour educational and meaningful and to Katie, Medy, Jack, Chelsey, Noe, Yasmani, Helmut, and Gabriela for hosting the CTAHR group so graciously. Mahalo also goes to ASAO for supporting the students on this international study tour and to the students who participated and made this experience meaningful for everyone they encountered in Peru. Click here and scroll down to see a video made by the students!
Mmmm…PIE 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The PIE Center-Hawaii website is now up and running, so check it out and find out about what the Center is and what it does. “PIE” stands for “Public Issues Education,” a new area of research and outreach that assesses community knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes about ag and natural resource issues and helps Extension faculty and staff to improve education and outreach. The site is changing as studies are updated and content added, so check back frequently. Contact Assistant Researcher M’Randa Sandlin (TPSS, front left) for details about the PIE Center, or email piecenterhawaii@ctahr.hawaii.edu directly.
Surfing the Crest of Success 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR APDM (now FDM) alumna Mele Moody took time out from her duties with surfwear company Reef to outline her journey. After graduation, Mele took a paid internship with Ocean Minded, a small Southern California surf footwear company. Shadowing a sales rep for the company, she decided, “This is exactly what I want to do!” After five years with various surfwear companies, she landed her dream job, sales rep for Reef’s O‘ahu and Kaua‘i territory. Now exactly where she wants to be, she’s proud she kept focused on her goal. Mele points out that while UH may not be generally considered a fashion school, there are many great courses and opportunities to learn the industry, especially in FDM. An entrepreneurship class, Brick and Click, was especially helpful, requiring students to set up a successful business and sell an actual product, but she also enjoyed “playing with the vintage clothes in the Archives, and our sewing class and fashion illustration. The variety of classes offered in the program is what was most appealing to me,” she explains: there’s space for both mathematical and creative types, “something for everyone.” Her advice to those hoping to enter the fashion industry? “Follow your dreams...stay focused on your dream (or dream job) and take the necessary steps to get there. Start small, don’t get discouraged, stay patient, and you’ll get there!”
Bee Friendly 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR During the Hawaii Pollinator Week, MS student and member of the UH Honeybee Project Scott Nikaido (PEPS) recently interviewed on KITV, emphasizing the importance of honeybees and the necessity of protecting them from devastating pests. There are over 60 species of bees in the Islands, many native. Scott explains that since Hawai‘i is so isolated, it’s not possible bring in a lot of bees because of quarantine laws, so it’s crucial to protect the ones that are here. Bees pollinate $200 million crops statewide—according to the DOA, one in every three bites of food is dependent on them! The news segment also describes how to create a bee-friendly environment: plant flowers with bright colors and open faces, since they’re most attractive to bees, and cut back on pesticide use that may be killing off their young.
Eat Right and Keep Fit on Kaua‘i 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Dean Gallo visited Extension Agent Laura Kawamura’s Nutrition Education for Wellness booth at the annual Kauai Mayor-a-Thon health and fitness event in Kapa‘a, Kaua‘i. More than 1,300 people attended the 2014 Mayor-A-Thon, a free annual event co-sponsored by the Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition, Get Fit Kaua‘i, and the County of Kaua‘i to encourage physical fitness and enjoy Kaua‘i’s coastal path, Ke Ala Hele Makalae. Participants dance, bike, run, walk…and learn about nutrition, all in the name of healthy living.
Meeting the Bugs 8/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Students from UH Manoa’s Curriculum Research and Development Group (CRDG) summer fun and learning program had fun visiting the Insect Museum for a chance to check out pulelehua, termites, and other six-legged friends and foes. Here research associate Maria Aihara-Sasaki (PEPS) introduces a termite queen in a vial in the termite lab. Check out more pictures here.
CAPE of Good Hope 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Kaua‘i is piloting the Community Behavioral Health Early-Warning System via the Community Assessment and Education to Promote Behavioral Health Planning and Evaluation (CAPE) Project. CTAHR is collaborating with residents of Kaua‘i County on a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)- and USDA NIFA-funded project to address behavioral health topics in Kaua‘i in 2015. Many communities in the U.S. continue to struggle with behavioral health problems, especially related to issues of substance use and abuse and mental health, and these problems are often very specific to particular communities. Kaua’i County was selected to join the CAPE Project Phase II as an Index Community, and 30 knowledgeable local residents were invited to participate in a nationally designed biweekly community behavioral health survey. The information they share about the behavioral health issues will establish community-level data on a variety of relevant factors, which will be monitored on a regular basis. It’s hoped that when the system indicates an increase in one of the mental health or substance abuse areas, an alert will be triggered to inform local decision-makers, who can then work together to execute an intervention. This initiative is led by Sarah Yuan (COF, PI), Eilleen Sabino-Laughlin (COF, Co-I), and Laura Kawamura (FCS, Kaua‘i Extension, Co-I).
Shipping Company Supports Local Food Sourcing 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Hawai‘i 4-H received close to $12,000 from Matson in 2014, according to the *Matson Charitable Support Report*. Matson bids on local livestock at 4-H auctions across the state, supporting youth who learn animal husbandry. In 2014, a highly rated steer raised on Moloka‘i that Matson won then became a local food source, providing for meals for clients of the homeless service organization Institute for Human Services.
Fish Love Fungus 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Samir Khanal (MBBE) has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture for a two-year project entitled “Utilization of Local Agri-processing By-products to Produce Fungal Protein for Aquatic Feed Production.” For this project, he is researching fungal fermentation, growing protein-rich edible fungus on locally available feedstocks in large-scale systems and then processing the fungus for aquatic applications. He will soon be starting feeding trials to assess the feed. Samir is pictured here with former grad student Saoharit “Pikky” Nitayavardhana, who was involved in the project since 2009 and received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering in 2013, and who recently joined the faculty of a top Thai university.
Missionistas 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Saturday GENE-iuses on a Mission program marked the graduation of its third cohort of elementary-aged students with a ceremony, 15 science experiment stations, photo booths, and a prize drawing. A KITV report on the celebration quotes program creator Ania Wieczorek (TPSS) on the program’s importance in terms of STEM education for young students: “In fifty years or so, we’re going to have huge population growth, we’re going to have global warming, we’re going to have to find new energy sources, so we’re going to need as many scientists as possible.” During the last school year, Saturday GENE-iuses amply stepped up to the challenge, offering 27 science classes with topics ranging from DNA and cells to plants, seeds, and food science. There are still spaces available for this coming semester, so check it out today!
Keep Calm and Grow ‘Ulu 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR 2015 Outstanding Alumna Diane Ragone is a key consultant for Kaua‘i Community College’s Ulutopia Project, which is creating a teaching plot where students can learn agricultural-based field methodology; study the effects of cultural practices on the growth and yield of breadfruit; determine the effect of fertilizers and cover crops on breadfruit pests, diseases, and soil microorganisms; and help the community by providing breadfruit plants as a source of food. Dr. Ragone said, “The Ulutopia Project at Kaua‘i CC is designed to answer ‘How do I establish a small orchard of trees and what is the best way to manage the trees?’” and explained, “It will compare different treatments such as fertilizers, including organic products, use of cover crops and inter-planting with other crops and plants.” PEPS also a collaborator in the project, contributing experimental expertise and project design.
Drink More Milk 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Jinan Banna (HNFAS) is a member of W-2003, a multi-state research project on calcium intake in preadolescents that attempts to get both this age group and the children’s parents to consume more calcium-rich foods and drinks. The press release put out by the consortium of twelve institutions of higher learning, almost all land-grant universities, quotes Jinan explaining that those parents who model calcium-consuming behavior will influence their children to do so as well—while those parents who don’t will likewise influence them to eat and drink less of these important sources of calcium.
Fashion Intersection 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Didn’t get to make it to Axis, the UHM 49th Annual Fashion Show? Or just want to take another look at some of the ravishing creations designed by the five senior designers or in the junior New Wave collection and the senior Eco-Eclecticism collection? Check out the Fashion Show website! The longstanding but always cutting-edge show this year featured FDM seniors Asia Joan Matteo, Ayaka Hosomi, Gabrielle Sanehira, Grace Tsubaki-Noguchi, and Li King, whose collection is pictured here. Junior designers, also FDM, included Kari Begay, Lydie Schwab, and Lindsey Curtis. All did their part in creating the lively haute-couture vibe of this year’s show.
Aloha for Nepal 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Thanks to the generosity of the CTAHR community, a total of $3,142 was raised at a fundraiser lunch for Nepal. Rajesh Jha and Chef Mark Segobiano (both HNFAS, pictured) covered all the food costs, so 100 percent of the money collected was given to the Society of Nepalese in Hawaii (SNEHA) for distribution to those affected by the earthquakes. Many thanks also go to the FSHN students who helped in cooking and cleaning: without their help, it would not have been possible.
Got Family? 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR COF is the Hawai‘i affiliate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT project. A KIDS COUNT policy report, “Every Kid Needs a Family,” that was recently released emphasizes the importance of family placements for young people in the child welfare system. Group placements are the least favorable setting for children in foster care, explains the report, but 56,000 children are living in such settings throughout the country. Ivette Rodriguez Stern (COF), the Hawai‘i KIDS COUNT project director, is quoted as saying, “Kids who grow up in families have the best chances for success through life. Research shows that having secure attachments provided by nurturing caregivers is critical to a child’s healthy physical, social, emotional and psychological development. Young people who don’t grow up in families are at greater risk for poor outcomes as they grow up, such as being arrested.” Nationally, 84% of young people in the child welfare system are in family settings, and 14% are in group placements. Hawai‘i is doing better than average, with 92% of children in foster care living in family settings, and only 7% in group placements.
Exploit the Invasives 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A recent KHON-TV news spot features two high school students from St. Andrew’s Priory who are mentored by Samir Khanal (MBBE). Ariana Kim and Sreelakshmi Kutty were selected from Hawai‘i to go to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh for their project on invasive macroalgae, a big problem in certain bays and waterways in Hawai‘i. Samir is quoted as saying that the algae “prevents the light penetration and affects the coral and water quality.” Ariana and Sree won third place in their field, chemistry, for their research into fermenting the algae before using it as fertilizer, both increasing its nutritive properties and keeping it from reproducing if it gets washed back to the ocean. Also selected to attend this prestigious international competition were Rajesh Jha’s (HNFAS) two children. Congratulations!
Fair Days 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR was an important presence at the Hawaii State Farm Fair. The CTAHR booth was staffed by friendly and informative Student Ambassadors and representatives from various college groups, offices, subject areas, and projects, including PIE, SOFT, FSHN Council, soil health, the Pulelehua Project, papaya (both Richard Manshardt’s papaya ringspot app and general questions about the trees), CTAHRAA, and GoFarm. CTAHR faculty, staff, and students also helped with 4-H animal events (picture courtesy of East Hawaii 4-H & Hawaii County 4-H Livestock) in the produce and plant market and the keiki tent, and at other volunteer posts.
Two Scoops of Blood Sugar Regulation 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Everyone knows that rice is the local staff of life. But did you know that some types of rice may help to regulate blood sugar? Maria Stewart has published a paper, “High Amylose White Rice Reduces Post-Prandial Glycemic Response but Not Appetite in Humans,” in the open-access journal Nutrients. Maria and her co-author found that high-amylose white rice (not what is pictured here) reduces blood sugar after a meal to a greater extent than conventional white rice. Amylose is a type of starch that is more slowly digested; some is not digested at all, so it is considered resistant starch, a type of dietary fiber. The paper explains that high-amylose white rice may be a more appropriate rice for individuals who struggle with blood sugar regulation, but since it did not reduce hunger, it would likely not contribute to weight loss.
Eat, Eat! 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal (pictured) recently featured fellow HNFAS faculty Jinan Banna’s research project on the eating habits of teenagers in their “Health Options” column in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The article, titled “Nutrient needs are greater as kids move to adolescence,” explains that growing teens need more nutrition than those at any other stage of development, and many may be falling short on some essentials. Jinan is recruiting mothers and their 9- to 13-year-old daughters to record the food they eat by taking pictures of it. If you don’t have an online subscription to the Star-Advertiser, the article is available for free here and here. You’re welcome to contact Joannie, Alan, or Jinan if you have any questions about the article or the study.
Save Chocolate and Pineapple! 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Pineapple and chocolate…mmmm. Two great tastes that taste great together; two great Island crops, one whose heyday has past and the other just beginning its ascent. But pineapple and cacao are also both plants that can be subject to severe, even mortal, diseases, and two recent CTAHR publications outline symptoms and solutions. Heart and Root Rots of Pineapple discusses two related rots that can spell disaster for the spiny fruit and offers helpful solutions for prevention and cure. Black Pod Rot of Cacao Caused by Phytophthora palmivora features disturbing images of mummified cacao pods affected by the titular disease but, again, offers options for averting plant disaster. What a relief!
Reef to Table 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Kirsten Oleson (NREM) and co-authors have published a study showing that a single artisanal coral reef fishery in Kiholo Bay can produce over 30,000 meals per year, with an annual economic value of more than $78,000. The study, published in the prestigious journal PLOS ONE, was also conducted by Conservation International, the Hui Aloha Kiholo—a community-based stewardship group—the National Geographic Society, and The Nature Conservancy, as well as Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at UH. The authors found that the small-scale Kiholo Bay fishery provides large-scale benefits to communities, including bolstering food security and contributing to cultural and social events.
French-Fried GMOs? 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The latest issue of Biotech in Focus, based on a paper written by TPSS 416 student Arthur Nash, discusses the Innate^TM potato, a new genetically modified potato that was recently approved by the USDA for sale in the US. Creators of the potato hope that because it does not incorporate genetic material from any other organisms besides cultivated and wild potatoes it will be more acceptable to the public than other GMOs, including other genetically engineered potatoes, have been. However, McDonalds, a huge buyer of potatoes, refused to buy the earlier GM potatoes and has thus far also refused to buy the Innate^TM potato. As the bulletin concludes, “The future success or failure of the Innate potato remains to be determined.” Present and past issues can be found at the Biotech in Focus website.
Intergenerational Information-Sharing 8/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A recent “Health Options” column by Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal (both HNFAS) in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser featured a research project by Bobbie Yee (FCS), “Ohana Talk Story about Health and Wellness.” The project is on intergenerational family communication about health-related topics like food, diet, and physical activity; as the article explains, both elders and youth have important information to pass on to other generations. Colin Wills, a recent HNFAS MS graduate, is working with Bobbie on the study—she and Alan were on his committee, while Joannie was his advisor. If you don’t have an online subscription to the Star-Advertiser, the article also is freely available for download here.
Green Thumb Graduates 8/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Kaua‘i Master Gardener program and their 13 newly certified Master Gardener graduates were lauded in a Garden Island news article, which gives the numbers on the work these volunteers do: just 35 members have contributed over 2,000 hours in the past year to school gardens; community beautification projects; and agricultural festivals, fairs, and field days. Other ways Kaua‘i Master Gardeners volunteer include collecting fruit that people donate to the Village Harvest and answering questions at help booths. As Master Gardener president Pat Fallbeck sums it up, “Master Gardeners are good for Kaua‘i.”
HortScholars for Change 8/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Emily Teng (left), the TPSS student selected by AmericanHort as one of six HortScholars from across the country, is featured in a Greenhouse Management video of a roundtable discussion of the challenges that the horticultural industry faces, ways that the awardees are planning to address these concerns, and advice they would give to others considering entering the industry. Emily, who works as a grower for Pang’s Nursery as well as researching poinsettia for her PhD work, explains that one of the challenges that growers face is convincing big store chains to carry their wares and continually growing new and exciting varieties that will spark customers’ interest, a concern she is addressing with her doctoral work on pigmentation. She suggests that newcomers to the industry be aware that it involves hands-on work that makes a difference in people’s lives, facts that she believes will be appealing and draw new participants to the field.
July Out of the Dirt 7/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Want to get “The Dirt on Soilless Agriculture”? Sign up for the conference of the same name, which will be held on August 15 at the Kroc Center in Ewa Beach and Mari’s Garden in Mililani. Learn about the advancements and opportunities in soilless agriculture in Hawai‘i from CTAHR faculty and leading industry experts. Some topics include controlled environment vegetable production, commercial aquaponics and hydroponics, aquaponics in school curricula, intensive strawberry production, renewable energy solutions, Hawai‘i’s aquaculture industry, and collaborative community projects. CTAHR presenters include Dean Gallo and Ted Radovich (TPSS). You can register here. And do it by Wednesday, July 15—that way you get the early bird discount of $180, a savings of $15. The conference runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the price also includes a farm tour, a light breakfast, a bento lunch, and a gourmet wine and dinner pairing, with fresh fish and produce from Mari’s Garden, so you know you’re getting your money’s worth.
June Under the Tents 6/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The new Magoon outdoor teaching area, located next to the turfgrass research plots, has now been completed. This area, which replaces a previous temporary structure that was damaged by the wind, allows classes to meet outside and yet be protected from sun and rain. Many thanks are due to CTAHR administration for the funding, and a special mahalo goes to Susan Takahashi and Joe DeFrank for all their hard work to bring the teaching area to completion.
PIE for Mindanao 6/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The UPLOAD JOBS for Mindanao project overseen by Catherine Chan (NREM) is coming to a close after three years. Project partners have trained over 200 out-of-school youth (OSY) and supported 42 business plans in the Philippines. Other faculty working with this project included Kheng Cheah and Ted Radovich (both TPSS) and Brent Sipes (PEPS). As the final training for the OSY students and stakeholders, M’Randa Sandlin (TPSS) of the PIE Center Hawai‘i led two interactive training sessions for leadership development. The students learned leadership competencies in business settings and how to use behavioral identification for business success in “Navigating Leadership as an Entrepreneur.” The project’s stakeholders participated in “Understanding Leadership Behaviors in the Workplace” and completed the DISC behavioral assessment, learning about their own behavioral profile; how to identify behaviors in others; and how behavioral styles function together in team, business, and social settings. Contact M’Randa, pictured at left, for information on how PIE Center-Hawai‘i can work with you!
Masters in Kaua‘i 6/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Kaua‘i Master Gardener program celebrated its Graduation Day on Friday, June 26, in Kapa‘a. Thirteen interns marked the completion of their volunteer hours, graduating to full Master Gardener status, while an additional three volunteers celebrated their fifth year of service by advancing to Emeritus status. Master Gardener graduate and local chef Gary Chock prepared a fabulous meal featuring locally grown spices and vegetables. Additional highlights included a poetry reading (“The Vegetarian’s Nightmare”), a group song (“The Master Gardener Do-Wah”), and the good fellowship shared by all. Congratulations to Coordinator Amanda Skelton, the Advisory Board, and all the Master Gardener volunteers who contribute so much to the Kaua‘i community!
Maps Need Relief 6/16/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The University of Hawaii Foundations is asking for donations to restore the Hawaiian Island relief maps in the St John Hall lobby, which were created in the 1930s and have not been restored since the ’60s. The maps are continuously used as a teaching tool, and are a unique and precious resource—and besides, they just look cool. Please consider making a donation online to preserve them.
Maui Built Moratorium 6/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The most recent issue of Biotech in Focus is now available. It discusses the historic ballot initiative on Maui that in November 2014 succeeded in passing a moratorium on growing GM crops on the island until studies assessing their environmental and public health impact can be completed. The temporary ban was passed despite GM companies and their allies spending almost $8 million to defeat the initiative, the largest amount ever spent in a Hawai‘i election for any purpose. This issue and previous issues can be found at the Biotech in Focus website.
May Get Some Good Advice 5/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR has created a new professional academic advising office staffed by three full-time academic advisors: Jennifer Custodio, Kalai Castro, and Irene Morrow (left to right). The mission of the advising office is to provide an excellent and relevant student-centered learning environment that promotes students’ educational and professional development. The professional advising office will partner with faculty advisors for career advising and mentorship. Academic advisors will meet with students to discuss choosing a major and academic planning, do graduation checks, and sign academic and university-related forms (e.g., VA enrollment, transfer, withdrawal, preliminary degree check). They are located on the 1st floor of Gilmore Hall and are available for appointments Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (except for holidays). Prospective and current students can schedule an appointment online here. Appointments are required, except during busy times of the semester, such as prior to the start of the semester and during registration, when walk-in advising will be available. The University requires that students meet with one of the college’s academic advisors each semester. The advisors will make sure that students are informed and prepared throughout their academic journey. For more information and to contact an academic advisor, please email ctahradv@hawaii.edu.
Retail Plan Success 5/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The FDM program hosted the judging and awards ceremony of the 2015 UH Retail Business Plan Contest, co-sponsored by Our Kaka‘ako and Shidler’s Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE). Twelve teams, made up of students in Youngjin Bahng’s FDM 437 Small Business Start-Up class, competed to create original retail business plans, including restaurants, space rentals, foods, apparel, beachwear, jewelry, and even a mobile barbershop. On Tuesday, May 12, the three finalists presented their retail business plans to four judges. The first-place winner, art student Shayna Brianne Nichols, received $1,500 for her plan for a retail store called Pololia Glassworks. Second-place winner Victoria Price (FDM), received $700 for her plan for a women’s clothing boutique called White Elephant, and third-place winner Christopher Ching (also FDM) received $500 for his plan for a men’s and women’s apparel and accessories boutique, Common Goods. Youngjin hopes to expand the contest, making it an annual event with more sponsors and prizes.
Celebrating Graduates 5/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Last week over 400 CTAHR students, their families and friends, and CTAHR faculty and staff attended CTAHR’s Spring 2015 Convocation in the Campus Center Ballroom. This celebration, co-emceed by Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi and Irene Morrow (both Academic and Student Affairs), began with congratulatory remarks from Dean Maria Gallo and CTAHR Alumni Association and Friends President Kauahi Perez. The Spring 2015 student marshals, Miho Fujii and Jay Gibson (both FSHN), who were selected for their academic achievements, leadership, and service to CTAHR and the university, were then recognized. Afterwards, graduating students active in CTAHR-affiliated student organizations were acknowledged for their participation. CTAHR also recognized six students who completed the Dietetic Internship Program. The ceremony concluded with the individual recognition of 74 graduates, followed by refreshments and a chance to mingle. Congratulations to the graduating students for achieving such a milestone! A big mahalo goes to all who supported them: to SAPFB for partially funding this event, the CTAHR Alumni Association and Friends for their support, Steven and Karen Sato for donating lei, CTAHR scholarship recipients and student ambassadors for volunteering at the event, and ASAO for organizing this event and providing the CTAHR memorabilia presented to the graduates.
Don’t Let It Go to Waste! 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The latest *Impact Report* is now available in hard copy and on the web. CTAHR is doing its part to keep the Islands clean and productive by creating and participating in a wide variety of zero-waste and waste-management projects and initiatives, and these stories tell about four of them. Ju-Young Kang (FCS) is educating her fashion students on reducing clothing and textile waste through more mindful patterning, cutting, and sourcing, while Eunsung Kan (MBBE) has discovered two ways of purifying emerging contaminants from wastewater. Livestock production and biofuels are important areas with potential: Samir Khanal (MBBE) and his community partner Robert Olivier are testing and refining an ingenious system of waste recuperation that also yields fuel and animal feed, and Rajesh Jha (HNFAS) is researching methods of improving the nutrition potential of the biofuel by-products fed to swine. Check it out!
Planting a Legacy 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR alumnus Tim Kroessig, a 2012 TPSS graduate, is featured in video and print at UH News. He’s working as a research support/conservation horticulturalist in the Seed Conservation Lab, which is part of the Hawaiian Rare Plant Program at UHM’s Lyon Arboretum. The lab conducts crucial research in collecting, preserving and propagating the seeds of Native Hawaiian plant species, many of which are close to extinction. It stores close to 10 million seeds representing over 550 different species, or about 40 percent of Hawai‘i’s native plants. Tim is quoted as explaining, “A lot of these species are endemic to Hawai‘i, they evolved here in isolation over millions of years, so they’re unique and they’re organisms that are found nowhere else.”
Appetite for Arthropods 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Looking for some high-quality, sustainable protein? Try bugs! Helen Spafford just held her always awaited “Insects: A Taste Test” class in her World of Insects course. On the menu were cinnamon pancakes made with a cricket flour blend; mealworm bruschetta: mealworms sautéed with olive oil, onions, pine nuts, and cilantro, on crostini; cricket stir fry: crickets, carrots, green pepper, water chestnuts, baby corn, and green onions in a sesame and ginger sauce; chocolate chirps: cooked and dehydrated crickets dipped in chocolate; and mealworm brittle: candy brittle with crushed almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamias, and mealworms. All the insects were specially reared for human consumption and shipped from the mainland or Thailand, although wild foraging is also a possibility. Most have a nutty taste, Helen says. She cautions that there are some insects that shouldn’t be eaten because they have toxins in them, such as monarch butterfly caterpillars, but explains that mealworms, crickets, termites, and the larvae of many moths and other insects are all good to eat and very healthful. Wings and legs can be removed if they’re too tickly, but it isn’t necessary. Not all the students actually ate the insects, Helen concedes, but most tried at least one of the dishes, and if their blog posts reveal only guarded enthusiasm about the taste and texture, they’re wholehearted in their praise for the class and the experience.
Ag on Kaua‘i 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR’s Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center hosted its Agricultural and Environmental Awareness Day on May 7. They had the largest turnout ever, with over 625 fifth-grade students participating in a variety of interesting and informative classes and displays. The event was a real coming together of the entire agricultural community on Kaua‘i. Major contributors of time, labor, and funding included CTAHR, the Kauai Invasive Species Committee, the seed companies, the Future Farmers of America, the Kaua‘i Master Gardeners program, and many more. A note of special recognition is due to the hardworking farm crew at the Research Center, farm manager Frank Matsuno and ag technicians Lou Nishida Jr. and Aaron Dilliner, who really made the farm shine!
An Awarding Evening 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The photos from this year’s Awards Banquet are now available! The Banquet brought together over 300 of CTAHR’s ‘ohana and supporters for fun, pride, good food, and a good cause: the proceeds will go to support CTAHR’s Centennial Scholarship, for students who are the first in their families to attend college. CTAHR’s best and brightest were honored, including alumna Diane Ragone and supporter Richard Ha (pictured) and a record number of student scholarship recipients. There were nine generous sponsors, including Taro Brand, whose signature product inspired the surprising and delicious poi and fruit dessert. The fruits for the bountiful centerpieces were donated by Armstrong Produce and the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association—with sugarcane contributed by Ted Radovich (TPSS). And the return of Derek Kurisu—past winner of both the Outstanding Alumnus and the Ka Lei Hano awards—as the rollicking MC put the seal on the crowd’s enjoyment, so a good time was had by all.
When the Water Comes 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Chennat Gopalakrishnan (NREM, Emeritus) recently published a new edited collection, Designing Water Disaster Management Policies: Theory and Empirics. As its publisher explains, “This book represents a landmark effort to probe and analyze the theory and empirics of designing water disaster management policies…. A unique feature of this book is its analysis of the causes and consequences of water disasters and efforts to address them successfully through policy-rich, cross- disciplinary and transnational papers.” With the many incidences of storm flooding that have been occurring globally, coupled with the continuing rise in sea level, this is a very relevant and important work.
On the Board 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR C.N. Lee (HNFAS) was one of five UHM faculty elected to a three-year term representing UHM on the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) Board of Directors. The results of the election were announced at UHPA’s 41st Annual Membership meeting, which was held at Windward Community College on Friday, May 1. C.N. is pictured here accepting his Ka Pouhana (Mentor) award at last year’s Awards Banquet.
Super Cool Business! 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Jun Innovations LLC, a team headed by recent Excellence in Research awardee Soojin Jun (HNFAS), just received second place in Shidler PACE’s Business Plan competition. The team includes, from left to right, Ryan Matsumoto (Shidler), HNFAS graduate student Timothy Shafel, Soojin, and Steve Chan (Shidler). Their prize package includes $5,000 cash and $11,000 value in accounting, legal, and marketing services. Jun Innovations LLC is a start-up technology company that has developed a new supercooling device that is able to preserve the original freshness of meat, fish and produce over an extended period of time.
Excellent Teacher 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR Excellence in Teaching awardee Jonathan Deenik (TPSS) is also the recipient of the Chancellor’s Citation for Meritorious Teaching. He cites as his core principles a passion for teaching, the mastery of his subject, the expectation that students will rise to his high standards, and the creation of a safe, nurturing learning environment.
Future STEM Leaders 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR As part of a project funded by the Elsevier Foundation, for which Dean Gallo was co-PI, seven CTAHR faculty participated in the Tropical Connections: Career Development Workshop for Post-Doctoral Scientists. Fellows Rebecca Cole (NREM), Ethel Villalobos (PEPS), Fenfang Li (FCS), and Christine Lynch (PEPS) (left to right, with Dean Gallo), were joined by peers from the University of Florida as mentors guided them to develop as leaders in sustainable ag and water management. Mentors from CTAHR included Mark Wright and Helen Spafford (both PEPS) and Creighton Litton (NREM). The participants attended and viewed presentations on grant-writing, merging research and teaching, fielding difficult interview questions, the power of self-promotion, and other helpful topics.
GoFarm, Senator Hirono 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR After visiting the Waimanalo site for GoFarm Hawai‘i, Senator Mazie Hirono was so impressed that she brought USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden to check out the Leeward site and speak to program graduates. From left are LCC Farm Coach Alina Harris, graduate Rob Barecca, Sen. Hirono, and graduates Ikaika Rogerson, Leonard Hall, Ed Russell, Krysta Harden, and Justine Espiritu. Many thanks go to the Senator and Deputy Secretary for their interest and to all the students who showed up to share their experiences!
Track, Field, and Animal Science 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR HNFAS attracts—or fosters!—strong athletes. Alex Porlier Langlois (ANSC senior) is a shot-putter and discus thrower on the UH Women’s track team who’s currently ranked 9th in the country. Check out a couple of recent videos about her here and here. Alex, originally from St.-Cesaire, Quebec, is also a recipient of the Big West Scholar Athlete Award. Alex follows ANSC alumna Kaleigh Morrison, who was a heptathlete and pole vaulter on the Women’s track team. Kaleigh graduated last year and is now a veterinary student at the University of Illinois.
The MAGIC of Fashion 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Seven FDM students, led by instructor Abby Cristi, had a wonderful opportunity to learn about the fashion industry in Las Vegas when they attended the MAGIC and Project tradeshows that were held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Mandalay Bay. These fashion tradeshows included both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, though this year featured mainly menswear brands from the different markets. The group attended project tradeshows including the AGENDA, Capsule, and Assembly shows at the Venetian. The students saw for themselves how the fashion companies and industry work, including how fierce the competition is in the fashion industry. Students met some designers from the U.S., but saw an increasing number of international brands as well. It was an amazing experience for the FDM students. Many thanks are due to CTAHR and FCS for their travel support to expand students’ out-of-the-classroom fashion merchandising education.
Student Research Spectacular 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Continuing a five-year tradition, CTAHR teamed with the College of Engineering (COE) to host the 27th annual Student Research Symposium. Over 300 students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered for a lively scholarly exchange. The Symposium gives students the chance to present their work in a friendly yet academic setting, while its travel grant awards enable them to share their research at national and international conferences. A record number of poster and oral presentations—more than 150—were given by undergrad and grad students in all six departments in CTAHR and three in COE. The topics spanned all stages of the process of research and development, and all forms of student learning: discovery; advanced diagnostics and lab testing; design, validation and field testing; adoption of new methods and technologies. The caliber of the students’ work was impressive! Here are CTAHR's illustrious winners. Thanks go to those whose hard work made this event successful: the student participants and faculty advisor/mentors, the judges and moderators, staff and student volunteers, and members of the Symposium Coordinating Committee. Thanks also go to USDA-NIFA for helping to fund student travel awards, and to ASUH and SPFB for partially funding the event.
(Blood) Banking on CTAHR 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR To continue its support for the Blood Bank’s important cause of saving lives, CTAHR recently hosted its eleventh blood drive. Every day, 200 blood donors are needed to meet the needs of Hawai‘i’s patients, and statistics show that 60% of us will need blood sometime in our lives. However, only 2% of the state’s population donates. This year, CTAHR collected 54 pints of blood; since each pint of blood can be separated into three components, as many as 162 lives can be saved from donations collected at this drive. The precious gift of life not only helps those who need the blood; it also touches the lives of the families of the recipients. The Blood Bank and CTAHR truly appreciate the time and generosity of everyone who contributed to this successful event by giving the precious gift of life. Much mahalo is offered to those who came out to donate blood, including Kellie Taguchi (Academic and Student Affairs, pictured), and to Steve and Karen Sato for their support and their generous donation of malasadas for the event. Thanks are also due to the scholarship recipients who helped throughout the day and provided a positive and comfortable environment for those who came to donate.
CTAHR at the Capitol 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR was out in full force at the recent Ag Day at the Capitol. The Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program (SOAP), Master Gardener Program (pictured), Food and Farm Safety Program, Center for Rural Agricultural Training and Entrepreneurship (CRATE), GoFarm Hawai‘i, and Ag Incubator were available to talk story with legislators and their staff. The event was organized by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. Check out these pictures of CTAHR’s participation in the event and the Senate Majority Leader’s view of the whole celebration.
From Poster to Pest Management 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The FCS family training program FETCH also prepares teens in the community for STEM majors in the agricultural sciences. They design, build, manage, and market a small CSA farm while learning foundational science at the molecular level that explains recommended best practices. They conduct research in soil-based and hydroponic farming and prepare science fair projects. On April 15, ten teens visited the CTAHR/COE Student Research Symposium to study eight posters that were related to Integrated Pest Management. They worked in small groups to describe the problem being addressed, hypothesis, experimental variables, findings, conclusions and implications, and then proceeded to the Energy House to use the knowledge they’d gained by identifying and mapping out pest damage in the gardens. Then they designed, fabricated, and placed pest traps and also used other organic means to control slugs, rose beetles, aphids, and mites. That’s applied learning!
Recruitment and Representation 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR was well represented at the 2015 Manoa Experience, which annually brings thousands of prospective students and their families to the UH Manoa to meet with faculty and staff from over 180 programs at informational booths, visit with student services, take tours, and watch performances by student groups. Not only were all six departments and the Office of Academic and Student Affairs represented with booths, interactive activities, and helpful student volunteers; CTAHR also added popcorn, beagles, lizards, and future careers in ag and environmental protection into the mix! TPSS was also well represented at the recent UH Grad-Ed fair (pictured)!
GoFarm, GoFeed the Community 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Eric Hansen, the coordinator for Kaua‘i’s GoFarm program, recently donated 29 pounds of produce grown by the program participants to the Malama Kaua‘i Village Harvest program by way of the Hawai‘i FoodBank – Kaua‘i Branch. The chancellor of Kaua‘i Community College, where GoFarm Kaua‘i is located, is quoted as saying, “We are thrilled to have GoFarm Hawai‘i at Kaua‘i CC as it fulfills our goal of promoting farming and farmers who are working to build the Garden Island as a sustainable living community.” And probably those who got to eat the fresh, nutritious kale were also pleased that GoFarm is in Kaua‘i!
Her Elevator’s on Its Way Up! 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR At the 2015 Entomological Society of America Pacific Branch Annual Meeting in Idaho, PEPS student Jordie Ocenar came in third in a student/early professionals competition called Elevator Opportunity. In this competition, participants were given three minutes—about the length of a (long) elevator ride—to describe their project/research to a prominent person, without the use of slides, though “cocktail napkin”-type drawing and notes were permitted. Jordie also came in second in the Texting competition, being able to text correct answers to EntoTrivia faster than almost everyone. In addition, Jordie gave a great presentation on the best methods for outreach teaching of preschool children about insects, based on her experience in the student entomology group Ka Mea Kolo, and she assisted at the career event, telling potential students about UH, CTAHR, and PEPS. She also volunteered at the registration table and in several sessions. Overall, Jordie was a great representative for the college, university, and state!
Building a Following 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR MS student Roberto Rodriguez (MBBE) was awarded the Pied Piper Award for his presentation at the 40th Annual Albert L. Tester Symposium on the use of Herbicide Ballistic Technology to reach remote locations. The Symposium, named in honor of a beloved UH professor, solicits papers reporting on original scientific research from UH students. As the judges enthused, “Your talk was so well put together, highly entertaining, and your presentation was positively mesmerizing.... You were awarded the Pied Piper award for your expert presentation of your profession, the unique method you use to deliver herbicide, and your charismatic delivery. After watching your talk, we all wanted to follow in your footsteps and change our professions to become part of the aerial herbicide task force!” Roberto also won an award at last year’s Student Research Symposium for his “GPS for Herbicide Ballistic Technology”!
Milk Money Matters 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR PingSun Leung (NREM), Xun Xu (NREM/Econ), and Matthew Loke (NREM/HDOA) have published a paper entitled “Estimating organic, local, and other price premiums in the Hawai‘i fluid milk market” in the April 2015 issue of the prestigious Journal of Dairy Science. They applied hedonic price modeling with retail scanner data to explore price premiums for select product attributes of fluid milk within the context of revealed preference. They found organic and local attributes delivered price premiums over imported, conventional, whole fluid milk. Unfortunately, the price premiums established in Hawai‘i were significantly lower than findings in the existing literature. Equally important, their findings suggested a relatively high degree of substitution between local and imported fluid milk when their relative prices change.
She Speaks for the Children 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR COF’s Learning to Grow Senior Outreach Specialist, Ann Tom, was recently appointed by Gov. David Ige and confirmed by the Senate Education Committee as the Family Child Care representative on the State’s Early Learning Advisory Board (ELAB) for the next two years. The ELAB is composed of 19 public and private representatives who can also speak as a collective independent voice, testify before the legislature and form workgroups and subcommittees to support its work. It is responsible for advising the Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL) on how best to meet the educational needs of children, from prenatal care to entry into kindergarten; providing recommendations to EOEL on improving the quality, availability, and coordination of early childhood care and education programs; and being an independent voice for children’s health, safety, development, and learning. Ann develops training and support resources for family child care providers in Hawai‘i. She’s also a member of the National Association for Family Childcare (NAFCC), for which she serves as an Accreditation Observer as well as a member of the Accreditation Council.
Local Landscape Greats 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Arnold Hara (PEPS, pictured here with his wife Myrtle) and two other CTAHR alumni are among the six landscape industry kupuna who were honored and presented with ‘o‘o, or staffs, at the Hawaii Island Landscape Association’s Landscape Management Conference and Trade show. Arnold received both his BS and his MS in entomology from CTAHR, while Kaz Shigezawa received a BS in horticulture and Fred Nonaka received a BS in tropical crop production. The other kupuna recognized were Raymond Tanouye, Dickie Manano, and Garrett Webb. *An article in the current issue of Landscape Hawaii* magazine** praises the six: “Their efforts, knowledge and wisdom have helped us to learn and grow, to be what we are today.”
Insect Screens 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Koon-Hui Wang (PEPS) was recently awarded a $49,989 grant for “Sustainable Pest Management Approaches for High Tunnel Screenhouse Production in the Tropics.” As she explains, food security and self-sustainability are top priorities in developing new-generation farming for Hawai‘i and the Pacific islands. While farmers in the tropics can take advantage of a climate that allows for year-round crop production, they are also severely challenged by continuous crop pest pressure. Organic farming approaches are gaining popularity, but organic farmers in Hawai‘i listed “lack of information on effective, organic insect pest management and how to attract and identify beneficial insects” as the top priority for research needed. The project team will evaluate the profitability of high tunnel screenhouses for crop production so as to eliminate the necessity of pesticide applications. They will compare crop yields and market values of produce from screenhouse vs. open field production, monitor insect pest damage in both types of production, evaluate the suppression of root-knot nematode population densities following “Dead-End Trap Crop” practice, scout for diversity of beneficial insects visiting cash crops in both production methods, and conduct workshops and field day events.
Teach the Children (to Eat) Well 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Every year CTAHR nutrition and dietetics students help out ‘AINA in Schools, the school garden program of the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, by teaching nutrition lessons. This year twelve have found time in their busy college schedules to volunteer as Nutrition Docents at various ‘AINA schools. These future nutritionists and dietitians are able to fulfill their practicum requirements while gaining experience teaching healthy eating habits to children, and they are having fun doing it!
Hemp Madness 5/13/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Dean Gallo, Harry Ako (MBBE), and Rep. Cynthia Thielen recently attended the ceremonial planting of the first crop of hemp at Waimanalo Research Station. Gov. Abercrombie signed a bill last year that made it legal for UH researchers to grow hemp for research purposes, and Harry is PI on the project, which intends to grow industrial hemp to research its uses for bioremediation, biofuels, and myriad other uses. Here Harry discusses some of these uses with Rep. Thielen, who has long championed the growing of hemp in Hawai‘i.
Lunch for a Good Cause 5/12/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR As though the huge earthquake and series of aftershocks that devastated Nepal on April 25 weren’t bad enough, the region has now sustained another major earthquake. This makes CTAHR’s fundraiser lunch on Wednesday, May 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. even more timely and necessary. Come to Ag Sci 219 and enjoy an international menu, including Nepalese cuisine, donated and cooked by Chef Mark Segobiano (HNFAS), with help from FSHN students. Dishes include Kashmiri chicken pulao and ram jah (kidney bean dal) as well as mac and cheese, Greek salad, Italian cream puffs, and other tasty delights. The donation is $10 and the cause is urgent!
High Tea 5/12/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The foodie blog Eater recently posted an article on the growing tea industry in Hawai‘i, lauding the role CTAHR played in researching and establishing cultivars suited to the Islands. It also extolls the unique flavor profile of Hawai‘i teas, explaining that though production will never be high enough to make tea a major agricultural industry here, the superior quality of what is grown keeps it a high-end niche product.
Help for Nepal 5/6/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Members of the CTAHR ‘ohana and the Society of Nepalese in Hawaii (SNEHA) are conducting fundraising events for the regions devastated by last week’s earthquake. There will be a fundraising lunch in Ag Sci 219 on May 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at which Nepalese and other international food will be served. Chef Mark and FSHN students will be doing the cooking, so you know it will be good. CTAHR was also involved in the candlelight vigil for Nepal last week, covered by UH News. If you’re looking for other good ways to help, consider donating to SNEHA, which is a 501(c)3 organization (tax-exempt non-profit organization) and will direct the money towards those in Nepal who need it most. You can donate online at SNEHA's website or deposit a check in SNEHA's fundraising account (Bank of Hawaii, acct. name: Society of Nepalese in Hawaii, acct. no.: 0094440181). For more information, please visit SNEHA’s website and Facebook page.
Eating Culture 5/6/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Ka Leo recently ran an enthusiastic article about Chef Mark Segobiano’s FSHN 141 “Culture and Cuisine” class, which is offered every summer and was also a huge hit this spring, with two packed sections of 48 students each. Chef Mark explains that unlike his usual course fare, which is designed for dietetics students, this one is “designed strictly to be fun and learn about the world history of food.” The class counts towards the university’s global and multicultural perspectives requirement, which is only reasonable when you consider that, as Chef Mark points out, “One of the best ways to learn about people from other countries and other cultures is to first learn about their food.”
Cash for Conservation 5/6/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR There’s $235 million available from USDA for innovative new conservation partnerships, so get in line to get your portion today! Local coalitions can now apply for funding to improve soil health, preserve clean water, combat drought, and protect wildlife habitats! The funding is being made available through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), the newest conservation tool of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This will be the second round of projects funded through RCPP. The first round went to 115 high-impact projects nationwide, including Hawai‘i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Hawai‘i’s first RCPP project will focus on healthy forests because they control erosion and minimize flooding and also provide habitat for plants and wildlife found nowhere else in the world. Pre-proposals for the next round are due July 8.
April Second in Command 4/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR PEPS sophomore Roxie-Anne Kamoshida has just been elected the vice president of the Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i (ASUH). The student organization represents the undergraduate student population of UH Manoa to the administration, faculty, and staff of the university and to the Legislature and community. Roxie-Anne, who was class president and student body president in high school, had a great promise on behalf of herself and president Kelly Zakimi to their constituents: “We are ready to be your voice. We are ready to advocate. We are ready to serve.” *A recent article in Ka Leo* tells all about it.**
Ag Awareness on Kaua‘i 4/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR On Thursday, May 7, the Kaua‘i Agricultural and Environmental Awareness Day will be held at the Kaua‘i Extension and Agricultural Research Center in the Wailua Homesteads. Now in its 18th year, this annual field day program for Kaua‘i 5th-graders is offered in partnership with the Kaua‘i Country Farm Bureau. Kaua‘i’s original Ag Awareness Day originated with retired county administrator Terry Sekioka and former research associate Susan Keller, who recognized that with fewer families working in agriculture, more children would think that food comes from the supermarket rather than the farm. An event was developed to plant seeds of curiosity that might motivate a new generation of agriculturists. The event motivated more than that—it also sparked similar Ag and Environmental Awareness Days on the Big Island and then O‘ahu!
For the Animals 4/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR alumnus and retired professor Dr. Jim Carpenter and his wife Jeanne, retired from the Hawai‘i Department of Education, have given a $75,000 gift to create endowed scholarships in CTAHR and at UH Hilo to help prepare future veterinarians and others who work with animals. The James and Jeanne Carpenter Endowed Scholarship will assist full-time undergraduate students pursuing a degree at the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management with a Pre-Veterinary Medicine or Livestock Production specialty in Animal Science, or Aquaculture at UH Hilo, and it will assist full-time undergraduate students pursuing a degree in Animal Sciences and/or studies in the Pre-Veterinary Program in the Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences department at UH Manoa. Dean Gallo said, “CTAHR is honored to receive this endowed scholarship, generously provided by one of our outstanding retired faculty. Students in Animal Sciences and the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program will greatly benefit from it. The generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Carpenter demonstrates their commitment to helping others and giving back to the community.” Dr. Carpenter earned his M.S. in Animal Science at UH Manoa and in 1979 joined the faculty in HNFAS in CTAHR, where he worked for the remainder of his career. Twice during his tenure, he was appointed chair of the department, and he also earned several awards for excellence in teaching. He retired in December 2009.
Meeting the Potentials 4/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR TPSS will be participating in the Grad-Ed Fair that ASUH is hosting on Wednesday, April 15, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Campus Center Courtyard. The Grad Fair will give students who are interested in graduate school a chance to speak with representatives of graduate programs offered by the university. Current graduate students or faculty members from different programs will be able to share their experiences or answer any questions about their program.
Young Professional on the Move 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Extension agent Andrea Kawabata (TPSS) was the recipient of a 2015 Western Extension Committee Young Professional Award, which recognizes and encourages innovative approaches that help targeted extension audiences to solve practical problems. These approaches should include the use of technology and active teaching tools to enhance some aspect of the Extension program, either through engaging the audience more fully, providing real-time evaluation of comprehension, or offering other unique aspects of new delivery methods. The award included a $250 honorarium and full travel expenses for Andrea to attend and present her work at the 2015 joint meetings of the Western Extension Farm Management Committee and Western Extension Marketing Committee, held January 5–7 in Phoenix, Arizona. The WEC joint meetings offer a rich professional growth opportunity to teach, learn from, and develop productive relationships with Extension colleagues from throughout the western states. At the meeting, Andrea explained the “PechaKucha” method for giving quick presentations and demonstrated its use to talk about her work with the Coffee Berry Borer.
Innovate and XLR8 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Jun Innovations, a team comprised of assistant professor Soojin Jun (HNFAS) and students and collaborators, has been chosen as a finalist in the second cohort of XLR8UH, UH’s proof of concept center to help students and faculty commercialize their research. Their project proposes to preserve the original freshness of produce, meat, and other food products by controlling supercooling and ice crystallization of water molecules at subzero temperatures using combined pulsed electric and magnetic fields. The proposed technology will not require sequential freezing-thawing processes for long-term food storage, so food quality can be maintained as fresh without structural damage, such as drip loss, softening, and loss of valuable nutrients.
Fish Sickness 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR An article co-written by Clyde Tamaru and Ruth Klinger-Bowen (MBBE), former MBBE faculty Bradley “Kai” Fox, and collaborators, “*Prevalence of Francisella noatunensis* subsp. orientalis in Cultured Tilapia on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii*,” is amongst the ten most cited articles in the highly rated Journal of Aquatic Animal Health* during 2013–2014. The publication is a superb example of CTAHR/international collaboration, with authors from St. Kitts and Great Britain as well as Hawai‘i.
Capitalizing on Social Capital 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Center on the Family has released a new publication, “Successful Transitions From Foster Care to Adulthood: The Role of Social Capital.” Social capital, the data sheet explains, “consists of the network of relationships we have with key people in our lives (family, friends, classmates, neighbors, co-workers, etc.) and the exchange of emotional, social, and material support that these relationships provide.” The publication shows that those who have greater amounts of social capital are more likely to have safe and stable housing, needed medical care, and sufficient money for their expenses. It suggests ways to ensure that youth in foster care have healthy and supportive relationships, including keeping siblings together if possible and connecting young people with mentors.
The Students Have Spoken 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Congratulations to Halina Zaleski (HNFAS) and Miho Fujii (HNFAS senior), who have been selected by CTAHR students for recognition at CTAHR’s 27th Annual Awards Banquet May 8. Halina will receive the Ka Pouhana Award for being, in the words of one nominator, an “icon of guidance and leadership, the embodiment of a mentor” who always finds time to support students despite the demands of being department chair. Miho will receive the Ka Hana Po‘okela Award for extensive and effective service to CTAHR student organizations, fellow students and the community. The dietetics major will be working on awards night…as co-emcee for the banquet. Cheer her on and applaud Halina at the banquet! Registration is open—the information is available at the banquet website.
Ears to the Future 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR TPSS alumnus Josiah Marquez recently checked in while working at the seed corn company Syngenta. He explains that he turns his hand to “any kind of work needed at the Kunia station,” which is “a parent seed station that multiples corn inbreds developed by Syngenta corn breeders.” He has worked with the rogueing team, which cuts down any "rogue" or off-type plants from the fields. He scouts for corn earworms and fixes any leaks of the drip tape irrigation. He’s also worked in the harvest operations, including husking, drying, and shelling the cobs, packaging the seeds, and shipping them to Mainland stations to produce hybrids or increase their seed diversity. His original internship with Syngenta was 3 months, but he has remained employed by them through a temporary employment agency. He’s hoping to get a fulltime position in the field of agriculture so that he can save up for graduate school and/or land for a farm of his own. He cites as his greatest inspirations Dr. B, corn breeder extraordinare, “who gave me experience and an interest with corn,” and Koon-Hui Wang, who provided him with the contact information for setting up his internship.
Butterfly Trekking 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A *recent Lei Chic* blog article** for Honolulu Magazine cites Will Haines (PEPS) as an authority on the best hikes to take to see butterflies, particularly the Kamehameha butterfly, or pulelehua. Top picks include Maunawili, Kaunala, Kulana‘ahane, Mokule‘ia, and Koko Crater trails. Will is also one of the experts consulted on the Butterflies exhibit at Pearlridge Center, which is on through Saturday, April 11. So get to the mall or out on a hike, and say hi to some butterflies!
Probiotics Pro 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Maria Stewart (HNFAS) is quoted describing the current state of the art of gut bacteria research in a recent article in Island Scene, explaining that the research and knowledge are advancing so rapidly that the information available may change just as quickly. The article discusses when and how to use probiotics and whether kimchi is as helpful as yogurt in that regard. (Answer: It may be, but more research is needed to determine this, and it doesn’t tend to be manufactured as uniformly as yogurt, so probiotic content may vary). Regardless, it’s clear that it pays to pay attention to what’s in your gut!
Center on the Family Matters 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Two new faculty joined COF last summer. Hua Zan is an assistant researcher in Family Economics. She received her PhD in Family Resource Management at the Ohio State University. Her research interests include economics of health behaviors such as food consumption, alcohol use, and physical activity; health care use and expenditure; and health-related family decision-making including caregiving, employment, and retirement of the aging population. She is also interested in the economic well-being of immigrants, minorities, and other disadvantaged groups. Jenjira Yahirun is an assistant researcher in Family Demography. She received her PhD in Sociology from UCLA and then became an NICDH postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. Yahirun is a family sociologist and social demographer whose research focuses on the intersection of intergenerational relationships, aging, health and migration. She is interested in how social contexts and social norms influence parent-child relationships, how family relationships shape individual life course trajectories, and finally, how family members influence each others’ health outcomes in later life.
Organic by Nature 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR TPSS graduate student Tia Silvasy was a member of a panel discussion held at the annual Hawaii Organic Farmers Association (HOFA) conference on March 28, at the KEY Project in Kane‘ohe. Other panel participants were Senator Gil Riviere, Jon Biloon, Una Greenaway, and Nick Reppun. Topics discussed included the future or organics and farming, what to do about exotic invasive pest plants, and how to better connect farming communities and interest groups on the Hawaiian Islands. CTAHR’s Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program had a booth at the conference, along with many other local organizations. The conference theme was Healthy Soils, Healthy Community, Healthy Ahupua‘a, and about 50 farmers and enthusiastic home gardeners attended the event. In keeping with the theme, NRCS, HARC, and Ko‘olau Seed & Supply passed out cover crop seeds and information using the cover crop calculator refined by Koon-Hui Wang (TPSS). HOFA vice president John Biloon also led a hands-on Soil Building workshop in which participants planted taro, sweet potato, onions, peppers, and cauliflower, and a good and organic time was had by all.
A Peach of a Celebration 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Maui’s recent Ag Fest was a great success this year—largely due, says Maui County administrator Cindy Reeves, to the substantial part CTAHR played in the event. Dean Gallo and Associate Dean Charly Kinoshita were there, as well as CTAHR colleagues from O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, and Hawai‘i, UHMC partners, 4-H representatives, Master Gardeners, and other volunteers. Governor Ige visited CTAHR’s displays, as did Representative Ken Yamashita and Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. Here Alton Arakaki shows the low-chill peaches that CTAHR is experimenting with growing to Governor Ige. Check out more pictures here!
Big Controversy on the Big Island 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The latest issue of Biotech in Focus, “GMOs on Hawaii Island, Part 1: Neighbors square off over papaya, taro, and coffee,” discusses several controversies over genetically modified foods on the Big Island. It explains that many growers credit GM papaya with saving the papaya industry, while others feel that GM papayas, which may be contaminating non-GM varieties, are a greater threat than the ringspot virus. It also discusses a ban against genetically engineered taro and coffee that was enacted in the county. The current issue, and past issues are available on the Biotech in Focus website.
Start Planning a Xeriscape 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR What’s life without succulents? This Earth Day, April 22, the Horticultural Society will be selling these plump and pointy little plants at the Earth Day Festival on Legacy Pathway, just mauka of the Dole Street parking structure, from 10 a.m. until there aren’t any succulents left. All plants under $5! Be there or be un-succulent.
Alumna Book Signing 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR APDM (now FDM) alumna and award-winning author Janet Mock will present a free public lecture at the UH Manoa campus on Thursday, April 16, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom. The moderated talk will be followed by a book signing. Janet Mock is a writer, cultural commentator, and advocate for transgender women’s rights. Her coming-of-age memoir, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, debuted at No. 19 on the New York Times Best Sellers list last year.
On the Wing 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Pulelehua Project, which asks the community to help entomologists to determine the range of the mysteriously disappearing Kamehameha butterfly, is still going strong. Two recent articles are keeping the project, and the beautiful pulelehua, the state insect, in the consciousness of the public. One describes how to create a butterfly-friendly garden, including planting mamaki, the caterpillar’s favored food, while the other looks at an algorithm that attempts to explain what common factors unite the places the butterfly has been found in thus far in order to predict where else it might still be living.
A Wealth of Weed Wisdom 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Did you miss Joe DeFrank’s TPSS Departmental Seminar on Weed Control for Tropical Cropping Systems and are now wishing you hadn’t as the weeds get the best of you? Never fear—the video and slides of have now been posted. Joe also presented a long-format presentation (2 hours and 49 minutes) on a wide range of weed-control concepts and techniques to the O‘ahu Master Gardener class on March 27, and that is posted as well, so go on—check them out and let your knowledge grow like a…weed!
Feeding the Hungry (Cows) 4/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Students from Animal Sciences 201 and 433, along with volunteers from the US Air Force, helped plant forages at Naked Cow Dairy in Waianae on Sunday, March 15th. Feed remains a major challenge for the small dairy, which specializes in butter and locally made cheeses. The seed stock was bannagrass, which was provided by CTAHR’s Pearl City Urban Garden and the Waimanalo Research Station.
WSARE or W-Sorry 4/1/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Graduate students—want some money? The WSARE Graduate Student Grant Program has released its 2016 Call for Proposals, and proposals will be accepted until 1 pm MDT on May 13. The full CFP can be downloaded here. The Graduate Student Grants provide a maximum of $25,000 and may last for up to two years. Those eligible to apply are Masters or Ph.D. students enrolled full time at accredited colleges or universities in the western region. The Western SARE Administrative Council selects proposals for funding in July, and award notifications are made in August. The Western SARE Administrative Council will select reviewed proposals that are innovative, diverse in content, subject matter, and geography; demonstrate tangible outcomes; and provide readily adaptable technologies and information suitable to the adoption of sustainable farming and ranching systems by producers in the western region. Proposals must address issues in sustainable agriculture of current and potential importance to the western region. Need inspiration? Shelby Ching (PEPS, pictured right) received a grant last year. Profiles of other successfully completed Graduate Student Grant projects may be found here.
March Big Island Additions 3/25/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Added to the grant-writing workshop for the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) that will be presented by Extension economist Stuart Nakamoto (pictured) on Tuesday, April 7, in Ag Sci 219, there will be two additional workshops on the subject given in Kona and Hilo. In Kona, the workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 15, from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Kona Cooperative Extension Service Conference Room at 79-7381 Mamalahoa Highway in Kealakekua. In Hilo, it will be held on Thursday, April 16, from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Komohana Research and Extension Center at 875 Komohana St. There is no charge for the workshop, but attendees are advised to reserve their seats by sending their name and contact information to snakamo@hawaii.edu or calling 808-956-8125. The FMPP supports farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer activities, while the LFPP supports enterprises that aggregate, store, distribute, and process local and regional food. Both programs are an important opportunity for potentially strengthening local food systems in Hawai‘i through projects that recruit and train farmers, expand economic opportunities, and increase access to healthy foods. Thank-yous go to Beth Dykstra and the County of Hawaii for sponsoring the additional events, to Sharon Hurd (HDOA) and Diane Ley (USDA-FSA) for their efforts, and of course to Stuart for leading the workshops.
Organic From the Ground Up 3/25/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The Hawaii Organic Farmers Association (HOFA) will be holding its annual Organic Farming Conference, “Healthy Soil, Healthy Communities, Healthy Ahupua‘a,” on Saturday, March 28. The conference will consist of hands-on activities in the morning, then a talk about soil quality and helping to start a garden at the KEY Project, followed by a discussion panel and presentations in the afternoon. The conference will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the KEY Project, 47-200 Waihe‘e Road, Kane‘ohe. Registration is $25 for non-members and $12 for members, and scholarships are available for students. Please contact Hector Valenzuela (PEPS) at hector@hawaii.edu if your lab, group, or organization would like to have an informational booth at this event. See the agenda and purchase tickets here.
Promote Local, It Matters 3/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A grant-writing workshop for FMPP & LFPP will be presented by Extension economist Stuart Nakamoto (pictured) on Tuesday, April 7, from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Ag Sci 219. The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) supports farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer activities, while the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) supports enterprises that aggregate, store, distribute, and process local and regional food. Both programs are an important opportunity for potentially strengthening local food systems in Hawai‘i through projects that recruit and train farmers, expand economic opportunities, and increase access to healthy foods. The USDA views the programs as keys to revitalizing rural economies by supporting local and regional food systems. It’s hoped that these workshops will allow communities and businesses across the US to develop and submit competitive grant proposals that stimulate economic activity while also meeting the increasing demand for food that is grown locally or regionally. There’s no charge for the workshop, and a light dinner will be provided. Space is limited, so reserve your seat by emailing your name and contact information to snakamo@hawaii.edu or calling 956-8125.
The Plants May Be Stressed, But the Students Are Just Fine 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Students in the online course TPSS/NREM 475 Plant Nutrient Diagnosis in the Tropics visited Waimanalo Research Station and Poamoho Research Station on their optional field trip, looking to locate possible nutrient-stressed plants for a laboratory assignment. Junior Extension agent Jensen Uyeda helped to organize this field trip. Pictured from left to right are Nate Nicholson, Mahrukh Khawaja, Peter Toves, Jensen Uyeda, Emily Teng, GoFarm Hawai‘i’s Jay Bost, Kaipo Dye, professor of the class Susan Miyasaka (TPSS), and Steven Yee.
On the Road for Nutrition Success 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Jinan Banna (HNFAS) (right) and FSHN undergraduate student Mei Ying Zhang (left) have received a travel grant from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology/Maximizing Access to Research Careers Program. This grant will provide funding for Mei’s attendance at the annual Experimental Biology meeting, a multidisciplinary scientific meeting open to those interested in research in the life sciences. Among the participating societies is the American Society for Nutrition, which will offer sessions hosted by various research interest sections. At the meeting, Mei will have ample opportunity to network and identify career opportunities. Mei plans to pursue a career in public health, into which she is interested in incorporating research. Attending Experimental Biology will assist her in further clarifying her research interests as she takes the next steps along her career path.
Agricultural Honors 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Dr. Diane Ragone, director of the Breadfruit Institute at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua‘i, has been chosen as CTAHR’s 2015 Outstanding Alumna and will be honored at this year’s Awards Banquet on May 8. She and her work researching and promoting breadfruit are *lauded in an article in Kaua‘i’s Garden Island* newspaper**, which quotes her description of CTAHR as “an incredible institution and one of the greatest things going for UH.” Also mentioned in the article and to be honored at the Banquet is this year’s winner of the Ka Lei Hano award, Big Island grower Richard Ha, an amazing success as a farmer who has generously shared his success with the community.
GM Trials 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Issue 26 of Biotech in Focus, “Seed Production and Developing GM Crops in Hawaii, Part 2,” is available now. This issue introduces the Information Systems for Biotechnology database, which allows users to search past, present, and future field trials of regulated GM crops—more than 19,000 completed, active, or pending permits and notifications! Not all are currently being used, however. This issue, and past issues, are available at the Biotech in Focus website.
Success, Mindfully 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Thao Le (FCS) has received a contract from the Office of Youth Services to provide mindfulness training to nonprofit and state agencies serving at-risk youth and families in Hawai‘i. She is also providing a Professional Development Course (PDE3) on mindfulness to Hawai‘i counselors and teachers, and was recently invited to present at the 2015 School Counselor Conference, Hawaii School Counselor Association, and the 28th Peer Mediation Conference this month. She is pictured here doing mindfulness training with nonprofit and state agency staff.
Taking a Walk in the Country 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Senator Mazie Hirono and her staff visited Waimanalo Station to meet students in the GoFarm Hawai‘i program and take a look at their plantings: pictured here are student Paulo Peterson on the left, next to Jay Bost, the GoFarm farm coach, and on the right students Ikaika Rogerson, Leonard Hall, Rob Barreca, and La‘amea Lunn. Also pictured in the middle with Senator Hirono are Ag Incubator director Steven Chiang, Associate Dean Charles Kinoshita, and Ted Radovich (TPSS). The impetus for the visit was the recent federal grant awarded to help support the program, and Senator Hirono’s reaction was positive and impressed: “Mahalo for a great experience today! Senator Hirono thoroughly enjoyed her time talking with the GoFarm Hawaii students and continues to be impressed with the good work of CTAHR.” While she was in Waimanalo, the senator also stopped for fresh produce at the Waimanalo Market Co-Op, a new farmer development program started by the Ag Incubator Program.
Green Day 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR About 50 CTAHR scholarship recipients had a great opportunity to come together and give back to a worthy cause within the college. They partnered with SOFT for a community workday at the farm at Magoon: composting; tidying up the banana patch; weeding; planting sunn hemp, carrots, lettuce, and potatoes; cleaning up around the bases of the trees in the orchard; and clearing out an overgrown area of the farm to be converted into another organic plant bed. Much mahalo is due to the scholarship recipients for volunteering their Saturday morning at the farm, as well as to Nate Nicholson, Kathryn Metzker, and other members of SOFT for welcoming the volunteers and sharing their farm!
Avo Advocates 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The ninth annual Avocado Festival was expanded to a two-day event this year, thanks to involvement from several CTAHR faculty. On Friday, February 20, Andrea Kawabata (CTAHR Extension) facilitated a guest pruning demonstration by Dr. Yoshimi “John” Yonemoto of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences at the Kona Cooperative Extension Service office in Kainaliu. Seventy-nine fruit farmers from Hawai‘i and Japan attended the demonstration. Dr. Yonemoto is well known for his pruning techniques that allow fruit trees to remain small in stature while producing high fruit yields. The Avocado Festival continued on Saturday, February 21, at the Sheraton Kona Resort, where its seminar series featured several CTAHR speakers: Ty McDonald (CTAHR Extension) discussed “Clonal Root Stocks,” while Maria Stewart (HNFAS) expounded on the “Nutritional Value of Hawaii-Grown Avocados.” The seminars also included an extensive avocado display and tasting assembled by Ken Love of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association, which allowed participants to partake of some of that high nutritional value (and great taste).
Science Fair Fanfare 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Amjad Ahmad (TPSS), a junior researcher in the Sustainable and Organic Farming Program, has been mentoring a Roosevelt High School student on a science fair project with Ted Radovich (TPSS). Roshani Jha (pictured), the daughter of Rajesh Jha (HNFAS), competed at the Honolulu district science fair, placing second overall (her brother won the first place!) and winning a free trip to participate at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). She will participate in the state competition on March 23. Bebi Davis, a teacher from the DOE who had been helping the students to find mentors from UH, posted her thanks on her Facebook page to “the wonderful University of Hawaii at Manoa mentors [including] Dr. Amjad Ahmad!! Your hard work with the students and dedication to science research are much appreciated!!!”
Beetle Power 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR West Hawaii Today recently reported on a new biocontrol for CBB that CTAHR researchers and Extension agents are encouraging coffee farmers to try out. Flat bark beetles, including square-necked grain beetles (Cathartus quadricollis) prey on other beetles’ larvae, pupae, and even adults—and now that they’ve been discovered to eat CBB as well, CTAHR is giving out kits containing the predators to farmers with instructions on how to raise and deploy them. Since flat bark beetles are already found in the Islands, they don’t have to go through the extensive testing necessary for imported biocontrol agents. Extension agent Andrea Kawabata explains that the beetles alone won’t stop the problem, and growers shouldn’t stop following other IPM recommendations, including spraying with Beauveria bassiana, but that one more weapon in the fight is always helpful. Mark Wright (PEPS) was recently quoted in a KHON segment expressing guarded optimism about the future of coffee growing in Hawai‘i but warning that continued intensive management is necessary.
‘Ohia Death 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Extension forester J.B. Friday (NREM) and Brian Bushe (PEPS), along with Lisa Keith of PBARC, were instrumental in discovering what has been killing native ‘ohia trees since 2010. Dying trees show brown crowns and black discolorations of trunk cross-sections. Rapid ‘Ohia Death is caused by a fungal pathogen called Ceratocystis, which also infects Okinawan sweet potato and taro, but it had not been seen in ‘ohia until recently. An article in West Hawaii Today quotes J.B.: “The effects of the fungus are nothing short of devastating.” J.B. brought an ‘ohia trunk sample to Brian, who analyzed the fungi found in it, and Lisa Keith identified the Ceratocystis in it as worthy of further study. Even with the disease identified, many other questions remain, such as where the fungus came from and what spreads it, and why some trees seem to be more susceptible than others. J.B. is quoted as saying, “I think we’re going to be working on this project for the next 20 years.” He can’t say yet what kind of an impact Rapid ‘Ohia Death could eventually have on the forests, but it’s a worrisome concern. The public is asked to help by keeping scientists informed as to where the disease is being found and how quickly it&
California Dream Jobs 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Since graduating from CTAHR in 2013, NREM alumna Emily Adams has been working diligently at two exciting jobs. The first stems from her required NREM internship, which she did with the Pacific Southwest Research Station, the research branch of the U.S. Forest Service, in Shaver Lake, California. Upon graduation, she took a full-time position as a biological technician gathering data on the Kings River Experimental Watershed. She was also offered a job as the Southern Sierra Nevada Region Assistant Facilitator for the Center for Collaborative Policy at the California State University of Sacramento. There she supports the Center’s professional mediators and facilitators with their collaborative public policy work in the Southern Sierra Nevada Region, including project planning, dispute resolution, strategic planning, joint fact-finding, public dialogues, and outreach. Her two biggest projects are the Dinkey Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project and the Southern Sierra Integrated Regional Water Management. Emily writes, “When I was in school, I was inspired by the CTAHR family that brought me in and showed me my true potential. I didn’t know anyone going in, but I quickly found that the small town I had grown up in wasn’t as far away as I had thought…. Being an Ambassador provided me with a sense of direction and gave me the self-confidence I needed to strive in the workforce.
CTAHR Helps Feed the Islands 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The GoFarm Hawai‘i program was the Star-Advertiser’s front-page story on Monday, and an enthusiastically laudatory story it was. It points out that 70 percent of AgPro graduates are farming commercially, a huge improvement over the 10 percent that comparable Mainland programs show. The article also profiles several of the program’s successful alumni, including Leonard Hall, La‘amea Lunn, Ikaika Rogerson, and Rob Barreca. Rob and GoFarm’s coach Jay Bost, and their fledgling company Counter Culture, have been chosen as finalists in Kamehameha Schools’ “Mahi‘ai MatchUp,” for which they will receive 5 acres on the North Shore for 5 years, rent free. There’s another CTAHR connection—not only Counter Culture but also last year’s Mahi‘ai MatchUp winner, Holoholo Farm, were both clients of the Ag Incubator!
Mindfulness in Hawai‘i and Vietnam 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Thao Le (FCS) and her co-authors have recently published two articles on mindfulness-related service and research. One is on incarcerated youth in Hawai‘i, “Feasibility of Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Mixed-Ethnic Asian/Pacific Islander Incarcerated Youth,” in the Asian American Journal of Psychology. The other focuses on youth in Vietnam: “Translating and Implementing a Mindfulness-Based Positive Youth Development Program in Vietnam,” published in Health Promotion International. Thao was also recently invited to join the editorial board of the Asian American Journal of Psychology and the American Journal of Community Psychology.
Go(a)t Ag Awareness? 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The recent Ag and Environmental Awareness Day—the tenth annual event, and the largest yet—was a huge success, as these happy pictures demonstrate. Goats, coqui frogs, CTAHR staff and faculty, and almost 700 students and teachers gathered to enjoy themselves, learn, and teach at the Urban Garden Center. Hawaii News Now’s article about the event quotes one excited student who has been inspired to become a scientist after taking part in the hands-on activities and demonstrations, and we’re betting he’s not the only one.
Go On, GoFarm! 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR CTAHR alumna and former head of landscaping at UH Manoa Heidi Bornhorst has an extensive article in the Star-Advertiser promoting the popular and successful GoFarm Hawai‘i program, which inaugurates its next cohort with the AgCurious meeting at Windward Community College on March 19 and Leeward Community College on March 26. Check out the article—and then check out the introductory meeting, and find out whether you have what it takes to be a farmer!
Cat v. Bird 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Have you ever thought of feral cats as an invasive species? They are, says the Hawai‘i Feral Cat PSA, which was shown during the Grammy’s and will continue to play on TV throughout the state. The announcement, which cites a study done by doctoral student Cheryl Lohr (NREM) and her advisor Chris Lepczyk, says that cats eat native birds and may also pollute the beaches and water supply. The sponsoring agency of the PSA, the American Bird Conservancy, also has posted a new webpage discussing feral cats in Hawai‘i.
Bridal Dreams 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A former APDM student, Daisy Merto, is featured in a *laudatory article in MidWeek* magazine. Daisy recently opened a new store, WhiteHot, in Kaimuki. She focuses on bridal, prom, and pageant dresses, but with a fun, local, sexy edge, she explains. Her philosophy is captured by her tagline, “Bridal Doesn’t Have to Be Boring!”** Daisy’s collection of shimmering, glittering beaded gowns is certainly anything but!
Green Connections 3/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Posters by master’s student Bishnu Bandhari (PEPS) and alumnus David Lingenfelser (TPSS, pictured) are featured in Hawaii Landscape, the industry magazine of the Landscape Industry Council of Hawai‘i. Bishnu’s poster describes his project under advisor Zhiqiang Cheng of injecting insecticides in trunks of infested trees to control stem and leaf gall wasps, a technique that has led to a significant reduction in galls. David, an undergraduate and Master’s alumnus, presented his work with advisor Ken Leonhardt on breeding improved varieties of ornamental plants. As a student, David had a 3-month internship at Monsanto and was also the recipient of the Hawaii Florist and Shippers Association Scholarship and the Monsanto Scholarship. He’s now employed at HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch, where part of his job involved presenting at the Urban Garden Center’s recent Ag and Environmental Awareness Day. In yet another CTAHR-associated twist, the article is co-authored by one more CTAHR alumnus, Orville Baldos. It’s a small, green world!
Garden in the City 3/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The latest installment in TPSS’s Seminar Series will be offered on Friday, March 6, at 2:00 p.m. in St. John 106. Assistant Extension agent Jayme Grzebik will discuss “Urban Horticulture,” focusing on the demand for gardening information and the college’s responsibility to the local public, the UH Master Gardener program and its activities on O‘ahu and the neighbor islands, and the Urban Garden Center’s plans for increasing its outreach.
February Tradition…Tradition! 2/25/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The UH Manoa Historic Costume Collection is presenting a special group exhibition called “It’s Traditional,” curated by students in the FDM 460 Costume Museum Management class and Shu-Hwa Lin (FCS). The exhibition will be on display Monday through Sunday, March 2–8, in Miller Hall, Room 112—on Sunday the 8th, it’s in Room 101. The theme, as one might expect, is Tradition. In a continuous effort to research and understand various textiles used by diverse cultures, the students collectively voted on the theme, and then each student was allowed to select a garment or outfit in the museum that reflected the theme of tradition to them. Such a process grants the students an opportunity to make personal connections with the items, to learn more about the culture behind the garments, and to correctly display the items that they have chosen. The photograph, by Jennifer Bright, shows the detail of a woman’s upper-body choli, donated by Patricia Leong.
State of the Live Stream 2/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Remember that CTAHR’s first State of the College address will be held on Wednesday, February 18, from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. in the C-MORE Gordon and Betty Moore Conference Center! And if you can’t get there in person but want to view the address via live stream, click here on the day of the event and enjoy getting your update on the college from the comfort of your office!
Flipping the Tassel 2/12/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Fifty years of studying corn tassels? There’s a lot to study. The most recent issue of Crop Science, a journal founded by Jim Brewbaker (TPSS) in 1955 that now publishes over 3,000 pages of science and research a year, features a study of corn tassel diversity and genetics by Dr. B himself. He reports that he and his students have grown essentially all major types of corn—about 220 races—at the Waimanalo Research Station since the early 1960’s, and that “all seemed at home.” This was a major reason for the explosive growth of what has become Hawai‘i’s biggest agricultural industry: corn seeds. These male flowers of corn are immensely diverse—Dr. B suggests thinking of them like orchids or roses. The varying examples in the photo differ from each other by only one single gene, and over 30 genes that solely affect numbers of tassel branches have been isolated! Dr. B and his team have also answered such questions as “Does a big tassel burn too many calories and therefore reduce corn yield?” Answer: “In Iowa, yes, but in Hawai‘i, no.” One more reason corn is king in Hawai‘i!
Weed and Seed 2/12/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR James Leary, Linda Cox, and John Yanagida (all NREM), and co-authors from the Maui Invasive Species Council and the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit were honored by the Weed Science Society of America with an Outstanding Paper award. The paper, published in Invasive Plant Science and Management, is titled *“Reducing Nascent Miconia (Miconia calvescens* DC) Patches with an Accelerated Intervention Strategy Utilizing Herbicide Ballistic Technology”** and describes how 48 patches of the invasive weed tree were identified, targeted, and eliminated in remote areas of Maui watershed in just over a year using the revolutionary HBT. The authors donated their $1000 award to the KUPU Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps, which, as its website explains, empowers youth to serve their communities through character-building, service-learning, and environmental stewardship opportunities that encourage pono with ke Akua, self and others. Congratulations to the authors for their great research, writing skills, environmental stewardship, and generosity!
A Fruitful Harvest 2/12/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Kaua‘i’s Garden Island newspaper has a glowing article about Village Harvest, a program created by CTAHR’s Kaua‘i Master Gardeners in partnership with the sustainability-focused nonprofit organization Malama Kaua‘i to provide fresh produce for schools, after-school programs, and the Food Bank. Volunteers began by harvesting the fruit grown at CTAHR’s Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center, but now other growers are donating their extra crops, and the program is searching for more. Amazingly, almost 3,000 pounds of food have been donated through the program in the two and a half months it has been in existence! Interim Kaua‘i County Administrator Russell Messing is quoted in the article as saying that contributing to the community is part of the college’s mission, and he is proud that this program is helping to fulfill that mission.
Sundaes With Mc Millan 2/10/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR MBBE sophomore Mc Millan Ching will be one of the students offering new and continuing students helpful tips and insights at the upcoming Sundaes with Students event. On Wednesday, February 18, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Campus Center 308 and 309, students of all majors and class standings are invited to make a customized sundae at a sundae bar while they listen to a panel of undergraduate and graduate students talk about their experiences as first- and second-year students at UHM. Originally from Manila, Mc Millan plans to become a medical doctor and improve the health care system of the Philippines. But that’s not all—he also wants to earn a PhD and start his own biotech company, which will generate income to support his philanthropic causes. His summers are spent participating in scientific research in agricultural biotechnology, cardiovascular diseases, and stem cell and regenerative medicine, while his school terms are filled with rigorous classes and volunteer work to ready him for his chosen careers. What an inspiration!
The Chemistry of Sustainability 2/10/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Entomologist and CTAHR alumnus Steven Lee Montgomery will present “Using Science for Healthy Choices: Getting the Chemistry Right” on Thursday, February 12, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Windward Community College’s Hale ‘Imiloa 111, as part of the Community Forum in Chemistry series. As he explains, all natural resources exist in a delicate balance, and everyone can play a part in conserving the native ecosystem. His talk explains how to foster a healthy local environment by keeping pesticides out of the food chain, promoting bio-controls of weeds and insect pests, and saving farmland and the bees. Montgomery completed both his MS and his PhD in entomology at CTAHR; since then, he has done work on Hawai‘i’s environmental biology, natural history, bio-politics, and honeybee services. He’s also volunteered with the Hawai‘i Natural Area and Land Use Commissions, Sierra Club, and ‘Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi/Hawaiians for the Conservation of Native Ecosystems, and has served as a biological consultant on Hawai‘i and the Pacific to landowners and government agencies. He has numerous publications and has received several awards in environmental community service. For more information on his talk, call Letty Colmenares at 236-9120.
Flit on Over to the Museum 2/10/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Heard the buzz? The Insect Museum is holding an open house in celebration of Darwin’s 206th birthday on Thursday, February 12, from 2 to 5 p.m. Gilmore Hall Room 607. There will be a series of exciting activities including specimen preparation of tiny moths, the size of a grain of rice; the chance to see live Kamehameha butterflies and learn about the Insect Museum’s research to protect their future; the Insect Sort-a-thon, in which you take raw field specimens and identify them for placement in the collection; and picture-taking with Buzz the museum mascot, the biggest fruit fly you’ve ever seen! You’ll also get to check out a hallway full of insect displays, including the museum’s living menagerie, and find out about the Great Digitization of 2014, an NSF-funded project to digitize every one of nearly 250,000 specimens in the Museum and put their pictures and data online. See the digitizers in action and learn about why this project is important and represents the future of collections! All interested parties are welcome—heavy pupus and insect-based snacks will be available.
Bee Sweet 2/10/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Ka Mea Kolo Entomology Club will be holding a Valentine’s Day Honey Bear sale on Wednesday, February 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the second-floor lobby of Gilmore. Six-ounce iconic bear jars filled with sweet, golden goodness from the UH Honeybee Project that say “Bee Mine” are the perfect gift for that special someone…but quantities are limited, so come early to get your share!
Protection for the Protectors 2/10/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Reefs provide protection for coastal areas, food and shelter for sea creatures, and beauty and diversity for recreational users. Find out more about them as NREM’s ‘Imi ‘Ike Series continues with a presentation by Dr. Joshua Cinner on Wednesday, February 11, in Sherman 103. The presentation will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m., so please be early. Dr. Cinner will speak on “People and Reefs: A Social Scientist’s Escapades Confronting the Coral Reef Crisis.” As he explains, millions of people depend on reefs for their livelihood, including many who are so affected by poverty issues that sustainable protection of the reefs isn’t their first priority. For that reason, many conservation measures to protect the reefs haven’t succeeded; future efforts, Dr. Cinner argues, need to take the socio-economic context into account to a far greater extent. He discusses measures that have worked and explains how these successes may be duplicated and expanded in other areas.
Love in Bloom 2/10/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR If you’re the type to wait till the last minute when getting a gift for that special someone, you’re in luck! You’ll be able to pick up some lovely Valentine’s Day flowers at the Horticulture Society’s annual Valentine’s Day Flower and Plant Sale on Friday, February 13. It will be held at St. John Room 10-B, from 10:30 a.m. for as long as supplies last. Select from a wide assortment of flowering potted plants, beautiful cut-flower arrangements, and more. And all plants were purchased from local nurseries in Hawai‘i, so you’ll be showing your love for the ‘aina as well!
The Cap on the Event 2/10/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR In her recent visit with Maui County Council members and Mayor Arakawa, Maui County Administrator Cindy Reeves took a moment to pose with the mayor, who donned a CTAHR cap to show his support of the college’s mission. After all, CTAHR looks good on everyone!
January Take a Bite of Wellness 1/27/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR The health-tips column “Got Nutrients?” by Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal (both HNFAS), which provides science-based health and diet information in an easily digestible form, is featured in the latest Well & Wise newsletter from the UH Foundation. The newsletter offers health-related items from the various colleges of the UH System, and Joannie and Alan’s daily dose of wellness is just what the doctor ordered—today’s tip explains how mercury toxicity from eating fish may be prevented.
Healthy Soil, Happy Garden 1/27/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR This year has been designated by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of Soils. CTAHR is doing its part to raise awareness and offer information with two soil workshops, as well as Koon-Hui Wang’s (PEPS) recent appearance on Hawaii News Now to show ways to assess and boost soil health, particularly with the use of cover crops. Check out her eye-opening and convincing demonstrations!
Hearts of Gold and Chocolate 1/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR H.C. “Skip” Bittenbender (TPSS), an Extension specialist for coffee, kava, and cacao, will be the featured speaker for the Heart of Gold lunch sponsored by the ARCS Foundation’s Honolulu Chapter on February 9. He will provide an update on chocolate in Hawai‘i, a subject sure to whet the appetites of the attendees. The proceeds of the luncheon benefit 2015 ARCS awards to UH Manoa doctoral students in the sciences, engineering, mathematics, and health disciplines. It’s always nice to be able to combine community service, academic support, and chocolate!
The Good Earth 1/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR In collaboration with their program partners, CTAHR’s Center of Rural Agricultural Training and Entrepreneurship (CRATE) and Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program (SOAP) will host two educational field days focusing on the soil. The first will take place at Waimanalo Research Station on Wednesday, January 28, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Topics include an introduction to soil health and its indicators, benefits of no-till farming systems and cover-cropping, and development of a cover crop calculator for Hawai‘i. Hands-on demonstrations include a soil-slaking test and assays for water runoff and water percolation properties with simulated rainfall. Participants can bring their own soil for assessment; find out about compost tea-brewing systems; and check out the compost quality booth, the display of different types of cover crops, and tea-fertigation injection systems. The Poamoho Research Station workshop, which takes place on Saturday, February 7, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, includes many of the same presentations and also shows participants potential cost savings with cover crop use; a comparison of single vs. mixed cover crops in long-term no-till farming plots; soil health indicators using nematodes; leguminous cover crops in till vs. no-till farming systems, and screenings of the videos Symphony of the Soil and The Benefits of Vermicomposting. For fun, there will be a Jeopardy!-style game on soil knowledge!
Standing Up to Wilt 1/14/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Dr. Chunyu Li, a researcher at the Institute of Pomology at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, will be offering the seminar “Integrative Approaches for Managing Fusarium Wilt of Banana in Guangdong, China” on Wednesday, January 28, at 11:00 a.m. in Gilmore 306. Since Fusarium wilt is also a big problem for banana in Hawai‘i as well, you may want to talk more about the subject. If so, you’ll also have the opportunity of meeting with Dr. Li individually—please call John Hu at 956-7281 if you want to set up a meeting.

December

Big Sendoff on the Big Island

12/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Goodbye party for Russell Nagata at Komohana

Two gatherings were held on the Big Island to thank Dr. Russell Nagata for his support and leadership in Hawai‘i County, at Komohana (pictured) and at Mealani. Russell Nagata served as Hawai‘i County Administrator starting in 2009 and finishing in December 2015. He is due many thanks for his service and is offered best wishes in his future endeavors.

Glad to Have Them With Us

12/16/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Two members of the CTAHR ‘ohana have reached important milestones in their work with the college: Chi Ming Lawrence Chan and Carol Oshiro have both made the decade mark! Lawrence is an accounting officer with NREM, and Carol is an educational specialist who works in TPSS in the Biotechnology Outreach Program and is a co-coordinator of the Gene-ius Day Program. It’s thanks to dedicated people like these that CTAHR is the great college it is!

Spreading Pre-Christmas Cheer

12/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

TPSS GSO and Horticulture Society poinsettia sale

The TPSS Horticulture Society and TPSS Graduate Student Organization recently teamed up to put on the annually awaited Poinsettia and Bake Sale. Ben Vanegtern (right) spearheaded a successful sale on poinsettias to raise funds for the TPSS undergrads, while TPSS GSO president Kauahi Perez (second on the left) led a successful sale of baked goods to raise funds for the TPSS grad students. Also pictured are TPSS undergrad James Green (left) and MS graduate Greg Hoover. The Horticulture Society and TPSS GSO say mahalo nui loa to the CTAHR 'ohana and friends for supporting their cause!

Buy Local at Christmas—It Still Matters!

12/9/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Emeritus Professor Norman Bezona offers helpful hints for buying Christmas trees in his recent column in the Hawaii Tribune Herald, especially why and where to buy them locally. He explains that there are plenty of locally grown tree options, including living Cook or Norfolk pines that can be planted after the holidays and Monterey pines and Portuguese or Mexican cypresses that you can cut yourself from tree farms. He also explains that the more traditional Christmas trees, such as noble and Douglas firs, are starting to be grown in Hawai‘i, with CTAHR researchers presently testing which varieties do best. So they’ll become available as locally grown choices soon, thus bringing that indescribably Christmassy fragrance into the house as well as boosting the Island economy—and limiting the potential for invasive species to hitch a ride on the trees.

Thanks for Thanksgiving Fete

12/1/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The TPSS GSO wishes to thank the TPSS students, faculty, and staff who joined together to make their Thanksgiving potluck last Wednesday such a convivial and collegial gathering. Special thanks go to Shirley Ishihara for cooking the turkey early in the morning and to Susan Takahashi and Peter Toves for all that they did to help bring the party together behind the scenes. Mahalo also goes to Tessie Amore and Orville Baldos for suggesting the Thanksgiving potluck and to the TPSS GSO officers for their contributions of time, energy, and punch! The department plans another gathering for Christmas.

Baking Their Way to Success

12/1/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

At its recent pie sale, the FSHN Council made over $1000 to support the group’s activities. The FSHN Council board members and other club volunteers spent nine hours baking all of the pies and mocha, not to mention countless more obtaining, assembling, and preparing the ingredients. The hard-working bakers made a total of 116 pies and 145 bags of mochi! Chef Mark Segobiano (HNFAS) offered invaluable help to the project, dedicating his own time to helping shop, prep, and bake; the FSHN Council writes, “We could not have done it without him, and we are truly grateful!”

November

Nalo Momona

11/17/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR’s Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Lab participated in the Nalo Momona Country Fair held at the Waimanalo Market Co-op and Ai Love Pono Restaurant to celebrate the abundance and thanksgiving of the Makahiki season. Graduate students Chandra Gangaiah and Tiare Silvasy (pictured) along with lab members Amjad Ahmad and Sarah Moore shared research information about local organic fertilizers and provided links to recent publications. Several local vendors, including healing practitioners, farmers, artists, and nursery growers, also participated. Former CTAHR student Leinaala Bright, now an instructor at Windward Community College, helped to organize the event, and her students set up an educational display on Hawaiian la‘au lapa‘au, or healing plants. It was a beautiful sunny day in Waimanalo, and fun was had all!

Making Fruit Flies Flee

11/11/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

All are welcome to a presentation by Dr. Sheina Sim of the Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences and Agricultural Research Services of the USDA in Hilo. The presentation, which will be given on Friday, November 13, from 11:30 to 12:30 in Gilmore 306, is entitled “Flying by the seat of our pants: applying basic science and novel genomic techniques to the control of economically important tephritid pests.” Dr. Sim explains, “Tephritid pests are of major economic concern globally and in the United States. Several invasive fruit fly species are routinely intercepted in rich agricultural areas of the US and pose a threat to the nation’s economy and food supply. It is important to be able to identify their point of origin to prevent future invasions and implement a pest management strategy for the eradication of insipient infestations. The purpose of our research program is to use modern and high-throughput molecular techniques in concert with classical population genetics and Mendelian genetic theory and apply them to current pest management strategies.”

Chew on This

11/11/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Maria Stewart (HNFAS) appeared on ThinkTech Hawaii’s Likable Science, where she spoke on “Dietary Fiber: Not All Is Created Equal.” As she explains, certain types of fiber are more effective than others. It’s a good idea to stick with the fiber that naturally occurs in foods, rather than relying on inulin and other types of fiber that are added to some processed foods in order to label them as having a higher fiber content.

Help Pre-Vet Get Wet!

11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The UH Pre-Vet Club, sponsored by HNFAS, has been working hard to raise funds by selling T-shirts and tote bags, but they still need funding to support their planned educational activity for members, a pelagic research dive. During this trip the students will have the opportunity to free dive with ocean creatures, including sharks, and learn about the conservation efforts to preserve these species. Here the club is pictured contemplating getting into some shallower water, but if you want to be kind to animals and the environment—and those who love them—consider funding the club directly via GoFundMe.

Pie Perfection

11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Thanksgiving is almost here, and we are happy to announce the arrival of the FSHN Council’s annual Thanksgiving Bake Sale! The Bake Sale is the Council’s biggest fundraiser of the year, helping to raise funds for FSHN Council activities such as the annual fall leadership retreat, guest speakers, club activities, and helping to send students to the Hawaii Dietetics Association’s annual meeting in the spring. Order now to get your homemade Apple Crumble Pie ($13), Pumpkin Pie ($10), or Pumpkin Mochi ($2/bag). The pre-order period will close on Friday, November 13th. After you have placed your pre-order, please visit room 216 in Ag Sci to submit your payment. There will be a collection box with envelopes for you. Please submit payment no later than Friday, November 20, at 4:00 p.m. You can pick up your toothsome treats on Monday, November 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Ag Sci lobby. If you have any questions, just email fshnnews@gmail.com.

Trees for Free

11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

In honor of Arbor Day, an article in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald by Emeritus Professor Norman Bezona of the Kona Extension Office extolls the virtues of trees as “natural air conditioners” and suggests that landscaping with them can also block winds, increase rainfall, and beautify areas. Trees will be given away on the Big Island at the Amy Greenwell Ethno Botanical Garden in South Kona from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday, November 6 through 8. The Garden will be offering native trees and canoe plants. Native plants will also be given away by the Hawaii Department of Forestry’s Waimea nursery from 8 to noon on Friday the 6th.

Professor Peabody and Friends

11/4/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Thanks to Maria Stewart and her students, HNFAS/Nutrition has been well represented in the community! On October 31, 2 FSHN undergrad students, Max Wellein and Jason McMurray (pictured), joined Maria to host workshops at the Lacy Veach Day of Discovery to promote STEM skills to elementary and middle school students. In these workshops, students learned “what happens to your food after you eat it?” by completing several hands-on activities exploring the wonders of the human digestive system. At this month’s HOSA (Health Occupations Student Association) meeting on November 2 at the Campus Center, Maria represented Nutrition/Dietetics as part of a panel that discussed integrated medical approaches and the teamwork necessary for good medical care. They presented to UHM college students and local high school students who are aspiring health professionals. And Maria still had time to take on her iconic role and costume as “Professor Peabody” to teach Noelani Elementary first-graders about healthy eating habits and the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet at the Magoon SOFT garden. The first-graders are growing fruits and vegetables in the garden plots at Magoon.

October

Planting Trees for the Future

10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR is supporting the two tree-planting and plant giveaway events with which UH Manoa will be celebrating Arbor Day. Richard Criley (TPSS) is donating the trees for an event on November 4 that will focus on planting and maintaining trees on campus in order to encourage commitment to creating a sustainable future. William Haines (PEPS, pictured) and Kari Bogner (Botany) propagated the mamaki seedlings that will also be given away. CTAHR is also partnering with Hawaiian Electric for the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway on Saturday, November 7. Trees and shrubs will be distributed at sites across the state, including the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. Experts and volunteers will be onsite to answer questions and provide information on plants. The November 4 Arbor Day Tree Planting and Plant Giveaway will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Metcalf Field (across the street from Hunnewell Street on the College of Education side of campus). The event is free and open to the public. The November 7 Arbor Day Tree Giveaway at the UGC will begin at 7 a.m. Giveaways will be available while supplies last. For more information on plant giveaways and additional distribution sites, visit the Arbor Day Hawaii website.

Learning Leadership

10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The Maui Extension staff helped advance Maui agriculture by inviting the Ag Leadership Program to use a meeting room for a breakfast seminar. Cynthia Reeves welcomed the Ag Leadership participants and gave them a brief overview of the history of Cooperative Extension, the state of Extension now, and programs planned for Maui County in the coming year. She also discussed the new projects selected for inclusion in the Maui CTAHR proposal. Not only that, but the food, information, and good fellowship fueled participants up for their learning tour of the island.

Taste-y Treats

10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range held its 20th celebration of local agriculture on October 9 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Over 1500 people attended this premier food-grazing event, with 31 top chefs preparing local, pasture-raised meats and locally raised fruits and vegetables in mouth-watering entrees and desserts. CTAHR was well represented at the event with educational booths by Sharon Motomura (TPSS) and Lynn Nakamura-Tengan (HNFAS), who presented on Farm Food Safety; Jensen Uyeda (TPSS) and Kiersten Akahoshi (DHHL Hawaii County), who displayed a live aquaponics tank; and Susan Miyasaka (TPSS) who provided tastings of four different sweet potato varieties. The Hilton Waikoloa Village featured a rotisserie Steamship Round that originated from a steer raised on pastures at the CTAHR Mealani Station. Finally, PIE Center director M’Randa Sandlin (TPSS) conducted a survey of participants during the event, with the help of students Kauahi Perez (TPSS), Cassie Ferguson, and Emily Teng (TPSS), pictured here from left to right. Preliminary results of the survey showed that out of 112 respondents, 86% had attended the Taste for 1-5 years. And the top two reasons that people attended the Taste were to support local agriculture and have a good time!

How Bullying Hurts

10/28/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal changed things up a bit in their Honolulu Star-Advertiser column: instead of focusing on nutrition, they discussed the health impacts of workplace bullying. This was in honor of the fact that October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In “Gossip, sabotage both signs of bullying in the workplace,” they explain that bullying, so far from being only an issue in the schoolyard, is a common problem in many work settings. They point out that the bullying can have both psychological and physical consequences, such as mental distress, sleep problems, depression, muscular tension, and even cardiovascular symptoms. They advise that the best way to keep bullying out of the workplace is never to let it in, by being careful in hiring practices and not tolerating or ignoring it.

Keeping Food Safe in the Pacific

10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

A total of $1.2 million has been awarded to establish the Western Regional Center for Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance. Hawai‘i is the lead for the Pacific SubRegion, for which the grant, awarded to PI Aurora Saulo (TPSS) and Co-PI Lynn Nakamura-Tengan (HNFAS), is $105,000. They will be developing a cadre of Produce Safety Alliance (PSA)- and Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA)-certified trainers in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, and Guam, later expanding to the other Pacific Islands as the budget allows. They will then develop and deliver region- and stakeholder-specific education, training curricula, and technical assistance. The initiative is part of an effort by the federal government to help growers and processors of fruits, vegetables, and nuts comply with requirements established under the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

The CAP to a Great Event

10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Students assess soil at Waimanalo Research Station

This year’s contest was a muddy one, but students from Leilehua, Castle, Nanakuli, Olomana, Kalani, and Waipahu High Schools assessed three different land-use sites prepared by the CTAHR Waimanalo Research Station crew at the Conservation Awareness Day held there last weekend. Students also heard from specialists on soil science, natural resource management, and careers in agriculture and conservation and toured the certified organic plots. The Station crew supported the day’s activities, and the Station’s community coordinator, Ilima Ho-Lastimosa, helped to organize the event. Generous financial support was provided by the Windward Oahu SWCD, and volunteer support was also provided by Pioneer, SOAP, HAF, Kiloanui Farm, NRCS, SWCD, and CTAHR. Leilehua High School won the top team group score and will go on to compete in the upcoming State Conservation Awareness Program on Hawai‘i Island!

Amazing Apparel

10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Japanese doll in UHM Costume Collection exhibit

The exhibition of rare historic costumes from the UHM Costume Collection that is showing in Hamilton Library through December 5 is highlighted in a Star-Advertiser article. The collection, which includes a rare Qing dynasty dragon robe, aloha wear, and historic Japanese dolls, needs a permanent exhibition space, Shu-Hwa Lin explains in the article. However, she continues, taking care of it and making it available to students and researchers is a labor of love that will continue.

Algae Be Gone

10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Students collecting invasive algae in Heeia

Students from the PEPS 210/NREM210 class on Introduction to Environmental Science took a field trip to He‘eia Bay to gather invasive algae as part of their Service Learning Project for the class. About a ton of algae was collected; it went to the Waimanalo Research Station for use in compost and to Koon Hui Wang’s (PEPS) Sustainable Agriculture program at the Poamoho Research Station. And no one got stung by a Portuguese-man-of-war! Brent Sipes and Janice Uchida (both PEPS) led this energetic class in their prodigious clean-up project.

Postharvest Handling in Tehran

10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Robert Paull (TPSS) has just returned from giving an intensive four-day course in postharvest handling of fruit and vegetables in Tehran, Iran. Sixty-two participants, including graduate students, researchers, and faculty from universities and institutes throughout Iran, attended the course. It was sponsored by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and National Iranian Productivity Organization (NIPO) and was organized by the Institute of Technical & Vocational Higher Education, Agriculture Jihad, a section of the Ministry of Agriculture. He organized the program into eight modules, first giving lectures and then organizing group discussions and participant exercises. Dr. Aslan Azizi from Iran also gave presentations on postharvest losses in Iran and helped in the evaluation of the group exercises. Topics included postharvest supply chains, postharvest biology, handling systems, quality control, safety, transportation and storage, diseases, and minimal processing of fresh commodities. Plans were discussed to repeat the successful program elsewhere in Iran!

Day of Food, Coming Soon

10/20/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Join the UH Manoa dietetic interns in celebrating the fifth annual Food Day on Thursday, October 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Campus Center courtyard! Food Day is a nationwide event to build awareness of healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods. This year’s event will feature a canned food drive for the Hawaii Food Bank: those who donate canned goods will be granted priority entrance to the event and will receive extra raffle tickets for a chance to win door prizes. Other highlights include free food samples prepared by Manoa Dining Services, a raffle giveaway every 15 minutes, educational activities, and a photo booth. For more information please visit the Food Day at UH Manoa website, or check out the Food Day 2015 at UH Manoa Facebook page.

Meat for the World

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Based on a paper written by the UH System’s new Student Sustainability Coordinator Kristen Jamieson (NREM), the latest Biotech in Focus bulletin warns that increased global meat consumption will likely lead to increased use of genetically modified crops, because GM corn and soy are the primary feeds for meat animals worldwide. The bulletin suggests that since it is an inefficient use of water and grain crops, even those genetically modified to tolerate drought, to produce meat, hunger might better be addressed by looking toward alternate sources of protein, including insects. This and previous issues can be found at the Biotech in Focus website.

Eat the ’Weeds

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

A story about the bioavailability of nutrients in edible seaweeds in which Joannie Dobbs and Michael Dunn (both HNFAS) are quoted recently appeared in Hakai Magazine. Interest in the article was triggered by a paper based on M.S. research completed by Shireen Flores, Michael Dunn’s student, “Mineral nutrient content and iron bioavailability in common and Hawaiian seaweeds assessed by an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model.” The paper, published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, was co-authored by Shireen, Joannie, and Michael. Joannie also served on Shireen’s thesis committee, along with Alan Tichenal. Shireen is presently working towards her PhD at the University of Florida–Gainesville. As Joannie (pictured) points out, iron deficiency is a significant public health problem that is frequently under-diagnosed because it can occur even without anemia. It is especially common to see this problem in those who eat plant-based diets, so she and Michael began looking for plant iron sources with good iron absorption, and several seaweeds fit these criteria.

Kaua‘i’s AgCurious

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

GoFarm Kaua‘i, which had its AgCurious event this past weekend, is featured in an article in Kauai's newspaper, the Garden Island. This program will be continuing with AgXposure on September 26, October 3, and October 10, after which comes AgSchool, the third phase of the GoFarm program, which meets Thursday evenings and Saturdays from October 17 through February 6. Congratulations to GoFarm for its successful expansion!

Don’t Spread Death

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

J.B. Friday (NREM) is quoted in an article on ‘ohi‘a wilt on the Big Island in Honolulu Magazine. This fast-spreading disease, which can kill trees in as little as a few weeks, is only found on Hawai‘i as yet, and the article emphasizes that ‘ohi‘a and the soil around them should not be transported. J.B. suggests that the trees’ increased susceptibility may stem from Hurricane Iselle in 2014, which broke their branches and allowed pathogens to enter their systems.

Touring Arizona

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

A group of lucky O‘ahu Master Gardeners went on a special VIP tour of the Arizona Memorial, thanks to Todd La Vine, a volunteer Master Gardener at the Pearl City Urban Garden Center. This was a rare opportunity for the group, as this tour is not available to the general public. The Commander of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Swift hosted the tour; the group enjoyed a potluck luncheon at the Boathouse Compound immediately following, and a historically satisfying time was had by all.

CTAHR + ESA

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) has recently been enriched with CTAHR expertise: Helen Spafford and Mark Wright (both PEPS) have been selected for prestigious and responsible positions in the Society. Helen has been named one of ESA Science Policy Fellows. The purpose of the program is to develop scientists to serve as effective advocates for entomology and entomological research. Last year’s fellows engaged in hands-on education events designed to teach them the basics and nuances of federal science funding and science advocacy, as well as to provide opportunities to meet with lawmakers and federal agency leaders both in Washington, D.C., and in their home districts. Helen’s 2015 class of Fellows will begin their training at the ESA Annual Meeting in November in Minneapolis and have their first trip as Science Policy Fellows to Washington, DC, in May of 2016. Mark has been elected vice president of the Plant–Insect Ecosystems section of ESA, which deals with insect interactions with plants: behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary relationships in natural landscapes; integrated pest management in agriculture, horticulture, forests, and lawn and garden; crop protection, host-plant response, and plant pathology.

Save the Soil!

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has selected a CTAHR project headed by Koon-Hui Wang (PEPS) to help develop and demonstrate cutting-edge ideas to improve conservation in the Pacific Islands. Koon-Hui’s group was awarded $74,951 to improve water-use efficiency through no-till cover cropping and solarization. The project is aimed at helping farmers to adopt soil conservation practices by demonstrating that water-holding capacity and available water content can be modified by cultural practice regimes compatible with vegetable crop production that affect soil health or weed population densities while maintaining or increasing the crop yield. CTAHR will participate with NRCS staff in a Soil Health Workshop Planning Group to deliver workshops and field days, and to provide extension services and scientific articles.

NASDA’s Next Generation

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Earlier this month, four CTAHR students, Jireh Cebricos (FSHN), Kenneth Choi (NREM), Jabez Meulemans (NREM), and Mandy Chen (ANSC), participated in the 1st Annual National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) First Generation Program held in Kailua-Kona. The goal of the program is to educate college students about NASDA’s mission during agricultural policy events at the annual meeting of NASDA members. The students participated in sessions on biotechnology, marketing, international trade, biosecurity, rural development, food safety, endangered species, and jurisdictional challenges in agriculture. They networked with state agricultural directors and commissioners, including Scott Enright, NASDA president and Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture Chairman (pictured between the students) and Michael Scuse, Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. Dean Gallo and Noa Lincoln (TPSS) spoke about the potential of Hawaiian breadfruit as a global staple crop. The students toured Greenwell Farms and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority, where they learned about ocean thermal energy to power Hawai‘i’s energy needs and about growing and developing coffee in the Islands. The conference concluded with a fun-filled dinner at Hulihe‘e Palace, starring local chiefs and entertainers. Special thanks go to ELANCO and CTAHR’s Academic and Student Affairs Office for nominating the students!

Trouble in the Fields

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Extension agent Jari Sugano was interviewed for a Hawaii News Now story on the problems farmers face when production falters due to natural causes. A case in point is Aloun Farms, whose pumpkins weren’t pollinated by bees at the critical point because downpours deterred the insects. Jari notes, “For the most part, I think growers take the blow from the damages and have to pick themselves back up and start all over again,” hard to do but something that farmers are no strangers to.

Sleepy Orange Has Wings

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

News about the new butterfly found in the Islands is taking flight! The story has been picked up by KHON, Civil Beat, Hawaii News Now, the Star-Advertiser, and news outlets further afield such as the Washington Times, and Dan Rubinoff (PEPS) was also interviewed on The Conversation on HPR on Wednesday morning. In fact, the news is spreading as fast as the butterfly!

A Helping Hand

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Esther Yasuda (FAMR alumna) didn’t return to college until she was 29, but once she started, she was hooked: she just graduated this summer with a master’s degree in Education from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. Family Resources wasn’t her first choice, either, she admits; she had originally planned to go into nursing, but a counselor suggested she look into FAMR, and she couldn’t be happier with her decision. She writes, “I had many people help me realize what I wanted to do with my career. All of my instructors instilled in me the values, skills, and knowledge that equipped me, along with sound advice and wisdom.” After graduating, in addition to working on her master’s, she took a position with a non-profit organization working with youth and senior citizens in Kalihi; now she works with the YMCA of Honolulu as an outreach treatment counselor for middle-school students. She says, “My job is quite a challenge, but it is quite fulfilling and rewarding, too. I am glad that I am able to help the people of Hawai‘i through my job. I don’t know what the future holds as far as a career path, but as long as I can help people that’s fine by me.”

Teach the Children Well…About Ag

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Students learning about cacao at Teach Ag Day

Almost 150 high school ag students and their teachers and chaperones participated in an Agricultural Career Fair at the Komohana Extension Office in Hilo. The event, which happened on national “Teach Ag Day,” was put on by Hawai‘i County 4-H agent Becky Settlage through a grant the Hawai‘i County 4-H Livestock Association received from the Department of Labor and Industry. A variety of organizations and businesses involved in the agricultural industry set up displays to educate the high-schoolers and encourage them to consider their fields as possible career choices after graduation. Students learned about career opportunities in animal husbandry, agribusiness management, agri-science, resource development and management, horticulture, natural resource management, and production agriculture. Representatives from UH Manoa, UH Hilo, and Hawai‘i Community College explained to students what types of classes they would need to get different agricultural degrees, and students also were able to investigate agricultural internships. Check out photos of the event on the East Hawaii 4-H & Hawaii County 4-H Livestock Facebook page.

Keeping Bed Bugs From Sleeping Tight

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Helen Spafford (PEPS) is a contributor to a comprehensive survey on managing bedbugs in low-income multi-unit housing published in the magazine Pest Control Technology. The working group surveyed pest-management professionals to determine what they considered to be the most challenging aspects of attempting to eradicate bedbugs from these housing units and the methods that they most often used and found the most effective in eliminating the pests.

Vet to the Stars

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Dean with former and present recipients of Reid Scholarship

Past and present recipients of the Charles Reid, DVM Scholarship gathered in the AgSci building for the unveiling of the portrait of the Hollywood veterinarian whose bequest has generated more than half a million dollars in scholarship support for pre-veterinary students at UH. Ten students are on Reid scholarships this semester, and Reid Scholarship applications are due in March for next year’s support. Former Pre-Vet Club faculty mentor and Interim Associate Dean for Extension Ashley Stokes participated via Skype, and Pre-Vet Club members were on hand to sell t-shirts and tote bags to support the club, which has an amazing 80 members this year. Pictured are former scholarship recipients Michael Wong, associate UH veterinarian, and Karin Fujitani, now with University Animal Hospital, as well as present recipient Rebekah Morales, ANSC major and president of the Pre-Vet Club, with the dean and Professor Emeritus Bob Nakamura, who was friends with Dr. Reid and whose invitation to Dr. Reid to speak to his class resulted in the bequest to fund the scholarships. In the picture behind them, Dr. Reid is shown with one of his famous patients, Lassie.

Farm-to-Fork Inspiration

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

As part of their Entrepreneurship Live speaker series, PACE and Hawaii Student Entrepreneurs are presenting “From Farm to Fork with Dean Okimoto and Roy Yamaguchi” on Tuesday, October 20, in Campus Center room 307. At 5:00 there will be a presentation by Dean and Roy, followed by an audience Q&A at 6:00, and a reception with light refreshments at 6:30. Past recipient of CTAHR's Ka Lei Hano award, Dean Okimoto is the chairman and president of Nalo Farms, Inc. and former president of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. Roy Yamaguchi is the chef and founder of a collection of restaurants. Chef Roy, who is revered for his culinary skills and innovation of Hawaiian-inspired cuisine, is a master at incorporating local ingredients in his menu. His restaurants served as a catalyst for many more opportunities for farmers to break into the restaurant scene. Today, Nalo Farms services over 90 restaurants on O‘ahu and Maui. These speaker series events are free to UH students and are made possible by First Insurance Company of Hawaii.

Biotech Promotion on Maui

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The Maui County Farm Bureau recently announced its honorees at its annual award celebration, among them former Maui County Administrator Harold Keyser. The awardees were recognized for demonstrating tremendous support for Maui agriculture at MCFB’s annual General Membership Meeting on September 16 at Kula Community Center. Harold was honored as the Friend of Agriculture award winner for his decades-long commitment to Maui ag and his lengthy list of professional accomplishments and community involvements. Though retired from CTAHR, he’s still busy writing about and promoting genetic technologies and continues to volunteer with MCFB’s Agriculture in the Classroom program as well as the horticulture exhibit at the Maui Fair. He is quoted as saying, “A better understanding of modern agriculture by the general public and policy makers is critical for support of continuous agricultural innovations. It is important that society be informed about the tremendous progress that is being made and the future challenges that will be solved in part through agricultural biotechnology.”

Patent-Holder Party

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

More than 60 faculty members, researchers, and graduate students who hold U.S. patents, including Associate Dean for Research Ken Grace and Winston Su (MBBE) were honored by UH and sponsor American Savings Bank at a dinner on September 24 at the Waialae Country Club when UH launched the first Hawai‘i chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, an organization of more than 200 U.S. and international universities and research institutions and more than 3,000 individual members who have obtained patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. CTAHR collaborator and former professor Heidi Kuehnle, co-founder and CEO of Kuehnle AgroSystems, was also there, as one of three speakers at the dinner who explained how they had commercialized technologies they developed.

“Made in Maui” Makes It Big

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Maui County Administrator Cindy Reeves (shown here, right, with the Dean), in partnership with the County of Maui Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce, had been awarded a grant to develop an online marketing hub for vendors of value-added “Made in Maui” ag products. The project was awarded $69,194, as part of the nearly $35 million in new funding that the USDA is distributing through four grant programs to support local and regional food systems, including farmers’ markets. Strengthening local food systems has been identified as one of the four pillars of USDA's efforts to revitalize rural economies and communities.

Grand Carers

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Heather Greenwood and Lori Yancura (left and middle left, both FCS) successfully collaborated with colleagues from Colorado State University to secure a four-year, $1.3 million grant from USDA NIFA's Children Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) - Sustainable Community Project. Lori and Heather are co-PIs of the Hawai‘i $686,954 four-year UHM subcontract. This important intergenerational and evidence-based program seeks to improve the quality of life for custodial grandparents and their grandchildren. The four-county program will take place in Maui and the Big Island in Hawai‘i and Adams and Larimer counties in Colorado. This GRANDcares project will develop a systems-based intervention for vulnerable grandparent-headed families. This tripartite intervention, based upon family resilience theory, focuses on strengthening self-care and parenting skills of custodial grandparents, development of communication and leadership skills in grandchildren, and increasing the ability of service providers to meet grandfamilies’ needs. The collaborators will develop, test, and evaluate the GRANDcares intervention.

Ho‘olaule‘a Kalo

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Moloka‘i’s Taro Field Day, which is organized by Extension agent Alton Arakaki and other Moloka‘i Extension staff, is featured in an article in the Molokai Dispatch. The annual Field Day gives the community a chance to learn about and help preserve historic taro species, as well as taste-test poi and kulolo made from varieties grown at the UH Maui Community College Farm in Ho‘olehua. Attendees could also harvest huli from their favorite varieties to grow at home. The Queen’s Challenge was also included in the Field Day. It is held annually in honor of Queen Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonalani Na‘ea Rooke, who valued and wrote on Hawaiian taro varieties and propagation. Extension agent Glenn Teves’s son Ioane Teves, of Ho‘olehua, won first and second place for piko ‘ula‘ula corms of four and over three pounds with a mix of conventional fertilizer and organic inputs! Extension agent Alton Arakaki, quoted in the article, has calculated that at the height of production, an estimated 500,000 people throughout Hawai‘i were each eating a seven- to nine-pound kalo plant every day! The Extension service also joined with local nonprofit Sust‘ainable Moloka‘i to sponsor the Kalo Cooking Contest, with 14 ‘ono entries, including chocolate-dipped kalo chips!

Maui Meaningful

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Maui was the site of the Twelfth Annual Meaningful Experience for 21 CTAHR students and staff. Arriving, they first headed for Haleakala to learn about the region’s biodiversity, native birds and plants, and conservation/ecological restoration efforts. Then they visited Ag Incubator client Maui Gold Pineapple, where they measured the factors in determining when a pineapple is ready for sale: translucency, acidity, and sweetness. The last activity of the day was team-building activities to foster interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills, led by academic advisor Jennifer Custodio. The next morning, the group embarked on their main adventure of the day: heading out to the red dirt fields of Lahaina for an in-the-field exploration of Maui’s ag industry. They talked with a cacao farmer working on a line of premium chocolates and contributed by planting 21 cacao trees and two ‘ulu trees on the premises. After this labor-intensive work, everyone lunched and shopped for Maui omiyage before heading home. Thanks go to Darren Strand and Maui Gold Pineapple, to James Kimo Simpliciano for coordinating the farm visit and to Gunars Valkirs for hosting the group on his cacao farm. Gratitude also to ASAO for supporting the students’ trip to Maui and to the students who participated and made this experience meaningful!

Poster Children

10/19/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Bishnu Prasad Bhandari (PEPS) and Kauahi Perez (TPSS) (pictured), along with Roberto Rodriguez III (MBBE), presented posters of their research at the 15th Annual Landscape Industry of Hawaii Green Industry Conference and Trade Show on October 8. Kauahi’s poster on “Testing the Utility of Intergenic Spacer Regions to Identify Distinct Plumeria Taxa” and Bishnu’s poster on “Hosts and Management of Lobate Lac Scale, Paratachardina pseudolobata Kundo and Gullan, in Hawaii’s Urban Landscape” were voted by conference attendees as the best posters! They will be featured in the next issue of Hawaii Landscape Magazine. Roberto’s poster was entitled “Tracking the Performance of Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT) for Improved Invasive Species Management.” Also at the Green Industry Conference and Trade Show was TPSS alumnus and newly hired research support Orville Baldos, who spoke on an important project he and Joe DeFrank (also TPSS) are involved, in growing native plants along highway rights-of-way.

Breakfast Get-to-Know-You

10/6/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Dean Gallo with CTAHR students at breakfast

Dean Gallo hosted a breakfast for four incoming (first-year and transfer) CTAHR students who had expressed an interest in meeting her, in order to get to know them better and make sure their early experiences of the college are positive ones. A good time was had by all!

September

Keeping Us Posted on Plant Disease

9/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The journal Plant Disease is lucky to have Scot Nelson (PEPS)! Not only has he been a contributor to the prestigious journal; he served as associate editor for three years, reviewing research articles; then he moved on to become senior editor, soliciting reviews of research articles, making decisions about acceptance, and editing the articles. Recently, he’s been tapped by the editor-in-chief to become feature editor. Feature articles appear each month as the premier, flagship articles in the journal; he solicits the articles, arranges for reviews, makes decisions about acceptance, and edits them. The number of submissions to the journal is increasing, he estimates—perhaps that’s a sign of a growing number of plant diseases found internationally. But not to worry—Scot’s keeping tabs on them!

Legislators Work Out Their Legs

9/30/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The lawmakers from O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, and Maui who participaned in the 2015 CTAHR Legislators’ Open House stayed on their toes on their tour. After a greeting by Dean Gallo, they learned about SooJin Jun’s super-cooling technology and Alvin Huang’s breadfruit project (both HNFAS). They learned about a sake project and did a sensory evaluation of a gluten-free cereal. Then they tasted sugarcane juice from Ted Radovich (TPSS) and mamaki tea from retired Extension agent Rose Saito; chocolate from Skip Bittenbender (TPSS), honey from Ethel Villalobos (PEPS), and salsa made with tomatoes harvested from Leyla Kaufman’s (PEPS) reflective mulch trials. They enjoyed Maui Gold pineapple supplied by Ag Incubator client Hai‘ilimaile Pineapple and admired new orchids and anthuriums being developed by Tessie Amore (TPSS). They took home cucumbers from Koon-Hui Wang’s (PEPS) trials, seeds from the ADSC, and info about the Costume Collection exhibit at Hamilton, and they learned about Ania Wieczorek’s Gene-ius Day classes for kids. They also learned about projects from last year’s SRS, including Elyse Bowman’s work on a tropical probiotic beverage and Daniella Orias’s research on anti-inflammatory effects of bittermelon (both HNFAS) and Jessie Chen’s investigation of oyster production (NREM).

Discover AgDiscovery!

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in conjunction with CTAHR, hosted its fifth annual AgDiscovery program this summer. Ten high school students from Hawai‘i, the Mainland, and American Samoa participated in two weeks of intense ag learning and career exploration in animal and plant health, veterinary science, animal and plant disease eradication, plant pathology, entomology, and wildlife services. Participants lived on the Manoa campus, learning about agricultural science from university professors, practicing veterinarians, industry representatives, and US government professionals. AgDiscovery is a nationwide program, but Hawai‘i’s program is unique in its emphasis on tropical agriculture and the traditional Native Hawaiian values. The students visited a local commercial aquaponics operation, worked with anthuriums and orchids, learned about local ranching and ecotourism, helped out at a lo’i, or taro patch, made Hawaiian cuisine using traditional methods, learned about local biotechnology ventures, gained understanding of the management of imports and exports to and from the state, and extracted honey from the comb. Photos and videos can be found here or here. For more information, contact Charly Kinoshita at kinoshitac@ctahr.hawaii.edu.

Bees in the News

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Scott Nikaido and Ethel Villalobos in bee suits

The UH Honeybee Project, and their research at the Waimanalo Research Station, are featured in Midweek magazine (page 6). Ethel Villalobos and Scott Nikaido (PEPS) are quoted as to the importance of pollinators for local agriculture. For instance, did you know that each pumpkin that ripens to full size is the result of 12 visits from a bee pollinating its flower? Macadamia nuts, too, are highly dependent on bees for pollination. The two explain the important work the Honeybee project does in protecting these pollinators and educating the community about ways to make their farms and gardens more pollinator friendly. It must be working—they point out that there were more honeybees this past year than have been seen for a while. And that’s as sweet as honey!

Never Enough Pie…

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

County Extension agent Becky Settlage gives new meaning to the phrase “Big Ag” with the giant pumpkin she grew for Hilo 4-H’s 2015 Giant Pumpkin Contest. It’s not just a pumpkin, though; it’s an edible advertisement for the 7th Annual Big Island Giant Pumpkin Contest, which is coming up in October. The contest is an activity of the Hawai‘i 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program, in collaboration with Kekela Farm Market, Waimea Towne Market at Parker School, and the Hawaii Island School Garden Network. Last year’s contest not only featured the weighing and displaying of the mammoth squash; there were also pumpkin-cooking contests, a “Best-Tasting Tomato” contest, and a display of other giant and unusual-looking vegetables. Expect as much fun and enormous plant products this year!

Guardians of the Garden Isle

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Michelle Clark demonstrates contraband wildlife items

Scores of Kauai residents braved steady rain showers to participate in the first annual Guardians of the Garden Island event at the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center. Organized and hosted by the Kauai Invasive Species Committee, and sponsored in part by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the event brought together presenters from CTAHR, the Kokee Resource Conservation Program, U.S. F&W, Malama Kauai, Makauwahi Cave Reserve, Kauai Forest Birds Recovery Project, Nene Habitat Conservation Plan, Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (DLNR-DOFAW), and the Hanalei Watershed Hui. Several of these agencies now have offices at the Research Station, which is increasingly recognized as a community focal point for activities related to the interface of agriculture and the environment. Here CTAHR partner Michelle Clark from the US Fish & Wildlife Service highlights contraband wildlife artifacts in a display at the Kauai Agricultural Research Center. Kudos to Rachel Smith, the KISC Outreach team, and the CTAHR farm crew for organizing this event!

History and Future on Moloka‘i

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Twelve members of the student Horticulture Society visited Moloka‘i to explore its horticulture and agriculture. Proceeds from plant sales hosted by the society are used to help reduce the costs of their annual trip. They visited and toured UH’s Demonstration Farm, near Kualapuu. There they met Extension agent Alton Arakaki, who gave a brief history of the farm and explained its future endeavors to foster diversification in Hawai‘i’s ag sector. They saw test plots of peppers, onions, kalo, and koa, and compared windbreaks of cassava, banana, and shade cloth for effectiveness. Commercial fences and green fence material were discussed in terms of keeping the increasing populations of deer out of cash crops. The group got to hike into the Kalawao/Kalaupapa settlement to learn the history of Hansen’s disease and to help out the National Park Service. They helped with beach cleanups, weeded the grounds at the native plant greenhouse, collected rare palm seeds for propagation efforts, and air-layered avocado trees planted by past patients. Some even participated in the annual Hapai Pohaku workshop, in which volunteers rehabilitate and rebuild old stone walls, recording and photographing artifacts found within the walls. Ken Leonhardt (TPSS) also visited Kalaupapa to solidify future positions and internships for upcoming CTAHR students. Thanks to USDA-NIFA for partially funding the trip!

Much Ado About Mulch

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Leyla Kaufman, Marisol Quintanilla, and Mark Wright (all PEPS), in conjunction with WSARE, held a field day that showcased the benefits of using reflective plastic mulch in tomato production at the Poamoho Research Station. Eighteen farmers and agricultural professionals attended the event. There, participants were able to see firsthand the differences of on-farm application, and the improvements over conventionally used black plastic mulch were (almost literally!) blinding. If you missed this event and are curious about the results of this research, you can access the Extension field day handouts here or watch this video of the field day from the comfort of your home or office. Thanks go to the O‘ahu Extension Office for facilitating the field day!

Passion for Fashion in Berlin

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Andy Reilly (FDM) took seven UHM students to Berlin this past summer through the Study Abroad Program. A mix of FDM students and German-language students, they had the choice of taking classes in either German or English; those taking English classes took Andy’s course on fashion and society in 20th-century Germany. The group spent six weeks there, the last week coinciding with Berlin’s fashion week. Students went to fashion shows, attended a retail convention, visited designers and manufactures, and toured museum exhibitions that centered around the fashion industry. One student, Jeremy Divinagracia, was even asked to model in a fashion show for the menswear brand Evidence on Monday! Here Jeremy (left) stands next to Evidence on Monday designer and founder Marcin Kleiber.

Sleepy Orange Isn’t So Sleepy

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Dan Rubinoff and Will Haines (both PEPS) are co-authors, with Janis Matsunaga and Forest and Kim Starr, of an article in News of the Lepidopterists’ Society describing a new butterfly that has crossed the Pacific and rapidly established itself throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The Sleepy Orange butterfly, they explain, was first seen in December of 2013 in Waialua on O‘ahu and since has been seen on Maui, Kaua‘i, the Big Island, Moloka‘i, and Kaho‘olawe, even becoming quite abundant on several islands. As the article comments, “It is remarkable how quickly and thoroughly A. nicippe spread throughout the archipelago.” The larvae eat Senna species, which include shower trees.

Fathers in the ‘Ohana

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Selva Lewin-Bizan (FCS, research collaborator with COF), has written a demographic report, “The State of Fathers in the State of Hawaii,” for the State Commission on Fatherhood (under the State Department of Human Services) about fathers in Hawai‘i that’s been generating a lot of press, including a Honolulu Star-Advertiser article and coverage on Hawaii Public Radio and KITV. Selva showed that fathers in Hawai‘i score higher than the national average in some important areas, including education, employment, and income. They’re also more likely to be part of a two-parent family and are less likely to be absent. However, Selva also pointed out areas which fathers need support: in Hawaii there’s a greater proportion of single fathers among men who have no formal schooling than those who have higher educational attainment. The proportion of single fathers is higher among men with annual earnings of less than $10,000 compared with any group of fathers with higher earnings. “This combination of factors impairs some men’s ability to financially support their children,” Selva is quoted as saying in the Star-Advertiser article. The report, which was released at the state Legislature’s Keiki Caucus at the State Capitol, is being hailed as an important tool to help the State to help those father who need extra support.

What’s in Your Soil?

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Susan Crow (NREM) is part of a working group that has been recently funded by the USGS Powell Center to map the vulnerability of soil carbon to change and understand how changes to the soil will feedback to the climate system. The group’s proposal asks, “What lies below? Improving quantification and prediction of soil carbon storage, stability, and susceptibility to disturbance.” As it explains, “Soils are a vast reservoir of organic carbon (C), rendering the fate of soil C an important control on the global climate system. Widespread changes in soil C storage capacity present a potentially strong feedback to global change. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of how soil C will respond to climate and/or land use disturbance remains elusive, resulting in major uncertainties in global climate models. Our working group will synthesize information on the processes controlling soil C storage across different spatial scales and develop new procedures to translate local measurements to the regional and global scale datasets used by models. These activities will improve our ability to map the vulnerability of soil C and constrain the role of soil change on the climate system.” Congratulations to Susan and her working group on their important and timely work!

Good Sports (Nutrition)

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

HNFAS/FSHN recently offered the college’s first-ever proctored exam for becoming a Certified Sports Nutritionist from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Maria Stewart (HNFAS, pictured) organized and proctored the exam at the request of one of the FSHN Sports and Wellness Nutrition Students. Six students passed the 220-question certification exam and now have the privilege of including CISSN as one of their credentials. Congratulations, new Certified Sports Nutritionists!

In Style in Hamilton

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Have a passion for fashion history? You can feed your craving at Hamilton Library, where the second-floor Bridge Gallery is hosting a costume exhibition curated by ShuHwa Lin (FDM) with help from Minako McMarthy, JuYoung Kang, Melody van Buren, ShuFeng Lin, and Jennifer Bright (all FDM). In Style: Celebrating 50 Years of the UHM Costume Collection is an exhibition of 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century clothing, textiles, and dolls from the Costume Collection’s Hawai‘i and Asian sub-collections. This exhibit, which runs September 16 through December 6, features a Qing Dynasty dragon robe, a Japanese uchikake from the 1970s, and a variety of aloha wear, along with 17 research posters and 15 Asian dolls. While most of the documentation of the artifacts was provided by Collection inaugurators Oma Umbel and Mary Ellen Des Jarlais, former curators and other experts were consulted, including Hamilton's Jack Kormos and Deborah Dunn, Andy Reilly (FDM), and Theresa Sull and Rayneld Johnson. Thanks also go to Ryan Kurasaki (MBBE) for delivering eight professional mannequins and transporting the costumes, as well as to Jacqueline Tani and Wayne Fujino (both FCS), and members from of the FDM 491 course on Costume Museum Management.

Looking for Home

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Ethel Villalobos (PEPS), the director of the UH Honeybee Project, is featured in a recent KITV news story about the increasing amount of bee swarms that are being seen. The warm, wet weather is just right for bees, and Ethel explains that overcrowded bee colonies are expanding, which causes swarms as groups of bees leave with their queen to create a new colony elsewhere. This is all great news for the bees and for the crops they pollinate, and Ethel reassures those who may be nervous of the swarms that all the bees are looking for is a peaceful place to settle down; they don’t want to attack, so don’t give them any reason to change their minds!

A Bash to Remember

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Ice Cream Bash contestants and Chancellor Bley Vroman

At the 27th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash, representatives from CTAHR’s departments and administration vied for the top honors in the costume contest and the ice cream-eating competition. Competing this year were Von Kaanaana (FCS), Makena Dyer (HNFAS), Roberto Rodriguez (MBBE), Jonathan Marshall (NREM), Gerald Crank (PEPS), Nicholas Krueger (TPSS), and Cheryl Ernst (Admin). Congratulations to Nicholas—aka Brock—for winning the costume contest dressed as a funkadelic broccoli stalk and Von—to-ga! To-ga!—for his athleticism and coordination during the relay race and for downing his ice cream in record time. Then students, faculty, and staff enjoyed free ice cream and popsicles generously donated by Meadow Gold. Over $175 was collected to support CTAHR’s Pre-Veterinary Club. Big mahalos go out to Meadow Gold for its continuous support of CTAHR; Joannie Dobbs and the NREM and MBBE departments for use of their facilities; Ray Uchida of the O‘ahu Extension Office and Ernesto Ortal and Nester Dela Cruz of Pearl City UGC for tent coverage; and the tireless ice cream scoopers. Thanks are also due to co-emcees Alex Navarro and Hailey Pederson and the rest of the planning committee, scholarship recipients, ASAO, SAPFB, and everyone whose efforts made the 27th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash a huge success!

Seeing the Forest Stewards for the Trees

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Now entering its fourth year, the Hawaii Forest Stewards Program celebrates its class of 2015. Sixteen forest landowners gathered at Kilauea Military Camp at Volcano to participate in an intensive three-day workshop, balancing half-day classroom sessions with afternoon field trips to managed private forests. Forest Stewards from the inaugural class of 2012 and the class of 2013 returned to relate their experiences with applying good forest management and conservation techniques learned at the workshop to their own land. They also shared stories of how they reach out to friends and neighbors to pass on their new forestry knowledge. There are now over 58 graduates of the Hawaii Forest Stewards program serving the Hawaii community via a wide range of activities such as school outreach, forest tours, and planting native trees in public areas!

A Honey of a Project

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

UH alumnus and longtime supporter Samuel Kakazu, Jr., has a new plan to help the university and the environment: the creation and marketing of bumper stickers whose proceeds will help to support the UH Honeybee Project. In the spirit of the popular “HE>i” logo, the stickers read “BEES>me.” Mr. Kakazu explained, “The concept of the mark is a selfless one, in that the welfare of our pollinators supersedes the individual. The goal of the campaign is to increase the awareness of their plight and financially support projects promoting the health of pollinators.” The stickers are on sale for $2.00 at all Koolau Farmers locations and will also be available at special events. The Kakazu family has developed a Facebook page to further the project.

Horticulture in the Big Easy

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Science and fun went together at the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) meeting held in New Orleans in early August. Here, TPSS grad student Kauahi Perez and junior Extension agent Sharon Motomura pose for a photo op in Mardi Gras attire provided by ASHS. Kauahi presented a poster on her plumeria research, and Sharon presented one on production of ginger seed in Hawai‘i. Also presenting their research findings at the ASHS conference were TPSS grad student Chandrappah Gangaiah and recent TPSS alumna Amanda Ackerman. Other TPSS faculty and staff attending included Richard Criley, Kent Kobayashi, Nguyen Hue, Susan Miyasaka, and Amjad Ahmad.

Eating Local, Big Isle Style

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Faculty and staff from the Nutrition and Health program area of Hawai‘i Extension recently spent two days on the Big Island learning about local efforts in producing, marketing, and selling food that’s grown or made on the island. The group learned about the Mountain Apple Brand with former Oustanding Alumnus Derek Kurisu at KTA Super Stores; CTAHR research with farm manager Marla Fergerstrom at Mealani Experiment Station; tomato production at Kawamata Farms; the outdoor living classroom of the Mala‘ai Garden at Waimea Middle School; mushroom cultivation at Hamakua Mushrooms; and the increasing availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for the hungry through the Food Basket, Hawai‘i Island’s Food Bank, a development that also supports local farmers.

In Line for Success

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Lynn Sakutori, a fashion design graduate with local roots, has a new line of clothing, a-line, available in Macy’s stores. The recent Midweek article about her collection explains that she’s been making clothing ever since she was twelve, when she joined 4-H and began a sewing project. After getting her degree in APDM (now FDM), Lynn worked in New York for such celebrated designers as Nine West, Kenneth Cole, and The Limited. Returning to Hawai‘i in 2007, she began her own lines, which have also been carried by Nordstrom. Macy’s special event on November 23, Night of the Stars, will include the chance to meet Lynn and receive a free clutch bag, so go check it out!

ROD Squad on the Job

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

J.B. Friday was consulted for a recent Civil Beat article describing efforts to instate a quarantine on ‘ohi‘a trees and products and the soil surrounding them in an attempt to stop the spread of rapid ‘ohi‘a death (ROD), also called ‘ohi‘a wilt. The disease has only been seen on the Big Island thus far. It kills off these iconic native trees, which make up half of the native canopy, within weeks. “This is something new and alarming,” J.B. is quoted in reference to the disease and its rapid spread.

SMARTS Practices

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

A new book, Conservation Agriculture in Subsistence Farming: Case Studies From South Asia and Beyond, edited by Catherine Chan and Jean Fantle-Lepczyk (both NREM), has recently been published by the non-profit development and informational organization the Centre for Biosciences and Agriculture International. This collection, based on the SMARTS project of Sustainable Management of Agroecological Resources for Tribal Societies, includes a foreword by Dean Gallo, while numerous CTAHR faculty wrote the chapters with co-authors. NREM and TPSS contributors include Susan Crow, Ted Radovich, and Travis Idol (shown here with a SMARTS team in India), as well as recent NREM alumni Brinton Foy Reed, Jacqueline Halbrendt, Cynthia Lai, Bikash Paudel, and Aliza Pradhan. Its timely and important topics include cover-cropping, low-till systems, and food security, subjects of concern to Hawai‘i as well.

Anthuriums (Heart) Anthurium Blight Website

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Are your anthuriums looking…blighted? Anthurium blight is a serious disease that has severely impacted Hawai‘i’s anthurium industry. CTAHR has been instrumental in the fight against the pest since it was first discovered, and now a new website created by Scot Nelson (PEPS) describes its history and shows what’s in store for the future. Anthurium Blight: Pathogen, Symptoms and Management offers just what its title suggests, including what the disease is, what’s been done about it in the past, and what is being done to curb it now. The faculty involved with the associated 5-year HATCH project “Production, assessment and disease management of hybrid anthurium cultivars” are PI Anne Alvarez (PEPS) and co-PI’s Teresita Amore (TPSS) and Brent Sipes and Kelvin Sewake (both PEPS). The website will continue to be updated over time as new data and publications from the project and investigators become available.

Oh, Gee, Algae!

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Check out the latest issue of Biotech in Focus. This issue, based on a paper written by student Megan Manley for the class TPSS 416 Introduction to Social, Ethical, and Political Issues Associated With Biotechnology, focuses on the possibility of using genetically engineered algae as a possible source of biofuel. As the issue points out, “Algae are among the most efficient producers of biomass”; therefore, they have the potentially to be a readily renewable source of a variety of resources, including energy production. This issue and previous ones can be found at the Biotech in Focus website.

Fueling Bio-Fuel Research

9/21/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

Four students from Samir Khanal’s (MBBE) Energy and Environmental Research group received NSF conference grant funding to attend S1041, the Science and Engineering for a Bio-Based Industry and Economy Annual Meeting and Symposium, in Wooster, Ohio earlier in August. The award recipients are MS students Edward Drielak (second from left) and Shilva Shrestha (right) and PhD students Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat (second from right) and Duc Nguyen (left). The students presented posters of their research work in the symposium: Edward’s on “Dilute Acid Pretreatment: Investigation of Acid Concentration, Time, Temperature and Solid to Liquid Ratio on Total Sugar Release from Napier Grass”; Shilva’s on “Anaerobic Digestion of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Rumen Contents For Enhanced Biogas Production”; Chayanon’s on “Enhanced Volatile Fatty Acids Production With Micro-Oxygenation During Anaerobic Digestion of Lignocellulosic Biomass”; and Duc’s on “Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP)-based Micro-aeration for Anaerobic Digestion.” Thanks go to the students, and to Samir, for their work towards increased energy self-sufficiency!

Funded on Maui

9/15/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

A gratifying variety of faculty had projects selected for inclusion in the recent Maui County grant competition, which will be included in the FY16 grant proposal to the County. Thanks are due to everyone who submitted a proposal for consideration, and all are encouraged to consider this opportunity again next year. Projects selected included the following: “Evaluation of the effectiveness of using cassava as an axis deer hedge-fence to protect interior farm crops,” “Survey of lobate lac scale, a severe invasive pest, on Maui, Molokai and Lanai,” “Evaluation of ‘ulu (breadfruit) varieties in Maui County,” “Succession planning for Maui’s agriculture-related businesses project,” “Isolation and characterization of probiotic bacteria in poi manufactured in Maui,” “Development of two 4-H Livestock Day Camps for Maui 4-H Livestock Council and one 2-day overnight camp for Molokai 4-H Livestock club,” and “Proposal to improve disease control in Protea, Leucadendron, and Leucospermum crops on Maui.” A great cross-section of the many areas of interest in the college!

August

New Faces: Cynthia Nazario Leary

8/26/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR’s new Urban Horticulture agent on Maui, Cynthia Nazario Leary, began work in her new position just this week. Cynthia got her Master’s in Horticulture and her PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Management, both from CTAHR. She brings 14 years of educational and leadership experience with her to this position—she’s been a lecturer at UH Maui College and Leeward Community College, as well as the director of the UHMC New Farmers Network program. In addition to her new responsibilities with CTAHR, Cynthia is also currently the President of the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens Board of Directors. Mahalo goes to all of those who served on the search committee, TPSS department chair Russell Yost, and to CTAHR leadership for their support and assistance with the recruitment process for this critical position. Welcome, Cynthia, to the CTAHR ‘ohana!

A Waffle Breakfast Welcome

8/26/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

To welcome the new faculty of TPSS—Orville Baldos, Alyssa Cho, Noa Lincoln, and Michael Muszynski—and new graduate students—Peter Maher, Tia Silvasy, Tony Rocha, Jason Myers, Nicholas Krueger, Nolan Johnson, and Aimee Uyehara—TPSS grad chair Ania Wieczorek and her staff held a Welcome Waffle Breakfast. Faculty and students took photos for the TPSS Department’s new graduate program website, feasted on waffles prepared by Ania, enjoyed a lighter version of coffee prepared by Skip Bittenbender, and had a chance to meet, greet, and catch up with each other before the start of the fall semester. A big mahalo to Richard Manshardt as well for providing delicious fresh papayas and lime for the festivities!

Well Oriented

8/26/2015 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR

CTAHR’s newest members were welcomed at the New Student Orientation, where they were addressed by the dean and given an overview of the college’s main values of instructional philosophy by AD for Academic and Student Affairs Charly Kinoshita. Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi then briefly talked about co-curricular programs and campus resources, and representatives from various student clubs and organizations in CTAHR publicized their groups to encourage new students to get involved. Current CTAHR students gave advice to the newcomers, sharing tips about campus resources and services and describing their own college experiences. Then there was a campus tour photo scavenger hunt, academic advising, and lunch. Congratulations to Group 3, consisting of BE students Saul Bernal Ramos, Michael Di Martino, Samuel Fisher, Jaclyn Lee, Kyle Rafael Marcelino, Cody Shinsato, Alisa Tseng, and their BE student leaders Sheldon Arakawa and Brandon Ngao, for winning the photo scavenger hunt! Thank you to CTAHR’s three professional advisors for judging the competition. A big thank you to SAPFB for funding a portion of this event, the UH Manoa Bookstore for contributing to student survival kits, the student committee members and Scholarship Recipients/Student Ambassadors who served as NSO leaders; the Dean; professional and faculty advisors, student club and organization representatives; and ASAO for helping to welcome the newest members of our college!