Issue 210   |   April 28, 2015   |   Archive

News & Events

Pizza for a Good Cause

The Food Science and Human Nutrition Council is holding a California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) Fundraiser on Wednesday, April 29, at the Ala Moana CPK location. Whether you dine in or pick up takeout, just show this flyer (hard copy or electronic version), and CPK will donate 20% of proceeds from your bill directly to the club, to be used for expenses, activities, and the annual leadership retreat. Please see the flyer for more information, and if you have any questions, just contact fshnnews@gmail.com.

Small Business, Big Award

Eric Tanouye—CTAHR supporter, owner of Green Point Nurseries, and son of 2011 Ka Lei Hano award-winner Harold Tanouye—has been named a 2015 SBA Small Business Award winner by Hawaii Business magazine. The SBA Small Business Awards is a joint partnership between the SBA and Hawaii Business, making it the largest small business recognition program celebrating local businesses in Hawai‘i. Everyone is invited to show their support for Eric at the 28th Annual SBA Small Business Awards at Pomaikai Ballrooms (Dole Cannery), which takes place on Friday, May 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Yes, that’s the same day that you’ll be going to the CTAHR Awards Banquet, but the times don’t conflict, so why not make a day of it? Just RSVP by May 6.

Try Go Stay

The next NREM ‘Imi ‘Ike Seminar will take place on Wednesday, April 29, at 3:30 p.m. in Sherman 103. Dr. Heather McMillen, a postdoctoral social science researcher from the New York City Urban Field Station, will be presenting “Here We Stay: Community Resilience on Hawai‘i Island, Lessons for Climate Change Adaptation.” She explains how traditional and local ecological knowledge on Hawaii Island can contribute to community resilience in the face of climate change and can offer important insights in terms of resource management and adaptation planning. Food and drinks will be provided!

Grants & Awards

Insect Screens

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.

Local Landscape Greats

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.”

She Speaks for the Children

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.

Spotlight on Our Community

Hemp Madness

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.

Teach the Children (to Eat) Well

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!

Help our community to keep in touch! Please send news items -- awards, grants, special projects, special people -- and pictures to Frederika Bain at ctahrnotes@ctahr.hawaii.edu. Also refer to the submission information and guidelines.

CTAHR faculty and staff can always check for the latest new funding opportunities.

Do you have an upcoming event that you'd like to promote? CTAHR faculty and staff can post events to the CTAHR website's calendar.

All CTAHR Notes readers can browse the calendar to learn more about the college's activities.