A national report co-authored by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa sociologist found that while the humanities and social sciences continue to produce rigorous and valuable scholarship, some disciplines are experiencing instances where scholarly standards have been compromised as political considerations shape research and academic evaluation.

The , was written by a committee of scholars from universities across the country, including Associate Professor Ashley Rubin in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa in the . The group examined concerns about declining public confidence in the humanities and allegations that ideological commitments have influenced scholarship in some academic fields.

“This report is a major milestone because, beyond our findings, it represents an interdisciplinary group of scholars standing up for scholarly rigor and not letting political goals corrupt the research enterprise or the standards by which research is evaluated,” Rubin said.

The committee reviewed research and academic practices across philosophy, anthropology, sociology, history, literary studies and music studies. It concluded that the most serious concerns arise when political goals are allowed to override traditional scholarly standards centered on evidence, objectivity and open inquiry.

According to the report, these concerns generally fall into three categories:

• Treating contested issues as settled science in ways that discourage debate
• Prioritizing narratives that advance social or political goals over the pursuit of understanding
• Rejecting the idea that objective facts and evidence can be separated from political values

The authors identified examples and patterns they point to as consistent with these trends to varying degrees across the disciplines they studied. However, they rejected claims that the humanities and social sciences are broadly failing as academic fields, emphasizing that scholars in these fields are still producing serious and impactful scholarship.

The report recommends that universities should promote intellectual openness, rigorous standards and the free exchange of ideas while resisting efforts to judge scholarship based on ideological conformity. It also cautions against political pressures from outside academia, including attempts by governments or advocacy groups to influence research and teaching.

The authors conclude that the humanities and humanistic social sciences remain essential to higher education because they help people better understand culture, history, society and human experience. Maintaining scholarly rigor, they contend, is critical to preserving public trust in those disciplines and in universities more broadly.

The report was commissioned by the chancellors of Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis.

Research that began with a University of Hawaiʻi telescope is now leading to a historic milestone in space exploration. This month, China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft is expected to begin its encounter with Kamoʻoalewa, a small near-Earth asteroid discovered by astronomers at the 糖心Vlog官方 (IfA) on Haleakal膩 and the first Hawaiian-named object ever visited by a spacecraft.

The mission connects years of IfA-led research with an international effort to better understand the object, which scientists believe may be a fragment of the Moon. Kamoʻoalewa was first detected in 2016 by the IfA-operated atop Haleakal膩.

“This is a remarkable moment for planetary science,” said Doug Simons, director of IfA. “A target first identified through observations from Hawaiʻi is now being visited by a spacecraft, opening the door to discoveries that simply cannot be made from Earth alone. The mission has the potential to reveal how Kamoʻoalewa formed and whether it truly originated from the Moon.”

In 2021, a team led by 糖心Vlog官方 researchers published findings suggesting Kamoʻoalewa may have come from the Moon. Tianwen-2 is expected to arrive at the asteroid before mid June 2026. The spacecraft will study the object up close as part of a mission that aims to collect samples and return them to Earth.

Inspired by Kumulipo

In 2019, the asteroid received its Hawaiian name through A Hua He Inoa, a program based at the 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo where Hawaiian speaking students and educators work with Hawaiʻi-based astronomers to create names in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) for objects discovered by Hawaiʻi-based observatories. The initiative is a collaboration among ʻImiloa, 糖心Vlog官方 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 , IfA and community members.

In ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, Kamoʻoalewa alludes to a celestial object that is oscillating, like its path in the sky as viewed from the Earth. It is a name found in the Hawaiian chant Kumulipo.

“To see a spacecraft travel to an object carrying a Hawaiian name is a reminder that careful observation of the natural world and the pursuit of knowledge have always been central to 驶ike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian knowledge),” said Kaʻiu Kimura, executive director of ʻImiloa Astronomy Center. “The students who proposed the name Kamoʻoalewa thoughtfully considered the possibility that this object was a moʻo—an offspring traveling in orbit within our solar system. It is remarkable to see emerging scientific theory lend support to the insight embodied in their naming. This moment highlights the enduring relevance of Hawaiian ways of knowing as we continue to explore and deepen our understanding of the universe.”

As Tianwen-2 approaches its destination, the mission also shines a light on 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 continued role in planetary exploration. Hawaiʻi observatories help discover, track and study asteroids, comets and other objects moving through the solar system.

Some of 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 endangered false killer whales are rapidly losing weight, a warning sign that warming oceans and limited prey may be pushing one of the nation鈥檚 smallest whale populations closer to extinction, according to research by a team including scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

The findings provide the first quantitative evidence that nutritional stress and competition with fisheries may be accelerating the decline of this iconic population, which now numbers fewer than 140 individuals.

The research—a partnership between the (PWF), (MMRP) at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa and —utilized high-resolution drone photogrammetry to track 68 whales (roughly half the remaining population) between 2019 and 2025.

Rapid declines and climate links

The study documented extreme physiological shifts, including one individual that lost an estimated 28% of its body mass—approximately 500 pounds—over a 10-week period. Researchers also found that the population鈥檚 overall Body Condition Index hit a record low in 2020. This decline coincided with a severe marine heatwave and the largest single-year population drop in recent history, suggesting that rising ocean temperatures could be impacting the whales’ ability to maintain necessary energy reserves.

“This study is a critical step in understanding whether prey limitation is driving the extinction risk for these whales,” explains Jens Currie, Chief Scientist at PWF, PhD candidate in the , and lead author of the study. “Our findings suggest that many individuals are living on a thin metabolic margin. We are now examining how competition with fisheries for high-energy prey like 鈥榓hi (yellowfin tuna) and mahimahi may be forcing these whales into a state of chronic nutritional stress.”

Mapping health across the archipelago

The research highlights that health is not distributed equally across the population. Whales in “Cluster 1,” known for traveling broad distances across the islands, showed significant variability in their physical condition. This suggests that the high energetic cost of moving long distances to find prey may be taking a heavier physical toll on certain social groups than others.

To ensure the highest level of accuracy, the research team validated their drone measurements against 3D scans of whales in human care at the Okinawa Churashima Foundation in Japan. This calibration provided the foundational data needed to convert aerial images into precise weight and volume estimates, confirming that the study鈥檚 measurements are accurate to within 3%.

“This level of precision allows us to pinpoint exactly when and where these whales are struggling, which is key for directing conservation efforts,” said Lars Bejder, MMRP director, title=”Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology”>HIMB professor, and co-author of the study.

The whales found in Hawaiʻi are a distinct, island-resident population adapted to the region鈥檚 coastal ecosystems and dependent on these waters for survival. They represent one of the smallest and most endangered whale populations in the United States, where the loss of even a few animals can have consequences for the entire population.

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Chiara Logli, assistant professor and institutional assessment specialist at Honolulu Community College, has won a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award in higher education for the 2026–27 academic year. Granted by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the Fulbright award underscores Logli鈥檚 standing as a world-class educator.

As part of the award, she will teach courses on research design and conduct a study examining how universities in India balance local traditions with global perspectives in higher education. Hosted by JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in Mysuru, India, the project will culminate in a comparative study of higher education systems in India, the U.S. and Indonesia.

This research stems from her deeper passion for exploring how universities are shaped by the communities and cultures around them. In particular, she is drawn to India鈥檚 dynamic higher education system, which reflects both deep traditions and rapid innovation.

“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Logli,” Chancellor Karen C. Lee said. “It is an immense honor to join the legacy of the Fulbright Program in promoting collaboration across borders. She will be able to share the unique strengths of higher education in Hawaiʻi with colleagues abroad and bring back her learnings about India to enrich our campus community.”

Logli holds an MA in political science and a PhD in education with a specialization in international cultural studies. In addition to the Fulbright award, Logli has received recognition and previous awards from the East-West Center, Rotary International, USAID, United States Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships, United States-Indonesia Society and the European Union Leonardo da Vinci Program.

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is one of the world鈥檚 most respected international exchange programs, operating in more than 160 countries. Fulbright alumni include 46鈥痟eads of state or government,鈥�63鈥疦obel Laureates,鈥�93鈥疨ulitzer Prize winners,鈥�83鈥疢acArthur Fellows, and countless leaders across sectors鈥痑nd industries worldwide.

Comprehensive data on Hawaiʻi鈥檚 social work workforce is essential to addressing staffing shortages and improving recruitment and retention efforts statewide. To fill this gap, the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 鈥檚 launched a through its . The initiative seeks to identify where social workers are employed, the roles they fill, barriers to licensure, and the critical services they provide.

Having a clearer picture of Hawaiʻi‘s social work workforce is essential to addressing shortages and preparing future social workers…
—Wendy Lum

“The survey aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of Hawaiʻi‘s social work workforce so educators, policymakers, employers and community organizations can better respond to workforce shortages and strengthen pathways into the profession,” said Kristl Nakamura, the workforce hub鈥檚 data coordinator.

Respondents are asked about the most rewarding aspects of their work, job search experiences, and the variety of settings in which they practice—from hospitals and shelters to schools and government agencies.

Anyone with a social work degree who is connected to the profession in Hawaiʻi is encouraged to .

“Helping students attain their bachelor’s or master’s in social work is only one part of growing the workforce,” said Wendy Lum, director of the Workforce Development Hub. “Having a clearer picture of Hawaiʻi‘s social work workforce is essential to addressing shortages and preparing future social workers to meet community needs.”

Data to address critical shortages

The need for stronger data comes as Hawaiʻi continues to face severe social worker shortages. In 2024, the reported a 17& vacancy rate in healthcare settings. Additionally, a noted that shortages remain critical in rural communities, including Maui, Kauaʻi and Molokaʻi.

“As we learned during the Maui fires, social workers provide critical mental health support to families and individuals in moments when they need it most,” said Aimee Chung, state advisor of the . “Without accurate workforce data, it becomes harder to advocate for the resources, funding and training needed to sustain our mental health workforce.”

The Department of Social Work and Workforce Hub will share survey results through summary reports and infographics to help guide workforce development efforts, advocacy and future strategies to strengthen and support social workers statewide.

An innovative University of Hawaiʻi research team is using trail cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to better understand how much fog contributes water to native ecosystems and groundwater recharge. Led in part by Honolulu Community College Professor John DeLay, the project focuses on Mount Kaʻala, 翱ʻ补丑耻鈥檚 highest peak and an essential watershed.

“If we can keep the project going long enough, we might be able to detect a change in the lifting condensation level鈥攁ffecting the extent of cloud and fog at the canopy level,” DeLay said.

Recharging the aquifer

Supported by the 糖心Vlog官方 Office of Innovation and Commercialization, the system has achieved up to 93% accuracy in identifying fog conditions across different sites in both day and night conditions. This allows researchers to build long-term records of fog frequency and examine how moisture patterns vary.

“Not only is it really important for these ecosystems, which have fragile native species that need a lot of moisture and water, it鈥檚 also recharging out water budgets and our aquifer,” said Joel Nicolow, a 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 graduate research assistant in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.

Turning to AI

Historically, measuring this critical moisture required highly specialized personnel and expensive, complex equipment. The team turned to technology for a solution.

“We wanted to look at using cameras as a much more scalable, cost-effective approach,” explained researcher Dylan Giardana of the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 Water Resources Research Center. “We use a machine learning model to classify all the images that we鈥檙e getting from these trail cameras.”

Their analysis shows that fog frequency jumps dramatically from about 10% at an elevation of 600 meters to 70% at the 1,200-meter summit. Understanding these patterns is essential as climate change and invasive species threaten natural watersheds. Long-term data may also help land managers in adapting conservation strategies.

A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher has received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help advance quantum technology, a fast-growing field that could improve everything from medical imaging to environmental monitoring.

The three-year project, led by Assistant Professor Bo-Han Wu in 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 in the , will focus on building smarter quantum sensor networks. Quantum sensors are highly sensitive devices that can detect extremely small changes in signals, such as temperature, light or electromagnetic activity, with greater precision than many current technologies.

Tackling real-world situations

The research aims to combine quantum science with artificial intelligence and machine learning to help sensors work together more efficiently and adapt to changing conditions. The project begins June 1 and runs through May 2029.

“This project is about helping quantum technologies move from theory into tools that can solve real-world problems,” Wu said. “Hawaiʻi offers a unique real-world setting for quantum sensor research, where advanced sensors could help address island challenges in ocean monitoring, disaster preparedness and resilient communications.”

For Hawaiʻi residents, the technology could eventually support improvements in areas that directly affect daily life, including disaster monitoring, climate and ocean research, healthcare and communications systems. More advanced sensors could help scientists detect environmental changes earlier, improve the accuracy of medical scans and strengthen future wireless and satellite networks.

One major challenge in quantum technology is that quantum signals are extremely delicate and can easily be disrupted by noise or interference. Wu鈥檚 team will study ways to make these systems more stable, reliable and practical for real-world use.

The project will also help grow Hawaiʻi鈥檚 role in the emerging quantum technology field, which is expected to become an important part of future science and engineering industries. In addition to research, the grant will support education and workforce training through new courses, open-source software tools and outreach activities designed to introduce more students to quantum science and engineering.

The award was funded through the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Foundations of Emerging Technologies program, in collaboration with Professor Hyeongrak Choi from Stony Brook University, which supports research in cutting-edge technologies with potential long-term national impact.

U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent visited the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 on May 27, meeting with 糖心Vlog官方 President Wendy Hensel and 糖心Vlog官方 leaders to learn more about the university鈥檚 student success initiatives, workforce development efforts and research enterprise.

The visit also included tours of two of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 world-class research facilities: the (HSFL) and the (HIMB).

Kent was joined by Deputy Under Secretary James Bergeron, Special Assistant Cristian Clementi, Press Secretary for Higher Education Ellen Keast and Special Advisor Ethan Good.

Hensel welcomed the delegation with Debora Halbert, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for academic strategy; Chad Walton, 糖心Vlog官方 interim vice president for research and innovation; Vassilis Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 interim provost; and Rob Wright, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 interim vice provost for research and scholarship.

“We are trying together to make it the best environment possible for student achievement, and wherever we can partner to make that happen, we are happy to do so,” said Hensel. “Higher education, K鈥�12, it all works together as an ecosystem, and when we collaborate and strengthen those connections, we succeed for our students. When it becomes fragmented, we lose the ability to reach their full potential.”

Showcasing innovation and student success

During the visit, university leaders provided an overview of the 糖心Vlog官方 system, including student success efforts, workforce development initiatives, affordability, financial aid, enrollment trends and the university鈥檚 role as Hawaiʻi鈥檚 sole public provider of higher education. The discussion also highlighted 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 research enterprise, which secured a record $734 million in extramural awards in fiscal year 2025, including more than $60 million from the U.S. Department of Education across 115 projects.

“We鈥檙e very excited to be here talking with President Hensel and her leadership team about the opportunities for higher education in Hawaiʻi and how they are so distinct from those on the mainland,” said Kent. “We still see some of the same challenges here in Hawaiʻi with the affordability of higher education, but the president and her leadership team are focused on how to get costs down, how to ensure outcomes translate into earnings and workforce pathways, and how to work with local communities and employers to make sure students are getting good-paying jobs.”

The delegation toured the HSFL clean room at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, where university researchers design and build SmallSats for science and educational missions. The tour was led by Wright and Lance Yoneshige, integration and launch specialist engineer. The clean room is primarily used for the integration, assembly and testing of satellites.

Federal officials also traveled to the HIMB on Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) in Kāneʻohe Bay for a tour led by HIMB Director Megan Donahue. An organized research unit of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, HIMB is internationally recognized for research on coral reefs, marine ecosystems, climate resilience and ocean health.

A significant reduction in flood damage and erosion across urban Honolulu can be achieved by protecting native forests and controlling invasive species in the Ala Wai watershed, according to a new interdisciplinary study by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and state and community partners released May 26.

The research examined how invasive species such as albizia and miconia affect flooding in the Makiki, Mānoa and Pālolo watersheds. Researchers found that unmanaged spread of the invasive plants over the next decade could nearly double expected annual flood damages from $68 million to $134 million.

The study was released following the March 23 flash flooding in Mānoa that overtopped Woodlawn Bridge, flooded homes and left mud across parts of the valley, including Noelani Elementary School. Researchers said healthy native forests act like a natural sponge by slowing stormwater runoff and stabilizing steep slopes. Invasive species can weaken those protections by increasing erosion and clogging streams with fallen trees and debris.

The research team combined hydrological monitoring data with land cover and economic modeling to measure the impacts of watershed management efforts led by the Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership and the Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee.

“The results show decreased streamflow for a given rainfall amount in Makiki and Mānoa, where albizia and miconia were detected and removed most often,” the authors wrote, noting that runoff reductions were observed within just a few years of invasive species removal.

The study also projected that unchecked invasive species growth would more than double annual Ala Wai Canal dredging costs from about $1.4 million to $3 million because of increased sediment runoff. Researchers said the findings highlight the need for long-term funding to support watershed protection and invasive species management programs across Hawaiʻi.

Project team members:

• Yu-Fen Huang (NREM)
• Yinphan Tsang (NREM)
• Leah Bremer (Institute for Sustainability and Resilience, 糖心Vlog官方ERO, WRRC)
• Conrad Newfield (ISR, 糖心Vlog官方ERO)
• Emma Yuen (Department of Land and Natural Resources–Forestry and Wildlife)
• Kimberly Burnett (糖心Vlog官方ERO)
• Nathan DeMaagd (NREM, 糖心Vlog官方ERO)
• Jean Fujikawa (Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee)
• Nate Dube (Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee)
• Erin Bishop (Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee)
• Serene Smalley (Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership)

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糖心Vlog官方ERO is housed in 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 .

Blood-based markers that could improve early, less invasive detection of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) have been identified by researchers at the . The discovery offers a potential new blood test to diagnose the disease sooner, monitor its progression and support the development of more targeted treatments for patients facing this fast-moving form of cancer.

The study, published in , was conducted in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas at Austin.

IBC is a highly aggressive type of breast cancer that has historically been difficult to distinguish from other forms because it does not show clear genetic differences.

New sequencing approach reveals blood signals

The research team used a specialized sequencing technology to analyze RNA, or genetic instructions, found in blood samples. Led by Naoto Ueno, director at the 糖心Vlog官方 Cancer Center, Savitri Krishnamurthy, professor of anatomic pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Alan Lambowitz, professor of oncology at the University of Texas at Austin, the team examined both tumor and blood samples to identify signals that may improve detection and monitoring of IBC.

Researchers said previous efforts to identify specific markers for IBC have been challenging because the disease closely resembles other cancers in standard tests. In this study, they used a sequencing method known as TGIRT, which is better at capturing complex and fragmented genetic material. The findings suggest that doctors may eventually be able to monitor the disease through simple blood tests rather than tissue biopsies. The markers could also help guide the development of new therapies tailored to this aggressive cancer.

Collaboration, persistence drive discovery

Ueno and associate researcher Xiaoping Wang of the 糖心Vlog官方 Cancer Center initiated the collaboration that led to the discovery.

“The project began with simple curiosity and a lot of hard work,” said Ueno. “I first heard about this technology from a friend and was inspired by Dr. Lambowitz鈥檚 vision. At first, many people didn鈥檛 think we could find biological differences between this cancer and others just by looking at a blood sample.”

The project began with simple curiosity and a lot of hard work.
—Naoto Ueno.

Despite early skepticism from colleagues who questioned the project鈥檚 potential due to the rarity and aggressive nature of inflammatory breast cancer, Ueno and Wang continued their work. Their success underscores the importance of teamwork and persistence in advancing understanding of the disease and developing more effective treatments.

“Our discussions with Dr. Lambowitz鈥檚 team helped us better understand the findings and improve the experiments along the way,” Wang said. “Together with support from the clinical team at MD Anderson, these efforts ultimately led to the discovery of a promising blood biomarker that may help diagnose this aggressive and deadly disease.”

The research was funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, The Welch Foundation, the UT MD Anderson Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, and the State of Texas Rare and Aggressive Breast Cancer Research Program.

Kona Low storms, rising oil prices and global conflict are creating new economic uncertainty for Hawaiʻi, according to a new forecast from the (糖心Vlog官方ERO). The pressures are expected to push Hawaiʻi inflation higher and weigh on visitor arrivals and spending.

The 糖心Vlog官方ERO second quarter forecast released May 15 indicates Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy is slowing after what had been an improving outlook earlier this year. The war involving Iran has driven up global oil prices, increasing fuel and travel costs while weakening some of the international economies that help power Hawaiʻi tourism.

At the same time, Hawaiʻi is still recovering from damaging March Kona Low storms that caused flooding and infrastructure damage.

“Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy is facing a new wave of uncertainty,” 糖心Vlog官方ERO economists wrote in the report.

Tourism entered 2026 with momentum before the storms caused a sharp drop in passenger counts. According to 糖心Vlog官方ERO, conditions have since weakened as jet fuel prices surged, driving up airfare and contributing to airline capacity cuts. Canadian arrivals continue to decline, while Japanese travelers face the weakest yen purchasing power in decades.

糖心Vlog官方ERO projects visitor arrivals will grow about 2% this year before slowing sharply in 2027.

The labor market is also showing signs of strain. Payroll growth has been mostly flat, and federal employment has dropped by more than 3,000 jobs throughout the past year. Construction and healthcare remain bright spots, supported by major projects including recovery and rebuilding efforts on Maui following the 2023 wildfires and the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District.

Housing affordability also remains a challenge. Median single-family home prices have hovered near $1 million, while insurance premiums continue rising following the Maui wildfires and recent storms.

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糖心Vlog官方ERO is housed in 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 .

As climate change intensifies extreme weather and environmental conditions across the country, about 65% of U.S. adults are concerned that climate change will negatively affect their personal health, according to a new study published in .

The study, a collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 and the , analyzed responses from 6,888 adults who participated in the Health Information National Trends Survey.

The study’s co-authors include Alex Ortega, dean of the Thompson school, and Jim Stimpson, a professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

How Americans view climate risks

Researchers found that trust in science, political views and personal environmental experiences shape how people perceive the health risks of climate change.

“This study shows that concern about the health impacts of climate change is driven less by who people are and more by how they think and what they experience,” said Ortega. “Trust in science, political perspectives and lived experiences like extreme weather shape whether people recognize climate change as a health threat, which in turn influences public support for environmental and health policies.”

How we communicate about climate and health affects everyone.
—Jim Stimpson

Individuals who reported higher trust in science were more likely to express concern about climate-related health impacts than those with lower levels of trust.

Political views also influenced responses. Compared to respondents who identified as politically liberal, moderates and conservatives were less likely to report concern about climate change harming their health.

Personal environmental experiences further shaped perceptions. Respondents who experienced extreme weather in their neighborhoods were more likely to express concern. Similarly, those worried about outdoor air quality were more likely to perceive climate-related health risks.

The findings suggest public health messaging should focus on building trust in science, reaching people across political perspectives and connecting climate change to local conditions people can directly experience. Researchers said that approach could help public health agencies and policymakers keep communities informed and engaged as climate policies evolve.

“How we communicate about climate and health affects everyone,” said Stimpson. “When messages don’t build trust or feel personally relevant, people are less likely to recognize these risks or support policies that protect public health.”

For her research on fungi that can degrade plastic and sunscreen, Vera Wang, a senior at Kaiser High School, won in multiple categories at the for her research conducted in 鈥檚 lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Wang鈥檚 project earned 1st place Best in Category (Microbiology), 3rd place Best in Fair, a special award from the Friends of Hanauma Bay, a special award from Association for Women Geoscientist, and a scholarship award from the McInerny Foundation. She also qualified for the International Science & Engineering Fair, which will take place in May in Phoenix, Arizona.

“I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to pursue my project in the Amend Lab,” said Wang, who worked closely with Kaylee Christensen, a graduate student in the Marine Biology Graduate Program. “My research would have never, ever, been possible without Anthony and Kaylee. This project has been part of a much longer journey, so having it recognized feels both surreal and deeply rewarding.”

“This work was made possible because of Vera鈥檚 vision, and it gives me such optimism about the future of science in Hawaiʻi,” said Amend, who is based in the at (SOEST). “Her success is a testament to our public school system which is doing a wonderful job supporting and training our next generation of students. I can鈥檛 wait to see what discoveries she makes in college!”

Coconuts, fungus vs. plastic, sunscreen

During her sophomore year, Wang designed and built an ocean filter that removed sunscreen and microplastics from the surface water that was inspired by traditional Polynesian weaving while incorporating modern environmental science. It was not only scientifically effective, but—made entirely from coconut byproducts—also environmentally responsible across its full life cycle. But Wang realized that removing the pollutants from water is only part of the problem. The next challenge she considered was how to dispose of them responsibly.

“I learned that the pore structure of coconut fiber supports the movement of air and water, which can create a favorable environment for microbes,” Wang said. “That led me to wonder whether coconut husk could do more than physically capture pollutants. So this year, my research at the Amend Lab began exploring the fungal communities living in coconut husks and studying their growth and degradation abilities on sunscreen and plastic media.”

They discovered that fungi found naturally on coconut husks can biodegrade (decompose) sunscreen and plastic and that a tannin compound can be used to identify sunscreen- and plastic-degrading fungi. Christensen shared that the tannins present in the fibers might be encouraging growth of these complex degraders. Additionally, their genetic testing showed that some of the fungal species did not have a match to anything in the world鈥檚 largest reference database of known genes and genomes, indicating that these may be previously uncharacterized species.

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The (糖心Vlog官方ERO) has released the Hawaiʻi Housing Factbook 2026, the fourth edition of its annual report offering detailed analysis of the state鈥檚 housing market. The report finds that Hawaiʻi鈥檚 housing crisis remains severe, despite modest improvements in affordability driven by flat home prices, rising incomes and lower mortgage rates in 2025. The Factbook also highlights growing risks from insurance costs, homeowners association fees, slow permitting, natural disasters and policy uncertainty.

“The data reflects our state鈥檚 deep housing crisis. Restoring affordability will require the production of more housing, and confronting the barriers that prevent homes from being built,” said lead author and 糖心Vlog官方ERO Associate Professor Justin Tyndall.

Key findings from this year鈥檚 Factbook include:

• Home prices have leveled off, but remain extremely high: The statewide median price of a single-family home was $950,000 in 2025. Median single-family prices rose 1% statewide, while condominium prices declined 2%. Existing-home values, measured by 糖心Vlog官方ERO鈥檚 Repeat Sales Index, were flat.
• Affordability improved for a second year, but homeownership remains out of reach for most households: Affording the median single-family home still requires more than 180% of the state median income, putting it within reach for only about one-in-five Hawaiʻi households. Condominium affordability improved more sharply, although rising HOA fees and insurance costs may offset some of those gains.
• Housing costs now include rising insurance and association-fee burdens: New Census data show that 42% of Hawaiʻi homeowners pay monthly HOA or AOAO fees, compared with 25% nationally. Hawaiʻi also had the second-highest median monthly HOA fee in the country at $470. In Honolulu, real estate listings from February 2026 showed a median advertised HOA/AOAO fee of $882. Insurance costs are also rising rapidly, with Hawaiʻi鈥檚 aggregate property insurance premiums paid in the state increasing 13% in 2024—well above the national average and the largest annual increase in over a decade.
• Permitting delays continue to constrain new housing supply: County permitting reforms have produced mixed results. Hawaiʻi County and Maui County recorded faster single-family permit processing times in 2025, while Kauaʻi鈥檚 delays worsened. In Honolulu, 糖心Vlog官方ERO was unable to obtain records after the launch of the city鈥檚 new permitting system, but permits issued in the first half of 2025 continued to show long processing times.
• Lahaina rebuilding is moving unevenly: Two and a half years after the 2023 Maui wildfires, Maui County reported 991 permits to rebuild permanent structures, with 634 issued. 糖心Vlog官方ERO鈥檚 analysis finds that single-family homeowners, including vacation-home owners, are receiving permits faster than owners of long-term rentals, apartments and businesses. About 57% of fire-damaged lots showed no permit activity to date.
• Policy changes are reshaping Maui鈥檚 condo market: Maui County鈥檚 Bill 9, which phases out roughly 7,000 short-term vacation rentals in apartment-zoned buildings, has already cooled the condo market. Maui condo prices in 2025 were down 11% from 2023, while prices for condos on the Minatoya list were down 16%.
• Extreme weather and flood-insurance changes add new housing-market risks: Severe Kona Low storms in March and April 2026 caused catastrophic flooding, landslides, evacuations and more than $1 billion in estimated damage. In June 2026, updated FEMA flood maps will add 3,700 net new parcels on Oʻahu to Special Flood Hazard Areas, raising costs and financing hurdles for 25% more property owners.
• Vacation rentals remain a major share of neighbor-island housing: Hawaiʻi had about 34,500 active advertised vacation rental properties in 2025, up from 33,600 in 2024. Vacation rentals account for 20% of all housing units on Kauaʻi and 15% in Maui County, compared with 2.5% in Honolulu.

The Factbook is based on a wide range of data sources and offers housing indicators at the state, county and zip code levels.

The .

糖心Vlog官方ERO is housed in 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 .

A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa project focused on identifying early brain-based markers in infants exposed to methamphetamine before birth has been awarded a $50,000 grant from through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research represents a critical step toward improving how children at higher risk for adverse developmental outcomes are identified and supported early in life.

The project aims to identify neurodevelopmental biomarkers that can detect early neurobehavioral impairments associated with prenatal methamphetamine exposure. If successful, this work could lay the foundation for scalable screening tools and targeted intervention programs designed to improve outcomes for children across Hawaiʻi and beyond.

“This project is about providing families with answers sooner and equipping providers with better tools to deliver care,” said Katy Tarrit, assistant professor in the in the , principal investigator of the study, and director of the Hawaiʻi Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory. “The identification of objective neurodevelopmental biomarkers of risk in infancy enables a transition from reactive detection of developmental delays to early, targeted interventions that support optimal brain development during critical stages of neurodevelopment.”

Prenatal methamphetamine exposure has been linked to long-term cognitive, behavioral, motor, and developmental challenges. However, many children are not identified until these delays become more pronounced, often years later.

By identifying measurable early biomarkers of neurodevelopmental risk, the research team aims to establish a framework for early, targeted intervention—particularly in communities with limited access to specialized healthcare services.

More about Ola HAWAIʻI

Ola HAWAIʻI is a 糖心Vlog官方 Research Center in Minority Institutions Specialized Center funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health. Based at the , the center works to advance minority health and health disparities research in Hawaiʻi, focusing on communities that experience disproportionate disease burden and limited access to care. Supported through a five-year federal NIH award, Ola HAWAIʻI strengthens research capacity, mentors investigators and partners with communities to improve health outcomes statewide.

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: Array of health threats to Native Hawaiians focus of $22.5M grant, September 21, 2022

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa brought together cybersecurity experts, researchers and industry leaders on April 29 for the Indo-Pacific Cybersecurity Innovation Forum, a daylong event focused on strengthening digital security, critical infrastructure resilience and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Held at Campus Center, the forum featured technical talks, policy discussions and workshops aimed at expanding regional cybersecurity capacity and building stronger public-private partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. Speakers included David Carroll of GDIT; Josiah Dykstra and Mengran Xue of RTX BBN; Robert Martin and Nick Tsamis of MITRE; as well as leaders from local fintech organizations and startups, highlighting the forum鈥檚 emphasis on cross-sector collaboration.

“糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa is positioning Hawaiʻi as a hub for Indo-Pacific cybersecurity by uniting academia, industry and government to address real-world threats and strengthen critical infrastructure resilience,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa Professor Mehdi Tarrit Mirakhorli.

Threats, resilience

Speakers addressed emerging threats to critical infrastructure, supply chain security and the growing role of AI in both cyberattacks and defense systems. Sessions also examined how organizations can better anticipate and respond to evolving risks in complex digital environments.

糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa faculty and researchers joined national experts from government, industry and research institutions to discuss strategies for improving cybersecurity readiness. Topics included protecting transportation systems, securing software supply chains and improving detection of adversarial behavior in critical networks. The event also included a panel of chief information security officers from financial institutions and 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa, who discussed real-world challenges in protecting sensitive data and maintaining secure operations in fast-changing threat landscapes.

Afternoon sessions highlighted advances in cyber threat intelligence, secure cloud systems and resilience testing for critical infrastructure. Researchers also explored how human behavior, economics and system design influence cybersecurity outcomes.

Craig Opie, co-founder and CTO of Holocron Security, said, “As an island community, critical infrastructure resilience is personal. If power, water, communications or healthcare systems fail, our families and neighbors feel the impact immediately. We have to make the delivery of secure, compliant technology repeatable and built for real-world consequences. I’m proud to be part of events like the Indo-Pacific Cybersecurity Innovation Forum that help educate, empower and protect our community.”

The Department of Information and Computer Sciences is housed in 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 .

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) children remain significantly overrepresented in the U.S. child welfare system. A study from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 highlights how kinship care—placement with relatives—and culturally responsive placements can improve stability.

Published in , the study analyzed 2020 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System data to examine placement stability and factors contributing to successful outcomes.

“Looking at kinship care specifically for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander children is critical because their experiences are often hidden within aggregated data, which glosses over both disparities and strengths within these communities,” said Meripa Godinet, lead author of the study and associate dean of the Thompson School. “By focusing on NHPI children, we can better understand how cultural values, extended family networks, and community ties uniquely support stability in foster care, and ensure that child welfare policies reflect and strengthen these culturally grounded systems of care.”

Key findings

NHPI children placed in kinship care were nearly twice as likely to experience stable placements compared to those in other foster care settings. Those placed with NHPI foster parents were also 1.5 times more likely to have stable placements.

“Research indicates that when children are placed in kinship care they are more likely to have improved well-being outcomes, to maintain sibling relationships, and stay connected to their cultures,” said Francie Julien-Chinn, co-author of the study and associate professor in the .

The findings underscore the need for culturally responsive child welfare policies that strengthen kinship care and prioritize culturally matched placements to reduce disparities and improve stability for NHPI children.

Expanding Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit could help more parents stay in or reenter the workforce while partially offsetting its own cost through increased state tax revenue, according to a new report released May 1 by the (糖心Vlog官方ERO).

The report examines proposals before the state legislature to increase the maximum childcare tax credit from $2,500 to $5,000 per child, with two bills taking different approaches to how benefits phase out as household income rises.

Researchers find that Hawaiʻi鈥檚 high childcare costs are among the highest in the nation, and often discourage secondary earners, most often mothers, from returning to work. In 2024, center-based infant care averages more than $24,000 annually in Hawaiʻi.

The report explains that the policy’s offsetting effect occurs when a second parent enters the workforce, resulting in increased income tax revenue and additional general excise tax collections. In one mid-income household example, a second earner returning to work would generate $3,401 in state income tax revenue and $1,763 in additional GET revenue under the targeted credit proposal, resulting in a net fiscal gain of $2,663 for the state even after accounting for the $2,500 credit cost.

The report finds the strongest case for expanding the credit is among middle-income households, where childcare costs consume a large share of income, and the added tax credit is more likely to influence work decisions.

However, the report cautions that expanding the credit alone may not be sufficient if Hawaiʻi鈥檚 childcare supply cannot keep pace with demand. Without more childcare spaces, subsidies could simply drive up prices rather than improve access. The report also notes that for lower-income families, benefit cliffs—when earning slightly more income causes families to lose eligibility for public benefits such as SNAP or childcare assistance—could reduce the effectiveness of any tax credit expansion.

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糖心Vlog官方ERO is housed in 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 .

Hawaiʻi鈥檚 isolated and unique island ecosystem makes the state especially vulnerable to invasive species, which can cause major damage to the environment, agriculture and public health. That is why federal, state and private funders are turning to the University of Hawaiʻi for solutions.

糖心Vlog官方 researchers are currently leading 98 grant-funded projects totaling more than $33.5 million to combat invasive species. The work targets some of the state鈥檚 most urgent challenges, including rapid ʻōhiʻa death, invasive mosquitoes that spread avian malaria, destructive food crop plant pests, invasive ants and beetles, and non-native plants and animals that damage forests and watersheds. Together, the projects aim to protect drinking water sources, food production, cultural resources and native ecosystems and species found nowhere else in the world.

The funding includes 44 federal awards totaling $21,050,427 and 54 non-federal awards totaling $12,494,933. Projects are led by researchers at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa and 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo and involve partnerships with national and state agencies.

“These awards reflect the trust that agencies have in 糖心Vlog官方 to protect Hawaiʻi鈥檚 people, environment and economy,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad Walton. “You can see the damage coconut rhinoceros beetles leave behind, or how native birds are being wiped out by multiple invasive threats. Our 糖心Vlog官方 teams are conducting research to develop practical solutions that protect both our environment and our communities.”

Protecting birds, forests, farms, communities

Several large projects focus on protecting native forest birds by reducing populations of invasive mosquitoes that carry avian malaria. Others use satellite imagery and remote sensing (technology that gathers data from aircraft or space) to track forest health and detect invasive plants early, when they are easier and less expensive to control.

Researchers are also developing new molecular diagnostic tools—lab methods that use DNA to identify species—to quickly detect fruit flies, moths and plant pathogens that threaten local farms. Additional projects support fencing and removal efforts to keep invasive animals out of sensitive ecosystems, as well as testing new pest control tools that reduce reliance on traditional insecticides.

Some of the active invasive species projects:

• $5,343,414—Suppression of non-native mosquito populations in key forest bird habitats of East Maui (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)
• $2,562,586—Protect unique park ecosystems through exclusionary fencing (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)
• $2,250,000—Analysis of satellite imagery and meteorological data for forest health (糖心Vlog官方 Hilo)
• $1,393,541—Protecting endangered native birds on Kauaʻi from avian malaria (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)
• $1,361,016—Preventing coconut rhinoceros beetles from spreading in the Hawaiian Islands
• $789,777—Understanding how Phytophthora palmivora attacks plants to protect crops and ecosystems (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)
• $651,084—Using mosquito biology to suppress avian malaria and protect endangered honeycreepers on Kauaʻi (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)
• $600,580—Refine control and treatment methods for ecosystem-altering invasive plants at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)
• $200,000—Outreach, surveillance and treatment of little fire ant infestations (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)
• $34,500—Initial studies to control coffee berry borer (糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa)

For decades, scientists have worked to improve predictions of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate powerhouse that can cause droughts, flooding, marine heatwaves and more around the world. Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa a study showing that they can skillfully predict El Niño and La Niña 15 months ahead of time using only observations of the ocean surface temperature and height—no complex climate model needed.

“We found that it can predict El Niño and La Niña surprisingly well, with useful skill up to about 15 months ahead,” said Yuxin Wang, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher with the in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST). “Accurately predicting ENSO more than a year in advance is important because it can provide early warning, allowing communities, governments and resource managers to take actions and make adaptations to reduce the potential impacts from El Niño and La Niña.”

“Our simpler, data-driven empirical climate model, built only from ocean observations related to two core climate memories known for over 50 years, achieves ENSO forecast skill comparable to, and in some cases better than, many of today鈥檚 more complex climate models and leading AI-based approaches,” added Wang.

Building on past discoveries

Klaus Wyrtki, a pioneering oceanographer at SOEST in the 1960s through 1990s, was the first to show that sea level changes can reveal heat build-up in the tropical Pacific, which led him to propose using tide gauge observations to predict El Niño. Klaus Hasselmann, a German oceanographer and Nobel laureate, showed that the ocean can retain a memory of past climate conditions through large-scale temperature patterns, including sea surface temperature patterns outside the tropical Pacific that can still influence ENSO.

Building on these two principles, the SOEST team developed the “Wyrtki-CSLIM,” short for Wyrtki CycloStationary Linear Inverse Model, a computer model to predict ENSO.

Predicting future ENSO

The Wyrtki-CSLIM currently predicts the development of a strong El Niño, more than 2°C warmer than normal over the equatorial eastern Pacific, toward the end of this year. This up-to-date is available online at the 糖心Vlog官方 Sea Level Center.

“Our Wyrtki model is predicting a stronger El Niño than most of the other statistical models, and it is in line with the much more sophisticated dynamical models,” said Matthew Widlansky, study co-author and associate director of the 糖心Vlog官方 Sea Level Center. “However, it is important to note that all models have uncertainties, and the climate impacts of each El Niño event are different.”

This new research also offers a clear direction for other ENSO forecasting systems.

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