A cohort of 10 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa undergraduates was selected to participate in the inaugural LUNADS—Lunar Undergraduate/graduate missioN Architecture Design Seminar—a competitive national program run by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) under NASA to engage university students in lunar science and NASA-style mission design.

The students are engaged in the Space System Science and Technology program undergraduate minors, either the minor in Earth and Planetary Exploration Technology or the minor in Human Space Flight Technology, administered by the (HIGP) in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST).

“This program gives our undergraduate students direct access to NASA-style mission design alongside some of the best planetary scientists and engineers in the country—an experience that grows directly from our Earth and Planetary Exploration Technology and Human Space Flight Technology programs and reflects HIGP鈥檚 long-standing commitment to preparing the next generation of space scientists and engineers from Hawaiʻi,” said Peter Englert, HIGP professor and LUNADS faculty lead and program coordinator.

Designing a lunar mission concept

One of only four university cohorts chosen nationally, the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa students will participate in the program throughout the 2026–2027 academic year. The program includes a Lunar Science Seminar Series, followed by a 10-week Mission Design Seminar in spring 2027 in which they work directly with APL scientists and engineers to design an actual lunar mission concept—the team chooses the science question and builds the mission. The completed mission architecture will be published on Zenodo, an open-access repository, with all student participants listed as co-authors.

The students bring diverse academic backgrounds, with majors spanning mechanical engineering (aerospace concentration), astrophysics and kinesiology and rehabilitation science. HIGP researchers Paul Lucey (lunar remote sensing), Matt Siegler (lunar thermal science and volatiles, such as water, carbon dioxide, and other gases) and Shuai Li (lunar water ice detection) will all serve as faculty advisors.

“The knowledge, skills and hands-on experiences ahead for these students make LUNADS participation a direct and meaningful extension of their academic work within HIGP and 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa programs,” Englert said. “I look forward to seeing where they take this opportunity.”

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Tectonic stress along the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems in Southern California has now reached, and in some places exceeded, the highest levels seen in the past 1,000 years, according to research led by Earth scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The study, published in , has direct implications for seismic hazard assessments in one of the most densely populated and infrastructure-critical corridors in the U.S.

“Our results show that stress levels on multiple fault segments are now at or above the highest values seen in the past millennium and that the region may be capable of a large through-going rupture involving both fault systems,” said lead author Liliane Burkhard, research affiliate in the at the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa and scientist at the University of Bern, Switzerland. “We also found that Cajon Pass may act as an ‘earthquake gate’: sometimes blocking large ruptures from crossing between the faults, and sometimes allowing them to pass through and involve both systems in a single event.”

1,000 years of earthquake history

The researchers built a physics-based computer model that simulates how stress builds up and releases along the southern San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems, including at Cajon Pass, which is a critical junction between the two fault systems. They fed the model a 1,000-year record of earthquake history of the region reconstructed from geological evidence such as radiocarbon dating of displaced sediments and tree-ring records. By running this simulation forward to the present day, they estimated how much stress has built up.

“The conditions that determine whether the 鈥榚arthquake gate鈥� at Cajon Pass opens or stays closed appear to be related to how closely the stress levels on the two fault systems are aligned with each other at the time of rupture,” Burkhard said. “Right now, with stress at historically high levels across the region and more than 160 years elapsed since the last major rupture, the system is in a critically loaded state.”

Results from this study suggest that the stress that would normally be released in large earthquakes has continued to accumulate and is now at unprecedented levels. Perhaps most importantly, the study showed that Cajon Pass could facilitate a joint rupture of both the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults simultaneously, which is a scenario that could be significantly more damaging than a single-fault event, and one that affects densely populated areas including Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and the Coachella Valley.

Improving earthquake hazard research

This kind of physics-based stress modeling can help refine seismic hazard assessments and inform infrastructure planning, emergency preparedness, and building codes in the region. Additionally, the modeling framework used in this study is applicable to other complex fault junctions globally, so the researchers are interested in developing it as a reusable tool for multi-fault hazard assessments.

“This is not a prediction of when an earthquake will happen,” Burkhard said. “However, studies like this are important contributions to national and global earthquake hazard research in that we are using rigorous, quantitative science to better understand the risk facing millions of people. What we can say is that the system is critically stressed, and that physics-based models like this one give us a clearer picture of the range of scenarios we should be prepared for. That information matters for hazard assessments, infrastructure planning, and emergency preparedness.”

Additional authors of the study include researchers from Northern Arizona University, University of Bern, U.S. Geological Survey and University of California, San Diego.

A led by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa reveals that surface water ice in the Moon鈥檚 permanently shaded regions (PSRs) is less abundant than previously thought. The research provides the most detailed look yet into the lunar PSRs where sunlight cannot reach directly, suggesting that while ice may exist, it is likely present in low concentrations or small, isolated pockets.

This study builds on nearly a decade of breakthroughs by the team, led by Shuai Li, an associate researcher at the in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa . Li previously led the 2018 discovery of the first direct evidence of surface ice using data from India鈥檚 Chandrayaan-1 mission.

Less water on the Moon means future lunar explorers may face tighter constraints for sourcing drinking water and fuel, making planning and resource management even more critical.

Reflected sunlight, crater walls

In this latest effort, the team utilized NASA鈥檚 ShadowCam, an ultra-sensitive camera aboard the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter. ShadowCam is specifically designed to image the Moon鈥檚 darkest corners by capturing sunlight reflected off nearby crater walls.

Researchers found no evidence of “widespread” water ice at high concentrations (above 20% to 30% by weight). This discovery highlights a puzzling disparity between the Moon and other airless bodies like Mercury and Ceres, which host substantial, nearly pure ice deposits in their poles although the Moon鈥檚 poles are even colder.

While the delivery of water via impacts may be similar across the Moon and Mercury, Li suggests Mercury鈥檚 much hotter surface may facilitate substantially more water formation from solar wind than the Moon. Alternatively, the Moon’s unique environment—including space weathering from solar wind, volcanic degassing and mixing of rock layers from impact—may destroy or bury surface ice more effectively.

Science of light scattering

This study was made possible during ShadowCam鈥檚 extended mission, which allowed the team to capture images from multiple angles to analyze how light scatters off the lunar surface. This is the first time researchers used scattering properties of water ice to search for it on the Moon. Rocks and dust on the lunar surface sends more light back toward the direction from which it came, while water ice scatters light forward.

“Water ice doesn鈥檛 just make the surface brighter,” said Li. “The way it scatters light is a fingerprint. By using stereo observations to look at these shadowed craters from different perspectives, we were able to detect this distinctive forward-scattering behavior for the first time.”

In the high-resolution images, the team identified a few small areas, roughly 20 to 50 meters in size, that exhibit both high reflectance and unique forward-scattering properties. These optical signatures are consistent with ice concentrations greater than 10%.

Li said, “I thought we’d find more bright, ice-rich areas, so the small number we found was a bit surprising. However, the forward-scattering signal was a true and exciting surprise because it required stereo observations that were only possible during the extended mission.”

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos has named Robert Wright, the current director of the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (HIGP), as the next Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship, effective January 1, pending 糖心Vlog官方 President Wendy Hensel鈥檚 approval and posting at the November 20 Board of Regents meeting. Wright will succeed Christopher Sabine who has served in the position since February 2022.

“I鈥檓 grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity and to build on the incredible work being done across our campus,” Wright said. “糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 research community has a tremendous impact, from Hawaiʻi to the global stage, and I鈥檓 excited to help further that momentum.”

Sabine will return to faculty as an professor in the (SOEST).

“It has been an honor to serve on the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa leadership team and to contribute to the university鈥檚 mission alongside such dedicated colleagues,” Sabine said. “I鈥檓 deeply grateful for the support, collaboration and shared commitment that make our work so meaningful. I look forward to returning to SOEST and continuing my research and teaching.”

During Sabine驶s tenure as interim vice provost, 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa saw extramural funding grow from $352.6 million in FY2021 to a record $570.4 million in FY2025. The external investments—from federal agencies, private industry and nonprofits—support research and workforce development across disciplines.

“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Chris for his dedicated service over the past nearly four years,” Syrmos said. “His leadership, commitment and vision have made a lasting impact on our university community. Chris is also among the most respected researchers in the field of oceanography, and we are fortunate that his expertise will continue to enrich our campus as he returns to the faculty.”

Prior to his appointment as interim vice provost for research and scholarship, Sabine was the associate dean for research at SOEST. Before coming to 糖心Vlog官方, Sabine was the director of NOAA鈥檚 Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and has been a scientific advisor for a number of research programs nationally and internationally. His research focuses on understanding the global carbon cycle, the role of the ocean in absorbing carbon dioxide released from human activity and ocean acidification.

Wright has been the director of the Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology since 2017 and was appointed Director of the Space Science Institute at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa in 2025. He is an accomplished Earth scientist whose pioneering work in satellite-based monitoring of volcanoes and remote sensing has earned more than $20 million in research funding from NASA and other federal agencies. He has published extensively, led multiple NASA missions, including the HyTI CubeSat project, and continues to advance 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 global reputation in Earth and planetary science.

Materials science is the study and design of new materials and their properties, and it plays a crucial role in industries ranging from renewable energy and aerospace to electronics and national defense. Researchers at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa鈥檚 (HIGP) are leading new initiatives to advance materials science across the state.

Materials Science Consortium for Research and Education

糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa launched the Materials Science Consortium for Research and Education (MSCoRE) in 2017, with a goal of bringing together materials experts and infrastructure scattered around several colleges and departments under one group in support of education, innovation and to lay the foundation for a future materials science center at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa.

Under MSCoRE, 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa developed a popular research experience class for undergraduates and became successful in obtaining grants to bolster its materials science program. One of its early successes was earning a U.S. Department of Energy grant to study hydrogen storage materials.

Materials Research and Education Consortium

Utilizing this momentum, researchers from 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa and the University of Washington (UW) received a seed award from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) program in 2021. The collaboration, known as the Materials Research and Education Consortium (MRE-C), is made up of seven 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa faculty from HIGP, , and , as well as faculty from the UW Molecular Engineering Materials Center.

MRE-C conducts public school visits around the islands to increase student interest and participation in materials science and STEM, and facilitates student exchanges at the undergraduate and graduate levels between 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa and UW. The grant was recently renewed by NSF for a full six years at $4.2 million.

Hawaiʻi Institute of Materials Research

As a testament to 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa鈥檚 expanding capacity and expertise in this space, the Office of Naval Research just awarded a three-year, $4.5 million grant to conduct innovative, high-risk scientific research with the potential to enhance naval capabilities and national security in the Indo-Pacific region. Together with the NSF PREM grant, 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa will now have a formal structure in place with the establishment of the Hawaiʻi Institute of Materials Research (HIMaR). HIMaR will be a virtual, interdisciplinary institute of applied and fundamental research in materials science, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing.

Read more on materials science research at 糖心Vlog官方 . Noelo is 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 research magazine from the .

A groundbreaking scientific expedition was just completed off the west coast of Hawaiʻi Island in search of something unexpected: fresh water beneath the ocean floor. Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 and Scripps Institution of Oceanography teamed up for a two-week offshore imaging survey in July 2025, through a contract with the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority (NELHA) and funding from the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.

The goal was to confirm the existence of a potentially massive underground reservoir of fresh or brackish water hidden beneath the seafloor—an idea that challenges conventional understanding of island hydrology.

“If proven, this deep water could explain long-standing mysteries about Hawaiʻi Island鈥檚 water cycle—namely, why observed coastal discharge doesn鈥檛 match estimated groundwater recharge,” said Peter Kannberg, associate researcher at the (HIGP) in the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 , who led the survey. “In simple terms, a lot of water is missing from current models.”

The roots of this investigation trace back to 2018, when scientists first detected anomalies suggesting a deep, confined aquifer where none should exist. Their theory? Rainwater may be funneled underground trapped beneath layers of volcanic basalt and ash, extending far beneath the basal freshwater lens and even miles offshore.

“If confirmed, this hidden aquifer could reshape our understanding of island hydrology and inform future water resource planning—offering a potential new source of fresh water in a region increasingly affected by drought and climate change,” said Alex Leonard, senior project manager for NELHA.

“If a significant fraction of freshwater is escaping through these deep aquifers, then we need to re-calculate how much water can can be withdrawn from the nearshore basal lens for human consumption and how much needs to remain in these shoreline aquifers to provide nutrients to the reefs and nearshore marine environment,” added Don Thomas, HIGP faculty who has spent decades studying water and subsurface features across the Hawaiian Islands.

High-tech imaging survey takes to the sea

The 2025 survey used advanced electromagnetic imaging techniques. Instruments were deployed on the seafloor to listen for electromagnetic echoes, while a 150-foot-long towed sensor emitted a low-power signal that is recorded on a 3,300-foot-long receiver array. The study spanned two areas: north of Kiholo Bay to Hon艒kohau Harbor and the coastline south of Kailua Bay to Kealakekua.

The team will now begin processing data from the surveys to determine whether this reservoir is present and better understand how much water may be in this hidden offshore aquifer.

“We are now applying state-of-the-art technologies to better characterize the complexity of island hydrology—advancing knowledge that could fundamentally improve how we manage and sustain freshwater resources across volcanic islands both here and abroad,” said Amir Haroon, faculty member at HIGP, who studies water resources on Oʻahu and Maui.

More information

For more on the project and answers to frequently asked questions, visit .

NASA has developing instruments for Moon travel through the Artemis campaign. Two instruments, including 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚, will be integrated onto a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), which astronauts will drive on the Moon. Another instrument will orbit the Moon.

“I鈥檓 so excited to see this project come into reality,” said Matthew Siegler, associate researcher in the (HIGP) at the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 , who will lead the team developing the Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer (L-MAPS). “糖心Vlog官方 has become a major player in the search for ice on the Moon. This instrument selection takes us to the next level.”

The L-MAPS instrument will help determine what is below the Moon鈥檚 surface, the heat production of the Moon and search for possible locations of buried ice. The 糖心Vlog官方 science and spacecraft engineering team will work in partnership with instruments developed at NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the German Technical University at Dresden.

Siegler and deputy principal investigator Shannon Brown, a researcher at JPL, and their team have been designing and testing the L-MAPS instrument for more than five years, preparing for an opportunity to get to the Moon. Being selected for the LTV instrument team moves the development to the next stage—the build—which will primarily take place at JPL.

Outfitting the first crew-driven vehicle on the Moon in 50 years

The LTV vehicle is part of NASA鈥檚 efforts to explore the lunar surface as part of the Artemis campaign and is the first crew-driven vehicle to operate on the Moon in more than 50 years. Designed to hold up to two astronauts, as well as operate remotely without a crew, this surface vehicle will enable NASA to achieve more of its science and exploration goals over a wide swath of lunar terrain.

In the , Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., emphasized that the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle will advance humanity across the lunar frontier toward exploration and discovery and added that the instruments planned for the LTV combine the best of human and robotic exploration.

When combined, data from the L-MAPS and other instruments will paint a picture of the components of the lunar surface and subsurface to support human exploration and will uncover clues to the history of rocky worlds in our solar system.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be working on lunar research in a time when NASA has prioritized the Artemis return of humans to the Moon,” said Siegler. “Work like this is possible because of researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi working for years leading in planetary science and developing spaceflight technologies. It is exciting to be in the right place and time to ride this wave.”

Collaboration is key to success

At JPL, the L-MAPS instrument will be built with components from Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt and Ohio State University. Final testing will be done partially at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补. The instrument production and operation on the Moon will be managed by HIGP faculty Miguel Nunes and Trevor Sorensen and will include many roles for 糖心Vlog官方 faculty, undergraduate and graduate students.

—By Marcie Grabowski

A six-week, hands-on lunar and planetary science education program, “Exploring the Moon and Beyond,” was offered at the Women鈥檚 Community Correctional Center in Kailua in spring 2025. The opportunity was developed by researchers and staff members at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU).

People who are incarcerated represent a significantly underserved community with barriers to accessing opportunities to learn and advance in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) fields.

“There are huge obstacles preventing incarcerated people from pursuing further education and professional careers in STEAM,” said Barb Bruno, program co-creator and research specialist at the in the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST). “We recognized the need to provide scientific outreach and education to this community of learners. We鈥檙e hoping this program helps inmates to imagine a positive future when they are released, and to imagine the possibility that they could be a scientist.”

Sparking imaginations

The non-credit program reached maximum enrollment of 12 students and utilized the Moon and planets as vehicles to teach STEAM content, build STEAM skills and self-efficacy, share cutting-edge NASA research, improve college readiness and stimulate further interest in education.

Each two-hour class was planned and taught by a team of SOEST and WashU researchers, staff, graduate students and a community member, including Bruno, Nina Webb, Marcie Grabowski, Matt Miller, Emma Layton and Hawkins Biggins. Classes focused on the solar system, Moon, meteorites, requirements for NASA鈥檚 future missions to the Moon, and conditions for life on Earth and beyond.

“The students engaged in meaningful and positive learning experiences each week,” said Miller, program instructor who was an graduate student during the outreach program. “This experience really affirmed how powerful access to education can be in sparking peoples鈥� imaginations. Science, and a love for geoscience especially, changed how I see the world, and I really enjoyed sharing how exciting science is.”

Students in the course received a certificate of participation, which is placed in their case file to acknowledge their effort in taking pro-active steps to make positive plans for their future. The team plans to offer an additional six-week program at the men鈥檚 Waiawa Correctional Facility in fall 2025.

Education to prevent recidivism

A by the U.S. Department of Justice that followed released inmates from 30 different states, found that 68% were arrested for a new crime within three years of release. That number jumped to 79% after six years and to 83% after nine years.

“These results beg the question: what works to reduce recidivism?” said Webb, staff scientist at WashU and co-creator of the outreach program. “Although the answer is clearly complex, many proven approaches involve education.”

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A program at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 that supported dozens of career development activities for women in geosciences and community outreach was terminated by the loss of federal funding.

In April, Barbara Bruno, project lead and faculty member at the in the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST), was given a termination notice with instructions to immediately close operations on the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded program. About two-thirds of the nearly $200,000 budget was forfeited when the grant was terminated.

“SOEST is Hawaiʻi鈥檚 largest producer of geoscience graduates—alumni who go on to monitor volcanic hazards, predict extreme weather, conduct assessments of environmental impacts, ensure sustainable use of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 freshwater resources, and more,” said Bruno. “I think the biggest impact of this termination is the loss of professional development opportunities for women. STEM is hemorrhaging women鈥攚e need programs to keep them.”

The NSF award supported a mini-grant program, , that funded geoscience workforce development in two ways: outreach and community engagement to attract the next generation of STEM professionals; and professional development for current SOEST students and early career scientists.

Loss of career development and outreach opportunities

Through the mini-grants program, female students, post-doctoral researchers, staff and faculty submitted applications to secure funding to attend professional meetings, technical or career development workshops; or engage in field work or research collaborations. For example, this project supported activities of a co-writing group for women in SOEST and multiple student-oriented groups focused on diversity, equity and inclusion within 糖心Vlog官方.

The federal funding cut also resulted in terminating two months of Bruno鈥檚 salary and several mini-grants that were in process. Funding was pulled from a Palauan graduate student who is pursuing her doctoral degree in the Marine Biology Graduate Program and studying the unique and diverse coral communities of Ngermid Bay in the Republic of Palau.

The successfully completed outreach and community engagement efforts supported by this program include training for ; and workshops, hands-on activities, and presentations to community members and middle and high school students that focused on and .

“We were also actively soliciting applications for the next round of CASA funding when we received the termination notice,” said Bruno. “Ending this grant eliminates the support for future professional development opportunities and K–12 and community engagement.”

Next steps

On May 28, Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez and 15 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit to stop illegal attempts to cut critical NSF programs and funding that help maintain the U.S.鈥� position as a global leader in STEM. Bruno submitted a declaration in support of this federal lawsuit, attesting to the adverse impacts of the sudden termination of her NSF grant. Bruno is actively pursuing alternative funding sources to support these initiatives.

The , based at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补, hosted its research and education collaborative partners from the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at the University of Washington (UW) in spring 2025. The consortium engages in interdisciplinary research that fosters key breakthroughs in materials research and education important for sustainability on remote island communities.

“We are committed to continuing to grow materials science research and education offerings to all students at 糖心Vlog官方 through this unique partnership with UW,” said Godwin Severa, the project principal investigator and a researcher in the at the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 .

Connecting with Hawaiʻi鈥檚 middle and high school students

The second half of the visit was dedicated to educating middle and high school students at Hawaiʻi public schools about materials science through hands-on activities, interactions with scientists and presentations utilizing the UW-developed “Nanocamp” materials science modules. 糖心Vlog官方 and UW students led the NanoCamp activities at six Hawaiʻi schools: ʻIlima Intermediate, Waipahu High, Kaiser High, University Laboratory School, Kaimuki Middle and McKinley High. More than 650 students participated in the materials science activities.

“Launching the program with these activities was critical for our members to get to know each other, learn to work together, develop detailed research plans, and appreciate the diverse perspectives that each of us bring to the partnership,” said Lilo D. Pozzo, Boeing-Roundhill Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington, and project co-investigator. “The outreach activities with K–12 schools cemented our motivation to support growth of materials research in Hawaiʻi and to serve its communities.”

Elevating material science research

The consortium partners aim to boost research for clean energy and sustainability, elevate material science research and STEM education at both undergraduate and graduate levels, broaden related education through new courses and workshops, and integrate local knowledge and insights to material science education.

The first half of the spring visit was focused on workshops on energizing materials science research and education in the partnership and included faculty presentations and discussions on current focus area activities and future plans. Research focus area working sessions and laboratory tours with the UW faculty and graduate students further clarified future collaborative activities. The activities concluded with a poster session, where students presented their research work and engaged with peers and faculty.

The consortium is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials and is comprised of 12 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 faculty and 14 UW faculty.

—By Marcie Grabowski

Liliane Burkhard, a University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 research affiliate, was selected as one of two for the European Geosciences Union (EGU) 2025 General Assembly in Vienna, Austria. In this week-long role spanning April and May, Burkhard created a large-scale installation that bridges science and art, specifically, transforming discarded conference posters into a floating cloud sculpture.

“Science is how we explain the world, art is how we make sense of it,” said Burkhard, a planetary geologist in the (HIGP) at the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 School of (SOEST). “I am deeply honored to be selected as an Artist in Residence for EGU25, where I can merge my passions for science and art in a meaningful way.”

The Artist in Residence program offers scientist-artists an opportunity to engage with scientific research in a dynamic setting and be inspired by the many new discoveries being presented at one of the largest international geoscience conferences.

“My installation served as a metaphor for how scientific ideas form and evolve, often starting as nebulous concepts that, over time, take shape and lead to something tangible,” Burkhard shared. “The act of reusing the physical posters to craft something new reflects the iterative process of research itself. In this, I hope to encourage viewers to consider how ideas, much like clouds, are always in flux: constantly forming and dissolving, yet impactful in the way they inspire both imagination and progress.”

With the installation, “Clouds of Insights,“ Burkhard created a space for reflection and conversation, while also emphasizing sustainability by repurposing materials from the conference itself.

In addition to her work as a sculptural mixed media artist, Burkhard has conducted planetary science research previously as a graduate student in the SOEST and now as a HIGP research affiliate. Through her investigations, she has explored the geology and histories of icy moons in our solar system, including Saturn鈥檚 largest moon, , and Jupiter鈥檚 largest moon, .

Sharing the science-art connection

Burkhard and Emily Costello, a researcher at HIGP, co-hosted a short course at the EGU conference, “Unlocking creativity through paper sculptures: Overcoming blocks in writing and idea generation.” They offered more than 60 attendees an opportunity to use the art of paper folding and sculpture to overcome creative blocks, spark fresh ideas and explore the transformative connections between hands-on creativity and scientific innovation.

“There was quite a lot of interest overall, which was very exciting!” said Burkhard. “The participants said they very much enjoyed doing something tactile and hands-on to help them with their work as scientists, connecting themselves to art and seeing things from a different perspective.”

—By Marcie Grabowski

Scientists have been on the hunt to determine where and how much ice is present on the Moon. Water ice would be an important resource at a potential future lunar base, as it could be used to support humans or be broken down to hydrogen and oxygen, key components of rocket fuel. University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 researchers are using two innovative approaches to advance the search for ice on the Moon.

NASA‘s ShadowCam scouts for surface ice

Water ice was previously detected in the permanently shaded regions of the Moon鈥檚 north and south poles by Shuai Li, assistant researcher at the (HIGP) in the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST). A led by Jordan Ando, planetary sciences graduate student in Li鈥檚 laboratory, examined images from a specialized camera, NASA‘s ShadowCam, that is aboard the Korea Aerospace Research Institute Korea Lunar Pathfinder Orbiter.

Related 糖心Vlog官方 News stories:

• Water on the Moon; team confirms with ground equipment, January 10, 2022
• Direct evidence of ice on Moon surface discovered, August 21, 2018

Craters in the Moon鈥檚 polar regions receive no direct sunlight, but sunlight that bounces off of one side of a crater can indirectly illuminate another side. The ShadowCam, designed specifically to look only at the dark, permanently shaded areas on the Moon, is extremely sensitive to the indirect light reflected off the lunar surface.

“Ice is generally brighter, that is, reflects more light, than rocks,” said Ando. “We analyzed high-quality images from this sensitive camera to look really closely into these permanently shaded areas and investigate whether water ice in these regions leads to widespread brightening of the surface.”

The analysis of Shadow Cam images indicates that water ice makes up less than 20% of the lunar surface.

Cosmic rays help search for buried ice

Another group of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 researchers with HIGP and recently in Geophysical Research Letters that outlines an innovative approach to detect buried ice deposits at the Moon鈥檚 poles.

“We showed that a new technique for detecting buried water ice on the Moon is possible using naturally occurring cosmic rays,” said Emily S. Costello, study lead author and researcher at HIGP. “These ultra-high-energy cosmic rays strike the lunar surface and penetrate to the layers below. The rays emit radar waves that bounce off buried ice and rock layers, which we can use to infer what鈥檚 below the surface.”

The team used an advanced computer simulation that tests how radar waves travel through the lunar soil and how they encode information about possible buried ice layers. A team of HIGP and Department of Physics and Astronomy researchers are working to assemble a radar instrument specifically tuned to listen for these signals on the Moon and hope to test the full system by early 2026. They will look for opportunities to send it to the Moon to hopefully detect large deposits of buried water ice on the Moon for the first time.

“More and more, Hawaiʻi is becoming a hub for space exploration, and specifically the exploration of the Moon,” said Costello. “These projects, led by 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 scientists, represent up-and-coming opportunities for students and professionals in Hawaiʻi to lead and participate in the budding space industry.”

Read the entire story on the .

—By Marcie Grabowski

Emily Costello, a planetary scientist at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补, was as one of eight participating scientists to join its to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These asteroids are remnants of the early solar system trapped on stable orbits associated with, but not close to, the planet Jupiter.

On the Lucy mission, Costello will contribute to the goal of understanding the nature and history of Trojan asteroids by providing insights into the role of meteoritic impacts in shaping the surfaces of the Trojans.

“Impacts are a pervasive geological process on small bodies, so it is critical that we accurately decipher how these impacts shape the formation and evolution of the asteroids,” said Costello, who is a researcher at the in the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST).

The impact of impacts

Launched in 2021, the spacecraft is the first space mission to explore the diverse group of small bodies known as the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. Trojan asteroids orbit in two “swarms” that lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit around the Sun.

Impacts from meteors mix the surface of these bodies and muddle geologic layers, called strata. Impacts play a crucial role in erasing and homogenizing certain surface features, such as crater rays, and in the evolution of chemical and physical characteristics. Costello will provide the Lucy team with a key piece of the surface geology puzzle, leveraging her impact modeling expertise and targeted observations of craters and the material they propel outward.

“The history written and rewritten by impacts will influence the interpretation of all observations by the Lucy mission’s scientific instruments that view Trojan surfaces,” Costello said. “So, it’s thrilling to be able to help interpret the first ever close-up look at these likely ancient asteroids.”

More about the Lucy mission

Over its 12-year mission, Lucy will explore a record-breaking number of asteroids, flying by three asteroids in the solar system鈥檚 main asteroid belt, and by eight Trojan asteroids that share an orbit around the Sun with Jupiter. Lucy also will fly by Earth three times to get a push from its gravity, making it the first spacecraft to return to the vicinity of Earth from the outer solar system.

and .

Related 糖心Vlog官方 News stories on Costello:

• Linking planetary science, art, Indigenous culture focus of early career award, June 5, 2024
• Building pathways for Indigenous lunar science at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, June 17, 2022
• Mission to find lunar ice gets $3M NASA boost, February 1, 2022
• Surface of Jupiter鈥檚 moon Europa may have conditions for life, July 12, 2021

To gain valuable insight into the groundwater flow near Red Hill, Oʻahu, researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 began a dye tracer study in February. Using a method that has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, the team injected a fluorescent compound to a monitoring well and will study its migration through the aquifer over the spring of 2025.

Following the jet fuel leaks from storage tanks in 2014 and 2021, there has been significant concern from community members and scientists about the safety of drinking water in the area. After the 2021 release of jet fuels, water pumped from Red Hill Shaft no longer supplies public drinking water but rather is entirely discharged to Halawa Stream as part of ongoing recovery efforts at the request of regulators.

Recent geophysical and hydrological studies have begun to provide a better understanding of the regional geology and groundwater flow rates and directions. The dye tracer study will validate those findings and provide data sets to inform current and future modeling efforts. Rhodamine water tracer (WT) was selected for this study because it is non-toxic, straightforward to measure, breaks down in sunlight, doesn鈥檛 bind to soils and washes away easily.

“Fluorescent dyes, such fluorescein and rhodamine, have been used for decades by the U.S. Geological Survey to understand river dynamics and were safely used to study the groundwater migration of freshwater discharge off the coast of Lahaina, Maui in 2011,” said Toomas Parratt, researcher in the at the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 and lead hydrogeologist on the study.

The team injected dye into RHMW08, a quarter of a mile upgradient from Red Hill Shaft (RHS), which was shut down as a public drinking water supply following the November 2021 fuel leak. However, extraction at RHS is still ongoing with a granular activated carbon treatment system prior to discharge to Halawa Stream. For the tracer study the water extraction rate was temporarily increased to over 4 million gallons per day, consistent with the permitted rate, to maximize the recovery of the injected dye.

The water pumped from RHS will be monitored every 10 minutes to determine the concentrations of the tracer dye in the extracted water. The arrival time of the dye at RHS and the total mass captured by RHS鈥� pump will allow for the estimation of groundwater velocities and the efficacy of dye recovery. The concentration of dye will also be monitored after treatment by the Navy’s activated charcoal filters to ensure adequate dye removal prior to discharge to Halawa Stream, since it is disconnected from the public drinking supply.

“From the ongoing hydrogeological studies the majority of the dye is expected to be captured by RHS and will not discharge to any surface water bodies, including streams, springs and near-shore seeps since the dye was injected below sea level within the capture zone of RHS,” Parratt emphasized.

Additional information

Preliminary results from the dye tracer study will be shared publicly in summer 2025.

An informational webinar about the tracer study and future webinars . For more information, or contact Parratt at toom@hawaii.edu with questions.

In early 2025, the provided more than 1,000 students across the state with an opportunity to showcase their technical skills and a chance to advance to the World Championships in Dallas, Texas. The championships are managed by the (HSGC) in the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (HIGP) and supported by funding through .

A total of 111 teams competed in the VEX V5 Robotics Competition and the VEX IQ Robotics Competition Regional Championships, representing public and private schools on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island and in Maui County, as well as club organizations and home teams.

VEX Robotics is an educational robotics program that inspires students to excel in STEM principles while encouraging creativity, teamwork, leadership and problem solving among groups.

“Robotics competitions foster these skills and prepare students to become future innovators and global problem-solvers, as well as increase their interest in pursuing STEM careers,” said Adria Fung, HSGC robotics education specialist.

VEX V5 Robotics Competition Championships

The VEX V5 Robotics Competition Championships featured high school and middle school teams at the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard in Kapolei on January 25 and 26. This year鈥檚 challenge, High Stakes, was a fast-paced game that pits alliances of two teams against another alliance, and requires robots to score rings on stakes, place mobile goals and climb at the end of the match. Robots have a period of autonomous play followed by driver-controlled play.

Advancing to the World Championships were N膩n膩kuli High and Intermediate, Mililani Mechs Robotics, Waialua High and Intermediate and Wai膩kea Intermediate.

VEX IQ Robotics Competition Championships

The VEX IQ Robotics Competition Championships featured elementary and middle school teams at Pearl City High School on February 15 and 16. This year鈥檚 challenge, Rapid Relay, was a teamwork challenge game that required two teams to pass balls between robots, score balls through targets and clear switches. A new student role to this year鈥檚 game, the loader, gives students an opportunity to introduce balls directly onto the field, allowing for human-robot interaction.

Advancing to the World Championships were 惭腻苍辞补 Elementary School, Haleiwa Elementary School, Island Robotics and St. Louis School.

Due to double qualifications by teams in both competitions, the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation will select additional Hawaiʻi teams to advance to the national competition.

About Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium

HSGC offers remote and in-person training sessions and workshops for coaches, teachers and students, a robotics curriculum for STEM/robotics classes, and mentors teachers and students in robotics programs. HSGC and HIGP work to inspire and prepare students to enter STEM degree pathways and careers to promote public understanding of NASA鈥檚 goals and missions. HSGC and HIGP are housed in 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 .

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa recently received and analyzed pristine samples from the asteroid Bennu—material that has been preserved in the vacuum of space since the tumultuous formation of the solar system. Their findings will provide clues to the building blocks and events of those earliest days.

“To date there have been only a handful of missions that brought material back to Earth from elsewhere in the solar system,” said Gary Huss, researcher at the (HIGP) in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST) and director of HIGP鈥檚 . “It is an honor and a privilege to analyze a sample from another world.”

In 2016, NASA launched with a mission to reach Bennu, which orbits near Earth, and collect a sample of material from its surface. In addition to gathering remote observations that revealed Bennu鈥檚 with , OSIRIS-REx unfurled its robotic arm and, in a first for NASA, briefly touched down and collected dust and pebbles. Years later, in 2023, the spacecraft delivered the sample to Earth and a thin polished section of that material was shared by NASA in January with researchers at HIGP.

“Collecting and transporting these samples 200 million miles back to Earth was an engineering marvel,” said Rob Wright, HIGP director. “That some of this precious material has been entrusted to HIGP鈥檚 labs is testament to the world-leading expertise of Gary, Kazu [Nagashima, HIGP specialist], and the cosmochemistry group; and the cutting-edge science being conducted at the University of Hawaiʻi.”

Bennu is essentially a time capsule from the early solar system. Researchers from around the world applied to receive samples of the asteroid to better understand the origin of the asteroid and by extension the origin of the solar system. Huss and Nagashima, were granted access to the cherished samples to measure oxygen isotopes in various minerals including dolomite, calcite, bruennerite, and magnetite, using the ion probe in the Keck Lab.

“This will give us new insight into the raw materials for the solar system and the water that was part of the asteroid,” said Huss. “Additionally, the mineral analyses will tell us about the temperature of interactions between rock and water on the asteroid, and the isotopic measurements can potentially tell us about the timing of various things that happened in the early solar system.”

Beneath a miles-thick icy crust, Jupiter’s moon Europa likely has a saltwater ocean that may be one of the best places to look for life beyond Earth. Researchers in the (HIGP) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa were awarded $1.8 million by NASA to predict where they may have the best chance of accessing the ocean and possibly finding life.

On Europa, liquid from the ocean may be exposed at the surface, or actively escape into space through plumes of vapor and ice particles. Such activity could also bring with it samples of microbial life that may inhabit the ocean. Sarah Fagents, researcher in HIGP at the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST), is leading the effort via the , the mission to Europa launched by NASA in October.

“This precursor work will provide critical context to enable more efficient analysis of Clipper data by the science community and will help generate discoveries and new questions that will feed into the planning of mission observations,” said Fagents. “This will maximize the science return during the lifetime of the Europa Clipper, which is limited due to the intense radiation it will experience around this moon.”

After traversing the solar system for nearly six years, Europa Clipper will reach Jupiter, orbit the planet, and conduct nearly 50 close flybys of Europa.

Clues from chaos

The team鈥檚 research will focus on what is referred to as Europa鈥檚 . These are highly fractured and disrupted areas of the moon鈥檚 surface where blocks of ice appear to have broken off, drifted and refrozen to the surface. Previous research has indicated that liquid water either rises directly from the ocean to the subsurface or forms by the melting of salty ice at shallow depths, creating massive lakes inside the moon’s frozen crust. Over time, the ice directly above these lakes collapses, splintering into floating fragments that rotate, raft and resettle into all kinds of configurations.

“With the upcoming work, we will assess the feasibility of different chaos formation models, determine the potential for exposure of interior and/or ocean materials at the surface, develop techniques for efficient analysis of Clipper data, and evaluate where best to look for signs of habitability exposed at the surface,” said Fagents. “I鈥檓 excited to see what鈥檚 ahead.”

Fagents鈥� three-year project includes HIGP researchers Shuai Li, Gwendolyn Brouwer and Lauren Schurmeier; and collaborators from four other institutions (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the University of Texas at Austin, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab).

–By Marcie Grabowski

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students have more space workforce opportunities with two new undergraduate minors, one in Earth and Planetary Exploration and Technology (EPET) and the other in Human Space Flight Technology. Located in one of the most geographically isolated locations on Earth, 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa has established itself as a world-renowned leader in space-related programs.

The two minors will be administered by the (HIGP) in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa . The objective of these programs is to provide professional education in the expanding field of human space flight and broaden access to space system science and technology education for 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa students, with special emphasis on including historically underrepresented groups.

“Space exploration is an interdisciplinary field that is growing at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa, in the State, nationally and internationally,” said Peter Englert, professor in HIGP and program chair for the new academic opportunities. “The successful establishment of the certificate program in 2020 provided a model for the establishment of the new minors. These offerings will increase the number of 糖心Vlog官方 students with qualifications to enter the space workforce with their chosen majors.”

Opportunities for diverse majors

Englert anticipates that students in physical sciences, astronomy, computer science and engineering will be interested in pursuing the Earth and Planetary Exploration and Technology minor. The Human Space Flight Technology minor, which has a strong component of life sciences, space life support technology, human factors, space ethics and comparative space policy, is likely to generate more interest among students interested in the new space economy from social sciences to business. Undergraduate students can enroll for the minors beginning in spring 2025.

“With the missions to return to the Moon and current revolution in technology, this innovative educational program will allow for 糖心Vlog官方 students to get involved with internships, fellowships, and leadership opportunities in our future as a spacefaring civilization,” said co-instructor, Ari Eisenstat with the Hawaiʻi Research Center for Future Studies.

For more information on the minors and how to enroll, contact Englert at englert@hawaii.edu or visit the .

Saturn鈥檚 largest moon Titan is the only place other than Earth known to have an atmosphere and liquids in the form of rivers, lakes and seas on its surface. Because of the extremely cold temperature, the liquids on Titan are made of hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane, and the surface is made of solid water ice. , led by planetary scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, revealed that methane gas may also be trapped within the ice, forming a distinct crust up to 6 miles thick, which warms the underlying ice shell and may also explain Titan’s methane-rich atmosphere.

Shallow impact craters lead to crust hypothesis

The research team, led by research associate Lauren Schurmeier, that includes Gwendolyn Brouwer, doctoral candidate, and Sarah Fagents, associate director and researcher, in the in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST), observed in NASA data that Titan鈥檚 impact craters are hundreds of meters shallower than expected and only 90 craters have been identified on this moon.

“This was very surprising because, based on other moons, we expect to see many more impact craters on the surface and craters that are much deeper than what we observe on Titan,” said Schurmeier. “We realized something unique to Titan must be making them become shallower and disappear relatively quickly.”

Researchers tested in a computer model how the topography of Titan might relax or rebound after an impact if the ice shell was covered with a layer of insulating methane clathrate ice, a kind of solid water ice with methane gas trapped within the crystal structure. Since the initial shape of Titan’s craters is unknown, the researchers modeled and compared two plausible initial depths, based on craters of similar size on an icy moon.

“Using this modeling approach, we were able to constrain the methane clathrate crust thickness to five to ten kilometers [about 3 to 6 miles] because simulations using that thickness produced crater depths that best matched the observed craters,” said Schurmeier. “The methane clathrate crust warms Titan’s interior and causes surprisingly rapid topographic relaxation, which results in crater shallowing at a rate that is close to that of fast-moving warm glaciers on Earth.”

Methane-rich atmosphere

Estimating the thickness of the methane clathrate crust is important because it may explain the origin of Titan’s methane-rich atmosphere and helps researchers understand Titan’s carbon cycle, liquid methane-based “hydrological cycle,” and changing climate.

“Titan is a natural laboratory to study how the greenhouse gas methane warms and cycles through the atmosphere,” said Schurmeier. “Earth’s methane clathrate hydrates, found in the permafrost of Siberia and below the arctic seafloor, are currently destabilizing and releasing methane. So, lessons from Titan can provide important insights into processes happening on Earth.”

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–By Marcie Grabowski

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Office of the Provost has formally initiated the search for the next dean of the (SOEST). The search advisory committee reporting to Provost Michael Bruno has been established to start the search process.

SOEST is widely recognized as a world-class research and academic institution. It is ranked in the top 1% globally for atmospheric science, earth science and oceanography. The mission of SOEST is to serve society through uplifting and expanding new knowledge about our oceans, Earth, atmosphere and planets, and enhancing the quality of life in Hawaiʻi, the nation and across the globe, by providing world-class research and education, contributing to a high-tech economy, and promoting the sustainable and resilient use of the environment.

Denise Konan, dean of the College of Social Sciences, will chair the search advisory committee, whose members are as follows:

• Rosie Alegado, associate professor, Department of Oceanography and 糖心Vlog官方 Sea Grant, Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, SOEST
• Alex Culley, associate researcher, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, SOEST
• Jenny Engels, ADVANCE grant co-principal investigator, community member
• Jennifer Griswold, associate professor and chair, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, SOEST
• Amir Haroon, assistant professor, Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, SOEST
• Anita Lopez, director of Research Vessel Operations, RC糖心Vlog官方 member
• Teresa Medeiros, fiscal manager, 糖心Vlog官方 staff
• Gregory Moore, emeritus professor, Department of Earth Sciences, SOEST
• Yuta Norden, graduate student
• Robert Toonen, professor and Gates Endowed chair, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, SOEST

The committee will recommend finalists to Provost Bruno, who will then recommend a selectee to the 糖心Vlog官方 president.

The search process has started and will lead into the spring 2025 semester with finalists invited to campus in spring and anticipated start date for the new dean in fall 2025.