The University of Hawaiʻi System has announced the appointment of Brad Christ as vice president for information technology and chief information officer (CIO), effective May 23. The appointment was officially approved by the Board of Regents (BOR) at its May 21 meeting.

“I am honored to step into this role,” said Christ. “I look forward to collaborating on and building upon the technology initiatives we have already launched across the system, further modernizing our cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity protections, and ensuring that our students, faculty, and staff have the innovative tools they need for success.”

Prior to this, Christ served as the 糖心Vlog官方 System鈥檚 associate vice president and deputy CIO. Over the past year in that role, he made an immediate and significant impact through strategic leadership, generating tangible results for the university. Through his review of major ITS systems and contracts over this past year, he identified $327,000 in direct savings for the current and future fiscal years. Furthermore, Christ has advanced critical digital transformation efforts across all campuses, including leading the impending system-wide launch of a Microsoft 365 environment to provide AI-enabled tools to students, faculty and staff, as well as securing system-wide access to GitHub Enterprise at no cost to the university. He has also accelerated 糖心Vlog官方‘s cloud strategy and actively supported 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa’s work to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning.

“Christ stepped forward to lead stabilization efforts during a critical period, improving communication, strengthening community engagement, and driving resolution of major system deficiencies,” 糖心Vlog官方 President Wendy Hensel wrote in a letter to the BOR. “His calm, hands-on leadership has been instrumental in restoring confidence and improving service delivery.”

Christ brings 25 years of experience in higher education information technology to his new role. Before joining 糖心Vlog官方, he served as the CIO for Eastern Washington University for more than seven years, while concurrently acting as the interim associate vice president for facilities and athletic facilities during the final 18 months of his tenure. His career also includes seven years as CIO for Southern Oregon University and 13 years at Augsburg University, where he advanced through multiple roles from technician to director.

A native of Minnesota, Christ earned his master鈥檚 degree in planning and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science from the University of Minnesota. Additionally, he served in the Minnesota Army National Guard for nine years.

Christ is involved with organizations such as EDUCAUSE, Internet2 and the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium, where he serves as a co-manager of the organization’s cybersecurity program. For the last 13 years, he has also served as an accreditation evaluator for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Garret Yoshimi, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at the University of Hawaiʻi System, will retire effective June 1, 2026, following more than a decade in the role and a long career in information technology serving Hawaiʻi. His final day in the office will be May 22.

Yoshimi returned to 糖心Vlog官方 in January 2015 and has played a central role in guiding the university鈥檚 information technology strategy across its 10 campuses. He previously served as telecommunications manager and director of technology infrastructure for the university system.

“Garret is not only exceptionally knowledgeable and widely respected in his field, but also one of the kindest and most thoughtful colleagues you could ever hope to work with, and he will be greatly missed across the University of Hawaiʻi,” said 糖心Vlog官方 President Wendy Hensel in a message to university leadership. “Please join me in thanking Garret for his many contributions to 糖心Vlog官方 and in wishing him all the best in his retirement.”

“It has been my privilege to work with such a dedicated team, including going beyond the call for multiple high-profile efforts,” Yoshimi said in a message to 糖心Vlog官方 ITS employees. “I am proud of the work we have accomplished together, that made a material difference for our 糖心Vlog官方 community, and our global community of institutional peers and partners.”

Leading systemwide innovation and connectivity

During his leadership, Yoshimi oversaw systemwide efforts to modernize information technology services, strengthen cybersecurity protections and expand digital tools supporting teaching, learning and operations across the university.

Among his recent initiatives, Yoshimi helped lead efforts to position Hawaiʻi as a global connectivity hub. In 2025, the University of Hawaiʻi System advanced a partnership with Google on a proposed trans-Pacific subsea fiber optic system, including a cable landing station at 糖心Vlog官方 West Oʻahu aimed at expanding international connectivity and improving network resilience across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region.

He also supported a collaboration with Google Public Sector to develop artificial intelligence tools to support student career pathways, connecting academic programs with workforce opportunities in Hawaiʻi.

Yoshimi and colleagues have been recognized for their longstanding contributions to global research and education networking. In 2026, he was part of a 糖心Vlog官方 team honored with the CENIC Innovations in Networking Award for Network Partner, recognizing more than 35 years of work connecting Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to global research networks.

He received the ACUTA Bill D. Morris Award for individual leadership from the Association for College and University Technology Advancement and remains active in national higher education IT organizations, including EDUCAUSE and Internet2.

A Honolulu native, Yoshimi has nearly five decades of experience in information technology leadership across higher education, government and the private sector. He was appointed vice president for information technology and chief information officer in 2015, succeeding David Lassner, who went on to serve as 糖心Vlog官方 president. In addition to his time at the 糖心Vlog官方, Yoshimi鈥檚 career includes leadership roles with the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary—where he served as its first chief information officer—the East-West Center and DTRIC Insurance.

Yoshimi earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a graduate certificate in telecommunications and information resource management from the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补.

During the transition, Brad Christ, associate vice president and deputy chief information officer, will serve as interim vice president for information technology and chief information officer.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforms higher education, the University of Hawaiʻi is launching a new systemwide office to meet the challenge and establish itself as a national leader. The 糖心Vlog官方 Office of Academic Technology and Innovation (OATI) will guide the integration of emerging technologies and AI across all 10 campuses, serving as the hub for strategy, implementation and oversight in teaching, learning and operations.

Housed within the Office of the 糖心Vlog官方 President, the office will be overseen by Ina Wanca, the 糖心Vlog官方 Chief Academic Technology Innovation Officer. Wanca will work closely with campus leaders, ITS and the Institutional Research and Analysis Office and serve as the primary liaison between academic leadership and ITS.

OATI will support the consolidation and alignment of academic technology, advance AI adoption and transformative initiatives across the system and establish governance frameworks to ensure the responsible, ethical and equitable use of technology.

“The Office of Academic Technology and Innovation is a critical step forward in ensuring 糖心Vlog官方 is not just adapting to emerging technologies but leading their thoughtful and strategic integration,” said 糖心Vlog官方 President Wendy Hensel. “This office will help us realize the full potential of AI and academic innovation to support student success, faculty excellence, and operational efficiency.”

With AI adoption moving at different paces across 糖心Vlog官方’s ten campuses, OATI will create a single framework ensuring all investments, tools, and innovations drive a common vision for teaching, learning, and research.

“This new office turns that shared vision into reality,” said Ina Wanca. “By ensuring equal access to modern tools, building AI literacy for students and faculty and linking innovation to workforce readiness, we will prepare Hawaiʻi’s learners and educators to thrive in the AI era while honoring the values that define our university system.”

OATI will also support the AI Planning Group announced June 25 in developing a university-wide AI strategy aligned with institutional goals.

“With the AI Planning Group and OATI working together, we can align priorities across all campuses and move quickly from ideas to implementation,” said Kim Siegenthaler, Senior Advisor to the President.

The office will also help lead implementation of the $7.4 million, five-year subscription to EAB Navigate360 and EAB Edify, approved by the 糖心Vlog官方 Board of Regents on June 16. The platforms use predictive analytics to alert faculty, advisors, and support staff at the earliest sign a student may be at risk. The systems have proven successful in closing student achievement gaps and improving retention and graduation rates.

The University of Hawaiʻi has launched designed to make it easier for students to explore and pursue academic opportunities across 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 10 campuses. By centralizing key transfer information, the university aims to reduce barriers and encourage students to stay on track toward graduation鈥攏o matter where they begin and complete their 糖心Vlog官方 journeys.

The new site, available at , brings together critical information and resources in one easy-to-use platform. Whether students are actively planning to transfer or simply exploring program options, the site offers clear guidance, interactive tools and real advice from fellow transfer students.

“Ensuring seamless transfer across the 糖心Vlog官方 System is a critical priority and I commend the work of the Academic Advising and Transfer Network (AATN) group for revitalizing this critical resource,” said Debora Halbert, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for academic strategy.

Serving thousands of students

Transfer students are a core component of the 糖心Vlog官方 student body and 糖心Vlog官方 System mission, with 2,314 transfer students matriculating into 4-year campuses in the fall 2024 semester, 48% of whom arrived from another 糖心Vlog官方 campus.

Students will find information on the steps to transfer within the 糖心Vlog官方 System, from two-year to four-year institutions and vice versa. The site also includes details about academic advising, tuition and costs, and links to the 糖心Vlog官方 Transfer Database Tool, which helps students understand how their credits will transfer between campuses.

The launch of the new portal is part of a broader initiative involving the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy, AATN and 糖心Vlog官方 Information and Technology Services, intended to enhance the transfer experience and empower students to be the navigators of their own academic journeys.

It also supports President Wendy Hensel鈥檚 vision to ensure a common “baseline standard of care” for all 糖心Vlog官方 students, and the university鈥檚 ongoing commitment to student success, equity and seamless academic mobility.

More than 35 University of Hawaiʻi students from three campuses (糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo and 糖心Vlog官方 Maui College) gained hands-on experience tackling real-world challenges at the , held April 4–6, at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补.

Participants formed interdisciplinary teams to build data-driven solutions using Google Cloud AI tools, including Vertex AI. Five challenge topics pushed students to apply diverse skills toward local and statewide resilience efforts, such as climate data visualization, educational content generation, conversational AI and immersive technology for science communication.

The first-place team, Untrained Parameters, created the Hawaiʻi Climate Explorer—an interactive web app that visualizes temperature and rainfall data from the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal, a project led by 糖心Vlog官方 experts. The team included PhD students Federica Chiti and Dhvanil Desai (), Fahim Yasir (), Gerardo Rivera Tello (), and master’s student Yada Ponpittayalert ().

“This was an incredible experience, highlighting the potential of large language models (a type of AI-trained model) for multimodal applications, even within a limited prototype developed in just three days,” said Rivera Tello.

BruhMode earned second place with GenEDU, an AI-powered educational content generator. Third place was awarded to Kani, developers of a climate-focused chatbot. TurtleyAwesome, won the Visualization Challenge with Sheldon the Turtle, a 3D AI-powered museum-style guide for climate data.

Prizes ranged from MacBook laptops and iPads to AR glasses and Google Cloud Platform credits.

Hosted by 糖心Vlog官方 System Information Technology Services (ITS), and , the three-day event was led by the ITS Research Cyberinfrastructure team and supported by the National Science Foundation-sponsored , , Google Cloud and the Burwood Group, Inc.

Mentors from ITS, the Burwood Group, and Hawaiʻi Mesonet and Change Hawaiʻi supported students throughout the hackathon, offering technical guidance and real-world insights.

“This hackathon gave students an incredible opportunity to apply cutting-edge AI tools to real-world challenges that directly impact Hawaiʻi,” said 糖心Vlog官方 ITS Director of Research Cyberinfrastructure Sean Cleveland, who led the event and also served as a program mentor. “Their creativity, teamwork and passion for innovation were truly inspiring to witness.”

The University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 hosted an international cybersecurity symposium, providing students with hands-on exposure to the latest advancements in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). The two-day event in February, held at Campus Center, featured leading experts, industry professionals and researchers discussing the evolving landscape of cyber threats and defense strategies.

“Cybersecurity is key for Hawaiʻi as we work to diversify our economy through research, innovation and technology. This symposium brought together thought leaders from academia, government and industry to tackle emerging cybersecurity challenges while also building global collaborations that strengthen our research capabilities,” said symposium organizer and 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (ICS) Associate Professor Mehdi Tarrit Mirakorli, who also gave a presentation on Volt Typhoon, a hacking group that has infiltrated critical U.S. infrastructure networks. “By fostering these partnerships, we are positioning Hawaiʻi as a hub for cybersecurity excellence and resilience in the Indo-Pacific region, attracting investment, and creating high-skilled job opportunities.”

糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 students had the opportunity to engage with leading-edge research and participate in discussions on cybersecurity policy. Presentations from experts highlighted emerging threats and best practices, with an emphasis on securing critical infrastructure, identity access management and the role of AI in cybersecurity innovation.

Derek Garcia, a 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 ICS PhD student said, “It was a great opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research in the cybersecurity field and help expose graduate and undergraduate students to pursuing research as a career path. The plethora of research presented by 糖心Vlog官方 faculty shows that the demand for cyber research is there, and conferences like this are a great place not only for students to get inspired about potential research projects but also to connect and collaborate with professors to make it happen.”

Interconnected disciplines

糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 faculty members across a variety of disciplines showcased their contributions to research and industry collaboration. Assistant Professor Emile Loza de Siles explored the legal implications of AI and cybersecurity strategies, Curt Dodds from the detailed efforts to secure critical astronomy research cyberinfrastructure, Sean Cleveland from Information Technology Services provided an overview of 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 research cyberinfrastructure resources, Associate Professor Roger Chen discussed transportation security, Associate Professor Christina Karamperidou presented on climate-resilient and cyber-secure data centers, and ICS Assistant Professor Anthony Peruma discussed challenges of securing mobile applications.

“Bringing together a multidisciplinary group of 糖心Vlog官方 experts highlights the complex and interconnected nature of cybersecurity, ensuring that solutions address not just technical challenges, but also legal, policy and industry-specific concerns,” Mirakorli said.

The Chief Information Security Officer panel, moderated by Westly Group, a venture capital in California, brought together top security executives from Hawaiʻi to discuss the real-world challenges of cybersecurity leadership, risk management and AI-driven security solutions. In addition, industry leaders from companies such as Palo Alto Networks, IBM, Flashpoint and Kry10 participated in expert panels and discussions on emerging cyber threats.

A University of Hawaiʻi project to enhance cyberinfrastructure adoption, capacity and training in the Pacific region earned a .

Cyberinfrastructure refers to the integrated computing systems, data storage and management facilities, advanced instruments, visualization environments and the people who operate and manage them. They are all linked together by software and high-performance networks to improve research productivity and enable breakthroughs not otherwise possible.

Led by the 糖心Vlog官方 System, the project will offer services, education and research programs to engage faculty, researchers and students in advanced cyberinfrastructure.

“This cyberinfrastructure initiative is crucial for advancing our region’s technological capabilities and ensuring we remain competitive in the global digital landscape,” said Sean Cleveland, 糖心Vlog官方 System interim director of cyberinfrastructure and project principal investigator. “By investing in local talent and encouraging collaboration among institutions, we are not only advancing scientific research and education but also creating a foundation for innovations that will benefit our workforce and communities.”

The project will support collaborative research across disciplines by providing access to computational resources, data repositories and communication networks that will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of scientific and engineering research, scholarship and education. Cyberinfrastructure is the backbone of modern research and innovation, enabling large-scale data analysis, simulations, and collaborative work in various fields, which could potentially lead to the development of better weather predictions, innovative tech jobs and improved healthcare.

This effort is expected to create pathways for increased adoption and capacity of cyberinfrastructure, supporting long-term regional research growth.

“Building human capacity to support advanced cyberinfrastructure is the critical catalyst to sustaining long-term growth in leading edge computational and data centered research throughout the Pacific region,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Garret Yoshimi. “Collaboration among our partners will effectively extend the beneficial impacts throughout our research communities.”

The project will strengthen regional research capabilities by hiring cyberinfrastructure professionals at partner institutions that will work collaboratively to support cyberinfrastructure needs in the region. The project aims to train and embed more than 200 undergraduates and 15 graduate students that will apply advanced cyberinfrastructure technologies and methods to cutting edge research projects.

The initiative will also introduce more than 100 workshops along with new curriculum modules to increase cyberinfrastructure awareness and skills across numerous research domains. This comprehensive approach aims to cultivate a skilled workforce addressing Pacific regional needs and driving innovation in fields such as life sciences, data science, environmental science and engineering.

Project leaders anticipate that the model of shared cyberinfrastructure expertise, leading practices and strategies developed will be shared with other communities and institutions nationwide, extending the impact beyond the Pacific region.

Also involved in the project are experts and co-principal investigators Helen Turner from Chaminade University of Honolulu, Vincent Dela Cruz from University of Guam and Maytal Dahan and Joe Stubbs from the Texas Advanced Computing Center.

The University of Hawaiʻi (糖心Vlog官方) and (ONI) announced a $120 million, public-private partnership to construct a submarine optical fiber cable system that will connect the Hawaiian Islands and improve and expand high-speed broadband internet throughout the state. The project, the Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link (HIFL), is a key component of , the state’s broadband initiative, a top priority of the Gov. Josh Green administration. Under the direction of Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Connect Kākou will ensure that people from all walks of life have reliable and affordable access to high-speed internet.

“This inter-island cable system will leverage the once-in-a-generation federal investment for technological infrastructure and position our state for long-term economic growth,” said Green. “The resulting network will be open to all carriers and sufficiently robust to support all manner of telecommunications carrier and enterprise traffic, including anticipated future high-capacity demands supporting healthcare, education, research, public service, commerce, and government uses.”

ONI is responsible for the supply, construction, operations and maintenance of the inter-island cable system. Partial funding will be provided through a federal grant, and the remaining funds will be secured by ONI through private equity and secured debt. When it goes online, HIFL will be able to process a high volume of data with minimal delay and will be the inter-island backbone of Connect Kākou.

“This is just one part of our plan to guarantee the state鈥檚 long-term internet connectivity,” said Luke. “Connect Kākou has over $500 million in federal grants, state funds, and private matching funds available as we work towards connecting the unconnected and make sure everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet.”

HIFL will be a carrier-neutral, open-access system with landing sites on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kauaʻi, 尝腻苍补ʻ颈 and Molokaʻi that will improve Hawaiʻi inter-island and regional connectivity. The system will have 24 fiber pairs with a design life of 25 years and is expected to be ready for service in late 2026. The project is being overseen by the 糖心Vlog官方 System Office for Information Technology with support from the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Ocean Networks, Inc.,” said Garret Yoshimi, 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Information Technology and & CIO. “The Ocean Networks team has significant industry experience, specifically working here in Hawaiʻi. It’s an honor for 糖心Vlog官方 to play an important role in connecting Hawaiʻi to the future.”

“We are delighted to collaborate with the 糖心Vlog官方 and proud that ONI has been selected to build and operate the new HIFL submarine cable system,” said Cliff Miyake, Vice President of Business Development of Ocean Networks, Inc. “The HIFL system will provide critical improvement to the broadband infrastructure for the State of Hawaiʻi.”

In mid-February, University of Hawaiʻi Maui College learned that an unauthorized third party may have gained access to the University鈥檚 computer network. 糖心Vlog官方 Information Technology Services officials took immediate action as soon as the incident was discovered.

Experts were engaged to investigate and determine the nature and scope of the incident, which was also reported to law enforcement. The intrusion was isolated to the 糖心Vlog官方 Maui College network, which had been protected by a firewall and other safeguards before the event. This event did not impact other networks in the 糖心Vlog官方 System.

Based on the investigation results, the University identified potentially-impacted files and conducted an extensive review of those files to identify any individuals who may need to be notified. 糖心Vlog官方 Maui also emailed current employees and staff alerting them to this incident and instructing them to change their passwords.

Notification letters are being sent out to about 10,500 individuals who may have been impacted, which will include an offer of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through Experian.

“糖心Vlog官方 and 糖心Vlog官方 Maui College take the responsibility to protect the data entrusted to the university seriously,” said Garret Yoshimi, the 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Information Technology & Chief Information Officer. “We are fully committed to protecting students鈥� and employees鈥� personal information and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or concern this may have caused.”

Additional steps affected persons may take include:

• Freezing their credit file
• Placing fraud alerts on their account or credit file
• Reviewing account statements and reporting fraud
• Changing passwords and security verification questions and answers
• Ordering free annual credit reports at or by calling (877) 322-颅8228.

Current and former 糖心Vlog官方 Maui College students and employees who believe they may have been affected can also call (888) 493-2172 between the hours of 3 a.m.–3 p.m. HST Monday–Friday (excluding major U.S. holidays).

The (RC糖心Vlog官方) has awarded 16 of its employees for their contributions and impact to research at 糖心Vlog官方.

The awards were based on the following categories:

• Initiative, leadership and resourcefulness in carrying out their achievements
• Impact of their achievements on the project, professional field and/or larger community
• Other variables such as the significance or quality of their achievements

Each individual received a certificate and cash award. Additionally, first-place awardees received $1,000 (shared equally by team members), while second-place awardees received $500 (shared equally by team members).

Team category

• First place: , (Ginger Porter, Umerang Imetengel and Alyssa Shimizu)
• Second place: , 糖心Vlog官方 Information Technology Services (Michelle Choe, Sean Cleveland, Maria Dumanlang, Jennifer Geis and Jared McLean)
• Honorable Mention: , (Nisa Kelly and En Liu)

Project support staff category

• First Place: , Department of Oceanography, (SOEST)
• Second Place: , Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Honorable Mention: , Cassava Improvement Project,

Researcher/project manager category

• First Place: , Hawaiʻi Center for AIDS,
• Second Place: , Plant Extinction and Prevention Program, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit,
• Honorable Mention: , Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, SOEST

The awards were presented at an event on October 27, at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 Campus Center Ballroom. A selection committee comprised of Ken Hayashida, Marie Kumabe and Clyde Shiigi selected the awardees.

For more information, visit .

Researchers across the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system will be able to process larger datasets and models and accelerate existing workflows with a new intercampus data-storage platform called KoaStore. The platform is being established with a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant.

“KoaStore will help support and power 糖心Vlog官方 investigators鈥� research through its high-performance, large size and fast connection to the rest of the world. Further, KoaStore will help enable analysis of data at a scale not previously possible on the Mana high performance computing cluster, allowing larger simulations and discovery,” said Sean Cleveland, principal investigator and associate director of cyberinfrastructure at 糖心Vlog官方 .

KoaStore will be integrated into the and focus on supporting research in the areas of astronomy, atmospheric science, climate science, microbiome and computer and data science.

Serving national and local research

The new platform will also serve the national research community through partnership with the , leveraging existing 糖心Vlog官方, Pacific region and national high-speed research networks. This partnership federates national computing resources to offer high-speed storage and shorter wait-times on shared compute resources for 糖心Vlog官方 researchers.

“The public datasets hosted on KoaStore will make it possible for researchers in Hawaiʻi, across the nation and around the world to use astronomy data produced by the 糖心Vlog官方 (IfA),” said Curt Dodds, IT manager at IfA and KoaStore co-investigator. “We plan to share data from cosmological simulations, a dynamic database of the entire night sky, and machine learning models of the Sun’s atmosphere and distant galaxies.”

Data from the , also known as StePS, a novel astrophysics simulation method, are an example of public datasets available for download through KoaStore.

KoaStore will be integrated with the NSF cloud computing infrastructure and allow researchers to easily span cloud computing environments to support new deep learning and artificial intelligence workflows, visualization and applications.

Additionally, the platform will aid hands-on training in data and computational science for the next generation of researchers and data scientists through a partnership with the and local community to provide workshops and classroom access.

University of Hawaiʻi researchers and students will soon have access to some of the most powerful computing power at their fingertips thanks to a joint project with several universities around the country and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

糖心Vlog官方 is part of a newly available national cloud computing resource that allows researchers to access powerful cloud-based environments on demand to explore and understand immense amounts of data from a laptop or tablet.

The NSF supported project is an update to the widely used Jetstream cloud computing system. Jetstream2 provides eight petaFLOPS of virtual supercomputing power, allowing researchers to simplify data analysis, boost scientific discovery and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

“A 1 petaFLOPS (PFLOPS) computer system is capable of performing one quadrillion (1015) floating-point operations per second. The rate 1 PFLOPS is equivalent to 1,000 TFLOPS. To match what a 1 PFLOPS computer system can do in just one second, you’d have to perform one calculation every second for 31,688,765 years,” according to Indiana University.

“Our participation in Jetstream2 ensures our researchers, faculty and students have access to a national-scale cloud computing resource platform to effectively collaborate with their peers and research partners and leverage state-of-the-art technology and techniques to drive science forward,” said Garret Yoshimi, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for information technology services. “We are grateful to NSF for their generous support in making Jetstream2 a reality for our 糖心Vlog官方 community.”

Related: 糖心Vlog官方 part of $10M cloud computing coalition, June 4, 2020

With five computational systems, Jetstream2 spans the nation with partners at 糖心Vlog官方, Indiana University, Arizona State University, Cornell University and the Texas Advanced Computing Center. The system is designed to be easily used by researchers who have limited experience with cloud computing and to serve smaller academic communities with no previous access to such resources.

The 24/7 user-friendly cloud computing environment provides virtual infrastructure that allows for more access to high-end technologies that enable deep learning and AI techniques. The Jetstream2 system is easy to expand and reconfigure and supports diverse modes of on-demand access. In addition, it extends a broad range of hardware and services that include larger and faster storage systems, graphics processing units, large memory nodes, virtual clusters and much more.

Jetstream2 also supports experimentation and teaching. The system will serve more students than any other NSF-funded cyberinfrastructure resource, better equipping them to fully participate in the evolving STEM workforce.

Additional partnerships with the University of Arizona, Johns Hopkins University and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research will contribute to Jetstream2鈥檚 unparalleled usability and support for a broad range of scientific efforts.

Researchers may request several allocation types through NSF鈥檚 .

A second high-performance computing (HPC) cluster at the University of Hawaiʻi has been seeded with a $400,000 National Science Foundation grant. Much like the existing HPC, , the new cluster called Koa will serve as a free inter-campus resource for advancing research in such areas as astronomy, chemistry, oceanography, bioinformatics and data science.

“We are excited about the capacity that Koa will bring the existing computational resource specifically the increase in throughput the new high speed storage system will provide speed-up across existing and new hardware as well as the ability for transferring and processing larger datasets,” said Sean Cleveland, 糖心Vlog官方 Information Technology Services (ITS) cyberinfrastructure senior project manager and principal investigator. “We look forward to enhancing scientific workflows with our science partners in the Institute for Astronomy and the departments of Information and Computer Sciences and Atmospheric Sciences for some targeted, larger datasets and model simulations projects to push science and research forward at 糖心Vlog官方.”

Computational performance boost

The deployment of Koa will bring 750 terabytes of high-speed storage, eight computational nodes with (48 cores, 256 GB of memory) and two compute nodes that provide another 20 graphics processing units with newer architectures to support machine learning and deep learning workflows.

The new high speed storage infrastructure will integrate with the existing Mana HPC to decrease the runtime for many workloads impacted by read and write speeds and significantly increase Mana鈥檚 computational throughput.

“We鈥檙e grateful for the National Science Foundation support to further expand and enhance our institutional HPC resources,” said Garret Yoshimi, ITS vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “The addition of Koa to our Mana HPC foundation will help us increase the depth and breadth of support for high performance data analytics, AI (artificial intelligence) and visualization efforts to our diverse community of researchers and students. Elimination of the historically high cost of entry to HPC assets is critical to ensure that our community can build on the benefits of leading edge technologies that will support future discoveries and innovation.“

Related 糖心Vlog官方 News stories:

• ‘Machine learning’ improves rainfall mapping, water plans, May 10, 2022
• 糖心Vlog官方 boosts research computing power with arrival of new equipment, October 1, 2020
• Students dive into high-performance computing, February 10, 2020

In addition to adding state-of-the-art computing equipment, the grant will also support advanced technical training and expanded educational and research opportunities for 糖心Vlog官方 students through hands-on immersive training workshops hosted by 糖心Vlog官方 Information Technology Services Cyberinfrastructure and the . Koa resources will also be integrated with , a national consortium that builds and operates shared computing and data capacity high-throughput computing, allowing researchers increased access to resources nationwide.

–By Maria Dumanlang

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with aio Digital and the Hawaiʻi Executive Collaborative has launched , the free State of Hawaiʻi-approved exposure notification app to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The University of Hawaiʻi encourages students and employees to utilize the AlohaSafe Alert.

Once added to a smartphone, AlohaSafe Alert will send a notification within 48 hours when an app user comes into close contact—within six feet for at least 15 minutes—with an individual, who is also using the app and has tested positive for the virus in the past 14 days.

All of the data collected will be kept anonymous and only DOH will have access to it. Should an app user test positive for COVID-19, their identity is kept private from all other app users, even if they receive an alert.

“Masks, distance and vaccines are all valuable tools against COVID-19. The AlohaSafe Alert app is another important tool in the fight against COVID-19,” said Libby Char, director of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health. “This innovative app was developed for the community, by the community, and it has the potential to greatly increase the speed of the exposure notification process, allowing anyone who receives an alert to quickly self-quarantine and get tested if needed.”

“We encourage the members of our campus communities to participate by using the AlohaSafe Alert app to help keep our state safe,” 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Garret Yoshimi said. “We know first hand how apps such as this help in our fight against COVID-19. Each of us must do our part to help keep our community safe.”

AlohaSafe Alert was first piloted on 尝腻苍补ʻ颈 and in H膩na, Maui on November 17, and expanded to Maui County on December 16. The app has been downloaded more than 14,000 times.

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The University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 (HIDSI) recently received the first of three shipments of equipment that will add advanced computing resources to that serves all 10 糖心Vlog官方 campuses.

The three servers and 24 central processing unit (CPU) nodes delivered from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) total 1,104 CPU cores and 24 graphics processing units (GPUs). Currently, 30 nodes have been installed, and initial testing is taking place.

The equipment was funded by the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Major Research Instrumentation (NSF MRI) award program, which provides support to acquire instrumentation necessary for advances in fundamental science and engineering research.

“We are thankful that this NSF MRI award has enabled us to add significant, state-of-the-art capacity to the University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Mana HPC cluster,” said Vice President for Information Technology and CIO Garret Yoshimi. “The enhanced and expanded capacity will allow us to better serve our community of researchers, together with their global partners, as they take on the challenges of our modern world.”

The 1,200% increase of GPUs allows for a variety of applications, including machine learning, data science and molecular dynamics. The CPU core count has also increased by 29% from the existing 3,820 core community nodes which support high throughput computation. The new resources are networked with the latest generation of high dynamic range Infiniband and supports multi-node message passing interface applications.

The second shipment of equipment will include Cray ClusterStor E1000, an all flash storage system running the Lustre parallel file system with 92 terabytes of raw capacity. This equipment will provide faster, high performance computing storage, suitable for the unique storage demands of artificial intelligence and machine learning. According to HPE, one Cray ClusterStor E1000 rack could download all movies on Netflix U.S. in 20 seconds, and complete one input/output operation for every person in Texas in 1 second.

Mana鈥檚 new HPC resources are anticipated to be available to the 糖心Vlog官方 community as early as November 1. Updates on the status of Mana鈥檚 new equipment are made regularly at the .

—By Maria E. Dumanlang

This message was shared with the students, faculty, and staff of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system on July 27, 2020.

Aloha 糖心Vlog官方 community,

I hope this message finds you safe and well as we prepare for the fall semester. An integral part of our COVID-19 preparations for the fall is the use of a check-in app to help everyone in our community monitor their individual health status daily. We have been diligently working since March to finalize the app, with a planned roll out in early to mid August. Please stay tuned for updates including when and how to sign up.

Your patience is greatly appreciated. Many of you have expressed concerns about privacy and how the data will be used along with questions on how the app will actually work. Please know that our top priority in working on this project is making sure that everyone驶s personal information is protected and that all privacy laws are followed, including the (HIPAA) and the (FERPA).

The data collected will only be accessible to a very limited number of key individuals in order to ensure and protect privacy. We will not ask for, nor store, information relating to specific symptoms, and will only ask whether an individual is symptom-free to “green-light” access to a 糖心Vlog官方 location.

The app is currently undergoing testing to ensure that it is convenient to use, and compliant with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other governmental guidelines and policies, along with the university驶s guidelines and plans to address the pandemic. Our recently issued Interim 糖心Vlog官方 System COVID-19 Guidelines mandate a daily check in for all students and employees as one of the key components to our plans to help keep our communities safe. The app is not intended to provide any health care tips or medical advice.

The app is being developed by a team from DataHouse, an IT services company founded in 1975 and based here in Hawaiʻi. DataHouse is working with a team from 糖心Vlog官方 ITS, to best support our needs, and to ensure that all data collected is securely maintained. The app will be available at the App Store (for Apple IOS devices) and the Google Play Store (for Android devices), as well as through a web form for those who prefer not to download the app to their device. Access to the app will require your 糖心Vlog官方 login, including use of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) if enabled on your account. Individuals will be able to see their own check-in history at any time via the app or web form. Access to the accumulated check-in data will be limited to only designated COVID-19 response official(s) at each 糖心Vlog官方 campus.

We are currently testing our 糖心Vlog官方 customizations and making adjustments to accommodate use by our campus communities.

Again, thank you for your patience and please stand by as more information, including sign up instructions and instructions for use, will be released in the next few weeks.

Be well,
Garret Yoshimi
糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Information Technology/Chief Information Officer

The continues to prepare for a challenging fall semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic that includes more online and hybrid course offerings. 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 Information Technology Services and staff have been preparing “zoom compatible” classrooms where students can rotate between attending in person or remotely.

“I am really proud of the many ways our staff has come together to handle the many challenges that come with the increased adoption of online and hybrid learning,” said Garret Yoshimi, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “Preparing classrooms for better flexibility in remote or in-person learning is a vital step for faculty and students to return for the fall semester.”

“Zoom compatible” means a classroom can be used for video conferencing with a camera, microphone, speakers and a large display. In the first phase of classroom preparation, 74 general use rooms of varying capacity in 20 buildings were selected for modification.

The plan is for faculty to be able to log into any room they teach from. While the modifications are referred to as “Zoom” compatible, multiple video conferencing platforms will be supported.

The biggest challenge for making classrooms remotely capable is capturing white board content. Zoom provides white board sharing capabilities, but some faculty members are not used to this method of instruction. Document cameras—electronic overheads that capture anything written on it—will be available in classrooms. This option is critical for math and/or science-based instruction where formulas are written out.

The preparation team hopes to finish these classrooms and have the resources to modify more spaces by the beginning of the fall semester.

This message was shared with the faculty, and staff of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system on March 24, 2020.

Aloha valued 糖心Vlog官方 employees,

Thank you again for your perseverance, patience and hard work during this unprecedented health crisis.

The University of Hawaiʻi wants to remind everyone to be on high alert for cyber threats and scams. This constant threat was already part of our daily lives, but we have to be even more vigilant with the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is more susceptible to these types of attacks in times of crisis, especially with so many of us working remotely from home. Helpful tips to help you to prepare to work-from-home can be found on the ITS website.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email COVID19@hawaii.edu.

Thank you for your increased vigilance and be well,
The University of Hawaiʻi

Even before the decision was made to teach classes online in early March, the University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Information Technology Services – (糖心Vlog官方OIC), had a program to help faculty transition their courses online.

糖心Vlog官方OIC, with support from the College of Education, then launched the website to help faculty prepare. Online instruction commences on March 23.

Faculty have been diving in and working hard to shift to the new paradigm. 糖心Vlog官方OIC has been providing a range of resources to help faculty transition, including a checklist with resources, online mini-lessons, online office hours, and one to one consultation.

糖心Vlog官方 Associate Vice President for Students and Director of Academic Technology Services Hae Okimoto said about a third of 糖心Vlog官方 faculty statewide were already utilizing distance education methods before the current health crisis, although the rates varied across the 10 campuses.

“What is really impressive to me are faculty who have used technology before saying, ‘Hey, I驶ll help. Do you want me to help my peers and my colleagues?’” Okimoto said.

Systemwide collaboration has been key. 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 College of Education’s Technology and Distance Programs shared their resources and expertise. Leeward Community College instructional designers collaborated to develop a remote instruction template. Instructional designers on all campuses have been collaborating in teaching online lessons and support for their faculty.

糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 instructional design programs are nationally recognized. The 糖心Vlog官方OIC received the Effective Practice Award for Innovate 2020 from the International Online Learning Consortium.

National leader Kapiʻolani CC

Laudable work was already being done at Kapiʻolani CC, where the (TOPP) has received two national awards over the last year. The Kapiʻolani CC Distance Education Team is also this year’s 糖心Vlog官方 nominee for the Governor’s Award for Team Excellence Award of Merit. Instructional Designer and TOPP team member Jamie Sickel said the TOPP program has already graduated 93 faculty members.

“(Faculty) have proven to be an amazing resource during this time of uncertainty,” Sickel said.

The Kapiʻolani CC distance education team quickly put out a call for volunteers, arranged spaces (both physical and virtual), and communicated to the campus that they were all-hands-on-deck to support their colleagues in the shift to remote learning. Volunteers answering that call contributed copious resources, necessitating the creation of just to give them an outlet to share.

“…it is heartwarming to see our faculty, instructional designers and staff pulling together, working long hours, to insure the best education so that our students can complete this semester.” —Hae Okimoto

The campus is also offering support sessions, either via Zoom or face-to-face. Online faculty have assisted in the development of , , and and have volunteered their contact information to be circulated as a list of mentors/helpers for less experienced colleagues.

Sickel said Kapiʻolani CC faculty have been “amazing.” Lecturers who are not currently teaching this semester but had previously taught hybrid and online courses have jumped in to help. An online faculty member has been creating Laulima (糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 online learning and collaboration system) lessons and importing them into the class sites of colleagues who teach the same course, in order to help those who might otherwise be left in the lurch.

Okimoto said, “These are extraordinary times and it is heartwarming to see our faculty, instructional designers and staff pulling together, working long hours, to insure the best education so that our students can complete this semester.”

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

The University of Hawaiʻi is better equipped to exchange information almost instantly with countries across the Pacific through a partnership with . (RTI). This partnership allows the 糖心Vlog官方 System to connect Hawaiʻi to the continental U.S., Guam and beyond through .

糖心Vlog官方, together with RTI and other regional research and educational partners in the Pacific region, are working to expand their network with the soon-to-be-completed new submarine fiber optic cable system called JGA (Japan-Guam-Australia) that increases the number of systems using Guam as a hub for high capacity connections in the western Pacific region.

“Many of these islands are hundreds or thousands of miles away from another land mass,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Information Technology and CIO Garret T. Yoshimi. “The ability for our 糖心Vlog官方 community to communicate and collaborate throughout the region using these modern high-capacity, submarine fiber-optic cable systems, I think, is absolutely critical to make sure that we can do the best job that we can do for our University of Hawaiʻi community, as well as for our global stakeholders.”

Through these submarine cable assets, 糖心Vlog官方 has the capacity to share data with their partners locally, nationally and globally.

Learn more about the newest underwater cable system through the 糖心Vlog官方 System and RTI presentation video.