As the 2026 World Cup draws millions of spectators to stadiums across North America, the University of Hawaiʻi’s (NDPTC) is training emergency managers, first responders, transportation agencies and stadium operators on risk management and preparedness for extreme weather events.

NDPTC is a Congressionally-authorized, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funded national center which is part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium. Based at the ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa and funded by FEMA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the training courses on “Extreme Weather Preparedness for World Cup Cities” was developed by subject matter experts in extreme weather, urban planning, transportation, emergency managers and stadium operations in U.S. host cities.

Managing potential extreme weather threats

The training focuses on assessing and mitigating risks associated with extreme heat, lightning, tornadoes, flash flooding and wildfire smoke. Participants learn to use publicly available data, planning tools and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to improve understanding of extreme weather risk and prioritize actions to increase safety and security for large-scale events.

“Large public events require organizations to prepare for hazards that can change rapidly and affect transportation systems, critical infrastructure and public safety,” said Karl Kim, professor of urban and regional planning in the ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa and founding executive director of NDPTC. “Our role is to equip planners and decision-makers with practical tools and evidence-based strategies so they can anticipate risks and respond effectively when conditions change.”

The work involves downscaling climate and extreme weather models to the specific times and locations for the games and identifying protective actions to reduce harm to spectators and those participating in the World Cup. With teams and fans coming from different countries, there are many challenges with communications and coordination. NDPTC uses AI to support readiness and for different applications in urban planning and disaster management. Kim said that since many people are using AI, it is important to incorporate these tools into the work on risk management.

Extending NDPTC‘s impact beyond the tournament

The effort builds on NDPTC‘s broader mission of strengthening disaster resilience nationwide. Working with partners through the Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center and Federal Railroad Administration Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety Improvements program, the center develops risk assessment tools and provides training for emergency managers, first responders and community leaders across the country.

The World Cup training is updated regularly as guidance, operational requirements and weather conditions evolve. The curriculum also contains lessons learned from NDPTC‘s broader work in disaster preparedness and risk management. Since its establishment, the congressionally authorized center has trained more than 75,000 first responders and emergency managers nationwide, reinforcing ����Vlog�ٷ�’s role as a leader in disaster preparedness education and applied research.

The World Cup weather preparedness and latest recording of the training on NDPTC’s are available for the public.

Twelve graduate students from the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� showcased innovative proposals to revitalize Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown through the establishment of a Business Improvement District (BID). Their work was presented on May 9, at the historic Liberty Bank Building—a mid-century modern landmark designed by popular architect Vladimir Ossipoff—in front of local planners, architects, engineers and community stakeholders.

The practicum course was led by Professor Karl Kim of the in the ; and Dean Sakamoto, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, professional architect and founder of Shade Institute, a non-profit community design organization. The project was also supported by ����Vlog�ٷ�’s , a congressionally-authorized center that develops and delivers training on natural hazards, coastal communities and hazard mitigation.

The team explored alternative scenarios focused on cultural identity, transportation and sustainable development in order to address safety and security, public health and urban environmental quality. ����Vlog�ٷ� has worked closely with the Waikīkī Business Improvement District Association, which is one of the most successful BIDs in the nation. The proposed Chinatown/Downtown BID uses coordinated public-private investment to address persistent challenges such as homelessness, crime, sanitation and commercial vacancy.

Each scenario outlined targeted strategies to improve safety, mobility, environmental resilience and economic vitality:

• The Historic and Cultural Scenario centered on strengthening community identity through preservation and cultural events.
• The Transportation Scenario aimed to increase connectivity and accessibility for pedestrians and transit users.
• The Clean City Movement Scenario promoted climate adaptation and sustainable design to support long-term urban health and safety.

The proposals address the need for enhanced services beyond what the city currently provides, such as waste management, security and beautification. This framework is designed to ensure ongoing maintenance, promote local businesses and attract both residents and visitors.

“The scenarios capture both broad directions as well as specific actions. It’s a way of taking a more messy, complex—sometimes called ‘wicked’—problems and narrowing it down into interventions with measurable improvements,” Kim said. “What’s cool about this project is that the students can track what happens. You’ll be able to see in a year, five years, 10 years—the changes and evolution that’s occurred.”

“This course was an amazing opportunity to participate in a real world planning project that was in a safe and supervised environment that was rooted in educating students,” student Kylie Yonamine said. “This experience has taught me many useful skills that I will utilize in my future professional career, but more importantly instilled a deep understanding and care that planning directly has due to its impacts on communities and people.”

Student Nolan Barringer added, “The urban planning lessons gathered during practicum were numerous, meaningful and richly deserving of more investigation.”

Building on Waikīkī’s success

The Chinatown/Downtown project builds on the department’s long standing collaboration with the Waikīkī Business Improvement District. Since its inception in 2000, faculty and students have contributed data-driven research to support Waikīkī’s development. Under Kim’s guidance, students have worked on diverse initiatives, including homeless counts, transit planning, evacuation strategies and asset mapping using geographic information system technology.

The university’s continued efforts in Honolulu’s urban centers demonstrate how academic institutions can drive positive change through interdisciplinary collaboration and applied research.

“For me the practicum course was about more than just academia,” said student Jared Quandt. “It was an opportunity to dive headfirst into the profession of planning and attain a much deeper understanding of what it takes to create change. It was an honor to be a part of something that truly has the potential to make a difference in the communities of Chinatown and Downtown.”

—By Marc Arakaki

����Vlog�ٷ� is featured in this Waikīkī Business Improvement District Aloha Ambassador Documentary. ����Vlog�ٷ�‘s section begins at 6’33”.

The University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s has been a critical partner in the (WBID) since its inception in 2000. For over two decades, faculty and students have provided support through data collection, analysis and research that helps shape the district’s development.

Professor Karl Kim, who has been involved since the beginning, initially contributed by mapping the area and developing financing scenarios based on various assessment calculations. Today, students gain real-world experience by tackling urban challenges alongside community professionals.

“It’s been largely a data-driven exercise that data and information can be used to improve the planning, design, management and operations of WBID,” Kim said. “Part of it is how do we get it right? How do we improve it? How do we not just sustain things as they are but how do we make things better? That’s what has been special and important about this partnership between WBID and the University of Hawaiʻi.”

Their work spans a wide range of issues affecting Waikīkī, from homelessness and design standards to transportation planning and disaster recovery. They have also done studies on evacuation planning and disaster debris management following hurricane or tsunami hazards. Students have conducted benchmarking reports on cleanliness, landscaping, and urban design, while also studying unique aspects of the district, such as street performers and holiday lighting.

This collaboration offers students practical experience in urban planning and design while connecting them with local professionals. They work with architects, engineers, and planners to develop and test solutions to a wide range of problems. Their efforts contribute directly to improving the quality of life and environment in one of Hawaiʻi‘s most iconic destinations. They are focused on sustainability and community resilience.

Real-world experiences

Dave Marasco, a ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� doctoral student in urban and regional planning and graduate assistant at the (NDPTC), worked as a homeless count coordinator.

“When we go out to do our semi-annual homeless counts, we identify homeless individuals by gender and age whenever possible, and then we record their respective locations on a map of Waikīkī,” Marasco said. “During these counts we have witnessed a variety of behaviors and conditions that clearly reinforce what a monumental struggle being homeless is.”

Jaeho Choi earned a doctor of architecture degree from ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�’s and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning. Choi works at NDPTC as an urban design and machine learning specialist.

“My role in the WBID project involved conducting an asset mapping pilot using advanced tools like total station and GIS,” Choi said. “This project aimed to resolve challenges faced during the previous 2008 inventory, including improving spatial analysis and enabling more efficient updates of asset data over time.”

The research supports urban design and planning to make Waikīkī more clean, green, beautiful and safe.

The partnership between the university and WBID exemplifies how academic institutions can play a vital role in community development, providing fresh perspectives and research-driven solutions to real-world problems.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning is housed in ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�’s .

Within the past five years, the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) has grown exponentially. Currently composed of 36 masters and PhD students, a range of disciplines are represented such as astronomy, botany, computer science, Earth and planetary sciences, entomology, geography, linguistics, marine biology, oceanography, tropical plant and soil sciences and zoology.

annually funds a diverse group of outstanding graduate students with more than $110,000 for three years to become future scientists, engineers, researchers and STEM educators. GRFP graduates go on to pursue careers in federal agencies, national labs, academia, policy work and conservation management. Notably, ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� GRFPs have consistently been selected for other distinguished fellowships such as the and , both coordinated through the ����Vlog�ٷ� Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant).

• Martha Newell, Knauss Fellow 2017
• Beth Lenz, Knauss Fellow 2020
• Sean Mahaffey, Knauss Fellow 2022
• Cuong Tran, Grau Fellow 2022
• Gina Selig, Knauss Fellow 2023
• Sarah Tucker, Margaret Davidson Fellow 2020 and Knauss Fellow 2023
• Erik Brush, Knauss Fellow 2024
• Ryan Jones, Knauss Fellow 2024

Cuong Tran: disaster preparedness

Former fellow and master of urban and regional planning graduate, Cuong Tran, applied his ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� experience into his post-graduate work as a Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Gordon E. Grau Fellow with the (NDPTC). Tran collaborates with various partners on several local, national and international disaster-related projects and co-designed the Red Hill Information Hub in collaboration with the ����Vlog�ٷ� Red Hill Task Force. The Hub provides a one-stop-shop of the latest information, data, and tools the general public can use for education, communication and research. Tran also co-planned this year’s , a platform for Pacific Island communities to channel joint efforts toward becoming resilient. Upon completion of his Grau fellowship, he plans to step into the role of training technology program coordinator at NDPTC.

Tran’s number one advice for current students is to “always apply for fellowship and scholarship opportunities, even if you think you won’t receive them. You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Sarah Tucker: monitoring climate change

PhD graduate, Sarah Tucker, went on to fulfill the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship after three years as a NSF GRFP Fellow. Tucker was part of the inaugural cohort of Davidson Fellows and collaborated with the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve where she worked closely with staff and Paepae o Heʻeia managers producing outreach materials, mentoring an undergraduate student, joining community restoration work days and helping with scientific observations and monitoring within the Heʻeia Reserve.

After graduating, Tucker was selected as a 2023 Knauss Fellow and currently works in NOAA’s Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing (GOMO) Program. The GOMO Program supports half of the world’s ocean observations, which are used in climate and weather prediction models and help us understand our changing ocean. Tucker’s two main projects involve serving as the coordinating editor of the and a secretariat member and field operations team lead of the . Following Knauss, she will start as a Simons postdoctoral fellow in marine microbial ecology at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Tucker recommended, “talking to as many folks as you can about what the fellowship experience entails, review application materials from past candidates, and be clear about what you want out of it. Also, stay open to trying new things and follow your gut. I never thought I would work on Arctic Research and Policy, but it has been incredibly fulfilling and more connected to my previous work than I could have imagined.”

2025 Knauss applications now open

For those interested in applying for the 2025 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, visit the or contact Hawaiʻi Sea Grant assistant director for research and fellowships, Maya Walton, waltonm@hawaii.edu, to learn more. Application deadline is February 15, 2024, 5 p.m. HST through Hawaiʻi Sea Grant via .

In response to the Red Hill (Kapūkakī) water contamination crisis on Oʻahu, the University of Hawaiʻi Red Hill Task Force has created the to keep the public up to date on the latest information and resources involving the Red Hill water crisis. The hub is a one-stop-shop of the latest information, data and tools that can also be used for education, communication and research.

The hub is a ����Vlog�ٷ� system-wide effort, led by the ����Vlog�ٷ� Red Hill Task Force, which operates out of the (WRRC). The National Disaster Preparedness Training Center supported the WRRC with the creation of this Hub, with Lisa Webster and Cuong Tran as the lead developers. ����Vlog�ٷ� faculty, staff and students across the Mānoa campus and , independent scientists and community members have also contributed to this effort.

“This knowledge product directly addresses the expressed data needs of community members, builds on, and complements existing data gathering efforts led by state and federal agencies, and is a safe space for robust, accurate, and objective information,” said WRRC Director Thomas Giambelluca.

The hub provides resources to the community, including tap water screening, the latest Hawaiʻi Department of Health water monitoring reports, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health surveys, a newsfeed and upcoming public meetings and events. There are also educational resources for teachers, students and researchers. There are also educational resources for teachers, students and researchers.

The hub also provides links to data from state and federal agencies including Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s Red Hill Water information , the Board of Water Supply’s Red Hill updates , the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam drinking water long-term monitoring and other related websites and data portals.

“The information hub is purpose-built to proactively and adaptively respond to the communities’ needs,” said Mia Comeros, WRRC Red Hill Research Project Coordinator. “We operationalize this through meticulous planning and an ongoing process of consultation, review, and reporting to Red Hill Task Force members, contributors and community members.”

The hub is a response to the fuel spill that occurred in November 2021 and prior spills dating back to 2005. It is designed to educate and inform the community, policymakers, educators, professionals and students on water quality, conservation and sustainability practices for Hawaiʻi’s future.

����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa units that have helped contribute to the Red Hill Information Hub include: National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, ����Vlog�ٷ� Sea Grant College Program, College of Engineering, Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health and the College of Social Sciences.

Due to the large number of resources on the site, viewing the Hub on a desktop computer is recommended. For more information, see the .

The $1.7-trillion federal government omnibus funding bill for fiscal year 2023 includes millions of dollars to help the University of Hawaiʻi serve the people of our islands thanks to the committed and effective support of Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation—U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and U.S. Representatives Ed Case and Kai Kahele.

Some of the funds appropriated specifically for ����Vlog�ٷ� programs include:

• $6.5 million for the ����Vlog�ٷ� Cancer Center for the construction of the new Early Phase Clinical Trial Research Center that will provide individuals with cancer access to Phase I clinical trials, which is currently only available in the continental U.S. Learn more
• $2.25 million to ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�, to establish the Shoreline Equity and Adaptation Hub to support the development of predictive sea-level rise models, economic and policy models for decision making, outreach and community engagement, and resilient landscape and community designs.
• $1 million to support planning and infrastructure for the ����Vlog�ٷ� Office of Indigenous Innovation to establish an Indigenous Data Science Hub with a living laboratory that could incubate up to 10 community-based innovation pilots in support of global resilience.
• $500,000 to the ����Vlog�ٷ� Sea Grant College Program to facilitate public planning and engagement to identify green and nature-based infrastructure approaches for resilience in the Waikīkī watershed.

One of the provisions that will directly benefit Hawaiʻi college students is the increase of $24.6 billion for federal student aid programs, which includes increasing the maximum Pell Grant award by $500 to $7,395 for the 2023–24 academic year.

Through the regular (non-earmark) process, the appropriations bill also funds a number of high-priority programs through which ����Vlog�ٷ� advances statewide and national interests, including:

• $30 million for U.S. Navy Alternative Energy Research, an increase of $2.5 million, which supports renewable energy activities at ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� through the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute as well as sea-level rise research through the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.
• $5 million for a new Center for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islander (NHPIUSAPI) Health to focus on research, data collection and practice improvement to better serve NHPIUSAPI veterans, in partnership with ����Vlog�ٷ�.
• $9 million for the Resilient Innovative Sustainable Economies via University Partnerships program (RISE-UP Initiative), which supports ����Vlog�ٷ�, the University of Alaska, and the University of Rhode Island.
• $25 million for the Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program, an increase of $3 million, that will support tutoring, mentorships, internships, faculty development and other activities to support Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students at the collegiate level.
• $19 million for the Strengthening Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program, an increase of $8 million.
• $302 million, an increase for the High Performance Computing Modernization Program in the Department of Defense, which supports the ����Vlog�ٷ�-managed Maui High Performance Computing Center.
• $101 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which includes the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center at ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�.
• $80 million for the Sea Grant Program, which supports coastal and Great Lakes communities through research, extension and education, including the ����Vlog�ٷ� Sea Grant College Program.
• $83 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers, which includes the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center based out of ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�. These Centers provide regionally relevant scientific information, tools and techniques to resource managers and communities in Hawaiʻi in response to our changing climate.
• $38 million for the U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program, which provides continuing support to the ����Vlog�ٷ� Hilo Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes.
• $2 million in new funding for Medical-Legal Partnerships, which provide value to underserved communities by combining health and legal services at a single site of care.
• $4 million to support unmanned vehicle research in partnership with the U.S. Navy.
• $2 million increase for the National Mesonet Program, with language encouraging expansion in non-contiguous areas.
• $9.5 billion for the National Science Foundation, an increase of $700 million. NSF support of ����Vlog�ٷ� research helped the university set a record in extramural funding last fiscal year.
• $470 million for Advanced Research Projects—Energy and High Energy Physics, which supports groundbreaking research at ����Vlog�ٷ� aimed at rapidly developing energy technologies to address the nation’s critical economic, environmental and energy security challenges.

The bill also instructs the U.S. Department of State to consider increasing the number of scholarships available for Pacific Islanders to study in the United States, many of whom study at ����Vlog�ٷ�.

“This appropriations bill will give our state funding to grow our local economy, improve roads and public transit, protect our environment, and strengthen housing, education, and health care programs,” said Schatz in a news release after the Senate passed the bipartisan bill.

“From protecting our environment, to strengthening our state’s emergency management capabilities, to supporting community health organizations and more, these projects will benefit people and communities across our state,” said Hirono in a news release.

“This funding measure continues to showcase a very productive partnership between our Hawaiʻi congressional delegation and ����Vlog�ٷ�, our flagship institution of higher education and engine of our economy, with its excellent record of attracting hundreds of millions in research funding,” said Case in a news release.

“We are thrilled with the amazing support we get from our congressional delegation individually and collectively in the federal appropriations process,” said ����Vlog�ٷ� President David Lassner. “It is truly an honor and a pleasure to work together to advance critical priorities for Hawaiʻi and our nation.”

The worldwide impacts of COVID-19 on transportation planning and transport operations are covered in an academic journal’s special issue edited by a University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� faculty member. The publication’s 35 articles range in topics from the impact of COVID-19 on airline travel, cruise ship operations and freight transport, to an analysis of short-term changes in behavior and operations, and longer term impacts and changes in the transportation industry.

Karl Kim, a professor of in the (CSS), is editor-in-chief of the . Research authors come from the U.S., Asia, Africa, South America and emerging economies.

“The pandemic has resulted in decreased travel by ground, air and water transportation modes. These changes have resulted both from fear of getting sick and from restrictions imposed by government,” said Kim. “This special issue is successful in terms of the many articles submitted by researchers and downloaded by readers throughout the world, and in providing a venue for transportation researchers to quickly share and disseminate new research. We need to continue studying the impacts of the pandemic and responses by government and the transportation industry.”

Kim is executive director of the and director of the CSS graduate program in disaster management and humanitarian assistance. He studies transportation, cities and resilience, and has developed and led research and training programs in Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia.

This research is an example of ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

University of Hawaiʻi researchers are conducting a survey to better understand how COVID-19 has spread and the willingness for Hawaiʻi residents to take preventive actions. The data will help to inform community mitigation strategies for the virus.

The survey is conducted by ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�’s Pacific Urban Resilience Lab (PURL) and the , and is supported by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and community partners.

Survey questions include if an individual has tested positive for COVID-19; perceptions of the dangers of COVID-19, current prevention efforts and the likelihood of its spread in different communities; and the willingness to take a potential vaccine. The voluntary survey is limited to Hawaiʻi residents, but researchers will incorporate data from other states and countries. The deadline is December 15.

“Many people have contracted the virus and have recovered. We are interested in learning if some people believe the disease to be minor and are willing to risk getting sick so that they can go back to their lives and activities as before,” said Karl Kim, executive director of PURL and professor of urban and regional planning. “We will use standard statistical tests to compare respondents and assess the representativeness of our sample based on known census distributions.”

A team of University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� researchers will attempt to forecast COVID-19 in Hawaiʻi through modeling based on current data. Led by Professor and principal investigator Monique Chyba, the one-year project, which kicked off on July 1, received a $199,000 award from the .

“Accurate mathematical models are essential to understand the complex mechanisms that allow the virus to spread and how the rate of spreading varies over time given mitigation efforts such as social distancing and travel limitations,” Chyba said.

Joining Chyba are co-principal investigators Yuriy Mileyko, a Department of Mathematics associate professor; and Alice Koniges, a computational scientist at the .

Project details

Hawaiʻi has had one of the strictest COVID-19 visitor policies in the U.S., instituting a two-week quarantine for all out-of-state arrivals. Researchers recognized that as an archipelago, Hawaiʻi was in a position to establish policies to seal its borders that no other state could do.

The project will use a current data set of visitor arrivals and COVID-19 infections statewide to model its spread and the effects of mitigation efforts. It will drill down the spread of COVID-19 among specific communities, unlike current models which only focus on the region as a whole.

“The biggest challenge for the state right now is how to implement and control travel-related spread,” Koniges said. “Careful analysis of how the spreading factors change are key to mathematical modeling.”

Project goals

The researchers said Hawaiʻi’s advanced computational resources will help to make accurate predictions in the rapidly changing environment of COVID-19. The models will be available to the public and decision makers involved in the COVID-19 response strategy. Another goal of the project is to engage students and provide instruction for the future generation of researchers.

Others involved in the project include the , and mathematicians at the University of California, Los Angeles, who are helping California form its COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

—By Marc Arakaki

University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz� Professor Monique Chyba, and graduate students Corrisa Heyes and Mahshid Bagheri have created explaining the contributions mathematics plays in informing decision makers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The goals were to illustrate the importance of data-driven science, articulate the value of collaboration between different fields and highlight the difficulty in predicting possible scenarios related to COVID-19,” Chyba said.

The information is based on research from Chyba, Associate Professor Yuriy Mileyko, and graduate and undergraduate students. The team is working with urban planners and Karl Kim, executive director of the at ����Vlog�ٷ�.

The video was created for , a 3-year research project led by Associate Specialist Kiriko Takahashi and Associate Professor Hye Jin Park and their team at the ����Vlog�ٷ� . The program will kick off its virtual learning series with Chyba’s presentation “Modeling and Data Driven Prediction for COVID-19” on May 16 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Ka Pilina Noʻeau is funded by the Native Hawaiian Education Program in the U.S. Department of Education to improve mathematics and science outcomes of K–8th grade students.

The (NDPTC) at the is urging residents to and share it with their communities to help track COVID-19 contact. The survey will allow officials to better identify where the virus may have spread in the community.

The data will help NDPTC and other officials understand the location of hot spots and areas for community based action such as hygiene, sanitation of high contact areas, social distancing and protecting elderly and vulnerable populations.

Because of Hawaiʻi’s remote location and shortage of testing, additional data that can be gathered is necessary to determine who might be infected to stop the virus.

“In the absence of testing for the coronavirus, we need other sources of data and information about the spread of the disease,” said NDPTC Executive Director Karl Kim. “We are working closely with community partners to implement this contact tracing survey. It’s easy, quick, anonymous and can be done from home. We know that the community has much useful information to share.”

The survey asks questions regarding symptoms, recent travel and health conditions. All data will be kept confidential and in a secure database, and information collected will only be presented in summary form.

Willing participants can access the survey at: .

For any questions regarding the survey, please contact NDPTC at (808) 956-0600, Eric Yamashita or Jiwnath Ghimire.

The (NDPTC) at the is encouraging Hawaiʻi and other remote islands to flatten the curve of the fast-spreading COVID-19 by having safe and sanitary practices.

NDPTC’s call to action is highlighted in their video, “Just-in Time Training.” The video provides up-to-date information regarding the spread of COVID-19 and the effects it has on medical and local supplies. With community efforts, NDPTC hopes that there will be an increase in personal hygiene and sanitation of high contact areas, in addition to the development of research and outreach activities to help curb the spread of the disease. Pharmaceutical and social solutions are both necessary in flattening the curve.

Through the project, academic, industrial, government and local organizations have come together to share information and critical needs that will better support everyone in the community, especially the first responders and medical personnel on the front lines.

“We all need to do our part in protecting vulnerable populations and promoting collective social actions involving the university and other partners involved in risk assessment, preparedness, response and recovery,” stated NDPTC Executive Director Karl Kim. “It is a complex problem which will require the attention of multi-disciplinary, innovative and resourceful academia, researchers and others in our community.”

NDPTC COVID-19 preparedness tips

Practice non-pharmaceutical interventions now
Rapidly adopt social distancing and avoid places of large gatherings. Stay at home if you are sick or were around someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Thoroughly wash your hands and disinfect high contact areas.

Data is important for planning, decision making and action
Inform officials so practices of quarantine, isolation and social distancing can be implemented. Data is also necessary so additional assets and resources can be deployed to sanitize contaminated areas and inform healthy people.

Look for locally driven resources on social media
Members on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are helping one another by sharing updates on localized supplies and services.

Answer the call to help
Many measures are currently voluntary, but if conditions worsen, the community should be prepared for government intervention to slow infection rates, such as closures of public services. Innovative, effective solutions are always needed in managing information and social actions in slowing the pandemic.

Karl Kim, executive director of the and professor in the in the at the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�, has been named editor-in-chief of (TRIP). TRIP is a new open access journal published quarterly by Elsevier. It’s the newest addition to the Transportation Research family of journals that serves as the most comprehensive source of current research in transportation science.

“The most rewarding aspect of serving as editor-in-chief is the potential to address important problems and contribute to an improvement in transportation systems that support the quality of life. TRIP not only explores transportation challenges, but also minds the gap between theory and practice,” said Kim. “This is critical because transportation is the connective tissue linking together social, economic, environmental and ecological domains.”

Kim has served on numerous national and international scientific panels and committees related to risk reduction, and has led executive training programs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Management Institute on the “Science of Disasters.” He has worked with universities around the world to build and share curriculum on disaster risk reduction, in the belief that disaster risk reduction is best achieved through the integration of science and policy at all levels of the community.

Since joining ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� in 1985, Kim has generated more than $60 million in federal, state, and international research and training grants on transportation, traffic safety, GIS, environmental management, disaster management and humanitarian assistance.

Educated at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kim has been a Fulbright Scholar to Korea and the Russian Far East. He is the author of more than 100 journal articles and is the past editor of Accident Analysis and Prevention. Currently, his research focuses on the intersections between risk, risk management, risk reduction and resilience in transportation systems.

The (PRiMO), a group of more than 100 organizations protecting Pacific Island communities from natural hazards, has selected four recipients for their outstanding efforts in disaster resilience. The awards were presented at the 2018 PRiMO Conference, Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction, held at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center in August.

“We applaud our 2018 award recipients who are have made impactful contributions and helped ensure that we are better prepared in facing natural and man-made challenges in Hawaiʻi and throughout the Pacific,” said PRiMO Chair , who is executive director of the University of Hawaiʻi’s (NDPTC).

The 2018 recipients

• The PRiMO Leadership Award recognized , professor and associate dean for academic affairs in ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�’s , and Hawaiʻi Island Mayor Harry Kim, for their tireless efforts and longstanding leadership in helping the people of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to become more prepared and resilient to natural disasters.
• The PRiMO Partnership Award went to Ikaika Marzo, a Puna resident and community leader on Hawaiʻi Island, for his exemplary on–the–ground efforts monitoring and sharing information on the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, and his initiative to organize donations for the communities affected.
• The NDPTC Community Resilience Award was given posthumously to Margaret Davidson, founding director of NOAA’s Coastal Services Center, for her significant career-long work in coastal management and her efforts in working with NDPTC to make coastal communities more resilient to natural disasters.

More about PRiMO

PRiMO was founded in 2003 as an effort to explore opportunities to enhance communication and collaboration among the ʻohana of local, national and regional organizations involved in risk management.

PRiMO is led by its Navigator Council, which includes Kim, Vice Chair Kristina Kekuewa (NOAA Office for Coastal Management&#8211,Pacific Region), Secretary Jeff Payne (NOAA Office for Coastal Management), Michael Bruno (����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�), Chris Chiesa (Pacific Disaster Center), John Marra (NOAA National Climatic Data Center), Colby Stanton (FEMA Pacific Area Office), Raymond Tanabe (NOAA National Weather Service), Bill Thomas (NOAA Office for Coastal Management), and Sally Ziolkowski (FEMA).

This editorial by was published in the on September 3, 2017. Kim is the executive director of the at the University of Hawaiʻi and is a professor in the ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� .

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey is a harsh reminder of the hazards and threats we face in Hawaiʻi.

Flooding is the most common disaster by which people lose their lives and possessions. Over the last decade, there have been more than 7,000 disasters worldwide with 90 percent related to climate. Sixty-five percent were floods affecting more than 2.3 billion people. More than 1,200 people were killed in the recent flooding in South Asia.

While the losses from Harvey are still being tallied, many lessons for us emerge.

We are not prepared for extreme events. We don’t understand them nor how to manage “rare” events. Our infrastructure systems can barely handle normal loads, let alone 100-year, 500-year or 1,000-year events. We need more attention to extreme event analysis and risk management to save lives and reduce losses.

Like Houstonians, we are building recklessly in floodplains and hazard zones and increasing our exposure to harm from heavy rainfall and flooding. We are putting more people, buildings and possessions in harm’s way. The increase in non-porous surfaces further exacerbates flooding. Planning, development and building must be more attuned to natural hazards. We need to face the reality of climate change and restore the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard that President Donald Trump recently rescinded.

With every disaster, the elderly and vulnerable groups face the greatest harm. Preparedness must focus more on people with disabilities, limited mobility and medical needs.

Disasters are all about social science. Race, ethnicity, economic class and social characteristics affect the exposure and the capacity to prevent harm.

Our systems of drainage, flood control, roads and infrastructure are woefully inadequate. We could not possibly handle an event like Harvey. We’ve ignored the warning signals like the 2004 ����ԴDz� flood and the 2006 Ala Wai Canal sewage disaster triggered by heavy rainfall. These disasters are clear signs of what’s to come.

A big slow-moving hurricane like Harvey brings multiple hazards. In addition to high winds and storm surge, it can dump trillions of gallons of rainwater, leading to stalled vehicles, road closures, power outages and contamination from hazardous substances in our urban environment.

There are also impacts to our natural habitat as species are displaced and landscapes are altered by water.

Science and technology are critical to forecasts and predictions of weather events and impacts on our communities. Our cities must become more absorbent with engineered and natural systems for absorbing, diverting, holding and releasing floodwaters. Social media and communications technologies play a huge role in sharing information, locating stranded people and connecting those in need with resources.

We need to invest more in planning for disaster recovery. Given our remote location and limited transportation assets, when a catastrophic event occurs, we will need robust, engaged planning to ensure not just quick recovery but also building back better, stronger, greener and more equitably.

Harvey is a harsh reminder to focus on food and water security. We need adequate emergency supplies, canned goods and nonperishable rations, but also the ability to provide potable water and food for a million people here in the middle of the Pacific. These vulnerabilities are linked to potential for crime and violence following major disruptions.

While we strive to improve warning and alert systems, to enhance emergency response, sheltering and mass care, we also must rely on our neighbors, friends and strangers to assist during times of need. We need to build social capital and enhance trust relations in our community. Unlike communities on the continent, we’ll need to rely on each other for water, food and security during disasters.

Let’s invest more in disaster risk reduction strategies in Hawaiʻi. These efforts must involve all sectors, organizations and neighborhoods. We need more than exercises, drills and training courses.

We need a culture of resilience in Hawaiʻi. Our communities must be able to not just survive, but also thrive amid these hazards and threats.

While the challenges are great, the returns on building resilience, especially when measured in terms of lives saved and averted losses, are truly priceless.

Two volcanologists from the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s have received two of the top three awards from the (IAVCEI). , the Gordon A. MacDonald Professor of Volcanology and science director of the at ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� was honored recently with the IAVCEI Thorarinsson Medal. Sébastien Biass, a post-doctoral researcher, was honored George Walker Medal.

Bruce Houghton receives Thorarinsson Medal

The is awarded only once every four years by IAVCEI for outstanding contributions to volcanology, and is the highest award in international volcanology.

“A giant of volcanology, Bruce has tackled ‘big’ problems in geology with innovative approaches and technologies, and is truly a scientist of outstanding distinction,” stated University of Tasmania’s Rebecca Carey in her nomination letter. “His research has not only generated a wealth of new scientific understanding, but also critically Thorarinsson-type pioneering advances in long-standing cornerstone volcanologic concepts.”

Further, Houghton has pioneered research across the interface of fundamental volcanological science and hazards, social and behavioral science, leading to a world-first detailed training course for scientists, first responders and emergency managers, titled the U.S. FEMA Volcanic Crisis Awareness course.

Houghton and his predecessor at ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�, George Walker, are among the only nine volcanologists to-date given the Thorarinsson award, an award named for the noted Icelandic geologist and volcanologist Sigurdur Thorarinsson.

Houghton reflected on becoming a Thorarinsson Medalist; “I was delighted and surprised by the award. All my research is collaborative and, since moving to ����Vlog�ٷ� 70 percent of my papers have been first-authored by my students or postdocs, and these are not the type of statistics that usually lead to such awards. I was particularly pleased because all three of my mentors in volcanology are in the list of eight prior winners of the medal; it is quite humbling to be joining them. For ����Vlog�ٷ� to have been awarded two of the nine Thorarinsson Medal to-date is, I think, a sign that volcanology is in excellent health here in Hawaiʻi. The challenge now is to find ways to build on this reputation and capture for ����Vlog�ٷ� some of the wonderful crop of young volcanologists on the market.”

Sebastien Biass receives George Walker Award

The  is given every two years to a young scientist up to seven years after acquiring a doctoral degree. The award recognizes achievements of a recent outstanding graduate in the fields of research encompassed by IAVCEI.

Biass, post-doctoral researcher working with Houghton at ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� , was honored for “achievements that are all deeply rooted in field studies and because of his unique appreciation with the importance of statistical and critical treatment of field data within the growing field of numerical modelling,” cited professor Costanza Bonadonna of the University of Geneva. “His unique approach, stems from combining thorough field studies with state-of-the-art numerical modeling, furthering both deposit characterization and the newly-born discipline of hazard and risk assessment that he is pioneering. What makes Sébastien unique in his science is his open mind and multidisciplinary approach, his scientific curiosity and enthusiasm and his dedication to going beyond his own limits.”

Biass commented, “My vision of the IAVCEI George Walker Award for early career scientist is closely tied to my vision of scientific research, which contains three components. First, scientific curiosity is one of the greatest source of pleasure in life and provides the motivation to attempt understanding the unknown. Second, luck, in the selection of work colleagues, has been an integral part of my research. Specifically, Costanza Bonadonna and Bruce Houghton, both part of the ����Vlog�ٷ� family in either past or present, have shown me how working on interesting science with bright people is an invaluable source of satisfaction. Thirdly, I see research as having a global objective of the wellbeing of society, which in volcanology translates to a better understanding of the physics of hazardous processes occurring during eruptions in order to mitigate better the impacts on exposed communities. This award therefore represents a success on these three levels and belongs as much to everyone I have ever looked up to as it does to me. Having been picked amongst a long list of such successful young scientists humbles me and gives great motivation to pursue my scientific career.”

The award honors the memory of former ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz� geology professor George Walker, whose discoveries pioneered a modern quantitative approach to physical volcanology and greatly accelerated understanding of volcanic processes.

—By Marcie Grabowski

(NDPTC) 2017 Community Resilience Leadership Award will be presented to , at the Pacific Risk Management ʻOhana Conference Awards Luncheon on March 22 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. The annual award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to making communities better able to withstand, respond to and recover from hazards and threats such as hurricanes, tsunamis and flooding.

According to NDPTC Executive Director Karl Kim, “Doc Tusi combines deep understanding of community processes and a lasting commitment to social justice and capability building. As a community leader, he has promoted learning about resilience and food security throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands. He has played a special role in advising and leading the NDPTC in our efforts to build and sustain resilient communities.”

Avegalio is the director of the and the executive director of the Honolulu Minority Business Enterprise Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s . A former research fellow with the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center, Avegalio is the first native from Oceania to become a professor at the Shidler College of Business. Deeply involved in developing and delivering NDPTC courses in American Samoa and throughout the Pacific, he has consulted extensively for governments, colleges and universities, financial institutions and businesses throughout the Pacific. He also has been the primary organizer of many events including the University of Hawaiʻi Stars of Oceania, and the Global Breadfruit Summits in Hawaiʻi, including the 2017 summit planned for Apia, Samoa.

Avegalio received his BS in education and BA in social sciences from Emporia State University in Kansas, his MA from Truman State University in Missouri and his doctorate in educational administration from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. A Polynesian aliʻi, he holds the traditional title of “Papaliʻi” from Savali, Samoa.

—By Lisa Shirota

Veteran aerospace industry engineer Ted Ralston has been appointed director of unmanned aerial systems at the at the University of Hawaiʻi (ARL/����Vlog�ٷ�).

In his new role, Ralston will be responsible for determining and disseminating best practices on the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for the State of Hawaiʻi through his oversight of the Hawaiʻi UAS Test Range, one of several test sites that comprise the Pan Pacific UAS Test Range Complex (PPUTRC). The PPUTRC involves the states of Alaska, Oregon, Mississippi, as well as Iceland, and is one of six official test sites in the U.S.

“We are pleased to have Ted Ralston onboard to develop, test and evaluate UAS technology to determine standards for safe and reliable integration into both Hawaiʻi and our nation’s airspace,” said , interim executive director of ARL/����Vlog�ٷ�. “His experience and knowledge in the aerospace industry is a perfect fit to conduct UAS operational tests in Hawaiʻi’s unique and challenging environment involving heat, humidity, high winds and rugged terrain.”

Ralston currently serves as a part-time advisor to the in Honolulu and was a major content contributor to a FEMA course on UAS use in disaster management. Over a 42-year career in aerospace, Ralston has held various management and director positions with the Boeing Company and McDonnell-Douglas Corporation and previously served in various engineering and project management positions with Pratt & Whitney’s Aircraft Division. He received his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1968 and completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1971. Ralston is a 1963 graduate of Punahou School.

“It’s exciting to see new aerospace-oriented technology advancing in Hawaiʻi,” said Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director Luis P. Salaveria. “As we move our innovation economy forward, testing and developing this type of technology is ideally suited to help expand and diversify future business development opportunities statewide.”

Read the for more information.

(NDPTC) at the University of Hawaiʻi focuses on natural hazards like climate change and other threats to coastal and island communities. Under a cooperative agreement with the , , NDPTC has developed a short video in partnership with the and the University of Hawaiʻi as part of its Just-in-Time Training initiative to promote awareness and deliver basic information about the Zika virus. The center has developed other Just-in-Time Training on tsunamis, volcanoes, and other emerging threats and hazards.

In this video, Sarah Park, state epidemiologist and chief of the Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s Disease Outbreak Control Division, provides key information about the virus including its potential for spreading from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus causing birth defects and transmission via mosquitoes and through sexual contact.

Zika has been found in the Americas, Oceania/Pacific Islands, Africa and Asia. According to the Center for Disease Control, travel-associated cases of the Zika virus have been found in every U.S. state except Alaska and Wyoming, and in every U.S. territory except Guam and American Samoa. Locally acquired cases have been found in only Florida, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. It is spread by the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedis albopictus). With the impact of climate change there has been a growth in regions that support mosquito habitats worldwide, increasing the world’s vulnerability to mosquito-borne diseases.

“We are particularly concerned about Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases because of their potential impacts on vulnerable, at-risk populations,” said , professor of at the and executive director of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. “We need to increase awareness of the disease but also work towards effective strategies for monitoring as well as combating Zika. As a global visitor destination, Hawaiʻi needs a multi-pronged approach involving health care providers, urban planners, emergency responders, as well as households and businesses is needed to manage this health threat.”

Homeowners and businesses need to protect themselves against mosquitoes and implement effective programs for mosquito control. Training and education is needed to increase preparedness as well as response and mitigation capabilities.

NDPTC is committed to provide relevant and up-to-date training and education on the latest threats to our society.