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.”

To improve water resiliency in the state, the U.S. Department of Defense Naval Facilities Engineering Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) has invested $300,000 toward a new partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi and others to explore new ways to steward, sustain and reimagine water resources in Hawaiʻi through the Hoʻolana Water Resilience Prize Challenge.

The pilot program was launched in fall 2023 by the and as part of their Innovation Challenge initiative. Two of 13 proposed water resilience solutions were selected for further development. One project employs analytical and machine learning image analysis to detect cloud immersion in Hawaiʻi鈥檚 tropical cloud forests (tropical or subtropical forests that are frequently covered in low-lying clouds and mist, creating a persistently wet environment). The other is exploring the potential of oyster aquaculture to improve Pearl Harbor鈥檚 water quality and ecosystems. They each received $75,000 in seed funding and mentorship.

Detecting cloud immersion through machine learning analysis

Between 800–3,500 meters in elevation, tropical montane cloud forests are tropical ecosystems characterized by frequent ground-level cloud immersion or fog. Cloud droplets collecting on vegetation is an important source of water in these forests. However, unlike rainfall, the phenomenon of fog meteorology and its interaction with vegetation is still misunderstood and understudied.

A team from the is working on using machine learning to detect fog and estimate cloud water content from camera images. This low-cost, image-based solution aims to capture near real-time cloud immersion data and enhance researchers鈥� understanding of fog and its impact on montane regions in Hawaiʻi.

“By using cameras as a low-cost approach for estimating the availability of cloud water in tropical montane cloud forests, we hope to better monitor spatial and temporal cloud immersion patterns across diverse geographies and ecosystems,” said Dylan Giardina, who is part of the team鈥檚 research staff. “This represents an important first step in beginning to understand how much water is intercepted by vegetation, developing wall-to-wall climate maps for cloud immersion, and understanding how cloud water availability might be impacted by climate change.”

Restoring natural habitats of Pearl Harbor

A team from and its community partners are identifying opportunities for using oyster bivalves to improve water quality and habitats in Pearl Harbor. As suspension feeders, oyster bivalves ingest and filter out excess phytoplankton resulting from run-off from terrestrial sources like nitrogen and phosphorus. They also help settle sediment from erosion, helping to maintain water clarity.

“Wai Momi was once a majestic estuary, rich with biodiversity,” said Rhiannon Tereariʻi Chandler-ʻ莫补辞, 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo aquaculture policy and extension specialist and former Waiwai Ola Waterkeepers Hawaiian Island executive director. “So much of its natural ecosystems have been transformed or lost; it鈥檚 hard to find even one pearl oyster in the harbor now. It鈥檚 no surprise that water quality is an issue.”

Next steps

Both teams will continue to work with NAVFAC EXWC through the end of the year, and plan to present research updates to government, industry and venture capital communities early next year to determine further development and possible acquisition opportunities.

For more, . Noelo is 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 research magazine from the .

Nearly 20 students from five Oʻahu schools participated in a groundbreaking drone technology program during their fall break, aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship skills among Navy JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) students.

The (OIC) hosted the weeklong Pathways to Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PIE-X) program, October 7–11. Students from Radford, Campbell, ʻAiea and Kaiser High Schools, and ʻEwa Makai Middle School, learned about unmanned aerial systems (UAV) and developed solutions for search and rescue operations.

National Security Innovation Network Regional Engagement Principal Gloria Choo is one of the leads with the program and is based within OIC.

“It鈥檚 been fantastic,” Choo said. “The amount of subject matter experts that are here to talk to them about careers has been great. One of the things I鈥檝e seen our students be exposed to is this may be an opportunity for them as a career, or just fulfill an interest that they were looking for.”

The program, organized by the Pacific Technology Cooperation Group, combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience. The first three days focused on educational components, while the final two days included mentorship from U.S. Department of Defense and industry professionals, and a capstone project, including a drone competition.

“The thing I want to major in is architecture and with the UAV geo spatial awareness; I think it’s really useful when it comes to trying to build buildings, see the surroundings and collect data based on what I’m looking at,” said Salina Roura Puaatuua, a senior at ʻAiea High School.

Developing skills for developing fields

PIE-X aims to remove barriers for students entering STEM careers, particularly in Hawaiʻi鈥檚 growing IT, cybersecurity and data sectors. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, systems engineering, data analysis and programming literacy, while promoting teamwork and adaptability. Key objectives include developing spatial reasoning skills for interpreting aerial imagery and planning flight paths, as well as teaching students to modify strategies for various scenarios.

The program represents a strategic investment in Hawaiʻi鈥檚 future workforce, preparing students for potential careers in both private and defense sectors. By focusing efforts on students involved in Navy JROTC programs, the initiative seeks to inspire students to envision their future careers in Hawaiʻi, while contributing to the state’s technological advancement. For more information about PIE-X .

OIC is housed in the .

—By Marc Arakaki

Sandra Fujiyama, executive director of the (PACE) in the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 , has been named a 2024 Power Leader by (PBN).

The Power Leaders awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated not only significant accomplishments, but also show incredible potential for what they will do in the future.

As PACE鈥檚 executive director, Fujiyama is responsible for leading 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 innovation and entrepreneurship efforts, including strengthening ties with community stakeholders and driving student success by equipping our students with the skills and mindset necessary to adapt and thrive as they enter the workforce. She, along with her dedicated team and board, were instrumental in the creation of the (RISE), a state-of-the-art live-work-learn facility at the site of the old Atherton YMCA that combines an innovation center with housing for up to 374 students.

RISE is fully funded with private, non-taxpayer money under a public-private partnership (P3) between 糖心Vlog官方, 糖心Vlog官方 Foundation and Hunt Development Group Hawaiʻi, and was completed on time. PACE runs the innovation and entrepreneurship center at RISE, offering more than 15 programs to foster Hawaiʻi鈥檚 next generation of problem-solvers, game-changers and leaders.

Most recently, Walter Dods, Jr., former First Hawaiian Bank chairman and CEO and a longtime supporter of 糖心Vlog官方, donated $5 million to RISE and PACE. To recognize the monumental contribution, the facility is now named the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center.

Sandra’s visionary leadership, proactive initiative, and steadfast commitment to PACE, the Shidler College, and the wider 糖心Vlog官方 community are evident in every aspect of her work.
—Vance Roley, dean of Shidler College of Business

“Sandra’s visionary leadership, proactive initiative, and steadfast commitment to PACE, the Shidler College, and the wider 糖心Vlog官方 community are evident in every aspect of her work,” said Vance Roley, dean of Shidler College and First Hawaiian Bank Chair of Leadership and Management. “We celebrate her accomplishments in elevating innovation and entrepreneurship to new levels, exemplified by the successful launch of the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center. Her selection as a 2024 Power Leader underscores her extraordinary contributions to our institution and the broader community.”

Previously, Fujiyama served as innovation and business development officer at 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 where she conducted technology and marketing assessments of inventions, protected and marketed technologies in 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 IP portfolio, and helped secure funding for the development and commercialization of 糖心Vlog官方-based inventions.

Fujiyama spent nearly 15 years specializing in intellectual property law in Los Angeles, where she prosecuted patent and trademark applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, litigated intellectual property matters, and provided intellectual property strategy and counseling to a range of clients. Before returning to Hawaiʻi, she was a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC.

While in Los Angeles, Fujiyama was also involved in a number of organizations, including serving on the boards of the California Bar Foundation, the Japanese American Bar Association Educational Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance. She was recognized by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association as a “Best Lawyer Under 40.” Prior to joining 糖心Vlog官方, Fujiyama worked for Dentons U.S. LLP in Honolulu, with clients in the local technology and startup market.

PBN鈥檚 Power Leaders will be recognized at an event at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, on January 25, 2024.

The University of Hawaiʻi has appointed Suzanne Case as inaugural director of the Office of Land and Ocean Conservation Futures, which is housed under the . Case began her official duties on September 11.

In her new role, Case will be responsible for identifying, developing and coordinating initiatives in research, education, funding, policies and other opportunities, by leveraging all facets of the 糖心Vlog官方 research enterprise to improve nature conservation efforts internally and across the state. Conservation and sustainability efforts are a critical component to 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 strategic plan as well as the future of our islands and the world.

In addition to collaborating internally with existing 糖心Vlog官方 conservation programs such as the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 , partnerships such as the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance, and 糖心Vlog官方-supported programs such as the and the , Case will also be working closely with federal, state and county stakeholders. Those include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, U.S. Forest Service, as well the Hawaiʻi congressional delegation, Hawaiʻi State Legislature, state agencies, county councils, local businesses and non-profit organizations, and community and cultural groups.

“I鈥檓 really excited to join the University of Hawaiʻi team for conservation,” Case said. “The university鈥檚 education, research and capacity-building conservation work is very broad and deep. The faculty, students and workers are true leaders in so many conservation fields, and I鈥檓 proud to be a part of it and to do what I can to support and expand it. We have so much to do for Hawaiʻi, the Pacific and our planet.”

Case comes to 糖心Vlog官方 after serving two terms as chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) for the State of Hawaiʻi from 2015 to 2022. During this time, she led a number of significant accomplishments toward the protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources, including: forestry and wildlife, aquatic resources, coastal regulation, freshwater resources, historic preservation, boating and ocean recreation, state parks, state land management and conservation enforcement.

Prior to joining DLNR, Case served in leadership and legal counsel positions throughout a 28-year career with The Nature Conservancy, including executive director of the Hawaiʻi program from 2001 to 2015, where she was responsible for overseeing eight Nature Conservancy preserves, land protection projects statewide, the growth of watershed partnerships and community networks to restore near-shore marine resources, and the implementation of large-scale projects to remove invasive algae from Hawaiʻi鈥檚 reefs and coastal areas.

Case has also served as chair for the State Commission on Water Resource Management, as well as co-chair of the Sustainable Hawaiʻi Initiative, the Hawaiʻi Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Commission, Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Committee, and as a member of both the Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture and the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission.

“We are at a critical juncture with our natural resources, biodiversity and way of life threatened by the effects of climate change, invasive species and unsustainable practices that supplanted Indigenous understanding of how to live in harmony with the environment,” said 糖心Vlog官方 President David Lassner. “Suzanne has had an incredible positive impact in her roles with DLNR and The Nature Conservancy, and we look forward to her leadership in helping us fulfill our kuleana to protect the natural environment with our faculty and students across the islands.”

“We are very pleased and fortunate to have a person with the impressive credentials, knowledge, experience and passion of Suzanne to lead the University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 conservation efforts into the future,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “In our push to lead land and ocean conservation research, education, and field implementation in the Asia-Pacific region, her stewardship of our new Office of Land and Ocean Conservation Futures will be absolutely vital to that effort.”

Born in Hilo, Case is a graduate of Punahou School in Honolulu. She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree with honors in history from Stanford University in 1979 and was awarded her juris doctorate from the University of California Hastings College of Law in 1983.

A wearable ring that detects date rape drugs and desalination technology that uses solar thermal conversion to convert seawater into fresh water are just two of the innovative projects that are being developed through an inaugural University of Hawaiʻi fellowship program.

Launched and managed by the (OIC), is a new and unique program to develop the next generation of technology innovators from within 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 ranks of PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers. The systemwide program is part of a $2.4-million grant from the Office of Naval Research.

Through the one-year program, Patents2Products Fellows will receive intellectual property training, technology transfer guidance and industry mentorship to translate innovative ideas into meaningful commercialization opportunities. This program takes what students have learned and researched during their time at 糖心Vlog官方 to make meaningful impacts on the lives of people in many everyday situations.

Utilizing the regional training program, fellows will assess the commercial landscape and leverage the Lean Startup methodology as a development tool for technology maturation, participate in professional development workshops, and engage in networking opportunities to seek future funding and cross-functional collaborations for continued venture development. Each fellow will receive salary compensation, a stipend for research supplies, and have access to state-of-the art facilities and specialized equipment.

“The Patents2Products program is the first-of-its-kind in the State of Hawaiʻi and is designed to mature the readiness level of 糖心Vlog官方-developed, impact-driven technologies in the blue economy and healthcare sectors,” said Steven Auerbach, interim director of OIC. “The program provides in-depth innovation and entrepreneurship training and experience to help develop the next generation of scientists and technologists to translate their world-class research into impactful, commercial products or services that can improve our everyday lives.”

The inaugural cohort of Patents2Products Fellows and their projects include:

• Project: A Wearable Sensor for Detecting Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Drugs
  Fellow: Kaylee Clark, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 postdoctoral researcher
  Details: The wearable sensor will be a stylish and functional ring equipped with integrated sensors for personal detection of flunitrazepam (also known as Rohypnol) in beverages to mitigate drug-facilitated assaults.
  Faculty sponsor: Tyler Ray, , , College of Engineering and , John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补
• Project: Body Composition Assessment Technology
  Fellow: Jonathan Bennett, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 postdoctoral researcher
  Details: The technology leverages highly effective obesity models to improve access and use particularly in low-middle-income and rural environments to increase awareness and early detection and intervention of body composition risk factors for obesity.
  Faculty sponsor: John Shepherd, , 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补
• Project: eDNA Filtration System
  Fellow: Danielle Bartz, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 PhD candidate
  Details: The eDNA Filtration System allows for the simultaneous filtration of seawater in preparation for environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses to better address ecological questions in aquatic communities.
  Faculty sponsor: Timothy Grabowski, , 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补; , 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo; and Hawaiʻi Cooperative Fishery Research Unit
• Project: Desalination Technology
  Fellow: Suman Chhetri, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 postdoctoral researcher
  Details: Desalination Technology uses solar thermal conversion to help solve freshwater shortage issues and replace existing energy-intensive processes with sustainable, green technologies for water purification.
  Faculty sponsor: Woochul Lee, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补
• Project: Novel Metagenomic Sequencing Technology
  Fellow: Min Ki (Carl) Jeon, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 PhD candidate
  Details: This new technology will help rapidly characterize influenza diversity and dynamics in wastewater to better inform flu vaccine development.
  Faculty sponsor: Tao Yan, , , College of Engineering, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补
• Project: Expression Vector System
  Fellow: Ludwig Mayerlen, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 PhD candidate
  Details: The system uses an improved insect cell line to develop a fully customizable product that can be used for the expression of almost any protein and provide high-yield production of vaccine antigens.
  Faculty sponsor: Axel Lehrer, , JABSOM, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补
• Project: Programmable Genome Insertion Tool
  Fellow: Christopher Tran, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 PhD candidate
  Details:This tool is designed to actively and accurately incorporate DNA into the genome of somatic cells at specific locations to develop clinical therapies that use insertional vectors to treat genetic disease.
  Faculty sponsor: Jesse Owens, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, JABSOM, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补

“Our mission for Patents2Products is to educate and empower young talent to develop the necessary skills to ripen and shepherd groundbreaking technologies to the marketplace, and explore new pathways to become STEM leaders of emerging industries of our future,” said Rebecca H. Chung, Patents2Products program lead and OIC associate director, innovation programs. “This exciting opportunity will provide fellows with transdisciplinary training to engage in cross-functional research that will build greater innovation capacity and opportunities.”

OIC will begin recruiting for next year鈥檚 cohort in fall 2023. An information session for interested faculty sponsors and applicants will be hosted on November 15, 2023. For updates and more information about the Patents2Products program, visit research.hawaii.edu/patents2products or email patents2products@hawaii.edu.

For the second consecutive year, the University of Hawaiʻi has set a record in extramural funding at $515.9 million for fiscal year 2023 (FY2023), $10.9 million more over the previous record of $505 million set in FY2022.

, the flagship campus of 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 10 campus system, led the extramural award amounts this year with $342.7 million. The 糖心Vlog官方 System brought in $117.7 million, totaled $33.7 million, received $17.8 million and totaled $4 million.

“We are extremely proud of our back-to-back record hauls in extramural funding, despite having to deal with a myriad of challenges due to the recent pandemic and its lingering after-effects on the world economy and our funders,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “The accolades must be given to our faculty, staff and graduate students for their hard work and dedication to the 糖心Vlog官方 research enterprise and to the state of Hawaiʻi.”

Extramural funding is external investments from governmental agencies such as the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and training activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Extramural projects support research and innovation that help to increase knowledge and provide solutions to improve quality of life.

“Every dollar invested by one of our extramural sponsors is a vote of confidence that 糖心Vlog官方 faculty, staff and students are creating a better future for Hawaiʻi and the world,” said 糖心Vlog官方 President David Lassner. “This includes everything from climate change, resilience, water quality and energy solutions to addressing health disparities, educational inequities, feeding our population, and training Hawaiʻi‘s people for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Several examples of 糖心Vlog官方 programs that attracted the attention of funders:

• The Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges was awarded $16.3 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the “Resilient Hawaiʻi: Good Jobs Challenge” initiative that provides employer-driven training in living-wage jobs to individuals whose employment was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The received $5.5 million from NASA to continue a wide area survey of Near Earth Objects at its Pan-STARRS observatory on Haleakal膩, Maui. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The was awarded $4.5 million, as part of a five-year $23 million grant from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) for Ola HAWAII, a multidisciplinary research center that addresses health disparities in underserved, multiethnic populations in Hawaiʻi. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.



• 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 received $4 million, as part of a five-year $20 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF), to integrate climate and data science research under its “Change HI” initiative. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The received $3.6 million from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to continue its research and maintenance support of the U.S. Navy鈥檚 Wave Energy Test Site in Kāneʻohe Bay. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.



• ONR awarded 糖心Vlog官方 a $2.4 million grant to partner with the University of Alaska and the University of Rhode Island to develop and advance energy, marine and other blue economy technologies and opportunities through the . Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• NIH awarded $2.4 million to the to continue its important Multiethnic Cohort Study. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.



• was awarded $2 million of a $3.5 million grant by NSF鈥檚 Tribal Colleges and Universities Program to establish its Kiaʻi Loko Center for Limu Research. The center focuses on applying traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge alongside Western scientific methods to study limu (algae) and traditional Hawaiian fishponds. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (SOEST) was awarded $3 million by ONR to map flood risks related to sea-level rise in Hawaiʻi.
• The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded SOEST and the another $1.5 million increment of a five-year, $25 million project to develop an engineered coral reef system to protect coastlines from flooding, erosion and storm damage. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The received $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to restore ancestral and cultural practices to improve health equity among Native Hawaiians and NHPI communities.
• 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo received $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education for its E Hoi I Ke Kumu program to address the Hawaiian language immersion teacher shortage in the state.
• 糖心Vlog官方 was awarded a $1 million NSF Engines Development Award to establish its Climate-Resilient Food Innovation Network that will serve as a hub for Hawaiʻi and U.S-affiliated Pacific Islands to develop collaborative, food innovation solutions driven by Indigenous knowledge systems and modern technology. 糖心Vlog官方 could be eligible for another award of up to $160 million. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• 糖心Vlog官方 West Oʻahu received a $944,307 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop its He Paepae Aloha curriculum to increase Native Hawaiian participation and completion of post-secondary education through the incorporation of Native Hawaiian traditions and culture.

The University of Hawaiʻi has launched , a new experiential certificate training program available to 糖心Vlog官方 System faculty interested in growing the university鈥檚 innovation and entrepreneurship capacity. Six faculty from the at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 have been selected to participate in the inaugural cohort:

• Oceana Puananilei Francis, professor of , with a joint appointment in the
• Aaron Ohta, professor of
• Tyler Ray [faculty lead], assistant professor of and John A. Burns School of Medicine
• Lin Shen, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
• Zac Trimble, associate professor of mechanical engineering
• Jeff Weldon, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering

“Our Faculty Fellows possess a track record of high-impact teaching practices for the courses that they currently teach, each engaged in areas that warrant new transformative approaches to address pressing challenges for emerging industries of our future,” said Rebecca H. Chung, Faculty Fellows program lead and (OIC) associate director, innovation programs. “This program will provide them instructional strategies to pioneer new ways to engage students in inclusive STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, and stimulate greater cross-disciplinary training to strengthen the next generation workforce development.”

Faculty Fellows will participate in interactive workshops and panel discussions curated by OIC in partnership with VentureWell, a long-standing collaborator with the National Science Foundation which cultivates a pipeline of academic inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs. Through the program, Faculty Fellows will leverage the customer discovery process both inside and outside the classroom, teach experientially using the Business Model Canvas, and integrate Lean Startup methodology principles in curriculum development using a Backward Design approach.

Following completion of the certificate training, Faculty Fellows will continue collaborating to build a community of practice around innovation as a mechanism to promote sustained peer-to-peer learning. Teaching interest groups will be established for Faculty Fellows to meet on a semester basis to form a network of support, share ideas and approaches, and develop solutions across domains of expertise to identify next steps in course design and curriculum mapping. Any 糖心Vlog官方 faculty that is interested is welcomed to join.

“In alignment with our 糖心Vlog官方 Strategic Plan, this program allows us to create a pathway for faculty to engage in and promote innovation and entrepreneurship at 糖心Vlog官方,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for research and innovation. “We have selected an exceptional inaugural cohort all involved in impact-driven teaching and research, and look forward to having them help us build an active and collaborative ecosystem of innovation educators and academic entrepreneurs throughout the state.”

This program is funded by a $2.4 million grant from the Office of Naval Research to develop and advance energy, marine and other blue economy technologies and opportunities in Hawaiʻi by providing experiential education and cross-disciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship training in order to build a diversified and resilient economy, and a stronger, more sustainable workforce for the state.

For more information about the program, . Additional updates will be posted on the OIC website or email facultyfellows@hawaii.edu for more details.

Two University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 student-led projects have been selected to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Defense that will support additional resources, travel and more, for further testing and development.

The innovative solutions showcased on May 5, at The Entrepreneurs Sandbox will help to mitigate increasing condominium maintenance fees, expand access to mental health services and streamline flight scheduling for defense missions.

The projects were developed by junior and senior undergraduate or graduate 糖心Vlog官方 students through the successful . Designed as a “flipped classroom,” students work in multidisciplinary teams to learn and apply the Lean Startup methodology used by entrepreneurs and businesses nationwide. Throughout the semester-long course, students engaged with program partners, mentors and advisors as well as conducted a minimum of 50 stakeholder interviews to develop, validate and iterate a minimum viable product or viable solution to a real-world problem.

“Our H4X program has been extremely successful in educating students to be critical thinkers, effective problem solvers and meaningful contributors to a knowledge-based society by applying their academic rigor to real-world scenarios,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for research and innovation. “This program has allowed us to strengthen our collaborative partnerships and we welcome other organizations to participate in this program.”

Spring 2023 糖心Vlog官方 H4X projects

• BH4ALL developed standard operating procedures (SOP) to help the U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division to develop and test a system and workflow that would allow them to provide tele-behavioral health services to soldiers while deployed for training or combat. Currently, soldiers do not have access to tele-behavioral healthcare options while deployed. As a result, many soldiers deny or delay mental health treatment, often worsening symptoms and long-term effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder. The students tested their pilot SOP and tele-behavioral health services with troops training in the Philippines and received positive end-user feedback. The project qualified for NSIN鈥檚 X-Force program, where summer interns will continue to test and refine the development of the proposed SOP for potential, future implementation. Team: Cole Amparo, Justin Loi, Simone Peers, Kirsten-Elise Rensaa and Israel Sagapolutele
• Team Taking Flight also worked with the U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division on improving its flight scheduling system, which currently utilizes various excel sheets to organize availability, experience and aviation needs of each of its five, 20-member platoons. The students researched and identified existing apps to help consolidate and expedite its data review and scheduling procedures. This project has also qualified for X-Force and will be further tested and developed over the summer. Team: Joshua Constantino, Thane Luna, Shane Rogge, Sola Takahashi and Larissa Tsai
• FICOH for the People worked with First Insurance Company of Hawaii (FICOH) to address increasing deferred maintenance costs for rampant water damage repairs in aging condominium buildings, the number one source of insurance claims and top driver of insurance premiums. The team developed an educational website and app to provide property managers, condo board members, owners and insurance companies with access to interactive training videos and quizzes to be able to identify signs of water damage in order to address repairs sooner. Team: Rockwell Adolpho, Edalaline Cadiena, Cole House, Nayoung Kim, Michelle Cherish Leano, Jeraldine Milla and Kaizlee Yoshikawa

“It was a pleasure to work with the team that FICOH sponsored,” said FICOH Risk and Safety Management Supervisor Dean Estabilio. “The challenge that the students faced was a complex one that required reaching for solutions that were out of the box. The approach and concept is a significant step forward in achieving their goal of solving the ongoing problems of water damage due to deferred maintenance. I believe that the experience gained from this problem solving project will benefit their personal and professional growth in the years to come.”

More on H4X

Launched in spring 2021 in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense National Security Innovation Network through its Hacking for Defense® program, H4X has allowed the university to collaborate with multiple military branches throughout the state on addressing various defense-related challenges as well as environmental non-profit organizations and private industry partners.

H4X is housed in the and is among several programs designed to engage students, faculty and program partners in innovation and entrepreneurship. For more information about the H4X program, .

Frontline communities nationwide facing increasing threats from climate change such as flooding are getting water sensor technology and real-time data thanks to , a University of Hawaiʻi technology startup that provides environmental water level monitoring.

Hohonu is teaming up with Purple Maiʻa Foundation and Kuaʻaina Ulu ʻAuamo for a $400,000 congressionally funded project.

The will integrate emerging sensor and data science technologies into approximately 30 fishpond restoration projects across Oʻahu and Maui Counties. The team will deploy additional water quality sensors to measure dissolved oxygen, temperature, meteorological data, chlorophyll and turbidity.

“We’re seeing accelerated threats and changes today that didn’t exist when the ponds were healthy and productive hundreds of years ago, which means that we need to be able to use contemporary tools to help identify how to restore places in the face of accelerating climate change,” said Brian Glazer, Hohonu CEO and co-founder and oceanography associate professor at the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa .

The sensors send data measurements wirelessly every six minutes. Hohonu has made the data available in real time to the public through an .

糖心Vlog官方, a partial equity owner in the company, along with some local nonprofits, is a part of Hohonu鈥檚 mission to democratize access to ocean observing technologies.

“糖心Vlog官方 invested in Hohonu because we believe in the researcher, and we believe it is impacting the economy,” said Steve Auerbach, interim director of . 鈥淥ur ultimate goal is trying to diversify 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 economy through our innovation and research. Brian鈥檚 technology and company are aligned with 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 strategic plan, and we want to encourage more of those companies to come out of the world-class research we have here at 糖心Vlog官方.”

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: 糖心Vlog官方 startup improves flood-risk management in 54 U.S. communities, October 18, 2021

Addressing a global issue

On the continental U.S., Hohonu has deployed 60 sensors from Florida to Maine, in California and Alaska, and throughout Hawaiʻi, working closely with local communities that are seeing effects from accelerating climate change with hyperlocal episodic flooding.

“Communities in North and South Carolina were particularly proactive. In some areas there were parents who were unable to pick up their kids from preschool during high tide and during king tide events,” said Glazer. “The nearest tide gauges were simply too far away to accurately measure and predict the local anomalies.”

“Accelerating threats from climate change is not just a local problem, it’s a global problem,” said Glazer. “And it’s not only a coastal ocean problem, either. It’s inland, it鈥檚 rivers, lakes, streams and reservoirs. So we鈥檙e hoping Hohonu can help to create solutions with reliable rigorous monitoring that is scalable and cost-effective to help communities build resilience in the face of climate change.”

Building an informed future

Hohonu was incorporated in 2019, but its origin dates back to 2014 when Glazer became frustrated with the lack of environmental monitoring tools that were available to him while helping Hawaiian fishpond restoration community groups with environmental monitoring solutions. Those efforts gained traction, and soon demand for observing tools exceeded capacity in the lab, and with support and guidance from 糖心Vlog官方, Hohonu was launched.

“It’s really about building an informed future,” said Glazer. “By creating access to quantifiable ocean, coastal and environmental data, and blending new techniques with traditional Indigenous knowledge, we鈥檙e in much better positions to think about how rapidly our environments are changing today.”

Five University of Hawaiʻi-affiliated technology startups have been selected for a 糖心Vlog官方 innovation incubator, (HITIDE). This novel 24-month entrepreneurial program offers up to $50,000 in seed funding, customized education, mentorship and resources tailored to the unique needs of academic entrepreneurs to help them translate and advance 糖心Vlog官方-developed, impact-driven technologies and solve real-world problems.

“We are extremely pleased to support this diverse group of startups that offer an exciting range and depth of innovative technologies developed through 糖心Vlog官方 research,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for research and innovation. “These technologies have the potential to significantly improve health care and training, space exploration and engineering design—and are prime examples of why it is so important that we support our researchers and create more entrepreneurial opportunities for them through novel programs like HITIDE.”

HITIDE鈥檚 cohort 2

Generative Design Software is an emerging, computer-aided artificial intelligence engineering technology and advanced algorithm developed by Marcelo Kobayashi, a mechanical engineering professor at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 . With the capacity to intelligently pull various forms of data to improve engineering design, this technology can significantly reduce cost and the number of development cycles to prototyping in aerospace, automotive and building industries.

HI-Spectral is a groundbreaking snapshot hyperspectral imaging technology developed by Astronomer Haosheng Lin and Mechanical Engineer Morgan Bonnet at 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 . The technology has been used in astronomical observations and offers advanced characterization and identification of different substances in other applications including health, agriculture, Earth and environmental science.

Interstel Technologies offers a fully responsive mission operations system for robust, coordinated operation of satellites, UAVs and other vehicles in dynamic environments. Its iCOSMOS software was developed by the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (HSFL) Specialist and Project Manager Trevor Sorensen and his team: HSFL Lead Software Engineer Eric Pilger; HSFL Deputy Director and Systems Engineer Miguel Nunes; and Junior Software Engineer Lynzee Hoegger.

Mahina Aerospace includes a team from HSFL: Avionics Engineer and Program Manager Amber Imai-Hong; Assistant Researcher Frankie Zhu; Software Engineer Luke Clements; and Systems Integrator Chris Amendola. Their technology is a low-cost spaceflight-ready, educational, small 1U cube satellite. Paired with a collection of STEM curricula, the Artemis CubeSat has the potential to significantly advance aerospace education and provides a low-cost option for industries to send integrated payloads to space.

XRCore was developed by a team from the at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补: Professor Scott Lozanoff; Technical Director of Anatomical Imaging Jesse Thompson; and Clinical Assistant Professor Thomas Noh. The company offers advanced image processing and 3D printing using artificial intelligence segmentation to enhance pre-surgical planning and clinical training for current and future clinicians.

“The majority of our cohort members and program candidates have full-time jobs and limited entrepreneurial experience, and they approach things from an academic versus business lens,” said George Yarbrough, HITIDE program lead and associate director, entrepreneurship programs for the . “We are looking at the Hawaiʻi innovation pipeline and identifying how to strengthen the ecosystem by supporting academic entrepreneurs with developing their technologies into products and businesses that benefit our community and beyond. We hope that most of these early stage startups will go on and be accepted into other growth accelerators such as Elemental Excelerator.”

Virtual entrepreneurship program

Cohort members are currently participating in the regional National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps, a virtual entrepreneurship program that provides immersive and experiential training in how to test the market through customer discovery and create a business strategy to maximize innovation impact.

Following NSF I-Corps, cohort members will receive customized curriculum and training to: determine their technology鈥檚 product market fit; develop their startup business model and strategy; and pursue business development opportunities including fundraising, federal grants and customers.

糖心Vlog官方 the for more information. 糖心Vlog官方 will begin recruiting for cohort 3 starting this summer. Additional updates will be released on the HITIDE website, or email hitide@hawaii.edu with questions.

A $2.4-million grant from the Office of Naval Research will enable the University of Hawaiʻi to develop and advance energy, marine and other blue economy (conserving marine and freshwater environments) technologies and opportunities in Hawaiʻi.

The funding will help 糖心Vlog官方 provide cross-disciplinary learning opportunities and give students a chance to participate in hands-on projects and entrepreneurial training. The overall aim is to strengthen the state鈥檚 economy and workforce.

“We鈥檙e grateful to the Office of Naval Research for this unique opportunity to collectively develop and commercialize scalable technologies at 糖心Vlog官方, while expanding Hawaiʻi鈥檚 blue economy innovation and entrepreneurship pathways and building workforce capacity,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president of research and innovation. “Through these targeted initiatives, we will be able to collaboratively identify, develop and translate our world-class research into impact-driven ventures to help diversify and stimulate our state鈥檚 economy.”

Through this grant, 糖心Vlog官方 will launch three new programs this year—Hacking4X, Patents2Products and Faculty Fellows—which will be run by the (OIC):

• Hacking4X (H4X) is a semester-long, sprint-like design program launching in January 2023 that will teach students to work through one iteration of the product design process. Students will learn about and go through the Lean Startup methodology with an emphasis on the customer discovery process. At the end of the program, project teams will showcase their work during a pitch competition at an Annual Tri-State Innovation Showcase. Each year, the H4X program will follow a central theme that reflects health and marine challenges within the state of Hawaiʻi. Spring 2023 will focus on Hacking4Environment, with Hacking4Health planned for spring 2024.
• Patents2Products is a year-long funded fellowship opportunity launching in fall 2023. Available to PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, Patents2Products fellows will translate innovative ideas into marketable solutions by building the necessary skills to progress proof-of-concept prototypes in the lab to minimum viable products toward commercialization. Fellows will work on research assignments either within a research lab with 糖心Vlog官方 intellectual property or with 糖心Vlog官方-affiliated companies. Selected participants will broaden their innovation and entrepreneurial skill sets through experiential training workshops to support the assessment of commercial landscapes around respective technologies under development, while supporting product and business development efforts to further advance the technology readiness level. Applications will open in spring 2023. OIC is currently seeking program partners, including 糖心Vlog官方-affiliated technology companies or faculty research labs with 糖心Vlog官方 intellectual property, who would value support from Patents2Products fellows. An informational webinar for potential program partners will be held on January 18 at 9 a.m. HST. To register, .
• Faculty Fellows is a semester-long program, which focuses on enhancing faculty involvement in innovation and entrepreneurship, and establishing an active, collaborative network of colleagues motivated to weave entrepreneurship principles into their teaching and research curriculum. This aligns with the 糖心Vlog官方 2023–2029 strategic plan, which highlights nurturing an innovation and entrepreneurship culture in the 糖心Vlog官方 community to strengthen next generation workforce development. Piloting in summer 2023, participating faculty will undergo training in Lean Startup methodologies and integrate techniques directly into their courses at the end of the program.

“We developed these highly immersive and experiential training programs to facilitate the transformation of ideas to impact,” said OIC Technology Licensing Officer and Innovation Programs Associate Director Rebecca Chung, one of the grant鈥檚 principal investigators. “These programs will prepare researchers to extend their focus beyond the academic laboratory environment. We want to increase the capacity for innovation and accelerate the economic and societal benefits of technological developments.”

Through this initiative, 糖心Vlog官方 will partner with two other public universities, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Rhode Island.

University of Hawaiʻi students have developed innovative and viable solutions to address critical problems facing the Department of Defense (DoD), ranging from decreasing injury and death during rescue missions to improving aircraft and personnel operations. They delivered presentations on campus and at Schofield Barracks on December 7.

The projects were created through semester-long 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 courses developed as part of the fall 2022 DoD鈥檚 National Security Innovation Network鈥檚 (NSIN) Hacking for Defense® (H4D™) and Capstone program. Multidisciplinary student teams from 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 , and learned and applied entrepreneurial skills while working with the DoD to identify and develop viable products and early-stage prototypes.

Since launching the H4D™ program at 糖心Vlog官方 in spring 2021, 47 students have participated in H4D™, and six have obtained internships with NSIN, Booz Allen Hamilton and other companies. Fifty students have participated in Capstone since the fall 2020 semester, and five have attributed securing internships or jobs as a result.

“Our partnership with NSIN helps to strengthen the university鈥檚 relationship with the DoD and increases the number of opportunities to collaborate with them,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for research and innovation. “NSIN鈥檚 programs provide invaluable expertise and experiences for our students and faculty to gain real-world innovation and entrepreneurship training, while also providing career and business opportunities to the teams.”

Throughout NSIN鈥檚 H4D™ and Capstone courses, participants learn and apply the Lean Startup methodology to develop business and mission model canvases; discover and validate customer needs; and apply agile engineering in building and testing iterative prototypes.

“The challenge of having to work in multidisciplinary teams while navigating the DoD鈥檚 complex process requires discipline, and it also provides incredible workforce development and training opportunities not just for our 糖心Vlog官方 students and faculty, but the soldiers working on the projects as well,” said Gloria Choo, 糖心Vlog官方 NSIN regional engagement principal. “Participants have mentioned that the program has really helped with their communications and presentation skills as well as how they approach problem solving.”

Fall 2022 H4D™ projects:

• Team Icarus presented solutions ranging from LED-light pathways to incorporating drone speakers to avert spectators from coming near helicopter rotor blades when having to land in urban environments without non-designated landing zones (i.e., helipads), in order to prevent accidental injury or death.
• Team Stability on the Rise developed and presented their Downwash Shield, an advanced technology to decrease patient stretcher spinout while on a helicopter Sked® Basic Rescue System to improve patient transportation safety.
• Team Tracking Sidewinders presented a prototype of a web application that consolidates and tracks personnel training and certification data to ensure soldiers are consistently certified for deployment and career advancement, and the Army and Air Force are prepared for any potential mass medical casualty response needs.

Information and computer sciences capstone projects:

• Augmented Intelligence Natural Language Processing team further developed a prototype app to support aircraft maintenance by investigating how natural language processing can be used to improve data accuracy of squadron maintenance records, and enhance the user experience.
• Phase Maintenance Inspection Software team presented a proof-of-concept software that can better forecast, manage and assess mission-critical phase maintenance inspections of its fleet of rotary wing aircrafts by leveraging and synchronizing automation and data analytics. This will improve aviation sustainment capabilities, maintenance quality and predictability for soldiers and their families to prepare for training.
• Digital Wargame Development team continued to develop and enhance an app that supports deployment logistics and planning, including the delivery and sustainment of supplies, munitions, etc.

Mechanical engineering capstone projects:

• Airfield Debris from Launching Aircraft team developed a blueprint for a humvee trailer attachment and protective casing for a remote-controlled industrial debris blower to provide a safer and more efficient means of clearing potentially explosive munitions from airfields when flying in and out of enemy territory.
• Fuel Sampling in Aircraft team is developing a prototype for a hand pump that is directly connected to a 糖心Vlog官方-60 (Black Hawk helicopter) that is more efficient and safer for crew members to sample fuel, preventing potential fuel contamination and exposure to toxic, corrosive fuel and reducing fuel preparation time.
• Patient Warmer for Marines team developed technology to prevent morbidity and mortality rates of treating trauma patients with hypothermia, and overcome logistical challenges of requiring electricity for other treatment options.

NSIN programs are housed in the 糖心Vlog官方 Office of Innovation and Commercialization and are among several programs designed to elevate the research, innovation and entrepreneurship created throughout the 10-campus 糖心Vlog官方 System. For more information about NSIN programs, visit .

Water is our most important resource, and it has become more critical than ever to develop resilient and sustainable practices for future generations to thrive.

To foster collaboration and partnerships between water experts and policymakers, the University of Hawaiʻi hosted “” on October 28, at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. Approximately 200 participants attended the conference that brought together academic researchers from 糖心Vlog官方, and 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 industry and community partners, to engage in meaningful partnerships to solve challenges, while promoting economic stability and viability in Hawaiʻi.

“The University of Hawaiʻi is a research institution that has a lot of expertise on water and all types of issues,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, . “With our laboratories and excellent faculty we can actually solve a lot of these issues.”

Cultural and historical perspectives

A major focus of the conference was on the cultural and historical approaches to water management in Hawaiʻi. 糖心Vlog官方 experts, including those who are involved with important cultural organizations in Hawaiʻi, shared their ʻike and manaʻo (knowledge and thoughts).

“Traditional practices are actually sciences and technology and spiritualities. Water is a key component of it that was vital not just for our spiritual needs but also for us to meet contemporary society with,” said Kamuela Enos, director of the 糖心Vlog官方 Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation.

Enos opened the conference with an oli (chant), followed by remarks from 糖心Vlog官方 President David Lassner and Juanita Kanehailua Wolfgramm, vice president of the conference鈥檚 title sponsor Native Hawaiian Community Development Corporation and 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 alumna. 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 Assistant Professor Kiana Frank delivered the morning keynote address on how her connections to water in Windward Oʻahu helped shape her career path to research and connecting it back to the ʻaina (land). This was followed by the first panel on the cultural and historical significance of water in Hawaiʻi.

Other sessions included: Water Policy and Strategy in Hawaiʻi; Challenges, Opportunities, Strategies and Tactics to Address Water Quality Issues in Hawaiʻi; and Red Hill鈥oving Forward. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and Edward Laws, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 emeritus professor of oceanography, delivered the afternoon keynote addresses.

George Yarbrough, innovation and entrepreneurship programs director at the , gave a sneak peek into (Hawaiʻi Technology Innovation Development Ecosystem), 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 new innovation incubator program that provides concierge services, seed funding and resources specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of academic entrepreneurs with 糖心Vlog官方-affiliated, technology startups.

The conference was sponsored by the 糖心Vlog官方 Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation in partnership with the Native Hawaiian Community Development Corporation and the Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation.

The University of Hawaiʻi has partnered with MITRE, a not-for-profit operator of six federally funded research and development centers, to identify opportunities for collaborative analysis, engineering and research to advance marine technology, enhance cyber defense, strengthen climate resilience, address natural resource management and test new energy technologies.

MITRE will help connect 糖心Vlog官方 technologies with federal agencies to help accelerate commercialization and move impact-driven 糖心Vlog官方 innovations from the lab to the market.

“Partnering with MITRE provides a wonderful opportunity for 糖心Vlog官方 to translate our world-class research into real-world solutions for the benefit of our state and beyond,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for research and innovation. “We look forward to having access to MITRE鈥檚 impressive expertise and reach that will strengthen the 糖心Vlog官方 research enterprise and help to grow our economic and knowledge-based sectors in Hawaiʻi.”

This partnership will explore the following opportunities:

• identifying aligned research and development projects
• sharing network connectivity and lab infrastructure
• supporting or establishing mentorship and internship programs at 糖心Vlog官方 based on resources, opportunities and needs

MITRE and 糖心Vlog官方 will also explore potential collaborative projects related to 糖心Vlog官方 health initiatives, data and health analytics, coastal engineering and coastal infrastructure resilience, data science and cybersecurity, aerospace engineering and blue tech (ocean science and engineering).

As part of its national security work, MITRE operates the Department of Defense鈥檚 National Security Engineering Center. It helps military and intelligence organizations make wise investments in systems that work together, connect the innovation community to mission needs, and enable technology deployment to take military and civilian personnel out of harm鈥檚 way—all while keeping an eye on the horizon for the next global challenge.

“Our collaboration will maximize the capabilities of both MITRE and University of Hawaiʻi to positively impact the Indo-Pacific region and the safety of the world,” said Keoki Jackson, senior vice president, general manager, MITRE National Security. “I鈥檓 excited for what our two organizations can discover and innovate together.”

The partnership will be managed by the with support from its .

A $1 million award from the National Science Foundation will help the University of Hawaiʻi convert its world-class research into solutions with public impact.

糖心Vlog官方 has been selected as part of a new , joining seven other universities—Arizona State University (lead); University of Arizona; Northern Arizona University; University of California, San Diego; Boise State University; University of Idaho; and University of Nevada, Las Vegas—to form the , one of five newly-funded hubs.

“Becoming an NSF I-Corps Hub creates a major opportunity for 糖心Vlog官方 and Hawaiʻi to elevate, grow and diversify the state鈥檚 innovation ecosystem and economy,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for research and innovation. “This partnership is perfectly aligned with our strategic initiative to drive economic diversification and development across the state through research, innovation, entrepreneurship and technology.”

The purpose of NSF I-Corps Hubs is to accelerate the translation of discoveries into new solutions that will benefit society. Each hub is responsible for supporting academic researchers in science and engineering by:

• Creating and implementing tools, resources and training activities that enhance the nation鈥檚 innovation capacity;
• Identifying, developing and supporting promising research that can generate economic value;
• Gathering, analyzing, evaluating, and utilizing the data and insights resulting from the experiences of those participating in local, regional and national I-Corps programs;
• Providing opportunities to diverse communities of innovators; and
• Sharing and leveraging effective innovation practices on a national scale to impact economic growth and improve quality of life throughout the nation.

The NSF I-Corps team in Hawaiʻi will be led by the (OIC). The team will include:

• Vassilis L. Syrmos, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president of research and innovation;
• Debasis Bhattacharya, 糖心Vlog官方 Maui College Applied Business and Information Technology associate professor;
• Bardia Konh, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 College of Engineering assistant professor;
• Steve Auerbach, OIC interim director; and
• Rebecca Chung, OIC technology licensing officer and innovation programs manager.

糖心Vlog官方 OIC will be seeking subject matter experts, mentors and instructors to join the NSF National Innovation Network in Hawaiʻi to support NSF I-Corps experiential training and networking opportunities. The NSF I-Corps program and initiatives will be incorporated into OIC commercialization services and programs, including , and others.

“This unique opportunity will complement and strengthen our programs and initiatives at 糖心Vlog官方, and help us cultivate an innovation and entrepreneurship culture, ecosystem and economy across the state,” Auerbach said. “Having an NSF I-Corps presence in Hawaiʻi also allows us to better contextualize NSF I-Corps training, resources and opportunities for our local academic researchers and entrepreneurs.”

The NSF I-Corps program was launched in 2011 to support NSF鈥檚 mission through experiential learning using the customer discovery process—allowing teams to quickly assess their inventions鈥� market potential. I-Corps prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the laboratory to increase the economic and societal impact of NSF-funded and other basic research projects. I-Corps is unique, advancing society by: increasing U.S. economic competitiveness; enhancing academic and industry partnerships; and commercializing cutting-edge technologies. For more information about NSF I-Corps, visit .

How do you safely land a helicopter in an urban area, or improve medevacs? Those are the kind of real-world situations University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 students tackled when they worked with the U.S. Army鈥檚 25th Infantry Division and the U.S. Air Force鈥檚 15th Wing at Hickam Air Force Base, gaining practical experience, while setting themselves up for potential internships and careers.

The fall 2022 engineering course is part of the Hacking for Defense program, under a new initiative called the National Security Innovation Network, housed in 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 . Twenty students are working on the following issues, which are related to helicopter safety and consolidated training for airmen:

• Improving safety equipment used on medevac missions to make them safer for the person being rescued as well as the crew working on the rescue mission.
• Making helicopter landings safer for dense urban environments, because people on the ground often rush towards the helicopter putting both the crew and the local population in danger.
• Consolidate training and certification for airmen readiness.

“The number one thing the students should be gaining is real world experience in problem solving. We say that this course is about problem solving and not about the problem you are assigned,” said Jeff Hui, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 Hacking for Defense instructor. “The real world aspect is also important, because the course is an internship. Students get to flex their professional skills, such as communication, stakeholder management, project management, etc.”

Students receive a dedicated sponsor from the Department of Defense and a dedicated mentor from Booz Allen Hamilton. Last semester, six students converted these relationships into summer internships with the two organizations, according to Hui. He also added that students are taught the lean startup methodology, which is something he has used in his 20 years in working in tech and startups.

Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story on the lean startup methodology:

• Silicon Valley entrepreneur mentors 糖心Vlog官方 COVID-19 economic recovery program, July 7, 2020

Spring 2022 success

The partnership between 糖心Vlog官方 and the 25th Infantry Division launched in the spring when five 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 students in the Hacking for Defense course tackled another issue presented by the U.S. Army: figuring out how to recharge solar powered equipment in the dense jungle canopy of the Indo-Pacific region. The students were Allen Lum, Hangbo Zhang, Joshua Tritt, Gaila Galano and Caleb Mueller from the College of Engineering and .

—By Marc Arakaki

A new initiative seeking to boost innovation and entrepreneurship across the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi System is now accepting applications. The 鈥檚 (OIC) is a new incubator program that provides concierge services, resources and seed funding to advance 糖心Vlog官方-affiliated innovations from ideas to market.

“Ideation Studio@糖心Vlog官方 will be a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship at 糖心Vlog官方. It is tailored to meet the needs of our faculty and staff to support them in starting companies, creating jobs and diversifying and growing our economy and Hawaiʻi鈥檚 innovation ecosystem,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos.

Unlike other accelerator and incubator programs, Ideation Studio@糖心Vlog官方 provides a 12–24 month curated experience that drives innovation and the long-term success of 糖心Vlog官方 tech startups. The inaugural spring 2022 cohort will be limited to three participants, who will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applications may be submitted from January 19–February 1, 2022 on the .

The program鈥檚 wrap-around services and benefits for each selected cohort participant include:

• Guidance: Personalized education and coaching through mentors, advisors, webinars, classes and/or aligned programs.
• Resources: $50,000 in-kind operational support for legal and financial options and guidance on grant opportunities, business operations and strategic planning.
• Funding: Up to $25,000 in milestone-based seed funding, and support in securing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and/or other potential grant and investment opportunities.
• Perks: Exclusive networking, partnerships, community building, publicity and award opportunities.

“This program is developed for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs,” said Director of Programs and Partnerships Vincent Kimura. “Many faculty don鈥檛 realize that running a lab—securing funding, managing staff, developing and testing inventions and products—is a lot like running a business. We鈥檙e here to help them take their ideas and inventions from the lab to the market to impact the greater community.”

This program is made possible by the support of a $2.7 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. More than $1.8 million will be invested in 糖心Vlog官方 tech startups through the new incubator program over the next three years. Seed funding will be provided through OIC鈥檚 糖心Vlog官方 Ventures, LLC.

Join us for on Wednesday, January 12 at 1:30 p.m. and January 19 at 9 a.m., and/or . To sign up or for more information, visit the or contact Lea Okudara at lokudara@hawaii.edu for additional assistance.

The University of Hawaiʻi is a key driver of the state鈥檚 economic development and diversification efforts. In a post COVID-19 world, innovation and entrepreneurship through talent from 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 students, faculty and staff will play a significant role in helping to shape our future. How 糖心Vlog官方 has and will continue to impact innovation in Hawaiʻi and across the world will be on display at hosted by the , November 15–17.

The virtual conference is free and open to the first 1,000 participants. . Innovation is the topic for the third and final day of the conference on November 17, 8–10 a.m. The journeys of three successful 糖心Vlog官方 innovations will be featured:

• Battery Health is by Matthieu Dubarry, an assistant researcher from 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 . Dubarry conducts research in battery testing and modeling. His research on battery performance, charging and degradation, led to his development of the ʻAlawa Toolbox, a powerful tool for battery diagnosis and prognosis.
• Nanotech is by Mehrdad Nejhad, a 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 professor. Nejhad has partnered with Goodman Technologies LLC to apply advancements in nano-composites into real world applications for the Department of Defense and NASA. Together they have won multiple Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer awards totaling more than $4.5 million.
• Hawaiʻi Innovation Lab is led by Arif Rahman, an postdoctoral fellow. They are developing a low-cost liquid metal coating for concentrated solar power polymeric mirrors. This technology was developed out of Professor Aaron Ohta鈥檚 lab in the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 .

A live panel discussion, “Perseverance, Partnership and Place—What It Takes to Succeed,” moderated by Interim Director Steve Auerbach, will feature Olga Boric-Lubecke, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 electrical engineering professor and co-founder and president of Adnoviv, LLC; Heidi Kuehnle, founder of Kuehnle Agrosystems, Inc.; Keoni Lee, chief executive officer of Hawaiʻi Investment Ready; and Cindy Wu, co-founder of Jelly and founder of Experiment. Kirsten Leute, previously the director at Stanford鈥檚 Office of Technology Licensing and now at Osage University Partners—a company investing in university innovation, will deliver the keynote address to kickoff the session at 8 a.m.

“Come see and hear from innovation and entrepreneurship leaders as they share more about how to take one’s idea from the lab to the market and how partnerships and collaboration with the private sector is foundational for a thriving innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem,” Auerbach said. “One of the key tenets of our mission is to bridge connections and build partnerships between 糖心Vlog官方, the community and the world, strategically advancing discoveries, and inspiring researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to create new opportunities for Hawaiʻi and beyond.”

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News stories:
  • 糖心Vlog官方 innovation exceeds FY 2021 goal, new strategy shared with BOR, June 8, 2021
  • $2.7M to grow 糖心Vlog官方 entrepreneurship, workforce development programs, May 25, 2021
  • 糖心Vlog官方 entrepreneurship ideas geared toward diversifying Hawaiʻi鈥檚 ailing economy, August 26, 2020

Conference sessions

• Connecting Hawaiian Indigenous Culture with Modern Astronomy: Monday, November 15, 8–10 a.m.
• Conservation of our Ahupuaʻa: Tuesday, November 16, 8–10 a.m.
• 糖心Vlog官方 Innovation and Commercialization: Wednesday, November 17, 8–10 a.m.

For more information, .

Sandra Fujiyama has been named executive director of the (PACE) at University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 , effective October 19.

In this leadership role, Fujiyama will spearhead community outreach efforts, along with the board of directors and corporate partners, to elevate and promote entrepreneurship education, locally, nationally and internationally. She will also oversee the more than 20 PACE programs that provide mentorship, training and resources to all 糖心Vlog官方 students and faculty. In addition, Fujiyama will direct the entrepreneurial programming at RISE (Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs), a world-class innovation and entrepreneurship facility coupled with student housing, scheduled for completion in fall 2023.

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News stories:
  • Wackers give $250,000 to 糖心Vlog官方 RISE project as demolition begins, September 28, 2021
  • 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 housing, entrepreneurship center moves forward, June 27, 2021

Fujiyama was most recently the innovation and business development officer at 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 , where she led innovation and entrepreneurship efforts that included spearheading a grant proposal that resulted in $2.7 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to support pandemic recovery efforts related to innovation, entrepreneurship and workforce development. She also directed the Innovation Impact Challenge program, Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program with strategic partner Hawaii Technology Development Corp.鈥檚 Innovate Hawaii, and the 糖心Vlog官方 Ventures Accelerator.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sandra to PACE,” said Shidler College of Business Dean Vance Roley. “Given her immense experience in intellectual property law, time spent at Silicon Valley-based law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and current work at 糖心Vlog官方, we are confident in her vision and plans to lead at the helm. Her varied work history, Hawaiʻi roots and legal expertise set PACE up for continued success.”

“PACE has inspired and fostered an impressive list of local startups with its comprehensive set of programs and resources that guide innovators and entrepreneurs on their journey from idea to small business to social and economic impact,” Fujiyama said. “I am grateful and humbled to be appointed to this role, to serve our students and community and advance the mission to diversify Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy by educating entrepreneurial thinkers and innovative problem solvers.”

Ben Godsey, PACE board chair and president of ProService Hawaii, said, “After a thorough search, we are excited to have Sandra join PACE and continue to grow its impact. Today, businesses are evolving very rapidly following the disruptions from COVID; Hawaiʻi is seeking to build up entrepreneurship to strengthen our economy, and PACE is expanding its impact with the RISE development and enhanced programming. We look forward to Sandra鈥檚 leadership, collaboration and partnership with the board of directors and the business community.”

More on Fujiyama

Prior to joining 糖心Vlog官方, Fujiyama worked for Dentons U.S. LLP in Honolulu and before that spent nearly 15 years specializing in intellectual property law at various firms in Los Angeles, including Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC and Sidley Austin, where she prosecuted patent and trademark applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, litigated intellectual property matters involving patents, trademarks and copyright, and provided intellectual property strategy and counseling to a range of clients, including startups.

Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Fujiyama earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and her law degree from the UCLA School of Law. She is authorized to practice in California, Hawaiʻi and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Fujiyama currently serves on the board of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawaiʻi. She has also served with California Bar Foundation, the Japanese American Bar Association Educational Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance. She was recognized by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association as a “Best Lawyer Under 40” and was recently recognized as a 2021 honoree of Pacific Business News鈥� “Women Who Mean Business” awards.

This work is an example of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.