University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are preparing for the next phase of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant of up to $40 million to assist Hawaiʻi farmers, ranchers and foresters implement sustainable, climate-smart practices.

The research team out of the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (CTAHR) is leading a diverse coalition of partners that is also aiming to establish stronger markets for locally produced, healthy food and forest products. The principal investigator, CTAHR Professor Susan Crow, participated in a question and answer session with 糖心Vlog官方 News to provide a project update.

What has happened since the award was announced in 2022?

We have [enrolled] nearly 6,000 acres of agricultural land in the project across Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui, Oʻahu, and Molokaʻi with more than 50 producers and practitioners in our first phase, with a second recruitment phase coming up. We wanted a portfolio that reflected the diversity of our producers across forestry, ranching, and crops, as those systems define 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 agricultural sector and agroecosystems. Beyond ranching, forests, the crops include coffee, ʻulu (breadfruit), avocado, nuts and fruit orchards, diverse crops including greens, herbs, beans, kalo, squash, cabbage, papaya, bananas, you name it!

We have been able to recruit and retain 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa graduates and staff to support the research efforts that include soil analyses from all enrolled farms and development of data-driven decision making tools grounded in equity and justice. Our Climate Smart Specialist team has logged 880 hours of direct producer support time and taken 401 deep soil carbon samples.

Can you expand on the soil sampling and its importance to the project鈥檚 first phase?

After nearly 20 years of research, and 19 extramural projects totaling $13.9 million, the Hawaiʻi Soil Health Research Team released the Hawaiʻi Soil Health test and scoring function in 2023. The Hawaiʻi Soil Health test and the robust research program behind it serves as the basis for understanding what climate-smart means for Hawaiʻi.

The initial samples, or baseline samples as we call them, taken for the climate-smart partnership enable us to understand how implementation of climate-smart practices such as mulching, soil carbon amendments like biochar and compost, and cover cropping supports not only soil health but also soil carbon storage, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Then, we monitor change over time as the practices are implemented and maintained.

What are the next steps?

The project is going beyond soil health, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction to support quantifying climate-smart for Hawaiʻi to encompass social justice and equity. With our project partners in the 糖心Vlog官方 Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation and the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute (a 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa entity), we are ensuring that we quantify elements such as functional nutrition, circular economy, community wellbeing, and Indigenous genealogy.

This fall we will be opening the applications for phase 2 enrollment for producers and look to enroll 50 additional producers in our project.

As you move forward, what are you the most excited about?

Our partnership鈥檚 shared vision is to re-perpetuate health, resilience, and equity in 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 agroecosystems and communities. This project provides us the opportunity to define “what is climate-smart” in a way that embodies place-based equity, and here in Hawaiʻi, indigeneity is part of that.

We support science-backed decision making, and by science, we acknowledge multiple ways of knowing, and the rigor comes from a definition of climate-smart that is inclusive of Indigenous innovation—otherwise, how can this work for Hawaiʻi as a more just and equitable metric for what is “climate-smart?”

We are charged with laying the foundation for an emergent market for “climate-smart” products, think, “grown in Hawaiʻi, for Hawaiʻi.” Ultimately this will provide our producers and practitioners a strong, local market for items grown in a sustainable way; but also provide more resilience in our food system and ability to provide food security for local families in a way that sustains people and the environment.

How important is it to be an ambassador for the project and the university?

Representing the university in a partnership that focuses on climate change, agriculture, food systems, and social justice allows us to build the trust essential for the future mitigation and adaptation to climate change in Hawaiʻi. 糖心Vlog官方 has always been a leader in serving the communities of Hawaiʻi with excellence and relevance, and this project is an exciting example of the service ethic. With such a broad reaching project with network partners we have the ability to meet the needs of agricultural producers first and foremost, but also local communities, state policy makers, and food systems initiatives while answering fundamental questions about how to approach incentivizing climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

High temperatures across Hawaiʻi and the U.S. significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be life threatening.

Philip Verhoef, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa and an intensive care physician at Kaiser Foundation Hospital, shares the dangers of heat stroke, how to identify early warning signs, and the best practices to stay cool and safe in scorching weather.

What is heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke?

Heat exhaustion occurs when your body is starting to struggle with regulating its temperature, often due to dehydration. The early signs include symptoms like nausea, weakness, muscle aches, heavy sweating and dizziness. Heat exhaustion can escalate to heat stroke if not addressed.

Heat stroke is more severe and includes symptoms such as confusion, fainting, lack of sweating despite the heat, a rapid pulse, and a high body temperature above 104°F. Unlike heat exhaustion, heat stroke results in the body being unable to cool itself off, leading to potential brain damage and other serious health issues.

What should you do if you start experiencing symptoms?

If someone is experiencing early signs of heat exhaustion, it’s crucial to move them to a cooler place, hydrate them with water, and use other cooling methods. If they show signs of heat stroke, seek emergency medical help immediately, as it is a life-threatening condition.

What steps can you take to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke?

• Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water regularly, especially when outdoors. At least a quart of water per hour or 1 to 2 cups every 15 minutes.
• Avoid Peak Heat: Limit outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day (usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.).
• Take Breaks: Rest in cool, shaded or air-conditioned areas frequently.
• Wear Appropriate Clothing: Choose light, loose-fitting and breathable clothes.
• Use Sunscreen: Protect your skin from sunburn, which can affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
• Monitor Physical Activity: Reduce strenuous activities and the time you spend in extreme heat. Take it easy if you start feeling any symptoms of heat-related illness.
• Stay Informed: Be aware of the heat index and weather forecasts to plan activities accordingly.

What is the heat index, and should I be worried about it?

The heat index combines both the temperature and the humidity to give you a sense of what it “feels” like to be outside. This is important because when both the temperature and the humidity is high, the body is unable to effectively cool itself off with perspiration, and it can feel much warmer than just the temperature would indicate. And when the heat index is high, the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke goes up significantly, and you have to be extra careful.

As the anniversary of Maui鈥檚 devastating wildfires approaches on August 8, 糖心Vlog官方 News interviewed water quality expert Andrea Kealoha, an assistant professor in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa . Kealoha and her team have been analyzing the impacts the wildfires had on Maui鈥檚 coral reefs.

Kealoha studies coral reef stressors including local stressors such as nutrient pollution, sedimentation and coastal acidification. She also looks at global stressors such as warming and ocean acidification.

What was the community’s response to your team鈥檚 efforts?

Immediately after the fires, our community was in response and recovery mode. We were focused on lives and getting people food, water and shelter. And then within a few weeks, we expanded our attention to water—water is life (ola i ka wai). And so our community was concerned about coastal water quality and coral reef health. Here we are a year later, and that is still a major concern.

The community and our partners have responded well to our efforts because we’re in constant communication and collaboration with them. Our community has guided site selection; they participate in our field work. And so this is really an effort of a larger group, not just our group at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa.

What has your water testing revealed?

So far we have measured high levels of copper and zinc for metals, and we’re also seeing high concentrations of nutrients in coastal waters. There has not been alot of research on the impact of zinc on coral reefs, but we have a lot of information about the detrimental impacts of high copper and nutrient concentrations to coral reef health.

We’ve collected samples approximately monthly following the fires and we just finished a sampling in early August. And then we have hundreds of samples that need to be analyzed, which we’ll be working on over the next several months.

What is the benefit of autosampling data?

The auto samplers are kind of like a robot. We can program the auto sampler, which is attached to bags, to collect water samples at intervals throughout a 24-hour period. These data give us information on the “breath” and growth of the reef. They are also a really important tool for collecting nighttime signals of the reef, since its logistically challenging to collect samples on the reef at night.

What is the importance of the ocean in Native Hawaiian culture?

One of the core values in Hawaiian culture is aloha ʻāina, to care for the land, and that also includes our ocean. In Hawaiʻi, we recognize the importance of caring for our oceans and all the resources that it provides.

The ocean is so critical to the health of our culture. It’s a place that we get our food. It’s a place that we gather. It’s a place where we conduct our traditional practices. And so it’s really important that we have a healthy coastal ecosystem not just for the immediate health of our community and our culture, but also for the perpetuation of our culture.

In the kumulipo, which is our creation chant, the koʻa or the coral polyp is the first organism to emerge from the ocean, and the human is actually the last thing to be created. So from early on, Hawaiians recognized how important corals were as the the basic building blocks of the entire ecosystem.

Sharks, a species often misunderstood and feared, play crucial roles in ocean ecosystems as top predators. In honor of Shark Awareness Day on July 14, 糖心Vlog官方 News interviewed shark expert Carl Meyer, researcher at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , on the importance of sharks to ocean health, common misconceptions and safety tips for being in the ocean.

What types of sharks do you study?

Our research focuses on coastal species such as tiger sharks, Galapagos sharks and scalloped hammerhead shark; bathyal or deep sea species such as bluntnose sixgill sharks, prickly sharks and Pacific Sleeper sharks; and enigmatic pelagic species such as oceanic whitetip sharks and cookiecutter sharks. We use technology to reveal the hidden lives of sharks. For example, we attach sophisticated biologging devices to sharks that track their movements and swimming behavior and give us a shark’s eye view of their lives. These devices help us to understand where sharks roam and how they use their natural habitats.

Why are sharks important to ocean ecosystems?

Sharks are very important for the health of ocean ecosystems. They are top predators that regulate the populations of other animals in the ocean and ensure that no one species becomes dominant and disrupts the marine ecosystem. Sharks are indicators of ocean health. If you have abundant sharks, then your ecosystem is healthy. If you see a decline in sharks, it indicates that there may be a problem with the marine environment.

What are common misconceptions people have about sharks?

The single biggest misconception that people have about sharks is that they’re all dangerous. And this is simply not the case. Most shark species represent little or no threat to humans simply because they consume very small prey, and even the species that we might consider to be dangerous such as tiger sharks, white sharks and bull sharks, actually bite people very infrequently. So these are rare events. Although we might consider them to be dangerous, in fact, we are a lot more dangerous to sharks than sharks are to us. We need to address these misconceptions about sharks in order to have effective conservation measures that allow us to coexist successfully with these really ecologically important predators.

Are sharks mistaking people for prey?

So when sharks bite humans, it’s likely because people in the water have size and movement characteristics that make sharks view them as potential prey.

The mistaken identity hypothesis is a popular misconception that stems from viewing shark behavior through a human lens. Sharks are not mistaking humans for another type of prey. They are opportunistic predators that routinely explore objects with certain size and movement characteristics to see whether they are potential prey. So for example, when we put small video cameras on tiger sharks, we see them routinely investigating inanimate objects like floating coconuts, leaves, plastic bags, those are clearly not things that they’re going to eat, but they go and they investigate them to see if they are potential prey. So when sharks bite humans, it’s likely because people in the water have size and movement characteristics that make sharks view them as potential prey.

What are some safety tips you recommend?

Although the risk of being bitten by a shark is very low, there are some things that we can do to reduce the probability of being bitten and also to improve the outcome in the event that we encounter a shark that tries to bite us. The single biggest thing that we can do is to always do our ocean recreational activities with other people. There is more safety in numbers. It reduces the probability of you being bitten. And if you are extremely unlucky and you get bitten, then there are other people around to help you. So a lot of the time when there’s a shark bite incident, the severity of the outcome is determined by whether there’s somebody close at hand to help the person that’s injured.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (HIMB) doctoral student Jacob Snyder explored the intersection of science and policy at the in Washington D.C. in June. Snyder shared their experience with the 糖心Vlog官方 community.

Snyder, who is also a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, was one of 40 early to mid-career earth and atmospheric scientists and professionals from academia, government and the private sector selected to participate.

Why did you apply for the 2024 AMS Summer Policy Colloquium?

At Penn State, I collaborated with fellow LGBTQIA+ students to translate our community鈥檚 needs into institutional change. These experiences inspired me to seek out opportunities to also translate my science into widespread change, like that achievable through policy.

Can you describe your experience at the colloquium?

My experience at the AMS Summer Policy Colloquium was eye-opening. We heard from speakers working at the science-policy interface about the structure of the U.S. government and how to integrate science into the legislative process effectively. While learning alongside my peers and collaborating with them for a mock legislative exercise, I was inspired by their stories and look forward to keeping up with their work!

What were some of the biggest takeaways?

Bring your most authentic self into your work. As a queer scientist, I aim to harness my new policy training to implement my enthusiasm for LGBTQIA+ advocacy and science into the political realm. The broader the diversity of life and thought actively engaged in decision-making processes, the more widely applicable solutions will be. Diverse national leadership is required to tackle the problems of the future.

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With summer approaching, Hawaiʻi residents are expected to spend a lot more time in the sun. In Hawaiʻi alone, 10,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the most common cancer in the U.S., affecting one in five adults, with excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation being the main risk factor. Skin cancer is, however, also the most preventable form of cancer.

To help us stay safe, 糖心Vlog官方 News interviewed Kevin Cassel, an associate researcher and professor at the .

His work focuses on cancer control interventions and raising awareness about skin cancer prevention. Cassel is part of the recently-launched Skin Check Van initiative, which promotes education on the risks of skin cancer and sun protection prevention measures in the community.

What are the different types of skin cancer and their risks?

There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma. Basal cell and squamous cell cancers occur in the base and upper layers of the skin, and are typically not life threatening. Out of the 5.4 million cases, about 3,000 people die each year. However, melanoma, which occurs in about 100,000 people each year in the U.S., is more virulent, and it has the propensity to be life-threatening. To reduce the overall risk of skin cancer, it is crucial to prevent overexposure to UV radiation from the sun.

What should we know about UV radiation from the sun?

The most important thing is to look at ways to reduce overexposure. What we’re trying to do is to prevent people from having severe sunburns. Severe sunburns are one of the predominant causes of skin cancers. Ultraviolet radiation exposure from the sun is cumulative over a person’s life course. High exposure to ultraviolet radiation in early childhood and young adulthood is leading to an increase in skin cancers, including melanoma, among people aged 15 to 29. In fact, skin cancer is now the second most common type of cancer in this age group.

What are some key prevention tips?

There are a lot of ways to reduce the risk for skin cancers. Here in Hawaiʻi, because of our proximity to the equator, we are more exposed to direct ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

• Limit our time in the midday sun between the hours of 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• When outdoors, seek shade and wear protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeve shirts and pants.
• If you鈥檙e not able to, use sunscreen with a SPF (sun protective factor) of 30 or higher and reapply every two hours, especially during outdoor activities.
• exposed skin for any changes, as basal and squamous cell cancers, while not life-threatening, can impact appearance and require excision for treatment. So, reducing sun exposure helps minimize their risk.

What are some common misconceptions about sun exposure?

Despite misconceptions that skin cancer primarily affects lighter-skinned individuals, those with darker complexions are also at risk. Additionally, many believe they are safe from sun exposure on cloudy days, yet UV radiation remains a threat. Therefore, it’s vital for everyone to adopt skin cancer prevention practices, including wearing protective clothing and sunscreen, regardless of skin tone or weather conditions.

Where can you get additional information?

The 糖心Vlog官方 Cancer Center is part of the National Cancer Institute’s program and operates an information line (1 800-FOR-CANCER or 1-800-422-6237). Call to get more information about skin cancer prevention, screening treatment and supportive care. 糖心Vlog官方 or for additional resources.

To get a unique look at how climate change is impacting marine mammals, 糖心Vlog官方 News interviewed whale expert Lars Bejder, director of the at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , on how innovative technologies are helping experts monitor the health of marine mammals.

Bejder is a conservation biologist who focuses on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins in Hawaiʻi and internationally. He utilizes drones and specially designed sensors to gather data on cetaceans.

What species of marine mammals do you monitor?

Hawaiʻi has more than 20 species of whales and dolphins. We study between 8–10, and each one of those have different conservation issues and pressures.

The most iconic species we have in Hawaiʻi is the humpback whale that spends about three months a year here on their breeding grounds. We study the Hawaiian monk seals, which are only found here in Hawaiʻi and spinner dolphins, which is a coastal species. We also study pilot whales and false killer whales. Some generic threats for all of them are entanglements, ship strikes, noise pollution and climate change, and depending on the species, some are more or less affected by each of these.

What kind of tech are you using?

Using innovative technology such as drones and tags, we’re starting to get a good understanding of how humpback whales change from year to year based on climatic events. For example, a few years ago, when there was a large heat wave across the North Pacific, we saw significant declines in humpback whale health or body condition, which shows us how closely these animals’ health are linked to climate.

The two main new technologies that we use are calibrated drones and suction cup tags, the suction cup tags we use across species—so humpback whales, pilot whales, false killer whales and monk seals. We apply these onto those animals and acquire an incredible wealth of data. We use drones to estimate body condition and health of individuals and populations, and we use those across all of the different species that are here in Hawaiʻi.

How are you using tech to monitor humpback whales?

We have collected the world’s largest database on humpback whale health. And when I say health, it’s body condition which we measure through drones using calibrated lenses and custom fit altimeters. We’re able to fly these instruments repetitively over the same animals across ocean basins. So on the breeding grounds here in Hawaiʻi and also on the foraging grounds up in Alaska, we can really see how the body condition of these animals changes every season and every year. We have now measured 10,000 humpback whales. And when you think about it, the population estimate here in Hawaiʻi is between 12,000 and 14,000. So a significant amount of the animals are visiting Hawaiʻi. The fact that we also measure them up in Alaska allows us to see how much energy and condition they lose here in Hawaiʻi and vice versa.

How is climate change impacting humpback whales?

If you have a very good year, for example, the conditions are right, you’re going to have a lot of prey, and things are good for the whales up in Alaska. And a year later, you see that the animals are healthy, they’re large, and you’re getting calves. But what we’re also finding is when we have a bad year, for example, climatic events that are not good for prey items up in Alaska, the year later, we have significantly skinnier animals and less calves being born. And that’s really telling us something about the health of the oceans is portrayed through these animals. By simply flying a drone over animals, we can say something about the health of the ecosystem, and that’s really, really promising and exciting.

A quarter celebrating the life and legacy of the late Title IX champion and distinguished University of Hawaiʻi alumna Patsy Takemoto Mink is available for purchase from the U.S. Mint, and began shipping in March. The quarter design depicts the former U.S. Representative holding her landmark Title IX legislation, which prohibits educational institutions from discriminating on the basis of sex in any way.

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: Quarter honoring Title IX champion Patsy T. Mink is released, March 28, 2024

To get an idea of the depth and breadth of Mink鈥檚 impact, 糖心Vlog官方 News interviewed 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa Professor Kathy Ferguson, who teaches political theory, feminist theory and feminist research methods. She is the recipient of awards for teaching, research and community service, and was ranked among the “Top 25“ most cited political theorists in the U.S. in “Political Science 400“.

Who was Patsy T. Mink and why was she important?

Her role in creating and passing Title IX was extraordinary. She was a cosponsor, but she did the heavy lifting, and I think as a sign of that when she died, it was renamed after her—was renamed the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. She also 鈥� had to keep fighting for it in the 25 years after Title IX was passed in 鈥�72. It came back 24 times. So she had to keep fighting to keep the law on the books, to keep it from being watered down, to keep it from losing its funding over and over. She was indefatigable. She just wouldn’t give up.

How did Patsy T. Mink change college sports?

She brought women onto the scene of college sports. Before Patsy Mink, very small percentages of girls and women were involved in high school or college sports. And that’s important, too, because high school sports feed college sports. After the passage, 35 years after the passage of Title IX, it was like a 400% increase in the number of girls and women involved in athletics. So in terms of the effect on athletics, it was unsurpassed. Nothing has come close to bringing more gender equality to athletics than Title IX.

How did she change higher education beyond college athletics?

She did a lot for education outside of athletics. Title IX, and the subsequent legislation to fund it and to protect it, affected gender equality in the curriculum, in counseling, and teacher preparation, the establishment of women’s studies, and women’s centers from Title IX—just a range of things—the treatment of girls and women, their health, their opportunity. It made a huge difference for girls and women in college.

What were Patsy T. Mink鈥檚 ties to 糖心Vlog官方 and Hawaiʻi that should be highlighted and/or shaped who she was?

She had a lot of ties to 糖心Vlog官方. She graduated from here with degrees in zoology and chemistry, sent her daughter to the 糖心Vlog官方 Lab School, taught here for a while between her two sets of terms in the Congress. And I think she had an enduring loyalty. She thought the people of Hawaiʻi and the women of the country were her constituents.

Rainbows are some of the most spectacular optical phenomena on Earth, and Hawaiʻi has an abundance of them. In honor of National Find a Rainbow Day on April 3, 糖心Vlog官方 News chatted with rainbow expert Steve Businger, a professor in the at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , to hear why he has dubbed Hawaiʻi the “Rainbow Capital of the World.”

Related: Secrets of the best rainbows on Earth, March 2021

Businger鈥檚 area of expertise involves the evolution of storms and hazards associated with them. He studies everything from severe thunderstorms to hurricanes and winter storms.

Businger also works with students on forecasting skills and with scientists on improving numerical weather prediction modeling.

Why did you start studying rainbows?

Rainbows are such a spectacular phenomenon, and they’re very common in Hawaiʻi. In fact, compared to other places I have dubbed Hawaiʻi the rainbow capital of the world, because they are so common here, thus it鈥檚 natural to be curious about how they form, why they form, and what they tell us about the atmosphere.

Why does Hawaiʻi have so many rainbows?

Hawaiʻi has a lot of sunshine, but we also have trade wind showers and the mountains help to enhance those trade wind showers. Our weather is characterized by small showers and lots of blue sky that allows the Sun to get in to illuminate the raindrops. Another aspect that makes Hawaiʻi perfect for rainbows is that we have very clean air. We have bright sunshine, but the clean air also means you have fewer condensation nuclei, leading to fewer, larger cloud drops in a cloud. And that allows coalescence where the droplets collect together to form raindrops to occur more easily. So we get rain out of very small clouds, and sometimes you’ll have a rainbow and you look up and it’s blue sky. All of these conditions make it so that Hawaiʻi is perfect for rainbows.

How do rainbows appear?

When the light comes into a raindrop, it gets bent because the light travels slower through liquid drop than it does through the air and then it reflects off the back of the drop and then it bends again at the front of the drop and the angle that results is about 42 degrees above the head of your shadow when you face away from the Sun. When the Sun is lower than 42 degrees above the horizon, you have the chance of seeing rainbows. But if the sun is too high, then you have to be in a helicopter or you have to have a lawn sprinkler to be able to see a rainbow. There is a free app available for your smartphone that can help you find rainbows called . The app knows where the sun and rain are and shows you where to go on a map of Hawaiʻi when rainbows are possible.

What kind of impact will climate change have on rainbows?

Global warming is impacting the distribution of rainfall across the Earth. The areas in the subtropics are becoming drier and areas where you have convective rainfall, thunderstorms, and snow are all extending further north to higher latitudes. As a consequence, the rainbow pattern is changing. The subtropics will see a bit less rainfall and a bit less rainbows, and further north with less snow, more rain and more convective showers, we’ll see more rainbows.

(糖心Vlog官方 News asked CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal questions about his vision for the college. Some of his answers were shortened for length.)

The new University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (CTAHR) Dean Parwinder Grewal chatted with 糖心Vlog官方 News about his vision for the future of CTAHR and its role in Hawaiʻi.

What made you interested in the CTAHR dean position?

The biggest thing that excited me about Hawaiʻi and CTAHR is mālama ʻāina, the Hawaiian passion for taking care of the land and the environment that sustains us. All my background starting from my childhood to professional life till now has focused on sustainable agricultural practices and programs. 糖心Vlog官方 has a significant commitment to sustainability and a strong aspiration to becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning. My background, experience and aspirations blend in nicely with the university and college missions.

What is your vision for CTAHR?

My vision is to build CTAHR as a model land-grant college that discovers solutions and provides statewide leadership in building food, energy and economic security through increased local self-sufficiency. The focus of our work from my perspective would be both on high impact research in our labs and on experimental farms and on collaborating with community leaders, farmers, families, entrepreneurs, state agencies, and non-profits for building and implementing innovative and sustainable solutions to 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 food, energy, and environmental challenges.

What are going to be your top three priorities in the first year?

First, I want to meet with every person in CTAHR individually within my first three months. I want to learn what people are excited about, what their goals are and what challenges they are facing. This asset mapping will provide a better picture of CTAHR鈥檚 capacity and needs. It will also capture ideas for new programs, initiatives and facilities.

Second, I would like to meet with key stakeholders in Hawaiʻi engaged in food, energy, and ag-related sectors to learn about their work and challenges and to determine how CTAHR can become a more effective partner in securing the future of Hawaii through increased food, energy and economic security.

Third, I would like to begin fostering an environment for collaborative innovation both within the college and the university and across the state. I would like to encourage, empower and facilitate engagement of faculty, students, and staff with families, community leaders, farmers, restaurants, entrepreneurs, K–12 schools, community colleges, and legislators to start building collaborative innovations to strengthen Hawaiian agriculture and develop new value-added products locally, sustainably, and cost-effectively.

As you educated yourself about Hawaiʻi and CTAHR, what did you learn?

I found that CTAHR faculty, staff and students are very excited about their work. They care deeply about the land grant mission of the college. They care about Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian families and farmers. I also saw that CTAHR faculty have a lot of expertise in many different areas. I strongly believe CTAHR鈥檚 expertise and passion can be channelized for creating a real impact on bolstering 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 food, energy, and economic security.

Where did you grow up, and what inspired you towards agriculture?

I grew up in India in a farming family, with a very small farm where we grew crops ourselves for subsistence. In 10th grade, I was beginning to see how agriculture was changing at that time. It was the first time we heard about chemical fertilizers, until then our agriculture was all organic and we applied animal manure to our farm with our hands. I chose to go to the Punjab Agricultural University to learn more about agriculture. From second year, when we started going deep into the science of agriculture including how to grow crops for high yields and how to identify and manage insect pests and diseases, I realized how passionate I was about what I was learning.

One story I often tell is about a dream I had when I was in college. In 1978, it was all over in the news that a decommissioned NASA space station, SkyLab, will fall on Earth, but scientists didn’t know exactly where it would fall. As NASA was hoping that it falls in the Indian Ocean, people were worried about the impending disaster posed by the 77-ton loose cannon. After I heard the news, that night, I had a dream in which I was saying, “let the SkyLab fall anywhere else, but not on my university.” Ironically, I wasn鈥檛 worried about my family or home in the dream, but I was worried about my university. I was learning so much about the science of agriculture and I became so attached to the university.

Is there something that you want to say that you didn’t have a chance to say?

Basically, I would like to reiterate my passion for securing the future of Hawaiʻi through increased local self-sufficiency in food and energy and for building new value-added products right here in Hawaiʻi. In a way we will champion the Made in Hawaiʻi label. My leadership style is more visionary and inspirational, and I believe in collaborative innovation. We will connect CTAHR鈥檚 expertise with community leaders, farmers, entrepreneurs, non-profits, local government officials, and the legislature to foster a local self-sufficiency movement to build increased food, energy, and economic security for Hawaiʻi.

What is a nematode and what’s your fascination with it? (Grewal is an expert in nematology)

A nematode is a roundworm. These are microscopic organisms and there are many different types. Many nematode species are beneficial but a few can be detrimental to our crops and livestock. Nematodes live in soil, water and in animals. I have been fascinated with the beneficial nematodes particularly those that are now being used in biocontrol of insects. The ones CTAHR faculty mostly work on are the plant-parasitic ones that negatively impact our agricultural and horticultural plants.