{"id":143751,"date":"2021-06-15T15:35:37","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T01:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=143751"},"modified":"2024-03-15T22:54:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T08:54:05","slug":"ifa-students-research-teaching-accolades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/06\/15\/ifa-students-research-teaching-accolades\/","title":{"rendered":"<abbr>IfA<\/abbr> students receive research, teaching accolades"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><figure id=\"attachment_142447\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-142447\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-ifa-bldg-exterior.jpg\" alt=\"Institute for Astronomy building\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-142447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-ifa-bldg-exterior.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-ifa-bldg-exterior-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manoa-ifa-bldg-exterior-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-142447\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Institute for Astronomy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Graduate students at the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> at M\u0101noa <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ifa.hawaii.edu\/\">Institute for Astronomy<\/a> (<abbr>IfA<\/abbr>) are raking in recognition for their excellence in research and teaching. Five <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> students earned a wide range of awards in June 2021, many including scholarships and fellowships.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_143762\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-143762\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-bufanda-e-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Erica Bufanda\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-143762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-bufanda-e-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-bufanda-e-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-bufanda-e.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-143762\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Erica Bufanda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fourth-year <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> student <strong>Erica Bufanda<\/strong> is one of eight recipients of a Soroptimist Founder Region Fellowship, designed to economically empower women in the final stages of earning their <abbr>PhD<\/abbr>s. Additionally, Bufanda\u2019s efforts as an undergraduate astronomy lab instructor earned her the <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Graduate Student Organization Hannah Liebreich Merit-Based Award for Teaching. She also received the George and Mona Elmore <abbr>ARCS<\/abbr> (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Award for her thesis work on analyzing the physical properties of comets from the Oort Cloud, a spherical cloud made up of icy objects in the outskirts of the solar system, far beyond Neptune and Pluto.<\/p>\n<p>A panel of scientists also awarded Bufanda a $1,000 prize and the honorary title of 2021 <abbr>ARCS<\/abbr> Scholar of the Year, for submitting the best short video describing her research. This honor reiterates the recognition of Bufanda\u2019s acclaimed science communication skills, for which she received a 2019 Society for Advancement of Chicanos\/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)&#8212;The National Diversity in STEM Conference Presentation Award. Bufanda has been selected to present at the 2021 SACNAS conference, which will be held digitally in October.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related <em><abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> News<\/em> story:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/06\/02\/manoa-scholars-arcs-awards\/\">Habitable Earth an anomaly? Awardees of STEM grants study this and more<\/a>, June 2, 2021<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_143763\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-143763\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-berger-dungee-narayanan-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Travis Berger, Ryan Dungee, Suchitra Narayanan\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-143763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-berger-dungee-narayanan-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-berger-dungee-narayanan-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-berger-dungee-narayanan.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-143763\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Travis Berger, Ryan Dungee, Suchitra Narayanan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fifth-year <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> graduate student <strong>Ryan Dungee<\/strong> works on improving image quality from telescopes using adaptive optics and benchmarking models for determining a star\u2019s age. Dungee received the Columbia Communications <abbr>ARCS<\/abbr> Award for his efforts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Travis Berger<\/strong>, who is completing his dissertation at <abbr>IfA<\/abbr>, received the Student Excellence in Research Award from the <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Berger combines space-based observations with data obtained using Maunakea telescopes to study how the demographics of exoplanets depend on the properties of their host stars, which informs theories of planet formation. He previously received a Future Investigator in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) grant in 2019 and an <abbr>ARCS<\/abbr> Scholar award in 2020.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_143761\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-143761\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-saunders-n-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Nicholas Saunders\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-143761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-saunders-n-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-saunders-n-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/manoa-ifa-saunders-n.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-143761\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicholas Saunders<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Nicholas Saunders<\/strong> just completed his second year at <abbr>IfA<\/abbr>, and received an award through the National Science Foundation (<abbr>NSF<\/abbr>) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (<abbr>GRFP<\/abbr>), for his work on discovering exoplanets around red giant branch stars using NASA\u2019s TESS space telescope. He works with advisors Professor <strong>Dan Huber<\/strong> and <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> alumnus <strong>Sam Grunblatt<\/strong>. The <abbr>NSF<\/abbr> <abbr>GRFP<\/abbr> recognizes and supports outstanding STEM graduate students, with a fellowship that includes three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution. <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> grad student <strong>Jason Hinkle<\/strong> received an Honorable Mention for his <abbr>GRFP<\/abbr> proposal.<\/p>\n<p>First-year <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> student <strong>Suchitra Narayanan<\/strong> is one of 50 graduate students selected to participate in the ComSciCon Flagship Workshop. ComSciCon is a series of workshops focused on science communication, organized by graduate students, for graduate students where participants network with and learn from experts from all science fields. Narayanan will also present at the 2021 SACNAS conference this October, and received a conference and registration scholarship.<\/p>\n<p>This effort is an example of <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s goal of <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf#page=20\">Enhancing Student Success<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf#page=25\">Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), two of four goals identified in the <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/manoa-2025-strategic-plan.pdf\">2015&#8211;25 Strategic Plan<\/a> (<span class=\"small-text\"><abbr title=\"Portable Document Format\">PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), updated in December 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Five <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> students earned a wide range of awards, many including scholarships and fellowships. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[34,35,1466,1363,660,9,1626],"class_list":["post-143751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-astronomy","tag-institute-for-astronomy","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-manoa-research","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-manoa","tag-women-of-uh","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143751"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143765,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143751\/revisions\/143765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}