College of Natural and Health Sciences Faculty

Ozan Atalag
Associate Professor and Chair of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
B.S. 2003, Anadolu University
Ph.D. 2012, Ege University
Jonathan Awaya
Professor of Biology
B.S. 2001, Ph.D. 2005, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Jeanette Ayers-Kawakami
Associate Professor of Nursing, Director, School of Nursing
B.S.N. 2001, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
M.S.N. 2010, University of Phoenix
D.N.P. 2017, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Erica Bernstein
Instructor of Mathematics
B.A. 1984, State University of New York (SUNY)
Ph.D. 1992, University of Maryland at College Park
John H. R. Burns
Associate Professor of Marine Science
B.S. 2007, California Polytechnic State University
M.S. 2010, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Ph.D. 2016, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Lisa Canale
Instructor of Biology, Professional Internship Track Coordinator, Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science
Steven Colbert
Associate Professor and Chair of Marine Science
B.A. and B.S. 1996, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
M.S. 2001, Ph.D. 2004, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Chester Dabalos
Instructor of Chemistry
B.S. 2003, University of the Philippines - Los Banos
M.S. 2005, University of Cambridge
Ph.D. 2016, University of Hawaiʻi
Steve Doo
Assistant Professor of Marine Science
B.A.S. 2008, University of California- Davis
M.S. 2011, Northeastern University
Ph.D. 2017, University of Sydney, Australia
Nicole Drakos
Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
B.Med.Sci. 2011, B.S. 2013, M.S. 2015, Western University
Ph.D. 2019, University of Waterloo
Helen “Yolisa” Duley
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
B.A. 1995, Humboldt State University
M.Ed. 2003, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Ph.D. 2015, University of Cape Town
Harry Edwards
Professor of Computer Science
B.A. University of Michigan
M.A. Eastern Michigan University
Ph.D. University of Western Ontario
Bobbie Elisala
Instructor of Nursing, DNP Co-Coordinator
B.S.N. 1993, M.S.N. 1995, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Ramón Figueroa-Centeno
Associate Professor of Mathematics
B.A. 1992, M.A. 1994, Ph.D. 1998, Western Michigan University
Elisabeth “Lis” Gallant
Assistant Professor of Geology
B.S. 2009, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
B.A. 2012, University of New York at Buffalo College
M.S. 2016, Ph.D. 2019, University of South Florida
Timothy B. Grabowski
Adjunct Associate Professor of Marine Science
B.S. 1999, M.S. 2002, Texas A & M University
Ph.D. 2006, Clemson University
Natalie Graham
Assistant Professor of Biology
B.S. 2005, M.S. 2014, Sonoma State University
Ph.D. 2021, University of California, Berkeley
Jenni Guillen
Instructor of Biology
B.A. 1999, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
M.S. 2005, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Mazen Hamad
Professor and Chair of Chemistry
B.S. 1997, Humboldt State University
Ph.D. 2003, University of Washington
Patrick Hart
Professor and Chair of Biology
B.A. 1985, University of California, Santa Barbara
Ph.D. 2000, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Patricia Hensley
Associate Professor of Nursing
B.S.N. 2006, California State University Sacramento
D.N.P. 2015, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Raina Ivanova
Professor of Mathematics
M.S. 1984, University of Sofia, Bulgaria
Ph.D. 1998, University of Tsukaba, Japan
Takehiro “Hiro” Iwatsuki
Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
B.A. 2009, M.A. 2011, Nihon University
M.Ed. 2014, Springfield College
Ph.D. 2018, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Heather M. Kaluna
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
B.A. 2008, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Ph.D. 2015, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Joel Kaufmann
Instructor of Biology
B.A. 1994, University of Texas- Austin
B.S. 1996, University of Texas- Austin
Ph.D. 2008, University of Texas Medical Branch- Galveston
Matthew Knope
Associate Professor of Biology
B.A. 1999, University of California at Santa Cruz
M.A. 2004, San Francisco State University
Ph.D. 2012, Stanford
Zorana Lazarevic
Instructor of Mathematics
Ph.D. 1992, University of Wisconsin
Shuguang Li
Professor of Mathematics
B.S. 1982, Beijing Normal University
M.S. 1988, Sichuan University
Ph.D. 1998, University of Georgia
Steven Lundblad
Professor of and Chair of Geology and Natural Science
B.A. 1985, Harvard University
M.S. 1988, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Ph.D. 1994, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Travis Mandel
Associate Professor of Computer Science
B.S. 2011, Carnegie Mellon
M.S. 2013, Ph.D. 2017, University of Washington
Catherine Marin
Assistant Professor of Nursing, DNP Co-Coordinator
B.A. 1986, University of California at Riverside
B.S. 1991, Azusa Pacific University
M.S.N. 2013, University of Phoenix
Ed.D. 2021, University of New England
Rene Martin
Professor of Astronomy and Co-Chair of Physics and Astronomy, Observatory Director
B.S. 1984, University of Quebec
M.S. 1988, Laval University, Canada
Ph.D. 1992, Laval University, Canada
Gladys Megargel
Instructor of Nursing
B.S.N. 2008, University of Delaware
M.S.N. 2019, Purdue University Global
Karla McDermid Smith
Professor of Marine Science
B.S. 1980, B.A. 1980, Stanford University
Ph.D. 1988, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Jené Michaud
Professor of Geology
B.S. 1982, University of Washington
M.S. 1987, Ph.D. 1992, University of Arizona
Cedric Muir
Associate Professor of Biology
B.S. 1991, Ph.D. 1998, Simon Fraser University
Stan Nakanishi
Associate Professor of Biology
B.A. 1999, Ithaca College
Ph.D. 2005, Emory University
Daniel “Dan” O'Connor
Instructor of Physics and Astronomy
Ph.D. 1991, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Rebecca Ostertag
Professor of Biology
B.A. 1991, Carleton College
Ph.D. 1998, University of Florida
Misty Pacheco
Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
Dr.PH. 2012, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
M.H.A. University of Southern California
B.S. 2003, California State University- Sacramento
Lisa Parr
Instructor of Marine Science
B.A. 1983, Humboldt State University
M.E.S. 1989, University of Tasmania
Michael Peterson
Associate Professor and Chair of Computer Science
B.S. 2001, M.S. 2003, Ph.D. 2008, Wright State University
Matthew Platz
Professor of Chemistry
B.Sc. 1973, State University of New York at Albany
Ph.D. 1977, Yale University
Shawon Rahman
Professor of Computer Science
B.S. 1998, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
M.S. 2002, North Dakota State University
Ph.D. 2006, North Dakota State University
Zinat Rahman
Instructor of Mathematics
M.A. 2003 The Australian National University
M.Sc. 2000, B.Sc. 1999 University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Lillian Tuttle Raz
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Marine Science
B.S. 2008, Centre College
Ph.D. 2016, Oregon State University
Efren Ruiz
Professor of Mathematics
B.S. 1999, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
M.S. 2001, Ph.D. 2005, University of Oregon
Charles Simmons
Associate Professor of Chemistry
B.S. 1971, Brigham Young University Hawaiʻi
M.S. 1974, Ph.D. 1980, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Marianne Takamiya
Professor of Astronomy and Co-Chair of Physics and Astronomy
B.S. 1992, Universidad de Chile
M.S. 1993, University of Chicago
Ph.D. 1999, University of Chicago
Li Tao
Professor of Biology
B.S., M.S. Nanjing University
Ph.D. University of California Davis
Aaron Tresham
Instructor of Mathematics
B.S. 1999, Lewis & Clark College
M.S. 2001 University of Oregon
M.Div. 2007, Th.M. 2008, Th.D. 2011 The Master’s Seminary
Jason Turner
Associate Professor of Marine Science
B.S. 1994, Texas A&M University at Galveston
M.S. 1998, Ph.D. 2004, Texas A&M University
Simona Văduvescu
Instructor of Chemistry
B.Sc. 1996, University of Bucharest, Romania
M.Sc. 2002, York University, ON, Toronto, Canada
M.S. 2008 University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Diane Van Hoose
Associate Professor, Nursing
B.A. Humboldt State University
M.S.N. California State University Dominquez Hills
Ph.D. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Grady Weyenberg
Associate Professor and Chair of Mathematics
B.S. 2006, University of Arizona Tuscon
M.S. 2013, Ph.D. 2015, University of Kentucky
Tracy Wiegner
Professor of Marine Science
B.S. 1995, Cornell University
Ph.D. 2002, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Brian Wissman
Professor of Mathematics
B.S. 2002, M.A. 2004, Ph.D. 2007 University of California, Davis
Winston Wu
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
B.A., B.S. 2015, University of Texas at Austin
M.S.E. 2017, Ph.D. 2022, Johns Hopkins University