College of Natural and Health Sciences Faculty

This is content from the Catalog 2019–2020 back issue. Please visit the current catalog for current information.

Tracy Ahern
Assistant Professor of Nursing
B.S.N., Viterbo University
M.S.N., University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Lehuanani “Lehua” Akau
Instructor of Nursing
B.S.N. 2010, University of Phoenix, Honolulu
M.S.N. 2016, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
James L. “Jim” Anderson
Associate Professor of Geology
B.S., M.S., Portland State University
Ph.D., University of Southern California
Bryon Applequist
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
M.S., University of Nevada
Ph.D., University of Nebraska at Omaha
Ozan Atalag
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
B.S. 2003, Anadolu University
Ph.D. 2012, Ege University
Jonathan Awaya
Professor and Chair of Biology
B.S. 2001, Ph.D. 2005, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Jeanette Ayers-Kawakami
Assistant Professor 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
Christine W Banker
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
B.S. 2008, Oregon State University
M.S. 2010, Ph.D. 2013, University of Kentucky
Harald Barkhoff
Professor and Chair of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
B.A. 1991, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg
M.A. 1995, Ph.D. 1999 University of Stuttgart
James Beets
Interim Dean
B.A. 1974, M.S. 1979, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Ph.D. 1990, University of Georgia
Erica Bernstein
Instructor of Mathematics
B.A. 1984, State University of New York (SUNY)
Ph.D. 1992, University of Maryland at College Park
Philippe Binder
Professor of Physics
B.S. 1982, University of Virginia
M.S. 1983, University of Pennsylvania
M.A. 1988, St. John’s College at Santa Fe
Ph.D. 1989, Yale University
John H. R. Burns
Assistant Professor of Marine Science
Ruthie Clearwater
Instructor of Nursing
B.S.N. 2000, University of South Florida
M.S.N. 2013, Walden University
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
Kathy Cooksey
Associate Professor and Chair of Physics and Astronomy
B.S. 2003, Valparaiso University, Indiana
M.S. 2005, Ph.D. 2009 University of California, Santa Cruz
Katharyn Daub
Professor of Nursing
B.S.N. 1984, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
M. Nursing Ed. 1996, University of Phoenix-Hawaiʻi
Ed.D. 2001 California Coast University
Alice Davis
Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing
B.S.N. 1973, M.S.N. 1984 University of Pittsburgh
Ph.D. 1989, Georgia State University
Marta deMaintenon
Professor of Marine Science
B.S. 1987, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
M.S. 1990, University of Miami, Florida
Ph.D. 1996, University of California, Berkeley
Harry Edwards
Professor and Chair of Computer Science
B.A. University of Michigan
M.A. Eastern Michigan University
Ph.D. University of Western Ontario
Scott Ferguson
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
Ramón Figueroa-Centeno
Associate Professor of Mathematics
B.A. 1992, M.A. 1994, Ph.D. 1998, Western Michigan University
Norbert Furumo
Associate Professor and Chair of Chemistry
B.S. 1980, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D. 1988, University of Akron
Lincoln Gotshalk
Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
B.S. 1976, Northeastern University
M.Ed. 1980, Temple University
Ph.D. 1999, Pennsylvania State University
Timothy B. Grabowski
Adjunct Associate Professor or Marine Science
B.S. 1999, M.S. 2002, Texas A & M University
Ph.D. 2006, Clemson University
Jenni Guillen
Instructor of Biology
B.A. 1999, University of Hawaii at Hilo
M.S. 2005 University of Hawaii at Manoa
Mazen Hamad
Professor of Chemistry
B.S. 1997, Humboldt State University
Ph.D. 2003, University of Washington
Patrick Hart
Professor of Biology
B.A. 1985, University of California, Santa Barbara
Ph.D. 2000, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Patricia Hensley
Assistant Professor of Nursing
B.S.N. 2006, California State University Sacramento
D.N.P. 2015, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Kenneth Hon
Professor of Geology and Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
B.A. 1976, Ph.D. 1987, University of Colorado at Boulder
Raina Ivanova
Professor of Mathematics
M.S. 1984, University of Sofia, Bulgaria
Ph.D. 1998, University of Tsukaba, Japan
Heather M. Kaluna
Assistant Professor of Astronomy
B.A. 2008, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Ph.D. 2015, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Bobbie Kelii
Instructor of Nursing
B.S.N. 1993, M.S.N. 1995, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Matthew Knope
Assistant 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 Geology and Program Coordinator, Natural Sciences Program
B.A. 1985, Harvard University
M.S. 1988, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Ph.D. 1994, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Travis Mandel
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
B.S. 2011, Carnegie Mellon
M.S. 2013, Ph.D. 2017, University of Washington
Rene Martin
Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Observatory Director
B.S. 1984, University of Quebec
M.S. 1988, Laval University, Canada
Ph.D. 1992, Laval University, Canada
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 and Chair of Geology
B.S. 1982, University of Washington
M.S. 1987, Ph.D. 1992, University of Arizona
Jon-Pierre Michaud
Associate Professor of Chemistry
A.A. 1978, Phoenix College
B.S., 1980, M.S., 1989, Ph.D. 1994, University of Arizona
Cedric Muir
Associate Professor of Biology
B.S. 1991, Ph.D. 1998, Simon Fraser University
Stan Nakanishi
Assistant Professor of Biology
B.A. 1999, Ithaca College
Ph.D. 2005, Emory University
Joyce Norris-Taylor
Instructor of Nursing, DNP Coordinator
B.S.N. 2014, D.N.P. 2017, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Daniel “Dan” O'Connor
Instructor of Physics and Astronomy
Ph.D. 1991, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Rebecca Ostertag
Professor of Biology, Associate Program Chair of Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science
B.A. 1991, Carleton College
Ph.D. 1998, University of Florida
Misty Pacheco
Associate 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
Joan Thompson Pagan
Associate Professor of Nursing, Director, School of Nursing
A.S. 1991 Hawaiʻi Community College
B.S. 1994 University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
M.S. 2001 University of Phoenix
Ph.D, 2013 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Lisa Parr
Instructor of Marine Science
B.A. 1983, Humboldt State University
M.E.S. 1989, University of Tasmania
Michael Peterson
Associate Professor 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
Associate 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
Efren Ruiz
Professor and Chair of Mathematics
B.S. 1999, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
M.S. 2001, Ph.D. 2005, University of Oregon
Ted V. Shaneyfelt
Instructor of Computer Science
B.S. 1986, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
M.S.E.E. 1995, University of California, San Diego
Ph.D. 2012, University of Texas at San Antonio
Charles Simmons
Associate Professor of Chemistry
B.S. 1971, Brigham Young University Hawaiʻi
M.S. 1974, Ph.D. 1980, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Jolene Sutton
Assistant Professor of Biology
B.Sc. Memorial University of Newfoundland
M.Sc. Acadia University
Ph.D. University of Otago
Marianne Takamiya
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
B.S. 1992, Universidad de Chile
M.S. 1993, University of Chicago
Ph.D. 1999, University of Chicago
Li Tao
Associate 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 Hawaii at Hilo
Diane Van Hoose
Assistant Professor, Nursing
B.A. Humboldt State University
M.S.N. California State University Dominquez Hills
Ph.D. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Grady Weyenberg
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
B.S. 2006, University of Arizona Tuscon
M.S. 2013, Ph.D. 2015, University of Kentucky
Tracy Wiegner
Professor of Marine Science, Program Chair of Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science
B.S. 1995, Cornell University
Ph.D. 2002, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Brian Wissman
Associate Professor of Mathematics
B.S. 2002, M.A. 2004, Ph.D. 2007 University of California, Davis