UH Hilo graduate student Naiʻa Odachi creates beautiful environmental mural in student lounge
The scientist-artist says she hopes her mural in the geography and environmental science student lounge can help make it a safe space that promotes creativity and studying.
By Susan Enright.
A new mural was unveiled last month in the student lounge of the geography and environmental science department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.
The work is designed and created by Naiʻa Odachi, a graduate student in the tropical conservation biology and environmental science program who will be graduating next week. She’s already an alumna with a bachelor of arts from the UH Hilo geography and environmental science program.
Odachi was asked by Kathryn Besio, professor of geography and environmental science and chair of the department, and Ryan Perroy, also a professor of geography and environmental science, if she would be willing to do a mural in the department’s student lounge.
“I asked Professor Besio if she had a theme or concept she’d like me to portray and the only request she made was for it to include something related to geography, specifically geography of Hawaiʻi,” says Odachi. “I figured, what is more iconic than the view of Maunakea as seen from Hilo?”
She sketched out the basic background but realizing that would be too simple, she added in terrestrial and marine species that are native to Hawaiʻi.
“Geography and environmental science are multidisciplinary programs, so I wanted to incorporate both ecosystems,” says the scientist-artist whose graduate research focuses on Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, a fungal disease devastating to the dominant and culturally important tree in Hawaiian forests. In 2023, Odachi won Outstanding Graduate Student Oral Presentation at the statewide Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference held in Honolulu.
While completing her graduate studies and research, Odachi explored how artwork can strengthen scientific communication, especially to the public. In April she traveled with classmates and faculty advisors to Honolulu to the annual conference of the American Association of Geographers and presented her paper, “Science and art intersect: Visualizing Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death mortality in Hawaiʻi forests and Hawaiʻi centric artwork for science communication.”
She also headed a project last year where members of the Kaiameaola Club, home-based at the tropical conservation biology and environmental science graduate program, posted their artwork on the club’s Instagram as part of an Inktober event, a worldwide challenge to improve inking skills and develop positive drawing habits.
For the mural project at the student lounge, student assistants Jessica DeCosta and Michelle Bond did a lot of work cleaning and prepping during the creation process of the mural while Odachi designed and painted it.
After the mural was completed, there was discussion on what to do with the side wall. “Rather than painting it a different color, I decided to extend the mural and incorporate more themes of Hilo,” says Odachi.
The reveal of the finished mural was celebratory and shared with students in both the geography and environmental science department and the anthropology department.
“It’s a nice legacy to be able to leave behind, especially because I graduated from the geography department,” says Odachi. “I didn’t even know the lounge was available to students during my time as an undergrad, so hopefully my art can help to draw students into the room and makes it a safe space that promotes creativity and studying.”
Story by Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
