Carnegie Foundation designates UH Hilo as a research university
The new designation given this year to 216 colleges and universities across the country reflects an updated methodology to better reflect the wide range of research conducted at higher education institutions in America.
By Susan Enright.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has received a new Carnegie designation known as “Research Colleges and Universities,” announced by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
The new designation given in February to 216 colleges and universities across the country reflects an updated methodology intended to better reflect the wide range of research conducted at higher education institutions in America, and recognizes research happening at colleges and universities that historically have not been recognized for their research activity.
“I am happy that Carnegie has added this new research classification because it allows UH Hilo faculty and staff and our partners to get the recognition they deserve for their many contributions to research that benefits our island community,” says UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin.
Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation says the updates to the Carnegie classifications are the first step to bring a decades-old system into the 21st century. “We are expanding our recognition of the range of ways colleges and universities engage in research and development.”
Much of the research conducted by UH Hilo faculty is community- and ʻāina-based, reflecting the needs of the island, state, and region. Students are often included in research projects — many become published researchers while still undergraduates or graduate students — reflecting the university’s mission of creating academic opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, preparing students well for important regional work when they enter the workforce.
Here is a sampling of research currently or recently conducted at UH Hilo:
- UH Hilo psychology professor Chris Frueh‘s research shows firefighting involves regular exposure to chronic stress, lethal risks, and potential for a wide range of injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and toxic exposures. His research is nationally recognized and he recently shared his work at a Hilo Police Department event and is scheduled to speak to the Kona Fire Department this month.
- UH Hilo marine botanist group, led by Professor of Marine Science Karla McDermid and Professor of Aquaculture Maria Haws, launched Limu Ark, a culture collection of native algae. The dedicated group of scientists and their students has established over 40 species of native marine macroalgae in a culture collection named Limu Ark located at UH Hilo’s Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center.
- UH Hilo-led study confirms sewage presence in Keaukaha’s coastal waters and coral reefs. Lead author of the paper is Shayla Waiki, who at the time of the study was a graduate student in UH Hilo’s tropical conservation biology and environmental science program. Co-authors are marine science professors Tracy Wiegner and Steven Colbert.
- The U.S. Department of Defense awarded UH Hilo biologist and research team nearly $2M to investigate Indo-Pacific invasive species. Assistant Professor of Biology Natalie Graham received the collaborative award of $1.99 million to produce a predictive model for invasive terrestrial arthropod species in the Indo-Pacific.
- UH Hilo geographer Ryan Perroy was awarded $1.15M to survey five national parks with high-resolution digital documentation. The National Park Service and UH Hilo’s Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Lab are collaborating to conduct high-resolution digital documentation and identification of cultural resources in five Hawaiʻi coastal parks.
- UH Hilo biologist Patrick Hart’s lab is developing AI to analyze forest bird soundscapes. While launching the new AI system of processing birdsong, the plan is to also use AI to process the large database already collected over the past decade.
More stories on UH Hilo research can be found on this website via the Research category and the website Keaohou that features individual faculty and their research.
Story by Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories.
