Huge lava fountain shooting up from the crater.

UH Hilo FY26 Annual Report

The following is the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo FY26 Annual Report (July 1, 2025—June 30, 2026). The report is presented to show progress on the UH Hilo 2025-2035 Strategic Plan Goals in the following areas:

  1. Student Success
  2. Commencement
  3. A Hawaiian Place of Learning
  4. Academics
  5. Faculty and Staff: Welcome, Tenure, Promotion, Awards
  6. Grants and Contracts
  7. Research
  8. Administration
  9. Fundraising and Development
  10. Alumni
  11. Community Outreach
  12. Office of Equal Opportunity/Title IX
  13. Administrative Affairs, Infrastructure Projects

Student Success

Sita Hale holds her plaque and certificate.
Anthropology student Sita Hale holds her department’s perpetual plaque after receiving the UH Hilo Department of Anthropology Outstanding Student Award, May 8, 2026, at the College of Arts and Science’s annual Student Award Convocation Celebration. (Photo: Carson West/University Relations/UH Hilo)

Awards and recognitions

Here following are links to stories about the year-end events held annually by each college, celebrating outstanding students for their 2025-2026 academic and research achievements, scholarships, and more:

More student achievements (selected)

  • At the Department of Athletics in summer 2025, 76 UH Hilo student-athletes receive national academic honors; in spring 2026, 127 Vulcan student-athletes earn academic honors; and in summer 2026, 172 UH Hilo student-athletes earn Academic All-PacWest honors.
  • Two students compete at international healthcare conference, bring home gold medal for their Public Service Announcement entry in competitive post-secondary division event, a major milestone for Mark Niko Casimiro (chemistry) and Vivien Niomi Corpuz (nursing) in their journeys toward becoming future healthcare leaders.
  • Luche Ganot (nursing) wins six awards at local youth media challenge.
  • Student-led marine science research team takes second place in nationwide U.S. Dept of Energy algae competition. After a 15-month-long competition process, the team of students Lauren Runnels and Ian O’Hollaren, mentored by Professor of Marine Science Karla McDermid, learned of the prestigious recognition at the AlgaePrize Grand Champion Competition Weekend hosted by the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado.
  • Mavrick Faust (accounting/nursing) receives $15K scholarship from national auditing organization.
  • Sociology students Johry Graceta, Evan Merz, Danielle Murphy, Tavan Nakamura, and Haukea Valdez place third in national competition on business problem solving.
  • Xailea Anderson-Iopa (English) receives 2026 Matthew Somchai Therrien Memorial Award.
  • At the 2026 Ka Lama Kū Annual Awards, students are recognized for their outstanding leadership based in Native Hawaiian cultural values.
  • Five UH Hilo pharmacy students are inducted into honor society. The five new members, from the Class of 2028, are sworn into their chapter leadership roles: Angel Calaro, historian; Zachary James Corpuz, vice president; Matthew Inaba, treasurer; Jace Sugimoto, president; Emily Yu, secretary.
  • Rianne Angelique Kealohaokalani Kalama Empaynado (communication) is awarded Big Island Press Club scholarship.
  • An interdisciplinary group from UH Mānoa joins UH Hilo students on Project PETAL — short for Power Energy Transfer Architecture for the Lunar surface. The team of UH freshmen and sophomores becomes Hawaiʻi’s first-ever NASA RASC-AL finalists.
  • Two nursing students, Luche Ganot and Shyla Williams, are awarded Zonta scholarships.

Commencement

Outdoors under a large tree canopy, two graduates in lei up to their ears. One has a "license plate" tag around her neck with "KEALOHI," the other "KEA." One holds flowers up in the air, the other her cap.
Two UH Hilo graduates celebrate Fall Commencement on Dec. 20, 2025. (Photo: Tracey Niimi)

UH Hilo celebrates summer and fall graduates at 2025 Fall Commencement, Dec. 20, on campus at the Vulcan Gymnasium. Approximately 165 students petition for degrees from the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Business and Economics; College of Natural and Health Sciences; Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy; and Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language. Student speaker is Danielle Murphy (sociology).

UH Hilo celebrates 2026 Spring Commencement on May 16 at Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium. Approximately 557 students petition for degrees, certificates, and/or various post-graduate credentials from the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Business and Economics; College of Natural and Health Sciences; Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy; and Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language. Keynote speaker is UH Hilo Professor of Education Michele Ebersole. Vulcan athlete Imani Lee (psychology) is student speaker.

Outstanding graduates (selected)

  • At 71, Theresa Chang (communication) completes an incredible journey from addiction to academic success, achieving her bachelor’s degree.
  • Melissa Mayo’s path from foster care to pre-law graduate is one of profound resilience, love, and perseverance.
  • Hilo native and Chancellor Scholar Jaydee Ah Sing (history with a certificate in educational studies) is on her way to teaching and historical preservation.
  • Hayden Niles (marine science) learned to dive in a swimming pool in a South Dakota town of 500. He graduates ready to study microbes that live two miles underwater.
  • Lexie Tilton (business administration with a concentration in finance and a certificate in pre-law) came for Division II softball. She’s leaving with a real estate license, a law school seat, and a plan.
  • Tori Kiliʻohu Cashman Valdez (Hawaiian studies and environmental science) is graduating with one ambition: ʻāina-first land stewardship.
  • Leiya Margareth Torrano (business administration with a concentration in healthcare management) is the first in her family to graduate from college.
  • Leilani Badamo (agriculture) chose UH Hilo for the agriculture program’s focus on sustainability.

A Hawaiian Place of Learning


Above, UH Hilo’s K-12 Hawaiian immersion laboratory school Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu receives national award.

UH Hilo is part of Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao, an initiative established throughout the statewide 10-campus UH System that is working in concert to develop, implement, and assess strategic actions to make UH a leader in Indigenous education. Using the UH System plan as a framework, the UH Hilo Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao Plan supports the advancement of the UH Hilo Strategic Plan whereby UH Hilo seeks to reflect Hawaiʻi, its people, history, cultures, and natural environment, and to embody the concept of a Hawaiian university. The main goals of Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao are to 1) prepare more Native Hawaiians to assume leadership roles within UH and the community, 2) increase local and global community engagement in developing “a Hawaiian sense of place” on campus, and 3) advance the use of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) and culture thoughout programs of study and informal learning.

Here’s a sampling of the work done in the 2025-2026 academic year at UH Hilo to maintain those goals.

  • UH Hilo hosts inaugural cohort for Next Generation Indigenous Language Leadership program.
  • UH Hilo’s K-12 Hawaiian immersion laboratory school — Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu Iki Lab Public Charter School — receives a national award recognizing its success at creating a bright future for Asian-American and Pacific Island youth through embracing history and culture.
  • Where culture meets science: Keiki gather at UH Hilo ʻImiloa Astronomy Center for the 2025 ʻIkuwā Festival. The annual celebration invites attendees to explore how ʻike ʻimiloa (Hawaiian knowledge) and science come together to honor the connections between land, sea, and sky.
  • Luana Kawelu, president of the Merrie Monarch Festival who served as a social worker for the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center for over 40 years, and her daughter Kathy Kawelu, an associate professor of anthropology at UH Hilo, give public talk on campus on the history of the Merrie Monarch Festival (video of full talk).
  • Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language chooses “kāhuli” as the 2025 Huaʻōlelo of the Year. Kāhuli means to change, to alter, to overturn. “We’re living through an era of kāhuli politically, environmentally, and culturally,” says Kaʻiu Kimura, director of the college.
  • New UH Hilo music professor Ocean Akaka arrives with a distinct focus on Hawaiian music revitalization, aims to revive university band.
  • Kanani Mākaʻimoku, associate professor at UH Hilo’s Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education program, puts her heart and soul into training Hawaiʻi’s ʻōlelo educators. The UH Hilo alumna’s area of expertise is in Hawaiian language medium education, Hawaiian and Indigenous teacher education, and Hawaiian culture-based curriculum design and development.
  • Column by Pele Harman, director of Native Hawaiian engagement at UH Hilo on Celebrating Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, bringing Hawaiian language to life at UH Hilo. “At UH Hilo, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is not simply a subject taught in classrooms, it is a living language that connects us to this place, to one another, and to the generations who came before us.”
  • UH Hilo hālau honors Hawaiian college namesake Ruth Keʻelikōlani. Hula hālau Hui Hanakahi, under the direction of Kumu Pele Harman and Kumu Kekoa Harman, performs tribute at UH Hilo’s 2026 International Night dance production.
  • Anthropology-history class on “Kalākaua – Merrie Monarch” is immersed in a festival of learning. Throughout the 2026 Merrie Monarch Festival, students in the class taught by Professor of History Kerri Inglis and Associate Professor of Anthropology Kathleen Kawelu, are encouraged to participate in festival events and activities, provide kōkua when able, and enjoy and experience as much as possible.
  • The ongoing Ululaumāhie Native Forest Restoration Project, led by Carmelito “Lito” Arkangel, a UH Hilo lecturer in Hawaiian studies and music, promotes culture and botany through hands-on experience on the grounds surrounding Haleʻōlelo, home to Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language.

Academics


Above, new online pathway is launched for law enforcement officers to earn bachelor’s degree in administration of justice.

UH Hilo starts off the academic year earning national recognition in the U.S. News and World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 23, 2025. UH Hilo’s School of Nursing, College of Business and Economics, and Department of Psychology are ranked as some of the best programs in the country.

Programs: Advancement, new launches, and planning

Special series of stories on the academic impacts of Study Abroad

  • Two UH Hilo alumni now teach English proficiency in Japan; both credit undergraduate study abroad experience with preparing them well.
  • In fall 2025, seven students study abroad on scholarships. From New Zealand to Spain, Japan, Australia, and South Korea, the students are immersed in new cultures, expanding their education, eager to return home with new found knowledge and experience.
  • Kealiʻi Rapozo (communication) talks about his experience in Scotland and Thailand: “A great way to expand my horizons.”
  • Brooklyn Geiger (Japanese studies) spends her junior year studying abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan. “Studying abroad really broadened my view on the world in all kinds of ways.”
  • Hāweo Glassco (business) studies for a year at University of Essex, England. “It changed my life completely.”
  • Kahiau Snyder (Hawaiian studies) finds his perspectives shifting in Aotearoa. Māori worldview and Aotearoa history show the Native Hawaiian, “Our two lands, languages, cultures, and peoples have so much in common and so much to learn from each other.”
  • As an undergraduate, alumna Lichen Forster traveled to Aotearoa and Perú to study geology. She first spent a semester in Aotearoa studying geochemistry. Next was a year-long research program focusing on geophysics, which featured a month-long stop in Peru.
  • Inspirational stories from six student studying abroad on scholarships, thriving outside comfort zones in Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Brazil. Each student shares their unique perspectives and amazing growth while living and studying in a completely new environment.
  • Imehana Villas-Boas (linguistics) discovers her “found family” in Seoul, South Korea. A connoisseur of multiple languages, she jumps at the chance to study abroad at Hankuk University’s Foreign Studies in Seoul, South Korea.
  • Malcolm Fonoimoana (Japanese studies) spends year at university in Tokyo. His interest in Japan and its language started during his high school days at Konawaena.
  • Healani Roback (linguistics/Japanese studies) is awarded Stanford University fellowship in Japan.

Special series of stories on place-based laboratories

  • The Geoarchaeology Laboratory is a hotspot of inter-departmental research and student real-world experience. Founded in 2004 by Professor of Anthropology Peter Mills later joined by Professor of Geology Steven Lundblad, the lab specializes in geochemical analysis of stone artifacts and volcanic rock from the Pacific.
  • At Natalie Graham‘s ʻElala Biodiversity Laboratory, scientists and students study the enormous range of arthropods found in Hawaiʻi. Assistant Professor Graham’s specialty is in molecular ecology, using trace samples of organismal DNA left behind in the environment to reconstruct a moving image of how biological communities throughout the island are changing over space and time.
  • With an infusion of funds, UH Hilo’s data science lab transforms into a scientist-centered AI lab. With a $5K grant from the Office of the Chancellor, computer scientist Travis Mandel rebrands and upgrades the Data Science Lab into its new identity: Scientist-Centered Artificial Intelligence Laboratory or SCAIL.
  • Sustainable agriculture lab benefits students, campus landscape. Headed by Norman Arancon, professor of horticulture, the outdoor lab spaces on campus with fruit trees and garden plots allow students to learn hands-on how to care for a garden or farm later on.
  • All aboard! UH Hilo students start their labs onboard new marine science teaching and research vessel. Helmed by boat program coordinator Captain Kainoa Hauanio, the new workboat significantly expands UH Hilo’s place-based marine science training and research, allowing offshore and nearshore fieldwork for both students and researchers.
  • The molecular biology lab, run by biology lecturer and UH Hilo alumnus Davin Vicente now teaching in his alma mater’s biology department, preps student scientists for real world scenarios. The lab lays the groundwork for future classes in the biology department and also prepares students with useful technical skills for graduate programs like med school.

Faculty and Staff: Welcome, Tenure, Promotion, Awards

Group photo of awardees and admin. All in lei. Indoor setting.
Above, at the 2026 Awards and Recognition Celebration held in May, from left, Chancellor Bonnie Irwin; award recipients Associate Professor of Nursing Luzviminda Miguel, Associate Professor of Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian Language Kekoa Harman, Instructor of Nursing Adriane Lewandowski, Assistant Professor of Geology Lis Gallant, and Information Technology Specialist Kathy Hughes; and UH Regent Mike Miyahara. (Photo: Carson West/University Relations/UH Hilo)

Welcome event for new faculty

UH Hilo 2025 Fall Welcome celebrates new faculty and staff.

___

Tenure and promotion

  • Helen Duley, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences.

Tenure

  • Takehiro Iwatsuki, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
  • Colby Miyose, Associate Professor of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences.

Promotion

  • Ozan Atalağ, Professor of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
  • Steven Colbert, Professor of Marine Science, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
  • Patricia Hensley, Professor of Nursing, College of Natural and Health Sciences.
  • Hee Sun Kim, Associate Professor of Management, College of Business and Economics.
  • Alexander Nagurney, Professor of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Jarred Prudencio, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy.
  • Han Na Suh, Associate Professor of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Sheri Tokumaru, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy.
  • Jennifer Turner, Associate Professor of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.

___

Awards

2026 Awards and Recognition Celebration honors top faculty and staff in May. Here is a summary:

UH System awards

  • UH Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching: Kekoa Harman, Associate Professor of Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian Language.
  • The UH System Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching: Elisabeth Gallant, Assistant Professor of Geology.

UH Hilo awards

  • Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching: Adriane Lewandowski, Instructor of Nursing.
  • Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi Award for Excellence and Innovation: Luzviminda Miguel, Associate Professor of Nursing.

UH Hilo biennial awards

  • Excellence in Building and Grounds Maintenance Award: Hollind Paiva, Janitor.
  • Excellence in Service: Kathleen Hughes, Information Technology Specialist.
  • Pūlama ʻIke Award: Kekoa Harman, Associate Professor of Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian Language.

Grants and Contracts

Two men stand next to a machine placed on a table.
The Geoarchaeology Laboratory, awarded nearly $1M to support rapid and cost-effective analysis of volcanic eruptions, is run by (from left) Professor of Geology Steve Lundblad and founder Professor of Anthropology Peter Mills who stand next to the lab’s Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer. The EDXRF technology is invaluable in archeological and geological teaching, research, and community outreach activities. (Photo: Samantha Dane/UH Hilo Stories)

Most research activity supported by grants at UH Hilo focuses on high impact projects that have meaning for the island and state. Many projects are done in collaboration with county, state, and federal agencies. Research at UH Hilo advances the university’s teaching mission and incorporates both undergraduate and graduate students, with niche graduate programs creating areas of excellence.

Much of the research activity at UH Hilo has environmental impact around Hawaiʻi Island and economic impact in local communities. Non-research contract activity is most often for improving student services.

Current fiscal year 2026

Research: $8,002,428, with a total of 56 awards.
Non-Research: $9,967,026 with a total of 57 awards.
Overall FY26 Totals: $17,969,454, with a total of 113 awards.

Last fiscal year 2025

Research: $13,118,285, with a total of 59 awards.
Non-Research: $10,820,739, with a total of 58 awards.
Overall FY25 Totals: $23,939,024, with a total of 117 awards.

Research


Above, in the national news! A huge technological boost arrives at the bioacoustics lab of biologist Patrick Hart as he and his research team develop artificial intelligence programs to help with both monitoring bird populations in Hawaiʻi’s forests and processing the lab’s huge database of bird song.

Faculty research (selected)

  • In a first for the state, UH Hilo researchers use drones to deliver biocontrol to fight strawberry guava in native forests; method is found fast and successful. The research team is led by geography professor Ryan Perroy with co-authors aeronautical scientist Roberto Rodriguez III and alumni Olivia Jarvis (master’s in tropical conservation biology and environmental science) now an employee at Perroy’s Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Lab; U.S. Forest Service collaborated.
  • Anthropologist Joe Genz collaborates with international group of scientists and Indigenous sailors to study Marshallese seafaring.
  • UH Hilo is awarded $1.4M to collaborate on groundbreaking nationwide AI initiative. Travis Mandel, an associate professor of computer science and coordinator of the data science program at UH Hilo, serves as co-principal investigator on the project, co-leading the adaptation and community engagement components.
  • Researchers from UH Hilo’s Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Laboratory, headed by geography professor Ryan Perroy, conduct aerial survey in Kona in battle to beat coconut rhinoceros beetle.
  • Geoarchaeology Laboratory is awarded nearly $1M to support rapid, cost-effective analysis of volcanic eruptions. The lab is run by Steve Lundblad, professor of geology, and founder Peter Mills, professor of anthropology.
  • $1.2M NASA grant is awarded to advance coastal resilience and student workforce development across Hawaiʻi. The project, led by marine scientists John Burns (UH Hilo) with co-principal investigator Haunani Kane (UH Mānoa), will expand hands-on research and workforce development opportunities for students across the 10-campus UH System.
  • A huge technological boost arrives at the bioacoustics lab of biologist Patrick Hart as he and his research team develop artificial intelligence programs to help with both monitoring bird populations in Hawaiʻi’s forests and processing the lab’s huge database of bird song.
  • UH Hilo data scientist Sukhwa Hong explores AI as support tool for natural hazard intelligence and public communication.
  • UH Hilo aquaculturists join $13.5M national consortium to strengthen U.S. seafood supply. A UH research team is being led by Associate Professor of Aquaculture Chatham Callan based at the UH Hilo’s Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center.

Student research (selected)


Above, geology major Kamalani Poepoe’s lava research is featured in fun educational video produced by Boston College.

  • Hayden Niles (marine science) interns on research vessel exploring deep-sea habitats of Marshall Islands.
  • In federally-funded research, students investigate problems in human-in-the-loop AI.
  • Joe Winkie (computer science) is awarded an internship grant to continue space rover development.
  • Julia Polloi (geography) spends summer in her homeland of Palau, collecting land and resource data.
  • Amber Skiwo (bachelor’s in marine science, now tropical conservation biology and environmental science grad student) dives into the study of ocean water quality in her homeland of Palau.
  • While studying at Tokyo Gakugei University as an exchange student, Logan Scribner (English) researches how English language is taught in Japan. His findings call for change.
  • Kamalani Poepoe (geology) talks about her lava research in fun educational video produced by Boston College.
  • UH Hilo hosts statewide 42nd Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference, students present their research. The annual conference offers students a supportive introduction to the research paper experience and an opportunity to build confidence in their research, writing, and presentation skills. A total of five prizes were awarded to UH Hilo students this year, including Best Undergraduate Paper.
  • UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Pacific University launch collaborative student research project on climate.
  • Students show depth of knowledge at UH Hilo’s 22nd Annual History Research Symposium.

Administration

Cohort gathers on plaza. Enrollment data on the side.
Above is opening slide from Chancellor Bonnie Irwin’s presentation of campus updates to the UH Board of Regents at their annual visit to UH Hilo on Feb. 19, 2026. Chancellor also takes a deep dive into fall enrollment numbers in her Oct. 2025 column.

Fundraising/Development

Students sit atop lava wall with University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo signage.
Notable gifts in the FY26 year are the $1 million Kruschel Endowment to Reduce Insecurity to help UH Hilo students whose education is disrupted through financial or personal challenges, and the Kirk-Landry Charitable Fund focusing on scholarships, STEM opportunities, cultural initiatives, and environmental stewardship.

Total Fundraising Current Fiscal Year (FY26): $7,034,772 (total gifts 1,791; total donors 1,625).

Total Fundraising Last Fiscal Year (FY25): $3,659,0667 (total gifts 2,107; total donors 1,797).

Notable gifts

  • UH Hilo receives 120 gifts ($37,195), and Vulcan Athletics receives 63 gifts ($35,075), as part of Giving Day, the UH System’s annual fundraising drive held in April 2026.
  • The $1 million Kruschel Endowment to Reduce Insecurity is set to help UH Hilo students whose education is disrupted through financial or personal challenges.
  • The Kirk-Landry Charitable Fund enriches student experience at UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College at Pālamanui through scholarships, STEM opportunities, cultural initiatives and environmental stewardship.

Alumni

Aislynn Mandaloniz stands next to a plane holding a tablet with "1500" on the screen.
In November 2025, aeronautical science alumna Aislynn Mandaloniz reaches a milestone clocking 1,500 hours of flying, qualifying the commercial pilot to now fly jets. (Courtesy photo)
  • Diego Johansen (marine science) interns on research vessel mapping seafloor in the Central Pacific.
  • Ryan Kanakaʻole (political science) is selected as an Omidyar Fellow.
  • Two UH Hilo alumni — Kylan Constantino (Japanese studies) and Brennyn Belay (environmental science) — now teach English proficiency in Japan, credit undergraduate study abroad experience with preparing them well.
  • Two UH Hilo alumnae are named 2026 top state teachers. J. Elise Hannigan is named the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year, and Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo is honored as the 2026 Hawaiʻi Charter School Teacher of the Year.
  • Gregory Morrical (philosophy/linguistics) receives Fulbright award to teach English in Taiwan.
  • Pascale Pinner (education) is inducted by National Teachers Hall of Fame.
  • Nikki Jicha (accounting) starts her career at prestigious global firm Deloitte.
  • At United Nations annual meeting on human rights, Tamelia Rang (political science) represents her Marshall Islands homeland, serving as Marshall Islands delegate at the UN 60th Session of the Human Rights Council held in Geneva.
  • Johann Kuipers (sociology/English) says student exchange was a major turning point in his life. “That year abroad set me on the path that eventually brought me to Japan and shaped both my career and the life I have today.”
  • Aislynn Mandaloniz (aeronautical science), first female from program to receive pilot’s license, reaches new heights by flying 1,500 hours, which qualifies her to fly commercial jets.
  • Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce honors UH Hilo’s Kaʻiu Kimura (Hawaiian language and literature) with 2026 Athena Leadership Award.
  • In memoriam: Alumna, educator, cultural leader, Kumu Hula Nālani Kanakaʻole (art). “Through generations of haumāna — many of them UH Hilo students — Aunty Nālani ensured that traditional knowledge thrives as lived practice, not merely performance.”
  • Jay Carpio (agriculture) is appointed to Board of Land and Natural Resources.
  • 2026 Peace Corps Week: Returned volunteer Artem Sergeyev (history) shares his joyful learning experience in Macedonia.
  • Ann Inouye (Japanese studies) credits Study Abroad with shaping her life. The Waiākea High School grad says her study abroad experience shaped her mindset in lasting ways, especially through exposure to Japanese philosophies and values.
  • ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi PhD candidate Bruce Torres-Fischer featured in new video series on UH transfer success.
  • Anne Chung (education) is now spicing it up on Instagram.
  • Tiffany Prose (art with a minor in English and certificate in performing arts) turns curiosity into a calling with a black belt and thriving art business.

Community Outreach


Above, He Pūkoʻa Kani ʻĀina. Keaukaha community gathers at UH Hilo aquaculture center to celebrate coral restoration at Puhi Bay. The event celebrates Keaukaha charter school 5th-graders doing collaborative restoration work with UH Hilo’s Coral Nursery headed by marine scientist Steve Doo. (Video: University Relations/UH Hilo)

Events

  • Meet & Greet Internship Fair sparks career connections for students and local employers.
  • Hosted by UH President Wendy Hensel, more than 120 college and career development counselors from 51 schools across the state gather at UH Hilo to learn about degrees, programs, and learning opportunities across all 10 campuses in the UH System.
  • UH Hilo opens resource center for veterans; primary focus on support, connection, and services.
  • 2025 PacYES held at UH Hilo energizes and inspires high school students of Pacific Islander heritage.
  • St. Joseph High School students visit UH Hilo for workshop on global affairs.
  • East Hawaiʻi high school students spend day at UH Hilo learning about geospatial science.
  • UH Hilo welcomes hundreds of keiki for 2026 Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day.
  • Culture meets technology: UH Hilo business professors — data analyst Sukhwa Hong and economist Amir Mohammadian — improve data processing system for Merrie Monarch hula competition.
  • Lā Honua 2026. In collaboration with Hawaiʻi Community College, UH Hilo celebrates 2026 Earth Day with the 38th annual Lā Honua, a multi-day celebration bringing the community together through workshops, conservation activities, and speakers to mālama ʻāina as the week’s theme says, “Huli ka lima i lalo, ola,” (Hands that are turned down to do work, bring life).
  • Waiʻanae nursing cohort gives back to their Oʻahu communities.
  • AstroDay! At the free annual science and astronomy event geared toward keiki and held at a local mall, physics/astronomy students, along with their professor Pierre Martin, chair of the department, engage island keiki in science, enthrall keiki with infrared camera, metronome experiment, and demo on resonance in nature.
  • He Pūkoʻa Kani ʻĀina. Keaukaha community gathers at UH Hilo aquaculture center to celebrate coral restoration at Puhi Bay. The event celebrates Keaukaha charter school 5th-graders doing collaborative restoration work with UH Hilo’s Coral Nursery headed by marine scientist Steve Doo.

Notable community-based student internships

  • Column by Chancellor Irwin: Internships transform students into poised professionals ready to launch their careers. “UH Hilo is an ideal place for students to experience hands-on, community- and ʻāina-engaged learning through internships.”
  • The first Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES) huakaʻi (field trip) of summer 2025 was to Kealakekua and Kaʻawaloa, hosted by Hoala Kealakekua Nui, a local group dedicated to the stewardship of Kealakekua Bay’s natural and cultural environment, along with PIPES alumnus Kainalu Keliʻikuli-Grace. The student interns say they found the excursion to be “a magical day spent in restoration, reconnection, and remembering, through aloha ʻāina,” and they look forward to growing their pilina (connection) with this community and wahi pana (legendary place).
  • Pharmacy students provide personalized medication reviews to qualified individuals through a new agreement with health insurer Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (HMSA).
  • Accounting major Mavrick Faust interns at a nonprofit pharmacy at the Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center.
  • Internships offered through the pre-law program benefit students through giving them real-world experience in the local community with a jump start on networking and finding career opportunities.
  • Student leaders in UH Hilo’s Bonner Program share and celebrate their community-based Hilo projects. Two graduating Bonner Leaders present capstone projects with community impact: one led by Leila Torrano with an eye toward getting students more connected within the university community, and the other led by Hayden Niles on a potentially transformational pilot project for the local food bank.
  • Leilani Badamo participates in the Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center’s Hoʻolana Career Development and Internship Program, which supports her wish to serve her community through encouraging healthy foods and lifestyles. Through Hoʻolana, she interns in two separate labs.

Notable research and projects that impact island communities

  • Pharmacy faculty’s telehealth project is recognized with national award.
  • Community-based conservation researchers are featured at a Hawaiʻi Island Chamber event held on campus. Presenters are Assistant Professor of Marine Science Steve Doo and Professor of Biology Patrick Hart, both based at the College of Natural and Health Sciences. The dean of the college, Simon Kattenhorn, also gives a presentation about the college.
  • Two UH Hilo faculty are selected for national project to redesign community-engaged courses. The selection of both Olga Sideleva and Xuan Xie demonstrates UH Hilo’s comprehensive commitment to civic engagement across the sciences and humanities.

Office of Equal Opportunity/Title IX

Group of students at a table creating denim keychains and sexual assault slogans.
In addition to wearing denim to campus on Denim Day, April 29, 2026, students gathered at the Mookini Library lānai to share information and resources with the campus community. The event was organized by the Office of Equal Opportunity. (Photo: OEO/Title IX/UH Hilo)

UH Hilo’s Office of Equal Opportunity remains committed to ensuring the university is a discrimination-free learning and working environment. Here are some key programs and events held during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Administration

  • Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Disability Services is now under the supervision of the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Programs and events

  • Throughout the year, the Office of Equal Opportunity conducts training for new students, new faculty, and various units across campus and regularly holds Equal Opportunity briefings for those involved in campus hiring processes.
  • In October 2025, the office marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month by hosting Leinani Yahiku, CEO and founder of Oʻahu-based Empowering Through Expression, a nonprofit dedicated to helping trauma survivors heal. Yahiku gives a public lecture sharing her story as a domestic violence survivor, the challenges she faced leaving an abusive relationship, enrolling and graduating from UH, and of becoming an advocate for domestic violence victims.
  • OEO also hosts a community resource fair with tabling by both campus and community organizations to share information with the UH Hilo community.
  • For Bystander Intervention Month in March 2026, OEO hosts an event encouraging attendees to create a bracelet while learning how to intervene when bystander situations become concerning. The goal of the event is for participants to understand that in order to create a safe community, everyone must be willing to take care of one another.
  • As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2026, the Office of Equal Opportunity is joined by campus partners to recognize Denim Day. In addition to encouraging everyone on campus to wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month, staff from UH Hilo Counseling Services, Student Health & Wellness Programs, and the LGBGT+ Center joined OEO staff at the Mookini Library lānai to share information and resources with the campus community.

Administrative Affairs

At left, construction workers in bare lab; at right, fully renovated lab with work stations and shelving filled with lab items.
Before and after shots of the psychology wet lab’s renovations that include painting, replacing HVAC controls and distribution system, new flooring, new lighting system and acoustical ceiling, new ductless chemical fume hood, new eye wash, new Biosafety cabinet, adequate power for four freezers, and new locksets with Salto electronic security card key system. (Image: University Relations/UH Hilo)
  • Information on Campus Budget and other fiscal information can be found on the Office of Administrative Affairs website.
  • Before taking a look below at the administration’s deep dive report into infrastructure improvements, read about the $40 million in campus improvements that are transforming the UH Hilo experience for everyone.

Status of Infrastructure Projects FY26

Completed

  • College of Natural and Health Sciences’ biology building: Renovations include design, and construction for two biology classrooms with demolition followed by work on concrete, structural steel, carpentry, architectural finishes, laboratory equipment, plumbing, air conditioning, ventilation, electrical, telecommunication, and fire alarm.
  • School of Nursing laboratory: Design and construction with demolition work, concrete work, structural steel work, carpentry, architectural finishes, laboratory equipment, plumbing, air conditioning, ventilation, electrical, telecommunication, and fire alarm.
  • Agricultural Farm Laboratory (located in Panaʻewa): A new 1,400 square-foot workshop together with plumbing, electrical, work benches, emergency shower, and central vacuum system is completed. The workshop is named Halemaile for the famous fragrant maile native to Panaʻewa.
  • Student Life Center: Swimming pool is converted from a liquid chemical chlorination system to a saltwater chlorination generation system. Filtration pumps are relocated for ease of access and to protect from weather.
  • Psychology laboratory: Renovations include painting, replacing HVAC controls and distribution system, new flooring, new lighting system and acoustical ceiling, new ductless chemical fume hood, new eye wash, new Biosafety cabinet, adequate power for four freezers, new locksets with Salto electronic security card key system.
  • College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management (on campus): Renovations include new exterior air conditioning unit, replacing HVAC equipment and controls, replacing refrigerant piping and insulation. Also, re-roofing and replacing gutters.
  • Administration Building: New soffits and gutters.

Underway

  • Campus Center (Capital Renewal and Deferred Maintenance initiative): Modernization of existing kitchen, upper floors offices and conference rooms, equipment, roofs, walls, doors, and upgrading electrical and mechanical systems and pedestrian pathways. Interior work on kitchen and outdoor canopy area is ongoing.
  • Edith Kanakaʻole Hall: Complete renovation of the building including painting, electrical equipment upgrades, replace all light fixtures with LED, replace all locksets with Salto electronic security card key system, replace fire detection and protection systems.
  • Sciences and Technology Building: Mechanical systems improvements including demolition of existing HVAC insulation, replacing new refrigerant insulation, and installing new pre-cooler to HVAC unit.
  • Chiller Building: Replace existing York chiller
  • Student Life Center: Mechanical system improvements include installation of a new central ducted air conditioning system for the weight and fitness area, and replacement of the exhaust fans in locker rooms.
  • Performing Arts Center: Mechanical system improvements include replacement of existing air conditioning equipment and a dehumidifier in the costume storage room.
  • Portables 5-7 (Capital Renewal and Deferred Maintenance initiative): Replace metal roof and wooden sun shade system, wooden lanai handrails, all interior existing chalkboards with whiteboards, all light fixtures with LED fixtures, existing window AC system with new split system, and existing locksets with Salto electronic security key card system. Also, repair damaged structural floor framing and install new ADA unisex bathroom.
  • Agriculture Farm Laboratory (located in Panaʻewa): Horse barn renovations include selective removal work, concrete rehabilitation, re-roofing and roof extension, painting, carpentry work, architectural finishes, and replacing all locksets with Salto electronic security key card system.
  • Student Services Center: Building mechanical systems improvements include replacement of two existing chiller units.
  • Portables used for Native Hawaiian spaces: Interior renovations of select portables including exterior paint.
  • Hale Kanilehua (student housing): Comprehensive restroom repairs.
  • Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language (Haleʻōlelo building): Hawaiian language audio-visual equipment improvements at the large auditorium Lumi Pahiahia and adjoining spaces.

Awarded contracts pending construction

  • University Classroom Building: Renovations include painting, replacing flooring, and replacing all locksets with Salto electronic security key card system.
  • Mookini Library: Air conditioning improvements.
  • Athletics: Comprehensive locker room renovations.
  • Marine Science and Wentworth Hall: Re-insulate air conditioning ducts and refrigerant piping.
  • Small Business Incubator: Comprehensive mechanical systems improvements.
  • Performing Arts Center: Comprehensive renovations including selective removal work, concrete rehabilitation, exterior and interior painting, carpentry work, and architectural finishes. Replace all locksets with Salto electronic security card key system.
  • Hale ʻIkena (student housing): Phase 1 renovations include selective removal work, concrete rehabilitation, exterior and interior painting, carpentry work, and architectural finishes.
  • ʻImiloa Astronomy Center: Remove and replace built-up roof.
Gardens at ʻImiloa with the center in the background.
ʻImiloa Astronomy Center surrounded by native gardens. (File photo)

Report compiled by Susan Enright, public information specialist, Office of the Chancellor. Comments and corrections are welcome.