From Center for Biocultural Studies to BCIP: History and Early Development
2009: The Beginnings
The inspiration for elevating biocultural studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa began in 2009 during an event celebrating the publication of Ethnobotany of Pohnpei: Plants, People, and Island Culture, authored by Dr. Michael Balick of the New York Botanical Garden. The gathering, intended to honor a new book, planted the seeds for an emerging intellectual movement on campus.
During the event, Dr. Kenneth Rehg of the Department of Linguistics spoke about his role in supporting the Pohnpeian language and his involvement with the book. He spoke forcefully about the deep and inseparable connections among language, culture, and the biological world—connections that sit at the heart of ethnobotany and Indigenous knowledge. His comments resonated strongly with one attendee in particular: Dr. Christopher Dunn, then the Director of the Lyon Arboretum at UH Mānoa.
After the event, Christopher introduced himself to Ken, and the two quickly discovered shared interests surrounding biological and cultural diversity. What began as an informal conversation soon transformed into a series of deeper discussions that sketched early ideas for what could become a campus-wide, transdisciplinary initiative focused on biocultural diversity and conservation.
2009-2010: Expanding the Circle
As their conversations continued and the idea of a “center” developed, Christopher and Ken reached out across the university, meeting with faculty in Anthropology (Alex Golub, Jonathan Padwe), Botany (Tamara Ticktin), English (Frank Stewart), Ethnic Studies (Daviana McGregor), Law (Avi Soifer, Danielle Conway, Jon Van Dyke), Linguistics (Lyle Campbell, William O’Grady), NREM (Steven Gray), the School of Hawaiian Knowledge (Makahiapo Cashman, Maenette Benham), and Second Language Studies (Robert Bley-Vroman).
These meetings helped refine their thinking: the field needed to be broad, inclusive, and grounded in collaboration across natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. The growing network also revealed widespread interest among faculty in addressing biocultural issues—an interest that encouraged the group to consider more formal structures for collaboration.
2010: Proposals for Teaching and Institutional Support
A graduate/upper-level undergraduate course was proposed by Ken and Christopher. This was approved and was first offered as IS 750 in 2011 (see IS 750 Proposal), becoming the first formal teaching effort at UHM to integrate biocultural perspectives.
That same year, a formal proposal to establish a Center for Biocultural Studies was presented to the offices of the Chancellor and the Dean of the College of Language, Linguistics & Literature (see White Paper, 2010). The proposal outlined a vision for an interdisciplinary center that would serve the entire university and community.
2011: First Course Offering and Early Digital Ambitions
The inaugural offering of IS 750 occurred in the Fall semester of 2011 with Ken and Christopher as instructors, along with a host of guest lecturers. (see course flyer for 2012 offering, as an example). The course attracted students from diverse academic backgrounds and members of the community who audited the class.
During this time, discussions emerged about creating a biocultural studies website. The intention was to have a graduate student design and develop an online presence that would serve as a hub for information, resources, and collaborators.
2012-2015: The Dai Ho Chun Lecture Series and Growing Momentum
From 2012-2015, the Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Lecture Series provided an unexpected, but highly effective, platform for elevating the visibility of biocultural studies at UHM. Thanks to the support of Dean Robert Bley-Vroman, the lecture series brought prominent thinkers—including Wade Davis, Michael Balick, Elizabeth Kolbert, and Barry Lopez—to campus. Many of these speakers expressed explicit support for the establishment of a center devoted to biocultural studies.
Despite this momentum, the proposal for a Center moved slowly through the administrative channels (more details and a budget were requested), but did benefit from input by faculty and visiting Dai Ho Chun lecturers, which strengthened the intellectual community and gave faculty and students a sense of purpose and direction.
2012-2013: Building Bridges Beyond the University: Smithsonian Collaboration
Parallel to campus efforts, conversations were initiated with staff at the Smithsonian Institution, particularly Drs. Joshua Bell and Gabriela Pérez Báez. These discussions centered on collaborative research, exchanges, and the possibility of formalizing a relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding (see MOU). Joshua is still at SI, while Gabriela is now a faculty member in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Oregon.
The purpose of the MOU was to facilitate scholarly exchanges, dealing broadly with biocultural studies, between SI and UH-M. In 2013, the MOU was signed by Chancellor Tom Apple and Kirk Johnson, Director of the National Museum of Natural History. Although the MOU was later underutilized, it represented a major step in expanding UHM’s external connections.
Around this time, Ken and Christopher explored the idea of launching an online open-access journal with UH Press. Interest was strong, though the long-term viability of such a journal was uncertain.
2013: Administrative Challenges and the “Stealth Center”
In 2013, a meeting with the Chancellor Tom Apple, several Vice Chancellors, and key faculty resulted in mixed reactions. Although the Chancellor was quite supportive, one Vice Chancellor expressed skepticism arguing that the University already had too many Centers, some of which were largely inactive. Despite the lack of immediate support, the group continued informally as a “stealth center”.
2014: A Formal Milestone: The Biocultural Initiative of the Pacific
In 2014, after Christopher had left for Cornell University, Ken and several faculty colleagues (including Lyle Campbell, Tamara Ticktin, and Frank Stewart) met with Interim Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman. This meeting led to a significant achievement; namely, the formal approval and establishment of a Biocultural Initiative of the Pacific.
Although narrower in geographic scope than the originally proposed Center for Biocultural Studies, the initiative represented official recognition from the university and created a foundation for future growth.
Funding discussions also played a part in this period. Prior conversations with Vice Chancellor Gary Ostrander had resulted in an offer of $75,000 to support work related to the Smithsonian MOU. After Gary Ostrander moved to the University of Florida, Brian Taylor became Vice Chancellor and reduced the funding to $50,000. Some of these funds supported research in Chuuk by Emerson Odango and Alexander Mawyer.