Seminar and Event Announcements

The School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa holds regular seminar series that are open to students, faculty, and the public. The featured guest speakers come from local, national, and international institutes. Please see our seminar information from the School of Life Sciences and check this page regularly to see any updates on seminars. If you would like to share a special seminar announcement with our group please email us at lifesci@hawaii.edu


Date and TimeSeminar SeriesLocation
Fridays 11:30 am – 12:30 pmEECB EvoluncheonGilmore 301
Fridays 2:30 pm – 3:30 pmSchool of Life Sciences SeminarBilger 150
https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/94623222156

Upcoming Events

DatesEventInformationHost
April 10-12, 2024Tester’s Symposiumhttps://manoa.hawaii.edu/lifesciences/tester-symposium/SoLS

Upcoming Seminars

EECB Evoluncheon Seminar

https://www.hawaii.edu/eecb/

School of Life Sciences Spring 2024

Fridays 2:30-3:20 Bilger 150

https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/94623222156

Seminar recordings Spring 2024

Please use University of Hawaiʻi email for access to seminar recordings.

DateTitleSpeakerAffiliationHost
1/12Understanding Plant Collections: Data, Sharing, and potential to provide resilience to Climate ChangeDr. Mikey KantarAssociate Professor, TPSS, UHMBob Thomson
1/19UH Land and Ocean Conservation FuturesSuzanne CaseDirector of UH Office of Land and Ocean Conservation Futures, UHMTamara Ticktin
1/26Exploitation of Burkholderia pseudomallei attachment factors for the development of vaccines and therapeutics
Dr. Ian McMillanUHM SoLSMike Norris
2/2Loving Limu (or not): Microbes, Mesograzers, and MammalsDr. Kathy Van AlstyneMarine Scientist, Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington UniversityCindy Hunter
2/9Preliminary studies of microbiome stability in Hawaiian DrosophilaDr. Andrea JaniAssistant Researcher, PBRC, UHMAmber Wright
2/16Microbial modulation of an aquatic food webDr. Matt MedeirosAssociate Professor, PBRC, UHMBecky Chong
2/23Dr. Kirsten OlesonProfessor, NREM, UHMPeter Marko
3/1To Stick, or Not to Stick: A Bacterial Adherence Factor Targets Host Cell Extracellular Actin for InfectionDr. Yun Heacock-KangAssistant Researcher
SoLS, UH Mānoa
Yun Kang
3/8Amending the Late Flowering Photoperiod Response in Tropical Maize with Gene EditingDr. Michael MuszynskiAssociate Professor, TPSS, UHMHoward Shen
3/15Novel geochemical strategies recreate paleoenvironments and distinguish abiotic and biotic carbonaceous materials in terrestrial sedimentary analogs: preparing for biosignature work on Mars.Vanessa ZepedaQueensland University of TechnologyStuart Donachie
3/22Holiday: Spring Break
3/29Holiday: Good Friday
4/5Guns, Germs & AllelesDr. Keolu FoxAssistant Professor, University of California San DiegoAndy Rominger
4/12Tester Symposium
4/19Moray eels inconspicuously predominate heavily fished reefsJulie ZillMarine Bio PhD Candidate, UH Manoa, HIMBMegan Donahue
4/26Zinc limitation: the missing link in tuberculosis pathogenesis?Endrei MarcantonioMicrobiology PhD Candidate, UH Manoa, SoLSSladjana Prisic
5/3Zoology PhD DefenseVal AlvarezZoology PhD Candidate, UH Manoa, SoLSBob Thomson

School of Life Sciences Fall 2023

Fridays 2:30-3:20 Bilger 150

https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/94623222156

Seminar recordings 2023-2024

Please use University of Hawaiʻi email for access to seminar recordings.

DateTitleSpeakerAffiliationHost
9/8Fire and the history and future of land care in Hawai‘iClay TrauernichtAssistant Specialist, NREM, UHMBarton
9/15UH Research and Innovation at a glanceVassilis SyrmosVice President Research and Innovation, UHDuffy
9/22Genomic and Phylogenetic Analysis of Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis Isolated from Archival Bone Samples

A Case Study in Implementing CARE Principles in Biodiversity Research with Biocultural Notices and Labels
Michael Norris

Andrew Rominger
Assistant Professor, SoLS, UHM

Assistant Professor, SoLS, UHM
Wright
9/29Seed conservation biology in the Hawaiian floraDustin WolkisCurator, National Tropical Botanical GardenDrake
10/6Blurry Beginnings: What the weird and wonderful eyes of polychaetes tell us about the evolution of visionMike BokResearcher, Lund UniversityPorter
10/13The future is here: Recent declines across multiple taxa in the Hawaiian Islands raise alarms regarding potential tipping points caused by multiple threats, including climate change.Melissa PriceAssociate Professor, NREM, UHMButler
10/20Creating Meaningful STEM Learning Environments: Expectations and Impacts of the UH Mānoa Learning Assistance ProgramTara O’NeillProfessor, Curriculum Studies, UHMKraft-Terry
10/27Aloha ʻĀina as a Methodology Toward Pono ConservationNoelani PuniwaiAssistant Professor, Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, UHMHixon
11/3Symbiosis Under Stress: Exploring Cooperation Between Tree Roots and Soil Fungi in a Changing WorldLaura BogarAssistant Professor, Department of Plant Biology, University of California DavisWong
11/10HOLIDAY: Veteran’s Day
11/17Conservation through Science: An Inside Look at the Charles Darwin Foundation and Research Station in Galapagos, EcuadorRakan ZahawiExecutive Director, Charles Darwin FoundationDaehler
11/24HOLIDAY: Thanksgiving
12/1TBDErik BrushPhD Candidate, Zoology Graduate Program, UHM
12/8TBDAubtin RouhbakhshMS Candidate, Zoology Graduate Program, UHM

Seminar recordings 2022-2023: https://tinyurl.com/37m5e556

School of Life Sciences Spring 2023

Please use University of Hawaiʻi email for access to seminar recordings.

DateTitleSpeakerAffiliationHost
5/5Simplifying habitat complexityJoshua MadinAssoc Research Professor, HIMB, UHMMarko
4/28Competition and resource partitioning between congeneric coral-dwelling scorpionfishes (Sebastapistes spp.) in Hawai‘iRyan JonesPhD candidateHixon
4/21Vision and Bioluminescence
of Marine Crustaceans
Thomas IwanickiPhD candidatePoter
4/14TESTER SYMPOSIUM
4/7HOLIDAY: GOOD FRIDAY
3/31Following bonefishes in Hawai‘i: Connecting the dots from ocean to tableKeith KamikawaPhD candidateBowen
3/24Effects of a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience: A case study of Our Project In Hawai‘i’s Intertidal (OPIHI)
Additional Information
Joanna PhilippoffAsst Specialist, College of Ed, UHMKraft-Terry
3/17HOLIDAY: SPRING BREAK
3/10NA
3/3Energetic Tradeoffs at Extreme Body SizeWilliam GoughPost-Doctoral Researcher, HIMB, UHMToonen
2/24Selenium metabolism in obesity and metabolic disordersLucia SealeAsst Researcher, PBRC, UHMTricas
2/17NANA
2/10How do we get so many little frogs? The roles of ecology and plate
tectonics in the diversification of Microhylid frogs in the Papuan
regi
on
Marguerite ButlerProfessor, SoLS, UHMButler
2/3Guano explains it all! An ecohistory of bird pooDavid DuffyProfessor, SoLS, UHMDuffy
1/27Environmental Drivers of Species Distribution and Abundance: Case Studies on Various Marine TaxaJustin SucaQuantitative Fish Ecologist (CIMAR/PIFSC)Morden
1/20From seabirds to snails and ecology to taxonomy: An unpredictable path to conservation researchNorine YeungMalacology Curator, Bishop MuseumMoran
1/13A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: discovery and outreach through microbial diversity in Hawai‘iStuart DonachieProfessor, SoLS, UHMDonachie

School of Life Sciences Seminar Fall 2022

Please use University of Hawaiʻi email for access to seminar recordings.

DateTitleSpeakerAffiliationHost
12/2TBAMykle HobanMarine Biology PhD candidate, UHMToonen
11/25HOLIDAY: Thanksgiving
11/18From Bad to Worse: Zinc Limitation and TuberculosisSladjana PrišićAssociate Prof, SoLS, UHMPrišić
11/11HOLIDAY: Veterans’ Day
11/4Dynamic Human-Environment Interactions in Island Ecosystems: The Contribution of ArchaeologyPatrick Kirch
Luminary Speaker
Professor, Anthropology, UHMDonald Drake
10/28From the Landscape to the Lab: Investigations of AnthraxMichael H. NorrisAssistant Prof, University of FloridaHoang
10/21Came for the capitulum, stayed for the pappus: flower development, diversity and evolution in the AsteraceaeDaniel JonesAssistant Prof, Auburn UniversityMuir
10/14Understanding reciprocal relationships between people and place for resilient social-ecological systemsRachel DacksResearcher, HIMBSmith
10/7Biological invasions in coral reef connected insular estuariesKimberly A. PeytonResearch Scientist, Hawai‘i DNLR & DARDaehler
9/30Foodscapes, Well-being, and Resilience in Solomon IslandsEleanor SterlingDirector, HIMBTicktin
9/23Phytotelmata and phylloplane: Leaf traits mediate biotic interactionsKadeem GilbertAssistant Prof, Michigan State UniversityHeyduk
9/16Identifying and evaluating threats to Pacific Island CetaceansKristi WestAssociate Researcher, HIMBHunter
9/9Public Health and Epidemics (TB and COVID)Edward DesmondHawai‘i Department of HealthDouglas
9/2The Power of Poop:
Insights into Hawaiian Honeycreeper Conservation through DNA Metabarcoding
Maria CostantiniZoology PhD candidate, SoLS UHMReed
8/26Linking traits and resource use to understand species interactions in a novel lizard community in Hawai’iAmber WrightAssociate Prof, SoLS, UHMChong

School of Life Sciences Spring 2022

DateTitleSpeakerAffiliationHost
1/27Environmental Drivers of Species Distribution and Abundance: Case Studies on Various Marine TaxaJustin SucaQuantitative Fish Ecologist (CIMAR/PIFSC)Morden
1/20From seabirds to snails and ecology to taxonomy: An unpredictable path to conservation researchNorine YeungMalacology Curator, Bishop MuseumMoran
1/13A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: discovery and outreach through microbial diversity in Hawai‘iStuart DonachieProfessor, SoLS, UHMDonachie