February 4, 2025
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students, researchers, faculty and staff highlighted their work addressing some of the state’s most pressing issues at the third annual UH Mānoa Research Day at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol on February 4.
The event provided lawmakers and the public an opportunity to engage with research projects spanning environmental conservation, sustainability, AI technology, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) and culture, food security and climate change.
“We’re bringing the campus, bringing the research to them so as they step out of their hearings, they can come and see all the awesome and exciting research that we’re doing,” UH Mānoa Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship Christopher Sabine said.
“It’s awesome. This is really what I enjoy most about being the higher education committee chair—support our local students, support UH, make sure that all this great work that’s being done is showcased for the public and for us legislators, as well,” said State Rep. and House Higher Education Chair Andrew Takuya Garrett.
Themed “UH Mānoa Research and Creative Works for the Wellbeing of Current and Future Generations,” the event featured more than 100 participants presenting their work through informational tables, interactive displays and presentations. Research topics ranged from extreme weather science to conservation of Hawaiian plant species and community engagement in the state’s food system.
Christina Young, a UH Mānoa PhD candidate and graduate research assistant in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, presented her project on breastfeeding for Native Hawaiians. Her goal is to talk with Native Hawaiian moms who are hāpai (pregnant) to get a better understanding of how their perceptions changed about breastfeeding prior to pregnancy, and then postpartum on how they interpret breastfeeding after experiencing it.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to not only connect with the lawmakers but to also connect with other departments across the university to learn more about the research that’s coming into the community and across Hawaiʻi,” Young said.
UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno added, “We want the lawmakers, all the folks who work down here at the Capitol to better understand the impact of the work that we do, the impact to our communities, the places and the people that we love here in Hawaiʻi.”
UH Mānoa, recognized as one of the nation’s top research institutions, continues to lead in research and development expenditures. The university also received a record $464.9 million in extramural funding in fiscal year 2023–24, contributing to the UH System’s all-time high of $615.7 million. With a Carnegie R1 designation for highest research activity, UH Mānoa is one of only four U.S. institutions with land, sea, space and sun grant status.
—By Marc Arakaki
Source: A UH News story
