VIP Success Stories

Dr. Daisy GreenPh.D. from the Massachusetts Inst. of Technology; UHM faculty member

Daisy Green was a member of the Smart Campus Energy Lab (SCEL) VIP team. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2024 she joined the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as an assistant professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Photo of Eliesse Hihara

Eliesse HiharaM.S. student, University of Southern California

Eliesse Hihara joined a VIP team as a freshman student, eventually becoming the team’s project manager. Find out more about what she valued about her VIP experience in her success story.
Photo of George Zhang

George ZhangSoftware Engineer, Apple

George Zhang authored and presented at the IEEE Microwave Symposium as a VIP student. His VIP experience also helped him earn a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Find out more about George’s journey as a VIP student.
Dr. Evan Kawamura

Dr. Evan KawamuraComputer Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center

Dr. Evan Kawamura has participated in VIP as an undergraduate and PhD student. Find out more about what he enjoyed about his extensive experience in the VIP Program.