UROP Staff – Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

Dr. Creighton M. Litton, Director

Creighton has been at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa since 2007, and currently splits his time as the Director of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and a professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. He has >20 years of experience in mentoring students on research projects, which he uses as a basis for his current administrative role in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. It was a faculty-mentored research experience as an undergraduate student that set him on his professional journey and led him to his current position, and he now seeks to facilitate these opportunities for students at UH Mānoa. Creighton is an avid outrigger canoe paddler, and also enjoys spending his free time gardening and working in his yard. In his downtime, he likes to chill out at home with his wife and two dogs.

Seung Yang, Assistant Director

Seung joined the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program in 2018. He earned his B.A. in History at the College of William & Mary and his M.A. in Asian Studies at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa. His interest in working with undergraduate students stems from his internship interviewing exchange/international students about their experience studying abroad at William & Mary, which led him to value outside-the-classroom learning experiences in higher education. He is happy to advise students on the UROP application process, and his favorite part of the job is talking to students and learning about students’ projects.

Noah Perales-Estoesta, Program Coordinator

Noah joined the UROP team in 2023. His professional experience encompasses work in academic publishing, grant writing, and classroom instruction, and he is excited to be supporting the work of UH Mānoa’s undergraduates as UROP’s Program Coordinator. A strong believer in the potential and value of university research, Noah most enjoys helping students think about real-world applications for the new knowledge and art they create. He has received fellowships from the Fulbright (Brazil, 2016) and Luce Scholars (Thailand, 2021–2022) Programs, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish from UH Mānoa, where he participated in various extracurricular activities. Noah’s passions outside of work include adventuring, listening to R&B music, and chugging iced coffee. He is pictured above with one of his favorite human friends.

Jasmine Liberona, Undergraduate Program Assistant

Jasmine joined the UROP team as the Undergraduate Program Assistant in May of 2024. She is currently a sophomore at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa studying Marketing and Travel Industry Management. In addition, she is an active member in various UH clubs including DSP, Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity, TIMSA, Travel Industry Management Student Association, and AMA, the American Marketing Association. Jasmine looks forward to promoting UROP’s programs by communicating with students and university organizations, in addition to managing UROP’s various promotional outlets. Aside from work she enjoys listening to music (R&B and K-pop are some favorite genres), going on adventures with friends, and eating.

Barbara VanBenthuysen, Graduate Program Assistant

Barbara joined the UROP team as the Graduate Program Assistant in March of 2025. She is a current graduate student at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa studying archaeology. Her graduate studies focus on spatial distributions of burial data on Guam. Prior to her graduate degree, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Penn State in 2020 and has a professional background in Cultural Resource Management. Barbara’s experience as a field supervisor in her field led her to her passion for assisting incoming professionals thrive in their environments, a passion she is excited to apply to UROP undergraduates. In her offtime Barbara enjoys beach time, working out and chilling at home with her cats.