More than 120 individuals gathered at the UH Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom on November 1, 2024, to honor 21 outstanding RCUH employees. Attendees celebrated the achievements and dedication of all nominees, some of whom flew in that morning from Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island. RCUH wants to offer a special thanks to Hawaii News Now weather anchor Guy Hagi for emceeing the event, as well as the Selection Committee for taking the time to review 12 nominations across three categories. The Selection Committee was comprised of:
- Ken Kawahara, RCUH Board of Director
- Howard Lao, First Hawaiian Bank
- Jody Shiroma, PBS Hawai‘i
These judges evaluated the written nominations and selected awardees based on their:
- Initiative taken to develop the achievement or to advance the project.
- Leadership and resourcefulness in implementing the achievement or to advance the project.
- Impact of achievement on the project, professional field, and/or larger community.
- Other information on the importance, significance, and/or quality of the achievement.
Without further ado, we are pleased to announce this year’s awardees:
RESEARCHER/PROJECT MANAGER CATEGORY
- First Place: Kristen Harmon, Hawaii Wildlife Ecology Lab, UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources
- Second Place: Ray Kahaunaele, Kaua ‘i Invasive Species Committee, UH Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit
- Honorable Mentions:
- Stanford J. Fichtman, Grants Office, Kapi‘olani Community College
- Christine Tallamy Glazer, Soil Health, Environment, and Ecosystem Resilience Lab, UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources
PROJECT SUPPORT STAFF CATEGORY
- First Place: Miku Lenentine, Center for Resilient Neighborhoods, Kapi‘olani Community College
- Second Place: Kealakekua Meyer, GEAR UP and Kūlia ma Kapiʻolani, Kapiʻolani Community College
- Honorable Mentions:
- Sydney Carey, Curriculum Research & Development Group, UH Mānoa College of Education
- Russell Sumitomo, Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Technology, Kapi‘olani Community College
TEAMS CATEGORY
- First Place: UH Sea Level Center (Jon Avery, Jerard “Ziggy” Jardin, Jason Klem, Nikolai Turetsky), UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
- Second Place: Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance (Marco Castro, Dylan Moniz), UH Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit
- Honorable Mentions:
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (Emily Contreras, Nan Himmelsbach, Andrea Lee Schmidt), UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
- Maunakea Shared Services (Douglas Astrande, Tracy Miyashiro, Travis Perez, Aaron Zimmer), UH Institute for Astronomy