When the pandemic broke out,
Kawailehua Paikai was concerned because it restricted students like herself from traveling. The biggest way it affected her studies was in keeping students from traveling and shifting health care delivery to telehealth.
Kawailehua Paikai
“I was lucky enough to have finished spring clinicals before COVID started,” Paikai explained. “The clinicals for summer were pushed to fall and by then most places had shifted to adding telehealth to their practices. Without the pandemic, we probably would not have had as much experience doing telehealth visits.”
As a Kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiian), Paikai is passionate about Native Hawaiians having access to healthcare. She is currently a case manager at Queen’s Medical Center and sees firsthand some of the issues the Pacific Islander community faces. She has investigated the perception and experience of Native Hawaiians accessing health care during COVID-19, noting that Native Hawaiians are usually unde
From left: Emily Burkhart, Alexander Coley, Kiaria Zoi Nakamura
Three English majors from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo presented their original papers at a prestigious research symposium hosted by Johns Hopkins University.
Emily Burkhart,
Alexander Coley and
Kiaria Zoi Nakamura (co-author of this story) applied to present their research virtually at the Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium under the guidance of
Kirsten Møllegaard, professor and chair of the
“This symposium was a wonderful opportunity for Emily, Alexander and Zoi to showcase their work in a national context and to gain experience as presenters in a large-scale academic setting,” said Møllegaard. “Their participation in the Johns Hopkins symposium demonstrates the strength and relevance of the skills they’ve acquired in their undergraduate studies at
UH Hilo academic support specialist Jake Rodrique harvests seed cane for field trial.
A groundbreaking study investigating the growth of selected varieties of sugarcane to convert into high-performance jet fuel is underway at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management (
CAFNRM). Utilizing advanced technologies in agronomics and bioeconomy, the researchers are ultimately looking to improve the island’s environmental sustainability, build a stronger economy and create educational opportunities for students.
Bruce Mathews
“The aviation industry recognizes that bio-based or sustainable aviation fuels are essential to the future of aviation,” said
CAFNRM Dean
UH Hilo alumnus Jake Rodrique is thriving in the field of agriculture hawaii.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hawaii.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Heather Leilani Kekahuna at Halemaʻumaʻu crater
An anthropology student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, who came to Hawaiʻi from California to learn more about her Kānaka Maoli heritage, has developed a passion for history and preserving culture.
Heather Leilani Kekahuna grew up in Orange County, far away from her Hawaiian roots.
“My grandfather is originally from Olowalu, Maui, but grew up in Papakōlea on Oʻahu,” she said. “When he joined the military, my grandparents moved to the continent. It was there that my father met my mother…I wasn’t raised much around the Hawaiian culture.”