Aloha and welcome on behalf of the School’s leadership team, our dedicated faculty and staff, and the many undergraduate and graduate students who learn, conduct research, and build community at SOEST.
The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2028. SOEST was established as an integrative research and education unit supporting the Carnegie R1 mission of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. From the beginning, the School has brought together the fundamental sciences to build global expertise in atmospheric, ocean, earth and aerospace sciences, life sciences, energy, and ocean engineering.
Today, SOEST is internationally renowned for the integrated nature of its research and degree programs. Classroom learning is strengthened by opportunities for students to participate directly in cutting-edge research addressing questions of profound importance to Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and the world. Our work encompasses climate and weather, oceanography, marine biology, geophysics and hydrology, volcanology and planetary exploration, ecology and conservation, microbiome research, renewable energy, natural resources, and engineering.
We also maintain a state-of-the-art marine center at Honolulu Harbor and operate the 186-foot, twin-hull, ocean-class research vessel R/V Kilo Moana.
The Waikīkī Aquarium is a distinctive element of SOEST, advancing our commitment to a Native Hawaiian place of learning by integrating education, research, and community engagement in service of the ʻike and stewardship needed to care for Hawaiʻi’s marine ecosystems and the living connections between people and place.
My personal vision is for SOEST to increasingly reflect the place we call home. This means embracing the ideals of ʻāina-based science across every discipline—science grounded in close attention to place, relationships, community knowledge, and our responsibility to care for the lands, waters, and living systems that sustain us. It also means expanding student engagement through new degrees, minors, certificates, and collaborations with other schools and colleges; continuing to center excellence as a core ethic in all our activities; and supporting the Mānoa campus on its journey to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning.
SOEST is a vibrant, student-centered community committed to understanding Earth and its interconnected systems while advancing solutions that protect natural ecosystems, strengthen just and healthy communities, and create opportunities for future generations. The overlapping challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, resource insecurity, and social inequity require scientific excellence, collaboration, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility to place.
Grounded in aloha ʻāina, we value multiple forms of knowledge and the many voices that enrich our community. We believe future generations have a right to a world that is just, sustainable, resilient, and flourishing.
Mahalo for visiting our website. We are pleased to share who we are, what we have accomplished, and where we are headed.
Chip Fletcher
Dean of SOEST