The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa LGBTQ+ Center will host a National Coming Out Day Fair in celebration of Honolulu Pride Month on October 10, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Campus Center courtyard. National Coming Out Day is an annual LGBTQ+ awareness day, to support anyone coming out of the closet.

First celebrated in the U.S. in 1988, the initial idea was grounded in the feminist and gay liberation spirit of the personal being political, and the emphasis on the most basic form of activism being coming out to family, friends and colleagues, and living life as an openly LGBTQ+ person.

“National Coming Out Day is important to me because it reminds me to be proud of my queer identity! I also think it is important because it celebrates those who have come out to themselves or others,” said Minami Cheever, a junior at UH Mānoa.

The fair will feature more than 25 LGBTQ+ and ally organizations, churches, service agencies and sports associations. Music will be provided by DJ A.i.T. and drag performances will be spotlighted throughout the afternoon.

The LGBTQ+ Center spearheads the event in an effort to provide an opportunity for everyone to affirm and be proud of all aspects of who they are. The center has hosted an annual fair since 2002. More than 500 students attended the fair in 2022.

“Having the National Coming Out Day Fair on campus gives me a sense of place as a member of the LGBTQ+ community,” said sophomore Gabrielle Huliganga. “This is an event for everyone to hopefully connect with people like them and to find their community. Out of the closet or not, I hope everyone knows that they are supported and loved!”

The fair is co-sponsored by the Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation, Honolulu Pride and the Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center. Hawaiian Airlines is also an official participant in the fair and will share resources from Haʻaheo, its LGBTQ+ employee association.

“I was overjoyed to hear that there were events to celebrate pride proudly. I’m looking forward to meeting and connecting with other students this year,” said Lars Kaohu, a freshman at UH Mānoa.

Pride month events

UH Mānoa

Honolulu Pride: October 21
All members of the UH community are invited to march with the UH Mānoa LGBTQ+ Center and UH Commission on LGBTQ+ Equality. Hawaiʻi’s own Sasha Colby, winner of 2023 RuPaul’s Drag Race, will be this year’s Parade Grand Marshal and Festival Headliner. Meet at the Magic Island parking lot in Ala Moana Beach Park no later than 8 a.m.

Windward Community College

Safe Zone Training: October 10, 3–4:30 p.m.
A workshop geared toward gaining better awareness and understanding to foster a safe and inclusive community for LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff.

National Coming Out Day Fair: October 11
11 a.m.–1 p.m. Hale Laʻakea Breezeway

Kapʻiolani Community College

Safe Zone Training: October 11
Lama Library

Leeward Community College

E aha ʻia ana ʻo Mauna Kea: November 4

Leeward Community College Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
A groundbreaking performance that weaves together Hawaiian moʻolelo (stories), contemporary dance and music in a captivating portrayal of the snow goddess Poliʻahu.

Workshops and Podcasts

QUEERIFY 2023: Through November 2
This virtual series will address various facets of queer experience and allyship such as intersections with culture, neurodivergence and disability.

Banned Books
A podcast based on LGBTQ+ books that have been banned throughout the education system.

LGBTQ+ Drag Queen Stereotypes with Palehua Lee.
This insightful podcast episode dives deep into controversy around the LGBTQ+ and drag queen community.

Read also on UH News.

Due to its launch expertise, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) secured an $8 million technology demonstration mission funded by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office’s competitive In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies program, one of only 15 awarded since 2012.

The flagship HSFL project led by Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) Director Robert Wright features HSFL’s Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI), a high-performance successor of its Space Ultra-Compact Hyperspectral Interferometer and TIRCIS technologies, in a 6U CubeSat (nanosatellite). The instrument uses a Fabry-Perot interferometer which splits light emitted by the materials that make up Earth’s surface and atmosphere, and from an orbit 400 km above Earth’s surface will allow HyTI to measure the chemical composition of gases, rocks, and soils based on their unique ‘spectral fingerprints.’

Built without any moving parts that can be damaged during launch, HyTI will deliver spatial resolution or image quality similar to the Landsat 9 satellite, currently the only U.S. satellite operating to observe the Earth’s surface. HyTI will offer even higher spectral resolution—which will help to identify and characterize materials and objects—greatly advancing the ability to study Earth system processes and broader applications.

“This technology demonstration mission is designed to be a pathfinder for a potential future science mission to show the capabilities and potential of HyTI,” said Wright. “As a CubeSat, HyTI is designed to work in constellations of 25–30 HyTIs during a larger science mission, which could then monitor volcanic gasses to predict eruptions or map soil moisture to aid crop management.”

HyTI will be delivered to NASA at the end of 2023, and will be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket as part of the SpaceX SpX-30 mission in early 2024. Advanced on-board computing will enable scientists to quickly access and analyze extremely high volumes of data.

Developing world-class technologies

From predicting volcanic eruptions in orbit, to analyzing soil composition from space, to detecting extraterrestrial life and improving space mission integration, HIGP has become a major player in advancing space exploration.

Renowned for its expertise in Earth and planetary science, HIGP bridges science and engineering, replicating the successful science-technology synergy that national laboratories like NASA’s Jet-Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have created to pioneer aerospace research, analysis and cutting-edge technologies. Every year, HIGP brings in nearly $7 million for space-science initiatives through lucrative grants from agencies such as NASA, the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation—approximately half of which are dedicated to instrumentation development.

“Designing scientific measuring instruments is not necessarily difficult, but producing instruments that can take accurate measurements from a spacecraft, where size, weight, power and environment are an issue, is,” Wright said. “Our faculty, researchers and students have become experts in miniaturizing some of the most innovative measurement tools. This allows us to be at the forefront of space exploration and competitive for greater opportunities where we can have a bigger impact.”

The centerpiece of HIGP’s space science initiatives is HSFL, a multidisciplinary research and education center formed in collaboration with UH Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and the College of Engineering.

Established in 2007, HSFL’s reputation and resources skyrocketed after leading the state’s first and only rocket launch in 2015, which allowed it to design and build world-class facilities with state-of-the-art equipment including: clean rooms; thermal vacuum chamber; vibration table; and an attitude determination and control testbed simulator. These resources have helped HIGP design, build, test and operate world-class space instrumentation.

Since then, HIGP has developed a string of successful NASA-funded technology development projects in collaboration with its Spectral Technology Group and Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy Laboratory, including the Airborne Hyperspectral Imager, HyTI, Thermal Infrared Compact Imaging Spectrometer (TIRCIS), and the Miniature Infrared Detector for Atmospheric Sciences.

The compact spectroscopic technologies use interference phenomenon to measure long-wave infrared spectral radiance data (between 8–11 microns) to remotely identify and characterize the chemical composition of solids, gases and liquids. The key technology was developed by HIGP faculty member Paul Lucey, and is used under license by local technology company, Spectrum Photonics.

In addition to measurement tools, HSFL has developed a Comprehensive Open-architecture Solution for Mission Operations System (COSMOS) that provides integrated flight software, ground station and mission operations for small satellites. Funded by NASA’s Space Grant and Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, COSMOS proved its success on the NEUTRON-1 CubeSat and is now an integral part of all HSFL missions.

Read also on UH News and for more, see Noelo’s 2023 story. Noelo is UH’s research magazine from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Making ‘aha (using coconut husk fibers to create a cord) to tag and identify corals is the focus of a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa undergraduate student’s project to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into marine science and help keep plastic out of the ocean.

Jasmine Chang, a third-year student studying marine biology and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, also works as a lab technician in the Coral Resilience Lab. She is a recipient of the Carol Ann and Myron K. Hayashida HIMB Student Support Endowment as well as the Schmidt Ocean Institute Undergraduate Research Fund.

“I think that we should always be looking for sustainable alternatives,” said Chang. “And I feel like the reason that we do any studying out here, especially in the Coral Resilience Lab, is to further help and prevent the degradation of coral reefs. If anyone can find ways around supporting the mass production of things like single-use plastic that are horribly affecting our climate, then we should definitely take it.”

Testing durability leads to interesting findings

Chang hopes that the practice of making ʻaha could eventually replace using zip ties to tag corals. Using ʻaha provides a natural fiber that can biodegrade in the ocean and not cause any damage to ecosystems. Chang began by conducting durability tests in the ocean in June 2022.

“We saw that it lasted over the course of three months and it was still there,” said Chang. “So that was a huge success. In addition to that, we found that there was native limu (seaweed) growing on all my cordage as well. So it shows that it can recruit native species, which I had no idea was gonna happen.”

Chang’s next steps for the cordage are to test out its strength using a tensile test to see if it loses its durability over time in the ocean.

Inspired by her mom

The project was inspired by her mom, Page Chang, who is a Native Hawaiian practitioner. Page has experience with coconut fibers and made ʻaha with another group to test out the durability on coral reefs. This inspired Jasmine to give it a try at HIMB.

Creating the cordage is a long and labor intensive process. In a trial run, Jasmine and her mom were able to make 20–30 feet of cordage using three coconuts.

The process starts with husking the coconut to get all the fibers out. Then Jasmine and Page tried two styles of preparation. The first used dry cord to weave, and the second style included washing off any excess debris on the husk and then weaving it together by rolling and twisting it. They gathered information using Page’s knowledge of making cordage and from ʻaha resource books. Jasmine and Page acknowledge that they are not experts, and have lots to learn about the process.

“It’s very personal, I would say it involves my family as well,” said Jasmine. “I think it has definitely given me an opportunity to express my Hawaiʻi knowledge as a Native Hawaiian. I hope to build that bridge and make it stronger so that Hawaiian knowledge can be valued and sometimes used instead of Western science because it is just as valuable, which is what I hope to prove with this.”

To support students like Jasmine and the great work being done in the Coral Resilience Lab, consider making a gift to UH Foundation.

Read also on UH News.

Murli Manghnani, emeritus professor in the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), died on August 6, 2023 at the age of 87 in his home country of India.

Dr. Manghnani, who joined the HIGP in 1963 as a geophysicist, focused his career on high-pressure mineral physics research. Among his most significant accomplishments, Manghnani discovered unique properties and structures of silicate melts in Earth’s mantle and core-related iron-rich melts. This work provided a fundamental understanding of the properties of small planetary cores, including properties of the liquids of Earth’s core.

“With a rare combination of deep interest, dedication, enthusiasm and collaborative spirit, Murli has been able to creatively help in establishing a world-class facility in high-pressure mineral physics research at UH Mānoa along with a cadre of faculty and researchers,” said Robert Wright, director of HIGP.

When Manghnani was 22 years old, he left Bombay, India, by ship on the Llyod Triestino Asia to begin his journey to the U.S. for graduate studies in geology at Montana State University, Missoula.  After completing his doctoral degree, Murli recalled being offered three free phone calls on his advisorʻs office phone to find a post-doctoral appointment. One of these was to Professor George P. Woollard of the University of Wisconsin. Shortly thereafter, Woollard moved to Hawai’i to become the inaugural director of the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics, and Murli followed in 1963 to establish the High Pressure Mineral Physics Laboratory. The laboratory has long been recognized among the leading facilities for high-pressure geoscience and materials science research for more than four decades, with outstanding national and international acclaim and reputation. In the 1980s Dr. Manghnani served as the program director for the National Science Foundation’s Experimental and Theoretical Geophysics program. 

In 2017, Dr. Manghnani was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), a distinction that honors scientists “for their outstanding contributions to scholarship and discovery in the Earth and space sciences” and expanding “the realm of human knowledge”. Murli received this honor for his pioneering experiments on the elastic and structural properties of the molten silicates that form Earthʻs mantle and the metal alloys that form the Earthʻs core.

Read also on UH News.

Using an innovative new approach to sampling corals, researchers at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa are now able to create maps of coral biochemistry that reveal with unprecedented detail the distribution of compounds that are integral to the healthy functioning of reefs. Their study was published today in Communications Biology.

“This work is a major step in understanding the coral holobiont [the coral animal and all of its associated microorganisms], which is critical for reef restoration and management,” said lead author Ty Roach, who conducted this study as a postdoctoral researcher at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

Despite occupying a tiny fraction of the ocean, coral reefs are one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet and provide critical habitat for many species and protection for coastal communities. 

Biochemicals, such as amino acids, compounds that affect development and growth, and others that have antibacterial or antioxidant properties, have a direct relation to how resilient coral will be in the face of stressors, such as warmer ocean temperatures and ocean acidification.

The team of HIMB researchers developed a method to investigate a single coral polyp at a time.

“This new technique allows us to sample corals in a way that is much less invasive and damaging than the previous methods, meaning that we can now take more samples and repeat sampling efforts more often with less damage to the coral,” Roach added.  

Using sophisticated chemical analyses, the team determined the exact biochemicals that are contained in each individual polyp and mapped them back to their respective location in the coral colony. With this, they created maps of biochemicals in corals across multiple spatial scales—from individual, 1 millimeter-wide polyps to 100 meter-long reefs.

“The use of this technique across these scales allowed us to discover a strong biochemical signature that identifies polyps as being from a single colony, a weaker signature between branches within colonies, and variation along the branches that is related to where the polyp came from on the branch,” said Roach. “Surprisingly, this method was even able to discriminate between adjacent polyps with very high rates of accuracy.” 

By mapping biochemicals back to their source—from either the coral animal or its symbiotic algae—the researchers also determined that the compounds in the polyps were mainly driven by molecules that came from the coral instead of the algae. 

“Importantly, this work tells us how corals structure their biochemicals across different scales of interest, which is critical for design, analysis, and interpretation of studies on coral reef biochemistry,” added Roach. “We plan to use this approach in future studies to map the temporal and spatial distribution of coral biomolecules in ways that were not previously possible without damaging whole coral colonies.”  

Read also on Phys.org, Science Daily, Maui Now, and UH News.

Multiyear La Niña events have become more common over the last 100 years, according to a new study led by University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa atmospheric scientist Bin Wang. Five out of six La Niña events since 1998 have lasted more than one year, including an unprecedented triple-year event. The study was published this week in Nature Climate Change.

“The clustering of multiyear La Niña events is phenomenal given that only ten such events have occurred since 1920,” said Bin Wang, emeritus professor of atmospheric sciences in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.

El Niño and La Niña, the warm and cool phases of a recurring climate pattern across the tropical Pacific, affect weather and ocean conditions, which can, in turn, influence the marine environment and fishing industry in Hawai‘i and throughout the Pacific Ocean. Long-lasting La Niñas could cause persistent climate extremes and devastating weather events, affecting community resilience, tourist industry and agriculture. 

Determining why so many multiyear La Niña events have emerged recently and whether they will become more common has sparked worldwide discussion among climate scientists, yet answers remain elusive.

Looking to past events for clues

Wang and co-authors examined 20 La Niña events from 1920-2022 to investigate the fundamental reasons behind the historic change of the multiyear La Niña. Some long-lasting La Niñas occurred after a super El Niño, which the researchers expected due to the massive discharge of heat from the upper-ocean following an El Niño. However, three recent multiyear La Niña episodes (2007–08, 2010–11, and 2020–22) did not follow this pattern. 

They discovered these events are fueled by warming in the western Pacific Ocean and steep gradients in sea surface temperature from the western to central Pacific.

“Warming in the western Pacific triggers the rapid onset and persistence of these events,” said Wang. “Additionally, our study revealed that multiyear La Niña are distinguished from single-year La Niña by a conspicuous onset rate, which foretells its accumulative intensity and climate impacts.”

Results from complex computer simulations of climate support the observed link between multiyear La Niña events and western Pacific warming.

Preparing for the future

The new findings shed light on the factors conducive to escalating extreme La Niña in a future warming world. More multiyear La Niña events will exacerbate adverse impacts on communities around the globe, if the western Pacific continues to warm relative to the central Pacific.

“Our perception moves beyond the current notion that links extreme El Niño and La Niña to the eastern Pacific warming and attributes the increasing extreme El Niño and La Niña to different sources,” Wang added. “The knowledge gained from our study offers emergent constraints to reduce the uncertainties in projecting future changes of extreme La Niña, which may help us better prepare for what lies ahead.”

Read also on Yahoo! News, The Garden Island, Eurekalert, Phys.org, Mirage News, and Maui Now.