The Candidate Advisory Council (CAC) for the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents has presented a list of four candidates to Gov. Josh Green to fill one student seat for a two-year appointment beginning July 1, 2026, subject to confirmation by the state Senate. The finalists are:

• Jenny Brown
• Olivia Frances Chung
• Eric Pomaikai Gee
• Raiyan Rafid

Finalist biographies are available at the Candidate Advisory Council website (PDF).

“The Candidate Advisory Council members were extremely pleased with the caliber of students applying to serve on the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents,” said CAC Chair Brigitte Yoshino. “While it was a difficult decision, the CAC members believe any of the four candidates chosen to be finalists will serve the university well and are delighted to submit these names for consideration to the governor and the state senate.”

Candidate lists are compiled after a comprehensive review and selection process, which is solely and exclusively merit-based and according to procedures set forth in state statutes and the council’s administrative rules.

The Board of Regents is the governing body of UH and consists of eleven (11) members. Representation includes five (5) from the City and County of Honolulu; two (2) from Hawaiʻi County; two (2) from Maui County; one (1) from Kauaʻi County; and one (1) UH student.

Members of the CAC serve voluntarily and are not paid.

This week’s UH News Image of the Week is from UH Mānoa journalism senior Josslyn Rose.

Rose was one of many UH students who helped with clean ups and recovery efforts after the destructive Kona low storms. This clean up took place at Waialua Beach on March 28.

Previous Images
Through the water
Breeze block
Shark tag
‘Patrick Star’ tree
Zentangle
All Images of the Week

Send us your image!

A big mahalo to everyone who has sent in their images! If selected, they will be posted throughout the semester, so check back to see the amazing work, research and experiences of the UH ʻohana!

Want to get in on the action? The next UH News Image of the Week could be yours! Submit a photo, drawing, painting, digital illustration of a project you are working on, a moment from a field research outing or a beautiful and/or interesting shot of a scene on your campus. It could be a class visit during which you see an eye-catching object or scene.

• Send your image using a UH email address.

Please include a brief description of the image and its connection to your campus, class assignment or other UH connection. By submitting your image, you are giving UH News permission to publish your photo on the UH News website and UH social media accounts. The image must be your original work, and anyone featured in your image needs to give consent to its publication.

During spring break, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa nursing student Jolene Chun joined National Guard search and rescue efforts in high-risk flood zones in Waialua to help ensure the safety of residents and property during the state evacuation order in March. Chun, a state-activated Hawaiʻi Air National Guard Staff Sergeant medic with the U.S. Air Force, is pursuing her advanced degree through the Graduate Entry Program in Nursing (GEPN) in the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene (SONDH).

“The most impactful moment during the search was witnessing the devastation of mass amounts of property and vehicles displaced due to the powerful impact of the flood,” Chun said.

Chun earned her bachelor of arts in public administration with a concentration in disaster preparedness and management from UH West Oʻahu in 2021. Her decision to serve as a medic in the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard was influenced in part by educational opportunities, including tuition assistance that supported her undergraduate degree.

Her training in the GEPN program built on her clinical experience as a medic, strengthening her ability to respond in high-pressure situations.

“The program helped me render aid with definitive treatments in mind, which made me more confident assisting in the field,” she said.

Even to make the smallest difference, I will answer the call.
—Jolene Chun

Balancing both roles, Chun said the skills complement each other and reinforce a shared focus on patient care, making her immediate decision to assist during spring break instinctive.

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to assist in responding to people in the community. Even to make the smallest difference, I will answer the call,” she said.

A long-term commitment to service

Chun plans to graduate in 2028 and commission as a Hawaiʻi Air National Guard nurse, eventually pursuing the Doctor of Nursing Practice–Family Nurse Practitioner program to continue serving Hawaiʻi communities. In addition to focusing on women’s wellness, she aims to help improve coordination across federal, state, city and private sectors to expand access to healthcare.

As the affected communities continue cleaning and rebuilding, Chun reflects on the ongoing efforts. “I am appreciative that the National Guard members are still out there working with the community to help the land and people pick up the pieces to hopefully normalize after the effects of the Kona Low system.”

SONDH Dean Clementina Ceria-Ulep added, “Jolene’s dedication as a nursing student and medic showcases the remarkable service and leadership our students bring to Hawaiʻi communities.”

Hawaiʻi’s public high schools reached new milestones in student achievement, with the class of 2025 posting the highest on-time graduation rate in state history, according to the latest College and Career Readiness Indicators (CCRI) report.

The report, which tracks outcomes for 11,899 graduates across 66 public and charter schools, shows that 87% of students graduated on time, surpassing the previous record set by the class of 2024.

In addition to improved graduation rates, the report highlights continued progress in postsecondary pathways, including enrollment within the University of Hawaiʻi system.

Approximately 3,958 graduates, about 33% of those enrolling in college, went on to attend a UH campus. Of those students, 18% enrolled at UH two-year colleges, while 16% attended four-year campuses.

Academic preparation

The CCRI report also provides insight into how well students are academically prepared upon entering UH. About 37% of students enrolled directly in college-level math courses, while 42% took college-level English. At the same time, a portion of incoming students either required below college-level coursework or did not enroll in math or English during their first term, signaling areas where further academic preparation may be needed.

More students are also participating in key academic assessments. ACT exam participation climbed to 76% statewide, up one percentage point, suggesting broader engagement in college entrance testing.

Career-focused education saw notable growth as well. The percentage of students completing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs increased to 66%, up 3%. These programs are designed to prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce or further specialized training.

While gains were recorded across several categories, the report notes that readiness benchmarks—such as ACT college-ready scores in English, math and science—remain an area for ongoing improvement.

The CCRI is released annually by Hawaiʻi P–20 Partnerships for Education (Hawaiʻi P–20), in collaboration with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDEO) and the University of Hawaiʻi.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to rapidly transform higher education, the University of Hawaiʻi has officially launched its Artificial Intelligence for Hawaiʻi course, a free interactive 12-chapter program designed for UH ʻohana and communities across Hawaiʻi. The first chapter of the course, which serves as a gateway for professional development and exploration, launched on March 29.

Hosted on the new UH OneAI Hub website, the course invites participants to demystify AI by trying new tools and discovering real-world applications that support work, learning and daily life. New chapters will be released on a weekly basis over the next 12 weeks.

“This course empowers our UH campuses and local communities to actively shape how we use AI to make our island home better,” said Gloria Niles, UH chief academic technology innovation officer. “By ensuring our exploration of these tools includes critical conversations about transparency and responsible deployment in a Hawaiʻi context, we can thoughtfully integrate these technologies while honoring our foundational values.”

Hawaiʻi-based, hands-on

The course features a variety of learning materials, including instructional videos, Hawaiʻi-based stories and practical activities that allow participants to engage in hands-on tools. Throughout the modules, users will discover real-world uses for AI, learn the mechanics of machine learning, and explore critical concepts like bias, fairness, transparency and responsible AI deployment.

Participants who complete the program will be awarded an AI Foundations Badge. This digital credential demonstrates a foundational understanding of AI literacy, ethical practices and responsible use within the university system.

The course operates alongside other key UH OneAI Hub initiatives, such as the AI Communities of Practice and the AI 2 Xcelerate program, to support faculty, staff and students in navigating the future of AI.

This week’s UH News Image of the Week is from the UH Mānoa campus during the heavy rain storm on Monday.

Previous Images
Breeze block
Shark tag
‘Patrick Star’ tree
Zentangle
Rainbow
All Images of the Week

Send us your image!

A big mahalo to everyone who has sent in their images! If selected, they will be posted throughout the semester, so check back to see the amazing work, research and experiences of the UH ʻohana!

Want to get in on the action? The next UH News Image of the Week could be yours! Submit a photo, drawing, painting, digital illustration of a project you are working on, a moment from a field research outing or a beautiful and/or interesting shot of a scene on your campus. It could be a class visit during which you see an eye-catching object or scene.

• Send your image using a UH email address.

Please include a brief description of the image and its connection to your campus, class assignment or other UH connection. By submitting your image, you are giving UH News permission to publish your photo on the UH News website and UH social media accounts. The image must be your original work, and anyone featured in your image needs to give consent to its publication.

Waiho

—To leave or place something.

All ʻŌlelo of the Week

“E waiho mai i ka mea ʻai ma laila (Leave the food there).”

—Kilia Hare, Hawaiian language student, Honolulu Community College

For more information on other elements of the definition and usage, go to the UH Hilo Wehewehe Wikiwiki.

Check back for more ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform higher education, the University of Hawaiʻi has launched the UH OneAI Hub, a central platform for integrating AI across its 10 campuses. This new website reflects the university’s commitment to shaping AI in a way that deepens knowledge and serves the community while honoring its mission as an Indigenous-serving institution.

A key feature of the website are the AI Communities of Practice, designed to help peers collaborate and share resources across the 10-campus system. These specialized groups allow UH faculty and staff to join discussions via Google Groups and share ideas on Padlet.

“The new UH OneAI Hub and our Communities of Practice are vital steps in our strategic roadmap for AI integration,” said Gloria Niles, UH Chief Academic Technology Innovation Officer. “By collaborating across our campuses, we can thoughtfully implement these technologies to enhance our instructional environments and administrative operations, always ensuring our progress aligns with Native Hawaiian values.”

Communities of Practice:

• Teaching and Learning: For instructors, instructional designers and librarians to share practical strategies for the current semester.
• Research and Discovery: Focused on methods and tools to accelerate research for faculty, graduate students and lab staff.
• Student Support: Aimed at advisors, career services and tutoring centers to develop repeatable approaches that improve student-facing services.
• Operations and Administration: Designed for HR, finance and IT staff to create simple workflows that reduce friction in everyday work.
• Communications and Community Engagement: For outreach teams and media staff to develop clear, consistent AI messaging for UH and its communities.
• Governance, Policy and Risk: For policy owners and leadership to establish shared guardrails that enable innovation while protecting people and data.

AI Foundations course, more

In addition, the website will serve as a gateway for professional development. The first chapter of the AI Foundations course, which will help users explore AI, will officially launch on March 29. A new chapter of the course will be released weekly over twelve weeks. Users who complete the AI Foundations course will receive an AI Foundations Badge, a digital credential that demonstrates a core understanding of AI literacy, ethics and responsible use within the UH System.

UH OneAI Hub also offers the AI 2 Xcelerate program, a hands-on professional development initiative offered by the UH Online Innovation Center to help UH faculty and staff move beyond basic exploration by integrating AI into their teaching, research and professional activities.

This message was shared with the students, faculty and staff of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system on March 24, 2026.

Aloha UH ʻohana,

We know that the severe weather and flooding over the past two weeks impacted members of our UH community in many different ways. Some of our students and employees are dealing with damage to homes, transportation challenges, lost belongings and other disruptions that make it difficult to focus on classes and work.

Please know that the university is committed to supporting members of our UH ʻohana during this time.

Students experiencing challenges from these events are encouraged to reach out to their instructors and academic advisors as soon as possible to discuss their circumstances. Faculty and supervisors are asked to continue showing flexibility and understanding as students and employees manage recovery from storm-related impacts. Please monitor your hawaii.edu email account for campus specific information.

Employees experiencing storm-related hardship are encouraged to speak with their supervisors and their campus human resources office about available options and support resources.

Available Resources

Financial aid and basic needs support for students is available through campus-based emergency assistance programs and through the UH Foundation, which works closely with the university to help provide support for students and employees facing unexpected hardship. Information about available assistance can be found here:

• Financial Aid
• Basic Needs Resources

Anyone experiencing stress or emotional strain related to the storm impacts is encouraged to reach out to available counseling and support resources:

• Student mental health resources
• UH Employee Assistance Program

As recovery efforts continue across the state, please continue monitoring your hawaii.edu email and campus communications channels for updates and additional support opportunities.

Mahalo to everyone across our 10 campuses who continue to show care and flexibility for one another during this time.

With aloha,
Wendy Hensel
UH President

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature is in full swing and just over half way through the process. The First Crossover deadline for bills was March 12, where bills that are still alive moved onto the other chamber (senate bills cross over to the House and house bills cross over to the Senate). There were more than 2,400 bills introduced this session and approximately 570 of those bills dealt with the University of Hawaiʻi either directly or indirectly.

On March 18, the same major deadline was applied to all budget bills. The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents’ supplemental operating budget requested $18.8 million in additional general funds for the next fiscal year for university initiatives.

The following table shows the supplemental operating budget comparison between the board, the governor’s December submission, and the House Draft. Please note that the governor issued two budget Governor’s Messages (GM2 and GM5) that included additional funding for UH:

For the capital improvement projects (CIP) budget, UH requested $283.1 million for FY27 in additional General Obligation Bonds to address capital renewal, progress on deferred maintenance and funding for projects to modernize each of the campuses within the UH System. HB 1800 HD1 includes $188.5 million for FY27 in General Obligation Bond funding for various projects.

The following table shows the CIP budget comparison between the board, governor and House:

The Legislature, along with non-essential state and county offices, closed operations on two separate days in the past couple of months due to extreme weather. These closures reduced the number of legislative days from 60 to 58, however, key deadlines agreed upon by House and Senate leadership prior to the start of session remain. With a little less than two months left before the adjournment of the State Legislature, all of our engagements with legislators help to advocate and ensure that public funding for university programs can continue.

The next update will come after the next major deadline, which is Second Crossover on April 16 when bills still alive return to their originating chamber. This is then followed by conference committees during the last two weeks of the legislative session. The Hawaiʻi State Legislature is still scheduled to adjourn on May 8, 2026.

Mahalo for your time and attention,
Luis Salaveria
UH Vice President of Budget and Finance/Chief Financial Officer