Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) children remain significantly overrepresented in the U.S. child welfare system. A study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health highlights how kinship care—placement with relatives—and culturally responsive placements can improve stability.

Published in Child and Family Social Work, the study analyzed 2020 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System data to examine placement stability and factors contributing to successful outcomes.

“Looking at kinship care specifically for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander children is critical because their experiences are often hidden within aggregated data, which glosses over both disparities and strengths within these communities,” said Meripa Godinet, lead author of the study and associate dean of the Thompson School. “By focusing on NHPI children, we can better understand how cultural values, extended family networks, and community ties uniquely support stability in foster care, and ensure that child welfare policies reflect and strengthen these culturally grounded systems of care.”

Key findings

NHPI children placed in kinship care were nearly twice as likely to experience stable placements compared to those in other foster care settings. Those placed with NHPI foster parents were also 1.5 times more likely to have stable placements.

“Research indicates that when children are placed in kinship care they are more likely to have improved well-being outcomes, to maintain sibling relationships, and stay connected to their cultures,” said Francie Julien-Chinn, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Social Work.

The findings underscore the need for culturally responsive child welfare policies that strengthen kinship care and prioritize culturally matched placements to reduce disparities and improve stability for NHPI children.

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo baseball’s Blake Saucedo was selected as the Pacific West Conference Pitcher of the Week after tossing a nine-inning complete-game shutout against Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU) in the Vulcans’ regular-season series finale.

Saucedo made his second consecutive start in his 10th appearance on the mound this season going the entire nine innings with no runs allowed in a 3-0 victory to open the four-game series. Saucedo surrendered just six hits, two walks and four hit batsmen while tallying up seven strikeouts along with two putouts and one assist.

This marked the third shutout of the season by the Vulcans—and the only one to go nine innings—as well as the fourth time this season that HPU had been kept off the scoreboard.

The Vulcans also claimed victory in game two for the doubleheader sweep to help eliminate HPU from qualifying for the four-team PacWest Championships postseason tournament.

UH Hilo ended its season at 18-29 overall with a 17-25 record in PacWest play to finish No. 9 in the conference.

Read more at Hiloathletics.com.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa baseball’s Isaiah Magdaleno was recognized with a Golden Spikes Award and D1 Baseball National Player of the Week honors after pitching a one-hit shutout against UC Riverside on May 1.

Magdaleno became the only pitcher in the country this year to throw a complete-game shutout with at least 16 strikeouts, and is one of only six pitchers nationally to strike out 16 or more batters in a game this year. In doing so, he became just the third pitcher in program history—and the first since 1979—to strike out at least 16 batters in a game, joining Gerald Ako and program record-holder Derek Tatsuno, who famously struck out 20.

Magdaleno also earned Big West Pitcher of the Week honors, marking his second conference pitcher of the week selection this season.

On the heels of their series sweep of UC Riverside, the Rainbow Warriors will head to UC Davis for a three-game series beginning May 8.

Read more at Hawaiiathletics.com.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa softball third baseman Jamie McGaughey was named Big West Field Player of the Week after leading the Rainbow Wahine to a series sweep at UC Riverside to close the regular season, May 1–2.

McGaughey batted .600 with three home runs, a double, six runs scored and four RBI over the weekend. She delivered a standout performance, hitting 4-for-4 with two home runs in the second game of the series.

She finished the series with a 1.600 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage while also playing error-free defense at third base.

The Rainbow Wahine (29-18 overall, 21-6 Big West) earned the No. 2 seed in the double-elimination Big West Softball Championship at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, California. UH will play the winner of No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 6 seed UC San Diego on May 7.

Read more at Hawaiiathletics.com.

A common emergency room issue—objects stuck in children’s ears—is driving innovation through the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Medical Innovation and Design (MIND) Hawaiʻi competition.

John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) pediatric emergency physician Travis Hong said the problem is more frequent than many expect.

“You’d be surprised how often kids come in with things stuck in their ears—beads, food, small toy parts,” Hong said. “I see these cases at least every couple of weeks, if not more.”

Removing those objects safely can be challenging and sometimes requires improvisation.

“A lot of ER care involves figuring out what works in the moment,” Hong said. “In some cases, we use a small amount of medical-grade adhesive on a cotton swab to try to extract the object—but it requires precision, and the child has to stay very still.”

Student-driven solution

That challenge inspired this year’s winning team in the MIND Hawaiʻi competition.

“We wanted to create something safer, more controlled and designed specifically for this problem,” said Aileen Ferrer, a JABSOM student and leader of the StickieEars team.

The team developed a hybrid suction-adhesive device to improve safety and control during removal.

“It’s a common issue, but there isn’t a standardized tool,” Ferrer said. “We saw an opportunity to improve that.”

Developing the prototype required collaboration across disciplines—central to MIND’s mission. The annual competition brings together students from across campus, including JABSOM, the Shidler College of Business, the William S. Richardson School of Law and the College of Engineering, to tackle real-world healthcare challenges.

Working with students and mentors from different backgrounds changed how we approached the problem.
—Aileen Ferrer

“Working with students and mentors from different backgrounds changed how we approached the problem,” Ferrer said. “That collaboration was one of the most valuable parts of the experience.”

“Students are addressing real clinical needs, and the level of innovation in these projects is exciting to see,” said faculty advisor Peter Di Rocco, clinical assistant professor at JABSOM.

Ferrer hopes StickieEars will eventually reach clinical use.

“I think this could have a real impact in everyday practice and make a difference for patients,” she said.

Read more at JABSOM.

Graduates from across the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system will be celebrated this spring, starting May 9 and ending May 16.<.p>

Thousands of graduates will celebrate at the ceremonies with family and friends. We ask that attendees and residents near the events plan ahead for traffic before and after the ceremonies.

Saturday, May 9

University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: UH Mānoa, Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Commencement website
Livestream link (will become active during the ceremony)

Thursday, May 14

UH Maui College
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: UH Maui College Great Lawn
Commencement website
Livestream link

Friday, May 15

Kapiʻolani Community College
Program breakdown by ceremony

Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Diamond Head Theatre
Commencement website
Livestream link

Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Diamond Head Theatre
Commencement website
Livestream link

Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Diamond Head Theatre
Commencement website
Livestream link

Kauaʻi Community College
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Kauaʻi CC, lawn near Hawaiian Studies/Social Sciences Building
Commencement website
Livestream link

Leeward Community College
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Puʻuloa Campus, Tuthill Courtyard
Commencement website
Livestream link

Windward Community College
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Windward CC, Hale ʻĀkoakoa
Commencement website
Livestream link

Hawaiʻi Community College
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Edith Kanakaʻole Tennis Stadium
Commencement website

Honolulu Community College
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Waikiki Shell
Commencement website

Saturday, May 16

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Edith Kanakaʻole Multipurpose Stadium
Commencement website

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Time: 9 a.m.
Location: UH Mānoa, Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Commencement website
Livestream link (will become active during the ceremony)
College of Arts, Languages & Letters
College of Natural Sciences
College of Social Sciences
College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resilience
Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge
Interdisciplinary Studies
School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology

Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: UH Mānoa, Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Commencement website
Livestream link (will become active during the ceremony)
College of Education
College of Engineering
John A. Burns School of Medicine
School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene
School of Architecture
Shidler College of Business
Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health

Hawaiʻi Community College–Pālamanui
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Hawaiʻi CC Pālamanui Campus, Pānini Lanai
Commencement website

The first cohort of the Sustainable Fisheries Graduate Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa includes 14 students, seven of whom are supported through fellowships from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) and a Hawaiʻi-based philanthropic organization. Students and their UH advisors will work collaboratively with the sponsoring agencies and Hawaiʻi communities on their graduate research projects.

“It is really encouraging to see the significant support for this new program from the community and the state and federal agencies we partner with,” said Jeff Drazen, sustainable fisheries program graduate chair and oceanography professor in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). “Welcoming the first cohort of students is an exciting milestone, and having this level of community collaboration will really advance our goal of ensuring sustainable fisheries for people throughout the Pacific.”

The incoming students receiving fellowships are Kai Holdaway, Alexander Jemal, Ashley Meara, Kahakuhailoa Poepoe, Mackenzie Thielmann, Andrea Vega and Jake Zikan. Of the seven students, six will pursue master’s degrees, and one will pursue a doctoral degree; two are from Hawaiʻi, and five are from the U.S. continent.

Students address fisheries near and far

Supported by one of two DAR Fellowships, Thielmann’s research will focus on finding “nursery” areas where young fish grow along Oʻahu’s coastlines to help protect future fish populations. By analyzing a large state dataset, Thielmann will identify where juvenile fish are most common and see if these “hotspots” match up with where legal-sized adult fish live. This project will use advanced science to ensure that culturally important reef fish remain abundant for local families and fishers. Further, this will help DAR create better fishing rules and habitat protections.

One of the four fellowships supported by the NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu, awarded to Holdaway, will support building a computer model that predicts where the Hawaiʻi longline fishing fleet might shift to as ocean conditions and fishing laws change. By analyzing vessel data and interviewing fishers, Holdaway wants to understand how factors like earnings, weather, and mapping tools influence a captain’s decisions. Ultimately, this work seeks to balance catching target fish with avoiding protected species to ensure a healthier marine ecosystem.

For more information, see SOEST’s website.

–By Marcie Grabowski

The Culinary Institute of the Pacific (CIP) at Kapiʻolani Community College has opened applications for two new cohorts of its Workforce Development Program, advanced culinary training developed in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

The five-day, hands-on training sessions provide both experienced chefs and aspiring culinary high school students with access to world-class instruction without leaving the state. Applications for Cohort 21 and Cohort 22 are open through May 29 on the CIP website.

Full tuition scholarships, valued at $1,500 per student, are available for Cohort 21 and 22 through the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund with support from the State of Hawaiʻi (Cohort 21) and the TSK Charitable Foundation (Cohort 22). Scholarships for Native Hawaiian applicants are available and provided by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

“Here, it’s about refinement and having more formal training by people who are masters of their craft,” said Ronnie Nasuti, executive chef of Tikis Grill & Bar and a Cohort 13 participant. “To have it right here, in our backyard, is a really awesome thing.”

Upon successful completion, participants will earn a certificate of achievement and continuing education hours from both the Culinary Institute of America and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.

Cohort 21: Global Explorations of Taste and Technique
June 15–19, 2026

Designed for experienced chefs, this immersive course explores the science of taste, global flavor development and innovative cooking techniques. Participants will refine their skills through hands-on work with specialty ingredients, wine pairings and health-conscious cooking, culminating in a dynamic market basket challenge.

Eligibility requirements

• 18 years of age or older
• Minimum of three years of culinary experience in the kitchen of a hotel, resort, restaurant or a professional kitchen setting
• Hawaiʻi state resident or active military personnel stationed in Hawaiʻi
• Must be available to attend all five days of the training program (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m.)

Cohort 22: Culinary Foundations: Skills, Flavor and Creativity
June 22–26, 2026

Designed for high school students, this hands-on course builds essential kitchen skills—from knife work to plating—while exploring flavor through interactive tastings and challenges. Students will prepare a variety of dishes under the guidance of expert instructors.

Eligibility requirements

• Must be a current junior or senior in high school at the time of application
• Must have a recommendation from a culinary instructor, teacher or mentor
• If under 18, must have a signed parental/guardian consent form to participate
• Must be available to attend all five days of the training program (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m.)
• Demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in the culinary or hospitality industry

Both cohorts will be led by Chef Thomas B. H. Wong, a Culinary Institute of America professor at Greystone. Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Wong brings more than 35 years of experience, including executive chef roles at United Airlines hubs in Washington D.C., New York and Portland; The Royal Hawaiian Hotel; Mauna Lani Bay Hotel; and Hotel Hāna. A certified executive chef and educator, he is known for championing local ingredients and mentoring the next generation of culinary professionals.

Since its launch in September 2024, the CIP x CIA Workforce Development Program has provided advanced training to more than 215 culinary professionals across Hawaiʻi’s foodservice sector.

For more information on the CIP x CIA collaboration, Workforce Development Programs, scholarship opportunities, and campus updates, please visit culinaryinstitute.hawaii.edu.

To support this initiative through a charitable gift to the HACA CIP x CIA Workforce Development Scholarship Fund, contact HACA Vice President Aya Leslie at aya@hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s beach volleyball duo of Julia Lawrenz and Izadora Stedile has been named a 2026 Top Flight Award winner by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), recognizing their excellence as the top pair on the team’s roster.

The award honors top-performing pairs across all flights who compete in at least 15 matches together and win 75% or more of those contests. Lawrenz and Stedile met that mark with a 21-7 record at the top flight, facing tough competition from nationally ranked teams. Overall, the pair went 23-8 and was the only UH duo to compete together in every match this season.

The recognition caps a standout week for the pair, who also earned AVCA second-team All-America and All-Big West first-team honors.

The Rainbow Wahine have now collected 16 Top Flight awards since the honor was introduced in 2018 and has had at least one pair recognized in seven of the eight years.

Read more at Hawaiiathletics.com.

Hundreds of students, families and community members filled Hawaiʻi Community College’s Manono campus on April 25 for Hawaiʻi CC Day, a high-energy event featuring classic cars, live demonstrations and hands-on opportunities across campus.

The Auto Show & Shine, hosted by the college’s Auto Body Repair and Painting program in celebration of its 60th anniversary, was a major draw. Classic cars, lifted trucks and custom builds lined the campus, while the emcee kept the crowd engaged with a series of live events including a car limbo contest, sound-off competition and articulation ramp demonstrations.

“The turnout this year was incredible. The car show is always one of the main attractions at Hawaiʻi CC Day, and you could really feel that energy all day,” said Garrett Fujioka, Auto Body Repair and Painting program coordinator. “Celebrating 60 years of the program made it even more special—not just for us, but for the alumni, students and community members who’ve been part of it along the way.”

Across campus, activity was nonstop. The Culinary Arts program saw a steady line throughout the day as attendees waited for fresh, ʻono dishes prepared by students and faculty, alongside live cooking demonstrations that showcased the program in action. The Agriculture Program’s produce sale was a hit, selling out of locally grown items early in the event.

Visitors also explored academic and technical programs through hands-on activities and connected directly with instructors and students. A large career fair brought together local employers and workforce partners, offering attendees a chance to explore job opportunities and build connections for the future.

“Hawaiʻi CC Day is about opening our doors and showing the community what’s possible here,” said Hawaiʻi CC Chancellor Susan S. Kazama. “Whether you’re thinking about college, changing careers or just curious, this is a chance to see our programs in action and connect with people who are here to support your goals.”

View more images from the event.

Watch the highlight video.

Hawaiʻi Community College’s Manono campus is located at 1175 Manono Street in Hilo. For more information, visit this website.