UH Engineering celebrates historic sweep of IEEE honors

The University of Hawaiʻi College of Engineering is celebrating a historic sweep of honors from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), headlined by a remarkable two-decade streak of excellence. For the 20th consecutive year, the Delta Omega Chapter of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) has earned the Outstanding Chapter Award, cementing its place as one of the most consistently elite student organizations in the nation.

The IEEE-HKN Board of Governors selected the UH Mānoa chapter as one of only 30 worldwide for the 2024-2025 academic year. This prestigious recognition honors excellence in chapter administration, community service, and programs that advance professional development and scholarship. The evaluation committee noted that the chapter’s annual report brought its activities to life, showcasing a profound impact on the university and the broader community.

The UH IEEE Student Branch secured two prestigious organizational awards: the Regional Exemplary Student Branch award, which is a global honor spanning the entire international IEEE community, and the Outstanding Medium Student Branch award for excellence within Region 6, covering the Western United States, Alaska, and Hawaiʻi. To qualify for these honors, the branch maintained a rigorous schedule of technical workshops, such as Arduino and soldering sessions, alongside career development talks from industry leaders like Aerospace Corp and local employers like the City & County of Honolulu. Stephanie Chu, chair of the IEEE student branch, expressed immense pride in the officers whose hard work and dedication earned the club this high level of recognition.

Individual excellence was also highlighted through Kristine Joyce Locquiao, who was honored with the 2025 IEEE Region 6 Outstanding Contribution to Promoting Women in Engineering – Individual Award. Through her leadership in IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Locquiao has organized vital networking and mentorship opportunities while leading K-12 outreach efforts across the islands to inspire young students. Her technical and academic excellence was further recognized as a recipient of the prestigious IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Scholarship, an honor awarded to high-achieving undergraduates committed to the power and energy field. Reflecting on her journey, Locquiao shared, “When I was in high school, I was usually one of the only girls in my engineering classes. That experience stuck with me. I want other girls to know they don’t have to feel alone, they absolutely belong in engineering too.”

Also receiving individual recognition was Andrew Alling, who was named the 2025 IEEE Region 6 Outstanding Member Contributing to Global Humanitarian Projects or Activities. Alling has led high-impact initiatives including a project to provide satellite internet access to underserved Native Hawaiian homestead families on Molokaʻi. By designing and deploying WiFi-sharing bridges across homestead lots, he helped connect dozens of residents to essential educational and professional resources. Additionally, Alling has been a key contributor to research on unexploded ordnance (UXO) remediation in the Hawaiian Islands, working to improve safety and land return outcomes for local communities through novel sensing and robotic systems.

Additionally, UH alumna Brianne Tengan received the 2025 Director’s Special Award for her transformative leadership and unwavering dedication to Young Professionals within the IEEE Hawaii Section and IEEE Region 6. She has helped strengthen engagement for early-career engineers through sustained volunteer leadership, including serving as the Young Professionals Coordinator for IEEE Region 6 and supporting programming that connects students, recent graduates, and industry professionals.