The state of the College of Engineering

On August 25, 2025, the College welcomed more than 1,600 students back to campus—marking a historic high in enrollment—for the start of the fall semester. The week prior, a large cohort of new students participated in the Engineering Blueprints Orientation, bringing fresh energy and excitement for the year ahead.

 

SAVE THE DATE!

Join the College for the following events in fall 2025. You may learn more about these and other events by visiting eng.hawaii.edu/allevents

• Leadership Seminar Series, presented by the Hayashida Family: Join us each month for a 1-hour hybrid conversation (in person and virtual) with inspirational local leaders. First up is Jason Chang, President and CEO of The Queen’s Health Systems, on September 5. Next is Wāhine Basketball head coach Laura Beeman on October 3. Both sessions run from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.
• Engineering Career Expo – Friday, September 26 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm at Campus Center. Students and alumni may register to participate through the above event website.
• Leadership Seminar Series, presented by the Hayashida Family, and featuring
• Holmescoming – Friday, October 17 from 5:00 – 8:30 pm at the Stan Sheriff Center.
• Discover UH Mānoa Open House – Saturday, November 15 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Tour labs and attend events across campus.
• Fall Convocation – Friday, December 19 at 5:30 pm at the UHM campus.

Read on for highlights from the past academic year.

 

FACULTY & STAFF

August 2024

UH professors Olga Borić-Lubecke and Victor M. Lubecke spent nearly a year in Europe pursuing Fulbright scholarships, with Borić-Lubecke researching wireless physiological sensing in Spain and Lubecke working on robust physiological radar in Serbia. Their research gained international recognition as they discovered they were “kind of famous” across European universities, leading to numerous speaking invitations and collaborative opportunities that extended their stay beyond the original scholarship period.

UH Mānoa was selected as part of the California-Pacific-Northwest AI Hardware Microelectronics Commons Hub, which received $15.3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense under the CHIPS and Science Act. The program, led by UH Professors Jeffrey Weldon and Boris Murmann, will focus on training students in microfabrication techniques, integrated circuit design, and testing to help maintain U.S. leadership in microelectronics manufacturing.

Professor Sayed Bateni from UH Mānoa’s Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Department secured a $2.4 million USDA grant to develop an AI-enhanced irrigation management system using weather station data across Hawaiʻi. The five-year project will enable farmers to conserve water while maximizing crop yields through the CropManage irrigation scheduling software, with fourteen collaborating farms hosting on-farm trials to test the technology.

 

November 2024

UH researchers are developing swarms of microscopic soft robots that could enable less invasive, locally delivered medical procedures. Engineering Professor Tianlu Wang says the technology could be especially valuable for kūpuna and residents in remote areas who currently travel long distances for specialized care.

 

December 2024

Professor Amarjit Singh received 2024 Richard R. Torrens Award for his work as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction.

 

January 2025

Professor Tianlu Wang and his team developed microscopic robots capable of targeted drug delivery within the human body using Janus particles. These tiny robots could revolutionize medical treatment by providing precise, localized therapy for various conditions.

A UH traffic safety project led by Professor Guohui Zhang utilizing artificial intelligence won a $750,000 prize from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The project aims to improve road safety through advanced AI-powered traffic monitoring and analysis systems.

 

February 2025

Dr. Roger Chen from the Civil Engineering Department received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award for the 2025-2026 academic year. The prestigious award will allow Dr. Chen to conduct research and teaching activities abroad while representing American higher education.

 

May 2025

Professor Amarjit Singh published “Construction Quality Management and Control” through Pearson. The textbook addresses the critical importance of quality management in construction to ensure safety, longevity, and functionality of infrastructure while covering modern tools like data-driven decision-making and risk management for field operations.

 

July 2025

UH Professor Te Faye Yap developed a breakthrough method to improve silicone bonding strength, published in Science Advances, that could enhance durability of soft biomedical devices, wearable technology, and soft robots.

 

 

STUDENTS & GRADS

October 2024

Four UH Mānoa students received prestigious Eisenhower Transportation Fellowships to support their research in various transportation-related fields. These fellowships provide funding for students to advance transportation research and education in critical areas.

 

December 2024

Andrew Alling, a junior electrical engineering student in the UH College of Engineering, and Kainalu Seales, a senior at the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, successfully implemented a project to bring internet connectivity to underserved homestead families on Molokaʻi. The initiative demonstrates how engineering solutions can improve quality of life in remote communities.

 

January 2025

Student Keoni Mabini attended and presented his research on electrified transportation at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. His participation in the prestigious fellowship program showcases UH’s strong transportation research capabilities.

 

March 2025

Technology company Keysight Technologies upgraded laboratory equipment at UH’s engineering facilities with advanced testing and measurement instruments. The upgrade enhances hands-on learning opportunities for students and supports cutting-edge research capabilities.

 

April 2025

Engineering firm SSFM International donated $276,000 to the University of Hawaiʻi to establish student scholarships. The donation supports engineering education and helps reduce financial barriers for students pursuing engineering degrees.

 

May 2025

Nineteen UH Mānoa PhD students in botany, engineering, and medicine received 2025 ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) scholarships, with three named Scholars of the Year for superior presentations. Kyle Marcelino from engineering used microbubbles to improve aquaponic water quality, while Ty Shitanaka developed algae-based biomaterials, and other recipients included aerospace engineering student Roxanne Balanay working on gas collection devices for space missions.

Team ʻĀina from UH Mānoa won the international Farm Robotics Challenge 2025’s Excellence in Productivity (Air) award and $10,000 prize for their AI-powered drone and robot system that counts and sizes pineapples. Led by junior Rona Lei Duldulao, the interdisciplinary team partnered with Dole Plantation to address worker shortages in Hawaiʻi farming, with their technology using drones for counting and ground robots with 3D vision algorithms for measuring individual fruit size and shape.

Kaʻala Deitch, a mechanical engineering student at UH Mānoa and graduate of Hawaiian language immersion school Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, successfully redesigned a critical platform for the Keck II telescope through the Akamai Workforce Initiative. His innovative design addressed safety and equipment protection issues while demonstrating how cultural fluency can elevate ancestral wisdom in STEM fields, with his long-term goal being to return to Hawaiʻi Island as a professor to inspire future kamaʻāina engineers.

 

June 2025

UH College of Engineering students and professors are developing new detection methods for unexploded ordnance in Hawaiʻi’s volcanic soil, where traditional metal detectors are only 50% effective due to metallic rocks. The team is testing thermal imaging, acoustic, and seismic-based detection methods and expects to receive a $6 million grant from the Army Engineer Research and Development Center to address cleanup challenges at sites like Mākua Valley.

The L.A. Times featured UH Mānoa engineering students like Joshua Alferos who are benefiting from an experimental “pay-it-forward” program offering zero-interest, no-fee loans funded by philanthropies and private businesses including the Harold KL Castle Foundation. The innovative $2.5 million revolving fund requires no repayment until graduates earn at least $50,000 annually, with major engineering firms helping employees pay off loans, and repaid money recycling back to help future students in Hawaiʻi’s traditional spirit of “kōkua.”

Twenty students from UH Mānoa and UH West Oahu participated in the 2025 Poʻokela Fellows Internship Program, gaining hands-on experience in public service with the City and County of Honolulu. Notable projects included civil engineering major Mira Olivas working on roadway safety improvements and computer science graduate Briana Lee developing a Data Analysis Incident Trend Dashboard for the Honolulu Fire Department.

 

July 2025

Twenty-one high school students from UH’s Junior Engineers Summer STEM Experience (JESSE) program visited Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for hands-on engineering experiences and mentorship. The students engaged in team-based engineering challenges with shipyard engineers, exploring problems like electrical troubleshooting and cooling system repairs while learning about career opportunities in supporting the Navy’s Pacific fleet operations.

Former UH Mānoa men’s volleyball libero ʻEleu Choy was named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team, becoming the sixth player in program history to earn this national academic honor. Choy, who holds a master’s degree in civil engineering and earned AVCA All- America honorable mention honors, was selected among just three men’s volleyball players across all Division I Academic All-America teams.

UHM alumna Erin Kanno Uehara, who earned her MBA in 2013, built Choco le’a chocolate boutique in Mānoa through community collaboration, including partnerships with the College of Engineering. Since 2022, UH engineering students have designed custom chocolate molds for her business, applying classroom knowledge to real-world problems while she discovered that chocolate serves as a “universal language” for connecting with others and building relationships.

 

COLLEGE-WIDE

November 2024

UH engineering students and faculty engaged with King Intermediate School students to promote STEM education and inspire the next generation of engineers. The outreach program demonstrated various engineering concepts and career paths to encourage middle school students to pursue STEM fields.

Several UH engineering students received national recognition as “rising engineering stars” for their outstanding academic achievements and research contributions. The recognition highlights the quality of engineering education and student excellence at the University of Hawaiʻi.

 

December 2024

The College’s ECE department hosted the IEEE Nanomed conference, bringing leading nanoscience researchers from around the world to Honolulu. The conference showcased cutting-edge research in nanomedicine and nanotechnology with potential applications in healthcare and biotechnology.

 

January 2025

UH launched new AI training programs through the Descartes initiative to address critical challenges in decarbonization and healthcare. The program provides students with practical AI skills while tackling real-world problems in sustainability and medical applications.

Engineering firm Burns & McDonnell provided support for the expansion of Wāhine Connect, a program supporting women in engineering at UH. The partnership helps promote engineering education and careers.

A new “Kamaʻāina Come Home” program launched to attract Hawaiʻi-born engineers back to the islands after completing their education or gaining experience elsewhere. The initiative addresses Hawaiʻi’s engineering workforce shortage by encouraging local talent to return home.

 

April 2025

Over 900 guests attended the 25th Annual UH College of Engineering Banquet at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, featuring student research exhibitions and community recognition. The event honored outstanding alumni and community partners including Michael Magaoay (Outstanding Service Award), Alan Arakawa (Distinguished Alumni Award), and Colton Ching (Dean’s Award of Excellence), with Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke providing the keynote address.

 

May 2025

The University of Hawaiʻi College of Engineering selected 21 exceptional high school juniors for the 2025 Junior Engineers Summer STEM Experience (JESSE) program, expanding from the usual cohort size due to an exceptionally strong applicant pool. The program ran from June 3 to July 10, 2025, providing students with hands-on exposure to engineering projects, research, and mentorship while visiting leading engineering firms and engaging with UH research facilities.

 

August 2025

The University of Hawaiʻi College of Engineering defeated returning finalist Sen Plex in a three-set match to win the 2nd Annual Engineers vs Contractors Volleyball Tournament hosted by Victaulic. The event, which drew 231 players and 450 attendees, fosters collaboration among Hawaiʻi’s water infrastructure professionals, with UH team captain ʻEleu Choy emphasizing the importance of keeping Hawaiʻi’s civil engineering community connected.