The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa hosted 11 students from Guam, Palau, American Sāmoa, Federated States of Micronesia and Hawaiʻi for a research experience over the summer.
The Research Experience for Undergraduates is a competitive 10-week program funded by the National Science Foundation. The students lived in the UH Mānoa dorms to experience the full college lifestyle.
Participating students completed a research paper in science and presented their paper in an oral report at the end of the program.
They also collaborated with the nonprofit organization Kauluakalana to restore the natural resources of Kailua, Oʻahu.
"Elevating students of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent really is about connecting them to place and connecting them with their cultural histories," said Kiana Frank, an assistant professor with the Pacific Biosciences Research Center.
"That really enabled them to engage with their own communities to apply what they've learned in terms of environmental stewardship, environmental biology, use contemporary technologies, and bring it home to support their places," Frank told HPR.
Applications for next year’s REU will open in December.
