Samuel Wilder King II: A Hawaiian Attorney Advocates for Space Science and Astronomy
Samuel Wilder King II is a native Hawaiian attorney with deep roots in Hawai’i. Although not a scientist, he has a keen interest in astronomy, and he has been a mobilizing force behind the development of two organizations — ‘Ohana Kilo Hōkū and Imua TMT — to increase awareness of space science and astronomy in…
Ho‘i Mai — Makana Silva Bringing Knowledge Back Home
Makana Silva, a self-described kanak (kanaka maoli), a Native Hawaiian astrophysicist and strongman, hails from the island of O‘ahu and currently is working on his dissertation in the physics department at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Born and raised in humble conditions, his longtime interest in science has taken him to study the…
From Hilo and Tokyo, Two Astronomers’ Paths Converged to Help Win the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel, and Andrea Ghez for the discovery of a supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Devin Chu, from Hilo, and Shoko Sakai, from Tokyo, were part of Andrea’s team at UCLA, working with the prize-winning data that was…
Brialyn Onodera: A Hawaiian Engineer Passionate about STEM in Hawai‘i’s Future
“I want to see people to feel like they can stay in Hawai‘i have good professional careers here, and make Hawai‘i a better place. That’s my passion.”
Tyler Trent Talks Astrophysics: Humble, Social, Creative
“Everyone chooses to spend their time doing certain things and learning about certain things, and I just chose to spend my time learning about [astrophysics]. But it doesn’t make me any smarter or any more capable of navigating the world than someone who decided to be a surfer.”
A Beer Spectrometer and Other Adventures: Mailani Neal on Being an Instrument Scientist in Astronomy
Instrument scientists thrive on engineering and technology. Cherished characters from sci-fi might come to mind: Scotty. Geordi. B’Elanna. Kaylee. Add Mailani Neal to the list. A graduate student at New Mexico Tech, Mailani is working toward a PhD that will advance her to her goal of becoming an instrument scientist. She reflects that “it’s very…
Astronomy Supports Hawai‘i’s Community
In movies and TV, the practice of astronomy is sometimes represented as a solitary venture, isolated from the rest of society. To an extent this is true: the best observations take place in remote locations in order to avoid light pollution and other atmospheric and electromagnetic interference. That doesn’t mean that astronomers, as human beings,…
Tyler Trent: An Up-and-Coming Astrophysicist Who Once Opposed the TMT
Tyler Trent, a 26-year-old graduate student in astrophysics at the University of Arizona, was born and raised on O‘ahu. He studies astrophysics with a focus on black holes: super-massive and super-compact objects with gravitational fields so strong that even light cannot escape once it is drawn into their maws. But pursuing an education in astronomy…
Mailani Neal: A Modern Hawaiian Scientist
Mailani Neal is a graduate student at New Mexico Tech, working towards her master’s degree in physics and astronomical instrumentation. A native Hawaiian and lifelong resident of the Big Island, on the Kona side, she has known since she was nine years old that she wanted to be involved in astronomy. She dreams that one…
Richard Ha: Embracing Past and Future
Imagine a future Hawai’i freed from its dependency on shipped-in fossil fuels. Imagine a future Hawai’i maintaining its reputation as a world-class destination for cutting-edge science, in concert with a celebration of Hawaiian history, culture, and knowledge. Imagine a future Hawai’i with a stronger agricultural base, and less reliant on food boated over from the…
Kālepa Baybayan & Astronomy on Mauna Kea
Kālepa Baybayan’s point of view on the pursuit of astronomy on Mauna Kea has often been sought, and he has generously agreed to speak out frequently (formally, in court hearings, and informally at public panels) in support of the Thirty Meter Telescope’s (TMT’s) construction. “It’s good for humanity, it’s great for the state of Hawai‘i,…
Introducing Chad Kālepa Baybayan
Chad Kālepa Baybayan is well-known and respected, both in Hawai‘i and around the world, particularly for his role as a master navigator and captain aboard deep-ocean wa‘a (canoes), perhaps most notably with his captaining the 2013–2017 Mālama Honua worldwide voyage with the 62-foot double-hulled Hōkūleʻa. In 1997, he earned his bachelor’s degree from the University…