People
Malia at a live showing of NPR’s ‘Science Friday’. Photo credit Raul Soria Jr @ Awaken the Mosh Visuals
Dr. Malia Ana J. Rivera
Principal Investigator
Dr. Rivera grew up in ‘Āhuimanu on the windward side of O‘ahu, and is a graduate of James B. Castle High School in Kāne‘ohe and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Her past scientific research centered on marine population genetics and terrestrial molecular systematics in Hawaiian fish and terrestrial invertebrates. After completing her PhD at UC Berkeley followed by a postdoc at HIMB, she spent a year working as a policy fellow in Washington DC, then returned to UH Mānoa and ultimately to HIMB in 2005 to help coordinate and manage the HIMB-Northwestern Hawaiian Island (NWHI) Research Partnership, a multi-million dollar effort to study the ecosystems of the NWHI and to create opportunities for Hawai‘i students to participate in marine science through education and outreach programs. Today, her efforts largely center on creating marine science research opportunities for Hawai‘i students, with a focus on supporting transitions from high school to early college careers in STEM. Dr. Rivera is currently graduate faculty in Marine Biology and Curriculum Studies.
Meet the Team
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Christine Ambrosino Carrier, Ph.D.
KeaoaLoʻe REMS Lab Instructor & Postdoctoral Scholar
Evidence-based education evaluation, effects of research training pedagogies on workforce development, and ecological impacts on sensory-neural processing
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Seaenna Correa-Garcia
KeaoaLoʻe REMS Lab Graduate Assistant & PhD Student
How place-based Marine Science education, mentorship, and professional development can support students’ persistence, leadership development, sense of belonging, and long-term success in STEM, particularly for local students in Hawaiʻi
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Kekuʻiapōiula "Kuʻi" Keliipuleole
KeaoaLoʻe REMS Lab Graduate Assistant
Microbial Ecology & Evolution in Hawaiʻi Laboratory (ME*E Lab) PhD Candidate
Co-collaborating with loko waiʻōpae (Hawaiian anchialine shrimp pond) caretakers to protect and increase abundances of ʻōpaeʻula (Hawaiian red shrimp) populations using traditional ecological knowledge practices, water quality monitoring/testing, and animal behavioral science
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Leah Barkai
KeaoaLoʻe REMS Lab & ToBo Lab Master’s Graduate Student
Genetic characteristics and environmental constraints of native hāwa'e maoli (collector sea urchin) populations in Hawaiʻi reef systems
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Zackery Rago
KeaoaLo’e REMS Lab Graduate Assistant
Marine Conservation Innovation Group (MCIG) PhD Candidate
Behavioral ecology in coral reef systems, exploring how predator-prey interactions and landscapes of fear drive large-scale ecological patterns such as reef halo formation
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Malia Rivera, Ph.D. | Principal Investigator, Specialist Faculty, HIMB
Mackenzie Manning, M.S. | Professor of Biology, UH Windward Community College
Christine M. Ambrosino, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Scholar, HIMB KeaoaL‘oe REMS Lab
Jeremy Soriano, PBSCE | Kapolei High School Science Teacher & Science Specialist at the Mālama Learning Center
Sherril Leon Soon, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Oceanography, UH Mānoa School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology
Yoshimi 'Shimi' Rii, Ph.D. | Research Coordinator, He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve
Kelvin Gorospe, Ph.D. | Senior Technical Associate, Resonance; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University
Seaenna Correa-Garcia, M.S. | College of Education, PhD Student, HIMB KeaoaL‘oe REMS Lab
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2026
Graduate Instructors: Alexi Meltel, Jake Snyder, Jasmine Reighard, Kuʻi Keliipuleole, Maya Otsu, Zackery Rago
Postbaccalaureate Interns: Kainoa Yee
2025
Graduate Instructors: Alexi Meltel, Carlos Tramonte, Jon Ehrenberg, Kacie Kajihara, Kuʻi Keliipuleole, Leah Barkai
Postbaccalaureate Interns: Kainoa Yee, Mari Quinn
2024
Graduate Instructors: Kuʻi Keliipuleole, Zackery Rago, Alyssa Veneri, Sarah Woo
Postbaccalaureate Interns: Leah Barkai, Kainoa Yee
2023
Graduate Instructors: Nakoa Goo, Zack Rago, ʻAʻaliʻi Kelling, Jonathan Rosen
Science Teacher Collaborators: Montgomery Maunakea Carter, Wai‘anae High School
Undergraduate and Postbaccalaureate Interns: Kainoa Yee, Gagandeep Lally, Leah Barkai
2022 REMS Excel
Undergraduate Intern: Mariko Quinn
Spring 2022 (Waiʻanae High School)
Graduate Instructors: Kuʻi Keliipuleole, Nalani Olguin, Zack Rago
Science Teacher Collaborator: Montgomery Maunakea Carter
2019-2020 REMS Excel
He‘eia NERR Education Coordinator: Frederick Reppun
Postdoctoral Instructor: Dr. Jan Vicente
Post Baccalaureate Intern: Alexi Meltel
2018
Graduate Instructor: Nakoa Goo
Science Teacher Collaborator: Bethany Kawehi Kimokeo Kane, Kamehameha Schools
Postdoctoral Instructor: Dr. Jan Vicente
Undergraduate and Post Baccalaureate Interns: Alexi Meltel, Jovit Marks, Kahiau Miranda
Admin Support Staff: Dr. Maile Goo, Janis Dela Cruz
2017
Graduate Instructor: Sarah Tucker
Undergraduate and Post Baccalaureate Interns: Hoaka Thomas, Sarai Del Rosario, Jovit Marks
Admin Support Staff: Dr. Maile Goo
2016
Graduate Instructor: Robinson Bucaneg
UH Faculty Collaborator: Dr. Kai Fox
Undergraduate and Post Baccalaureate Interns: Hoaka Thomas, Akamu Jaber, Kelsey Maloney
Admin Support Staff: Dr. Maile Goo
2015
Graduate Instructors: Ariana Huffmyer (Meltvedt), Zack Oyafuso
Undergraduate and Post Baccalaureate Interns: Kyle Landers, Ka‘ilikea Shayler
Admin Support Staff: Dr. Maile Goo, Cindy Sunada
2014
Graduate Instructors: ‘Ale‘alani Dudoit, Kelly Williams
Science Teacher Collaborator: Gerry Clarin, Kapolei High School
Undergraduate and Post Baccalaureate Interns: Akamu Jaber, Kyle Landers, Rene Francolini
Admin Support Staff: Cindy Sunada
2013
Postdoctoral Instructor: Dr. Mareike Sudek
Graduate Instructors: Roxanne Haverkort , Kaleonani Hurley, Ale‘alani Dudoit, Ariana Huffmyer (Meltvedt)
Undergraduate and Post Baccalaureate Intern: Akamu Jaber
Admin Support Staff: Cindy Sunada
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Jan Vicente, PhD | Postdoctoral Researcher, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, ToBo Lab
Fred Reppun, MS | Education Coordinator, He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve
Margie Maaka, PhD | Professor, Department of Curriculum Studies, UH Mānoa
K. Laiana Wong, PhD | Professor, Kawaihuelani Department of Hawaiian Language, UH Mānoa
Kekailoa Perry, JD | Associate Professor, Department of Educational Foundations & Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, UH Mānoa
Summer Maunakea, PhD | Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum Studies, UH Mānoa
Mindy Mizobe, MS | Confocal Microscopy Facilities Manager, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology
Kelsey Maloney | Post Baccalaureate Intern, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology
Alexi Meltel | PhD Student, Marine Biology Graduate Program, Richmond Lab
Bethany Kawehi Kimokeo Kane | Marine Science Faculty, Kamehameha Schools, MA student, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language
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Graduate Student Instructors and Assistants
Alyssa Veneri | PhD Student, Marine Biology Graduate Program, Celia Smith Limu Lab
‘A‘al‘i‘i Kelling | MS Student, Marine Biology Graduate Program, Fish Resilience Lab
Jonathan Rosen | MS Student, Marine Biology Graduate Program, Fish Resilience Lab
Nakoa Goo | PhD Student, Marine Biology Graduate Program, ToBo Lab
Hoaka Thomas | MS Student, Marine Biology Graduate Program, Alegado Lab
‘Ale‘alani Dudoit | PhD Student, Zoology Program, HIMB ToBo Lab
Ariana Snow Huffmyer, PhD | Postdoctoral researcher, University of Rhode Island, Putnam Lab
Jennifer Salerno, PhD | Assistant Professor, Environmental Science & Policy Department, George Mason University
Jonathan Dale, PhD | Research Associate, Stanford University
Kaleonani Hurley, PhD | Postdoctoral Researcher, He‘eia National Estuarrine Research Reserve
Kelly Williams, MS | NOAA Marine Debris Team
Mahealani Kaneshiro, PhD | Faculty Instructor, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Mareike Sudek, PhD | Research Scientist, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa
Nicholas Whitney, PhD | Senior Scientist, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium
Robinson Bucaneg, MS | Graduate of Molecular Biosciences an Bioengineering, UH Mānoa
Roxanne Haverkort-Yeh, MS, DNP | Graduate of Zoology, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, ToBo Lab
Sarah Tucker, PhD | PhD candidate, Marine Biology Graduate Program, Rappé Lab
Zack Oyafuso, PhD | Postdoctoral fellow, National Research Council, Alaska Fisheries Science Center
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Collaborators
Bradley 'Kai' Fox, PhD | Extension Specialist, University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant
Maile Goo, PsyD | Faculty Specialist (retired), UH Mānoa Office of Student Excellence, Equity and Diversity
Clyde Tamaru, PhD | Aquaculture Specialist (retired), UH Sea Grant Program
K-12 Educators and College of Education Graduate Students
Montgomery Carter | Science Teacher, Wai‘anae High School
Hayley McDermott, MEdT | Science Teacher, Waipahu High School
Julia Harrison, MEdT | Assistant Teacher, Punahou School
Michele Mahi, PhD Student | Assistant Professor of Speech, Leeward Community College
Gerry Clarin, PBSCE | Science Teacher, James Campbell High School
Program Faculty and Staff
Gagandeep Lally | Program Support, Postbaccalaureate
Carlie Wiener, PhD | Director of Communications and Engagement Strategy, Schmidt Ocean Institute
Jennifer Barrett, MEM, MBA | Nonprofit Management Consultant, Owner, Connect Consulting
Cindy Sunada | Program Support, HIMB-NWHI Research Partnership
Janis Dela Cruz | Mānoa Educational Talent Search, Wai‘anae High School
Post Baccalaureate Interns
Kainoa Yee | Kupu Member, Graduate of University of Hawaiʻi
Mariko Quinn | Post Baccalaureate Intern, Graduate of University of Hawaiʻi
Leah Barkai | Kupu Member, Graduate of University of San Diego
Ka‘ilikea Shayler | Kaua‘i Habitat Monitoring Team, Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources
Kyle Landers | Post Baccalaureate Intern, Graduate of University of Mississippi
Rene Francolini | PhD student, Bigelow Laboratoray for Ocean Sciences, University of Maine
Undergraduate Interns
Amy Deatherage | Honors Capstone Researcher, University of Hawaiʻi
Samuel Koeck | Hollings Scholar, University of Delaware
Mathias Stamper | Hollings Scholar, Eckard College
Mariko Quinn | Honors Capstone Researcher, University of Hawaiʻi
Jovit Marks | Windward Community College
Sarai Del Rosario | Windward Community College
Akamu Jaber | MOP Intern, Honolulu Community College and UH Mānoa
Ihilani Guttierez | Windward Community College
Kira Orion | Natural Resouces and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Ryan Peʻa | Natural Resouces and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Dani Horner | Windward Community College
Kahiau Miranda | PIPES Intern, UH Hilo