2019 ASHS Annual Conference

I am the Assistant Researcher (professor) for sustainable farming systems with an emphasis in tropical fruits and nuts with a three-way split appointment (60% research, 30% extension, 10% teaching) in the Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences Department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. My position is based at the Komohana Research and Extension Center in Hilo Hawaii (Hawaii Island), which is a $220 round-trip plane ticket and several islands away from our main campus. This position poses unique challenges and opportunities with the split appointment and location off-campus.

I strive for sustainability and diversity in my research, extension and teaching programs. The word “sustainable” is often over-used; however, I try to incorporate the three dimensions of sustainability (economic, environment, social) into my research, extension and teaching programs. I also thrive for diversity in my research, extension and teaching programs, in terms projects, approaches, and in the demographic make-up of my programs.

My research and extension programs are very closely intertwined. I focus on macadamia, as it is one of our most valuable ($53.9 million) agricultural commodities in the state but also one of the largest agricultural land uses (18,000 acres). The focus of these programs is integrated pest management of an invasive species (macadamia felted coccid), evaluation of new macadamia selections for increased quality, and improvements of orchard floor management. These programs are multi-disciplinary and require coordination with scientists, extension faculty, farm managers, and students to complete the research and extension programs. Regardless of the project, my approach is to evaluate treatments with the economic, environmental and social implications in mind and often as part of the evaluation metrics. An example would be the determination of the economic injury level of the macadamia felted coccid. This project seeks to determine levels of infestation that merit insecticidal applications to prevent economic yield loss which will assist growers in making informed decisions that will help to reduce their applications. This reduction will result in a reduced cost for control and a reduction in pesticides entering into the environment as well as exposure of the workers to those applications.

In terms of teaching, I deliver my courses online through synchronous and asynchronous approaches. The main course I am responsible for, Tropical Fruit Production, is offered in odd-years during the spring semester. This course attracts a diverse group of students, several of whom were dealing with added responsibilities as parents (or becoming parents during the class). I mention this, because as a mother myself I understand the challenges that being a parent add to carrying out normal roles and responsibilities, and by offering my classes online and with flexibility for the synchronous portions (allowing children to accompany their parents on field trips for example), broadens the inclusion and diversity of my classrooms. I also incorporate the work in my research and extension programs into my classes and our field trips often build from relationships with grower collaborators. Mentoring graduate students and post-doctoral students is another arena that I seek to increase diversity. I bring together a diverse set of individuals, selecting them based on their enthusiasm for their research programs and their potential to succeed.

My research, extension, teaching and personal responsibilities require me to constantly be multi-tasking and adjusting to become more and more efficient. I have had two children in the past 2.5 years and this has added to the complexities of establishing a well-run lab. I have been lucky to have wonderful graduate students and technicians who help my lab take on new and exciting projects and expand our reach and impact through applied field research. I hope that my research program will have positive impacts on the sustainability of the tropical fruit and nut industries in Hawaii and eventually around the world.