University of Hawaiʻi
A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa-led innovation to aid in the fight against wildfires reached the finals of a national hackathon competition. Team leader Marc Ivan Manalac, a third-year computer engineering student, and three other college students in the U.S., created a plan for a long-range outdoor fire detecting system in just two weeks.
Manalac’s team was one of 10 finalists out of more than 450 entries in the “Beat the Blaze” competition hosted by the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN). Although his team did not win one of the three $15,000 top prizes, Manalac still hopes to apply for other funding opportunities to further develop the technology for use in Hawaiʻi.
Keoki Baclayon, a lāʻau lapaʻau instructor at Hawaiʻinuiākea, Lomilomi expert (Hawaiian massage)
Wesley Sen and
Jodie Leslie, a registered dietitian.
The livestream event, He Ola: Practicing Hawaiian Wellness During the Time of COVID, will be held on Friday, April 23, at 4 p.m. on Zoom. The presentation will focus on ways to integrate Indigenous practices to alleviate mental health concerns, diet and nutrition.
The virtual session is free and open to the public, and registration is available online.
“We are very blessed to have these guest speakers discuss their specific practices in Hawaiian wellness, especially during this vital time of promoting overall health,” said
Marc Ivan Manalac, a third-year computer engineering student, and three other college students in the
U.S., created a plan for a long-range outdoor fire detecting system in just two weeks.
Manalac’s team was one of 10 finalists out of more than 450 entries in the “Beat the Blaze” competition hosted by the National Security Innovation Network (
NSIN). Although his team did not win one of the three $15,000 top prizes, Manalac still hopes to apply for other funding opportunities to further develop the technology for use in Hawaiʻi.
Tech to combat wildfires
Wildfires are common in the
U.S., including Hawaiʻi, especially during the summer months in dry brush areas exposed to strong winds. The competition challenged participants to increase the information sharing capacity and capabilities between the National Guard and emergency response agencies during wildfire operations.
Less than a quarter of Hawaiʻi high schools offer any type of journalism program or training. To provide a valuable opportunity for those talented students and spark more interest in journalism education across the state, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa journalism program in the School of Communications co-hosted the virtual Hawaiʻi High School Journalism Awards with the Hawaiʻi Publishers Association and Honolulu Star-Advertiser on April 15.
Twelve high school programs submitted entries in several categories including writing, photography, design and online. The first place winner was Hawaiʻi Baptist Academy, followed by Mid-Pacific Institute and Mililani High School.
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