A Catalyst for Change: Indigenous Innovation and Knowledge at UH
A UH Innovation Conference
As the state’s largest research institution, the University of Hawai‘i (UH) has an obligation to help improve the quality of life for its residents and to those around the world through innovative research and education.
For UH, success in promoting economic and intellectual competitiveness will be based around the uniqueness and excellence that is inherent to the islands. Hawai‘i’s unmatched diversity of environments that encompass snow-covered volcanic summits, tropical rainforests, desert canyons, coral reefs, deep blue ocean and untapped natural energy resources — mirrored only by the state’s ethnic diversity, has always been the foundation of UH’s world-class research. These strengths, respectfully acknowledging the precedent that the ancestors of these lands developed practical knowledge that was optimized for calibrating human society and the carrying capacity of the island ecosystems, have now become the “tip of the spear” in UH’s charge to preserve the natural resources, environment, and way of life — not just at home, but across the world.
As the only R1 university in the nation that has an Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation embedded within the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, UH is uniquely positioned to provide global leadership in developing an ecosystem of Indigenous innovations and practices to facilitate place-based research initiatives in Hawai‘i and beyond. Not only would this create incredible opportunities in novel research and funding for UH, but it can also lead to the co-production of research and innovation with and for Indigenous communities.
Sponsored by the University of Hawai‘i Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation
Session Topics**
- Establishing the Context for Regional Health Through the Restoration of Indigenous Health Practices
- Building Regional Ecosystems of Indigenous Innovation: Indigenous Data Hubs
- Restoring Hawaiʻi with Indigenous and Community-Based Innovation
Registration/Cost
$150/per person*
*includes continental breakfast, lunch and networking reception
Keynote Speakers/Panelists**
Kamuela Enos
Director
Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation
University of Hawaiʻi System
Thyaga Nandagopal
Division Director
Innovation and Technology Ecosystems
National Science Foundation
Nikora Ngaporo
Director
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, NNMD and Young Animators
New Zealand
Kūhaʻo Zane
President
Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, Inc.
Participating Panelists/Speakers **
- Aimee Grace, Director, Office of Strategic Health Initiatives, UH System
- Koa Hewahewa, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture, County of Maui
- Shae Kamakaala, Director of ʻĀina Protection, Hawaiʻi Land Trust
- Donavan Kealoha, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Purple Maia Foundation
- Puni Jackson, Hoʻoulu Āina Program Director, Kōkua Kalihi Valley
- David Lassner, President, UH System
- Keoni Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Hawaiʻi Investment Ready
- Jason Leigh, Professor and Director, Laboratory for Advanced Visualization and Applications
- Kari Noe, Indigenous Technology Specialist, Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation, UH System
- Rachelle Robley, Director, Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity, UH System
- Alec Wagner, Program Manager, Design and Innovation, Office of Indigenous Innovation and Knowledge, UH System
- And more…
Emcees**
- Moanike‘ala Nabarro, Spokesperson, UH Office of Communications
- Marc Arakaki, Content Producer, UH Office of Communications
** Program, content, speakers, and panelists subject to change