Peter J. Mouginis-Mark is joining UH Mānoa’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education to lead campus research efforts in sustainability. These efforts will include leading the Office’s campus-wide competition for funding of sustainability-related projects, and coordinating future fundraising initiatives related to research. His position as director became effective August 1, 2010.
Mouginis-Mark will continue to serve as director of the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. He previously served as interim associate dean for research in the College of Engineering, chief scientist of the Pacific Disaster Center, and director of the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium.
“The faculty of UH Mānoa can lend their expertise to helping Hawai‘i meet many of our crucial sustainability needs,” said Mouginis-Mark. “Topmost of these needs are the preservation of our water resources and the transition to renewable energy. In many instances, these two topics intersect, and merge with the scientific and engineering challenges that residents of Hawai‘i will face in sustaining our lifestyle and the environment.
“I am delighted to have this opportunity to contribute to addressing these sustainability needs and give back to the Hawai‘i community some of the insights I’ve gained since coming to the Mānoa campus almost 30 years ago.”
Added Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Gary K. Ostrander, “Sustainability means many different things to different disciplines, and can range from an energy-efficient campus to global issues associated with climate change. There are many other aspects to sustainability, including the transition to electric smart grid technology, preserving island watersheds, the impact of sea-level rise, and the impacts of ocean acidification on our marine ecosystems.”
Submitted by the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. The university serves approximately 20,000 students pursuing more than 225 different degrees. Coming from every Hawaiian island, every state in the nation, and more than 100 countries, UH Mānoa students matriculate in an enriching environment for the global exchange of ideas. For more information, visit https://manoa.hawaii.edu