Project Staff:

Dr. Robert Richmond, Research Professor and Director, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; P.I.; Has served as the P.I. for 2 previous NSF-ATE grants and as Co-PI for NSF’s Undergraduate in Mentoring Environmental Biology (UMEB) and Undergraduate Research Mentoring (URM) programs. Dr. Richmond is responsible for overall project oversight, grant accountability, scientifically responsible conduct, and scientific/technical support for the program. His lab and University provide additional administrative and technical support.

Dr. Patrick Tellei, President, Palau Community College, Co-PI; Dr. Tellei is the senior college President in the region. He is responsible for matters that require institutional commitments from the college administrations, oversight of articulation agreements, and compliance with WASC standards. Dr. Tellei has served as the Co-PI on two prior NSF-ATE grants and has worked collaboratively with Dr. Richmond for over 14 years.

Vernice Yuji, M.A., is an Associate Professor of Science at the Palau Community College on Palau; Co-PI. She has over 18 years of experience teaching science courses in the Environmental/Marine Science program. She has been involved with the NSF ATE grant program since 2006 and served as a Co-PI in 2009. She works on curriculum development and program evaluation.

Lauren Wetzell, M.S. and Co-PI, is the grant’s Educational Researcher. She has over 15 years of work experience in the Pacific region, helping island residents conserve their natural resources, understand how to protect these resources, and foster sustainability. She assists the lead PI directly and is pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at UH.

Dr. Kaho Tisthammer, Assistant Researcher at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and Co-PI. Dr. Tisthammer will lead the project coordination and provide academic support for students. Dr. Tisthammer is a marine biologist and has over 10 years of mentoring students and scholars in the Pacific region.

Ms. Alexi Meltel, a Ph.D. candidate at UHM’s Kewalo Marine Laboratory, is a graduate assistant for the grant project. She has experience mentoring and teaching high school and early undergraduate students from the Pacific region.

Project Faculty:

ASCC: Mr. Larry Oney was recently appointed the position Marine Science Coordinator for the American Samoa Community College. The program provides over 8 courses in marine science and offers students the opportunity to participate in QUEST, a sister program to the University of Hawaii’s Marine Option Program. Students often uphold internships with many of the territory’s government- and non-government-affiliated sectors tackling local issues in marine and environmental conservation. Students enjoy having hands-on experiences in the field and utilizing advanced technical equipment to augment their studies, such as underwater remotely operated vehicles and aerial unmanned vehicles (drones).

CMI: Mr. Kendal Romany serves as the Marine and Environmental Science Instructor. He also serves as the lead instructor for SCUBA PADI courses. Mr. Romany provides his students with advanced technical skills so that they are prepared and competitive when entering the STEM workforce.

COM-FSM: Mr. Petlin Olter-Pelep has spent the last 10 years teaching Marine and Environmental Sciences at the College of Micronesia (COM-FSM) where students have the opportunity to earn an AS degree in Marine Science. Students gain research field experiences and are encouraged to present their findings at symposiums and conferences. Mr. Olter-Pelep also offers mentoring to his students and encourages peer-to-peer mentoring.

NMC: Ms. Denise Myers has over 10 years of experience as a Health and Physical Education Assistant Professor. She provides her students with innovative approaches to field studies, including VR. She encourages her students to conduct research and present their research at professional conferences. In 2022, two of her marine and environmental science students presented at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Bremen, Germany.

PCC: Ms. Rilang Roberto serves as the Marine and Environmental Science Chair. Her students have conducted research and presented at professional conferences in Guam, Japan, and Germany.

The six participating colleges cover a geographical area that includes islands north and south of the equator, on both sides of the international dateline, covering an 8,000 km expanse of ocean, representing students with at least 8 different native languages.

American Samoa Community College (ASCC)

Founded in 1970 is a post-secondary institution located on Tutuilla Island, 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. ASCC offers an Associate of Science in Marine Science degree and a Marine Option Program, which allows students to receive credit and a certificate of proficiency for work on a marine-based project. The Quantitative Underwater Ecological Surveying Techniques (QUEST) course highlights the Marine Science program, which gives students the skills to formulate their research questions, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions.

College of the Marshall Islands (CMI)

In the heart of the Pacific, the College of the Marshall Islands is a pivotal educational institution for the local community. With a commitment to providing accessible and high-quality education, the college prioritizes the success of its students through engaging academic programs and career-focused training. Beyond academics, the college takes pride in its role as a custodian of Marshallese culture, fostering a deep sense of heritage and identity among its students. As a center for the study of Marshallese culture, it aims to celebrate and preserve the rich traditions of the islands. Moreover, the college serves as a hub for research tailored to the needs of the nation. Through collaborative initiatives and innovative projects, it addresses pressing challenges facing the community and contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the region. In essence, the College of the Marshall Islands is not just an institution of learning; it is a community-driven entity dedicated to shaping a brighter future for the Marshall Islands and nurturing the next generation of leaders and scholars.

College of Micronesia, Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM)

The College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM) is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The Associate of Marine Science degree is the only STEM degree offered at our college. COM-FSM is a multi-campus institution with 6 campuses, with the National Campus in Palikir. The Pohnpei campus offers most degree programs and is the only campus that regularly graduates students and transfers them into bachelor’s level programs elsewhere. The Marine Science program is run by two faculty members, one of whom is a former COM-FSM student. Current marine science enrollment numbers run between 40-50 students!

Northern Marianas College (NMC)

Currently, students can earn an AA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Natural Resource Management (NRM). The program is spearheaded by, Ms. Kelsey McClellan. NMC houses an Environmental and Natural Resource Organization (ENRO) for their NRM students who gather to develop scholarly interactions and camaraderie, establish career contacts, learn organizational skills, participate in seminars, and gain leadership and team-building skills. NMC recently partnered with UOG (Guam) to start its own Green Growth Initiative, which focuses on sustainable growth in the CNMI.

Palau Community College (PCC)

Palau Community College is an accessible, comprehensive public educational institution helping to meet the technical, academic, cultural, social, and economic needs of students and communities by promoting learning opportunities and developing personal excellence. The Environmental/Marine Science program provides technical training for students who choose to work after graduating from PCC; provides the option for employees in this field to improve their skills, and provides a solid background for students interested in pursuing a higher degree at a four-year institution.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM)

UHM is the largest of 10 UH campuses across the Hawaiian islands. It offers hundreds of four-year, graduate, and professional degrees. UHM is one of the top-ranked research institutions in the country and a global leader in marine and environmental science research.

The scholarships provided by this program would allow over 200 students to enter and complete STEM degree programs, and the co-curricular activities, dual mentor support,  and access to complementary enhancement programs would enhance success in educational programs and STEM careers.  

The six island groups targeted in this proposal include a State, a commonwealth, a territory, and three U.S. affiliated island groups covered under the Compacts of Free Association, with a vast ocean footprint containing a wealth of fishery, mineral, biomedical (natural products), and ecological resources.  These students will have access to better training and college degrees to get competitive-paying jobs either at their home island or in their new host communities on the U.S. Mainland and make positive contributions to the STEM workforce.  

The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion for high-achieving undergraduates who identify as low-income with demonstrated financial need. This project will further contribute new knowledge on the effectiveness of approaches and activities (i.e. cohort-based professional enrichment training, tailored mentorship experiences, and support for transferring from 2-year to 4-year degree programs) that strengthen students’ self-efficacy, science identity, and sense of belonging in entering the STEM workforce. This program will help identify and address this group’s education barriers through assessment, evaluation, and developmental activities. 

(1) Enhance infrastructure: Identify the student support service

(2) Strengthen commitment to STEM: (a) strengthen the STEM Scholars’ psychological processes (mentorship) and, (b) improve retention and degree completion in STEM (co-curricular activities)

(3) Identify & address transfer obstacles in a) pursuing advanced degrees and b) entering the workforce

(4) Increase the number of graduate STEM Scholars and successfully transfer to STEM jobs and/or advanced degrees.

Join us!

We are looking for mentors for our scholars and internship opportunities. Please contact us for more information with subject “S-STEM Partnership Inquiry.”