Meet our PR stars
The David A. Ward chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at the School of Communication and Information earned national recognition for the 2024–25 academic year. The award recognizes the chapter’s outstanding achievement and leadership in community engagement. PRSSA executive board members include chapter President Mailani Magbanua, KC Layana-Mari Aipoalani, Savonna Andrews, Marjulz Basuel, Gabrielle Dixon, Katelyn Jeeves, Maliyah Magat, Natalie Perez and Samantha Siu. See the full story at https://socialsciences.manoa.hawaii.edu/public-relations-students-earn-national-recognition/
Outstanding CIS graduate student
Lolita Perez-Ayala, a doctoral student in Communication and Information Sciences (CIS), has won the Dan J. Wedemeyer Excellence in Teaching Award for 2025-2026. The honor was bestowed on behalf of the UH Mānoa Graduate Division and the multidisciplinary CIS program, which is sponsored by SCI and the Library and Information Science Program in the College of Social Sciences; the Department of Information and Computer Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences; and the Department of Information Technology Management in the Shidler College of Business. The award honors an SCI graduate teaching assistant and CIS student who has demonstrated outstanding teaching skill and concern for student learning.
Studying in Antarctica
Eric Pōmaikaʻi Gee, a UH Mānoa sophomore majoring in international business and finance, with a minor in Political Science, was one of two Villars Institute Fellows selected for the Ice Station Expedition, a two-week mission that took place in December 2025. The expedition brought young leaders, educators and scientists to Union Glacier Camp, a research and logistics hub deep within Antarctica. For the full story, see the UH News story at https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2025/12/16/antarctica-to-manoa-eric-gee/, which includes a social media video.