University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa graduate candidate Ernest Bethe IV has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship for the 2026–27 academic year. After completing his Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree from the College of Social Sciences this August, Bethe will embark on a 10-month research initiative in Ecuador. Based in Puerto Ayora—the fastest-growing town in the Galápagos Islands—he will investigate how overlooked urban spaces can be leveraged for ecological resilience.
Rethinking “Informal” Green Spaces
As tourism and development exert heavy pressure on the limited land resources of island ecosystems, Bethe’s research will look at cost-effective frameworks for sustainable growth. His project will focus on “informal green spaces”—such as vacant lots, roadside vegetation and unmanaged patches of land—and will examine their potential to:
- Support vital habitats for native bird species.
- Reduce localized flooding and mitigate the urban heat island effect (where built-up areas trap more heat than natural surroundings).
- Develop sustainable growth that balances tourism and development needs with limited land resources.
During his tenure in Ecuador, Bethe will be hosted by the world-renowned Charles Darwin Foundation, with a secondary academic affiliation at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador.
A Model for Island Cities
The upcoming fieldwork builds directly on Bethe’s capstone project at UH Mānoa, which focused on ecological urban design. A core outcome of his Fulbright project will be a bilingual planning toolkit designed for local officials and community stakeholders in Ecuador.
However, the implications of his work extend far beyond the Galápagos.
“Islands everywhere are dealing with the same issue: how do you grow without paving over the very thing that makes the place worth living in?” said Bethe. “If we can highlight how the green spaces we usually overlook are actually cooling our streets, soaking up stormwater, and giving our native birds somewhere to land, that’s a low-cost tool that any island city – including Honolulu – can put to work.”
“Ernest’s winning the Fulbright award is a matter of great pride for our department, college and university,” said Ashok Das, urban and regional planning professor and department chair. “It is a testimony to his ability to apply multiple concepts in creative ways to advance a core mission of urban planning — sustainable development.”
“It also underscores his commitment to making vulnerable island communities more resilient. Having grown up in Indonesia and studied in Hawai‘i have definitely shaped his worldview. He is multilingual, loves experiencing new cultures, and thrives in multicultural settings. He will be a wonderful ambassador of the Fulbright program and UH Mānoa.” The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State and is one of the nation’s most prestigious international exchange initiatives. It aims to expand perspectives through academic and cultural exchange in partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide.
