Pua is from Honomakaʻu, Kohala and is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is a graduate of Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Hawaiian Studies. Pua also holds a Master's degree in Social Work from Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work. Her current research examines how Native Hawaiian instructional faculty at UH Mānoa engage in innovative teaching practices, curriculum adaptation and community-building efforts, while simultaneously navigating academic freedom, institutional support, and the broader implications of Hawaiian culture informed education.
Mahina is from Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu and is currently pursuing a PhD in Indigenous Politics at UH Mānoa. She is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law, with certificates in Environmental and Native Hawaiian Law. She has worked at several non-profit, state, and federal agencies and currently serves on the State Environmental Council. In addition to her work in the research lab, Mahina is a Post-Juris Doctor Research & Teaching Fellow at Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, where she coordinates legal trainings for state and county decision-makers, facilitates water law workshops for ʻŌiwi communities, and assists with various scholarship projects aimed at evolving the law and advancing justice for Kānaka Maoli and other Indigenous Peoples.
Born and raised in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu, Kawena is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography and Environment. In her studies, Kawena focuses on how ʻāina-based organizations in Heʻeia perpetuate Hawaiian Ancestral Circular Economy. This interest stems from an overall goal of reclaiming economy from a Kanaka ʻŌiwi perspective to build capacity and install generational sustainability. She received a BA in Indigenous Resource Management, and an MA in Hawaiian Studies from UH Mānoa.
Emily is currently a PhD student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is the newest teammate in the PAʻĀ Lab and is also happy to be making her planning debut this summer at Townscape! She received her BA and MA in Hawaiian Studies, and enjoys historical land and water research as a well as working outdoors. Being born and raised in Pālolo in the ahupuaʻa of Waikīkī—the historical epitome of abundant, spouting freshwater—it is fitting and natural for Emily to engage in water research, spaces, and work.
