Chaminade University of Honolulu

Natural Sciences & Mathematics

Campus Romance Endures

Emily Palmer and Jason Perez enjoy life together after Chaminade

Her mom, Erinn Palmer ’81, graduated from Chaminade University. So, too, did her dad, Ron Palmer ’81. So a visit to the Kalaepohaku campus in 2010 easily convinced Emily Palmer ’17 that Chaminade University was the right fit. Meanwhile, Jason Perez’s ’18 reason to become a Silversword was so he could join his sister, Christela Perez ’19, on her journey to Hawaii.

“We met through my sister,” says Perez of his initial encounter with Palmer. “They were already close friends and because I’m close with my sister, I was always hanging around them.”

The young couple would eventually begin dating, and seeing each other every day. They would frequent the Sullivan Family Library’s lanai to study, preferring it over other outdoor areas because of its serenity and proximity to research literature.

Emily Palmer and Jason Perez constantly walked along Waialae Avenue.

Yet, what makes Palmer’s and Perez’s students-to-husband-and-spouse fairytale story is its rarity. Pew Research Center data reveals that when it comes to marriage after graduation, 28 percent of married graduates attended the same university as their spouse. But that percentage precipitously plummets to two percent when it comes to marriages between college sweethearts, according to researchers with CreditDonkey, a personal finance website.

This statistic highlights the fact that, while many college students may find themselves in romances, the chances of those relationships lasting into marriage are slim. It also serves as a reminder that college affairs can often be fleeting, and that it is important to be mindful of the potential for heartbreak.

However, because Chaminade has a nurturing environment and is rooted in community—which is the resounding sentiment echoed across the campus—students can be reassured that they will receive the necessary support. It’s not uncommon for this phrase—the prided, capital-c Community—to be interchanged with an even stronger word: ’Ohana.

Aside from the broader, communal ‘ohana that Chaminade fosters, it also often provides the backdrop to the infinite beginnings of new families, flesh and blood. Families like that of Palmer and Perez, and their 3-year-old son, Raiden.

“Maybe he’ll be the next generation to attend Chaminade,” jokes Palmer, who received her BS in Biochemistry, and is presently pursuing a pharmacology degree from Touro University California. “It was such a good choice for me to move away from California to attend university in Hawaii.”

Emily Palmer and Jason Perez are parents to 3-year-old Raiden.

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Communications Mass Media, Perez’s greatest takeaway while at Chaminade was the university’s diverse student population and its ability to bring people together.

“I still communicate with a lot of my classmates,” said Perez, who, along with Palmer, attended a Chaminade alumna event at Pitch Sports Bar at SALT at Our Kakaako earlier this year. “I really liked the different clubs, which were welcoming and inclusive.”

When Palmer’s education began at Chaminade, she was a shy, reserved teenager, and barely spoke out. But the four years she spent on campus transformed her from a meek 18-year-old teen to a confident young woman.

“I can speak out for myself now,” Palmer asserts. “I have my own voice and independence; I am a woman hear me roar!”

During her sophomore year, Palmer became an Admissions Department Telecounselor, entering prospective students’ data into the university computer system, maintaining contact with them to update their student status, and conducting campus tours of the university for incoming students and their families.

“Choosing Chaminade allowed me to be out on my own,” Palmer says. “It was a safe place where faculty, staff and peers would come to my aid if I ever needed it. It felt truly like ‘ohana.”

Perez says he became more worldly, especially as a staff writer with the Chaminade Silversword student newspaper, where he covered hot-button, controversial issues like the U.S. presidency, immigration and reform. “I liked the fact that the students all came from different walks of life and many from interracial families,” adds Perez, who is now the lead brewer for Heretic Brewing Company in Fairfield, Calif. “It felt so comfortable; it felt like being at home.”

Summer Research Opportunities

La‘a Gamiao ’25 hopes to get a head start on his master’s degree at Purdue University, where he wants to eventually pursue a doctorate in ecology. His first step toward this goal was to accept an eight-week, Undergraduate Summer Research Program at Purdue’s flagship campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Laa Gamiao is participating in a research program at Purdue.
La’a Gamiao was accepted accepted to an eight-week, Undergraduate Summer Research Program at Purdue’s flagship campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.

“I leave on June 2 and I have orientation on June 4,” said Gamiao, who will be among the five student-research participants from across the country. “I’ll be conducting research on Aquatic Ecology, studying predator-and-prey interactions in response to chemicals.”

Gamiao is among a group of Chaminade students who have been able to kick-start their graduate studies, thanks to agreements between Chaminade University and fellow esteemed institutions of higher education.

“Chaminade is a member of The Leadership Alliance, a consortium of 32 academic institutions dedicated to addressing the shortage of diversity in graduate schools and academia,” said Amber Noguchi, Ph.D., Chaminade’s Program Director with the Undergraduate Research & Pre-Professional Programs. “Through the program, we’ve built partnerships with universities that want to admit our students into their summer research programs.”

In the past, Chaminade students have participated in programs at Harvard, Yale, Purdue and UCLA—to name just a few. This early exposure to research is invaluable and greatly enhances a student’s graduate school application, particularly for medical schools.

This summer, Alexandra Boyce and Kaila Frank will both participate in Michigan State University’s Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP). According to the MSU website, the SROP is a gateway to graduate education at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities. The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue graduate study and research careers. SROP also helps prepare undergraduates for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors and enrichment activities. Boyce and Frank also plan to take short courses in various subjects prior to the start of the research portion of the program.

“We also have at least one student, Tia Skaggs, who will be participating in the Cancer Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREU) program at the University of Colorado Anschutz,” Noguchi said. “This program is focused on projects related to cancer, whereas Purdue and MSU offer a wide range of disciplines and faculty expertise.”

Amber Noguchi, Chaminade’s Program Director with the Undergraduate Research & Pre-Professional Programs, encourages students to participate in summer research programs at various universities.

CREU’s primary goal is to engage scientific curiosity in the next generation of scientists, challenging qualified college undergraduates to consider a cancer-related career in the future. Only 23 college undergraduate students have been selected to spend 10 weeks in the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’ laboratories.

“Our office encourages students to apply for experiential opportunities like summer research both here at Chaminade and at other institutions,” Noguchi said. “We also encourage our pre-health students to apply for clinical experiences and also pre-health enrichment programs.”

This summer, two pre-health juniors were accepted to the Summer Health Professions Education Program: Joshua Dumas ’24, a pre-med student, who will be attending the UCLA program; and Alexis Martinez ’24, an aspiring dentist, who has a choice between UCLA and Western University of Health Sciences.

To expose students to clinical experience, Chaminade works with the COPE Health Scholars Program at Adventist Castle. Through COPE, students are able to gain 280 clinical hours by volunteering in various departments at the hospital. Students enrolled in healthcare programs require these hours to demonstrate that they understand the field they plan to pursue, and it also helps them be competitive applicants when they actually apply.

“Many Chaminade students—who have pursued health careers in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, nursing and others—have participated in COPE,” Noguchi said. “We currently have Kelsey Nakagawa ’23, a nursing major, who started the program last year, and has risen to a leadership position there. We also have Kobe Young ’23, a recent Biochemistry graduate, who will be starting this summer.”

Na Liko Naʻauao

Students present their thought-provoking research findings

She suspected that she couldn’t be the only one feeling isolated and alone. With COVID cases spiking during her freshman year, Iris Hirata sheltered in place in her dorm room with her family support 5,000 miles away.

“I usually like being alone, but that was too much—even for me,” Hirata recalls. “It was depressing and I felt I had no one to talk to.”

As pandemic numbers started to decrease, and a semblance of normalcy emerged, Hirata never forgot those earlier times. “Biologically, I knew about COVID’s impact on the lungs,” Hirata says. “But I told Dr. Darren Iwamoto, we didn’t know the impact that COVID had on the mental health of individuals.”

It turned out to be a lot.

In an earlier research project she worked on with psychology professor Tracy Trevorrow, Ph.D., Hirata studied the effects of COVID on sleep quality. They learned that during the nascent stages of the pandemic, people tended to be more on their phones, which would disturb their sleep patterns and quality of sleep.

Iris Hirata stands in front of her presentation about COVID-19 and mental health.

“I was really big on healthcare at the time, which is what led me to do a research project on the impact of COVID on mental health,” says the biology major, who presented her findings during the 21st annual Na Liko Na’auao Symposium on April 14.

Pointing to a chart with spikes of blue and red lines, Hirata explains that the graph indicates the “bounce back” or the resiliency rate of the 200 students surveyed during her research.

“The epidemic has had a significant impact on university students’ mental health, including things like stress, anxiety, depression, and a lack of behavioral and emotional control,” Hirata concludes in her findings. “The findings support the literature that resilience is a key factor in influencing mental health and overall wellness.”

According to Amber Noguchi, Ph.D., Undergraduate Research and Pre-Professional Programs director, undergraduate and graduate research experience can look like a number of things. It can range from formal and clinical studies to data analysis, and creative works and beyond. On the occasion of this year’s Na Liko Na’auao Symposium, 25 student presenters covered a broad spectrum of issues and questions, from Hirata’s “How does COVID-19 Impact the Mental Health of Individuals?” to “Eat Healthy, Live Strong: Understanding Eating Behaviors of NHPI on Oahu” and “Sports Analytics: What Factors Determine a Winning Team?” and “Decolonizing Hawaii’s Diet.”

“All of these presentations stem from research projects that have been collaborations between the student researchers and their faculty mentors,” Noguchi explains. “This undergraduate conference celebrates student scholars from across all academic disciplines.”

In her research project with Dr. Guanlin Gao, “Eat Healthy, Live Strong: Understanding Eating Behaviors of NHPI on Oahu,” Autumn Fairall, ’23, examined the barriers to eating a healthy diet. “I started working with Dr. Gao as a research assistant in the Spring of 2022,” says Fairall, who will earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in May. “Initially, the project we worked on focused on the landscape of economic and personal finance in Hawaii. However, after talking with Dr. Gao and discussing personal interests in wellness and past, informal research connected to diet, the research focus altered.”

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington presents Dr. Rylan Chong and Kawailani Luat with their respective awards.
Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington presents Dr. Rylan Chong and Kawailani Luat with their respective awards.

During the conclusion of the Symposium, President Dr. Lynn Babington, defined a scholar as “A person with a desire to pursue and learn new things; a person on a quest for knowledge and a dedication to learning.” By not focusing on one academic discipline, Na Liko Na’auao gives all student scholars an opportunity to present their work in a formal setting, and receive feedback from both faculty and other scholars within their field.

Every year, after all the student scholars have presented their work, the Symposium concludes with a presentation of two special awards. Given annually, The President Sue Wesselkamper Award acknowledges a student who has demonstrated extensive community and university service. In order to qualify for the prize, a student must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, show scholarship beyond classroom requirements by undertaking their own independent research or study, and must have presented their work both on and off campus.

Kawailani Luat is this year’s recipient of the President Sue Wesselkamper Award. A senior, majoring in Data Science, Analytics and Visualization and minoring in Forensic Science, Luat consistently excels in her coursework and has taken on leadership roles through her extracurricular and volunteer services.

“To be recognized with this award validates all the hard work I’ve done to get here,” Luat said. “I finish my senior year with this last achievement, so I am beyond ecstatic.”

“Kawailani is very active within our Chaminade community, including the Animal Advocacy Club, I am a Scientist, and has helped at every Preview and Admitted Students Day,” Babington says. “She also served as a student panelist for the Women in Data Science Hawaiʻi program and volunteers at Palama Settlement, a non-profit community-based social service agency working in the Kalihi and Palama neighborhoods.”

Honoring the close student-faculty relationships formed at Chaminade, the President Mackey Award is presented to an outstanding faculty mentor, nominated by a student participating at the conference. This year’s recipient is Dr. Rylan Chong, nominated by LaVelle White.

“He personally helps students step outside themselves to try things that were not thought possible,” wrote White in his nomination letter. “He encourages and pushes students to go for internships and research programs like SPICE. He stays after class to help students answer questions, and he has a way of speaking that demystifies the whole process, giving students the confidence to essentially go for the gold.”

Pain and Perseverance

Surah Healey ’23 succeeds and graduates despite health adversities 

Starting college is stressful enough with all its attendant challenges. Living away from home for the first time. Increased study load. New friends. And new surroundings. Add to that list a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, compounded by—not one—but eight surgeries. It was all too much for Surah Healey, whose freshman-year experience had no resemblance to the collegiate life portrayed in those glossy recruiting materials. 

As a baby, Healey was diagnosed with a congenital Ureteropelvic Junction (UPJ) obstruction, a condition where blockage occurs at the junction where the ureter attaches to the kidney. She underwent several surgeries as an infant before her condition finally stabilized in high school.

In the spring of her high school senior year, the California native was involved in a four-car collision that would imperil her health. She suffered a sprained back and severe whiplash, limiting her movement and possibly aggravating her UPJ. 

“I felt this chronic numbing pain on my right side so I went to see my doctor,” says Healey, a Ho‘oulu Scholar. “He told me the accident could be the reason for my pain, and prescribed some medication.”

Healey says because of her high threshold for pain, she ignored the consistent aching when she first arrived at Chaminade … that is until she could no longer. One early morning at 1, the discomfort became so unbearable that she knocked on her roommate’s door and told her she had to immediately go to the emergency room.

Surah Healey persevered through eight surgeries to attend Commencement.

“I was told it was a bad urinary tract infection (UTI),” Healey recalls. “I was given some medication and sent home.”

The throbbing abated but quickly returned. So in January 2020, Healey would require surgery—the first of eight—to insert a stent in her ureter, between her kidney and bladder. In the meantime, the Bio-Chemistry major kept up with her studies as best as she could. With summer break approaching and COVID restrictions in play, she decided to return to California until the fall.

While home, Healey suffered another two medical setbacks. The stent that was first inserted needed to be replaced—twice. “Then in October, I had my fourth surgery because my ureter had slipped,” says Healey, with tears welling up in her eyes. “And in December, I was informed by my surgeon that my right kidney needed to be removed.”

Hospitalized for a week, Healey was unable to walk. She couldn’t laugh. She couldn’t cry. She couldn’t eat. She wasn’t allowed visitors because of the pandemic. And she could barely talk. 

“When I lost my kidney, I didn’t think it would be so painful because of my tolerance for pain,” Healey says. “But I was so wrong. Recovery was excruciatingly painful. It was something that I’ve never, ever experienced in my lifetime.”

By now, she was completely behind in her coursework, and relegated to online learning because of the pandemic. Mentally and physically struggling, Healey sought the advice of professors Jolene Cogbill, Ph.D., and Chrystie Naeole, Ph.D., on how to stay on track with her academics.

“They were really helpful,” Healey says. “They arranged for tutors to help me catch up, but I was still forced to take an incomplete in some of my courses, which I would have to make up if I wanted to graduate.”

After five surgeries and a lost kidney, Healey thought she could now focus on her studies, and that the worst of her medical problems was behind her. 

They weren’t. 

Another three surgeries would be required: one in the spring of 2021 to repair an umbilical hernia, probably brought on when her kidney was removed from her navel; a second in May 2022 to treat another invasive hernia; and the third this past January to remove kidney stones.

“By October 2021, I was totally depressed,” Healey says. “After the first hernia surgery, I was limited to what I could do for three to six months. And then two to three months later, I was told I had another hernia, but I had the option of not having surgery.”

Her mom Donna, though, had other thoughts. Although she supported her daughter’s decision to forgo the second hernia procedure, she was afraid that Surah’s hernia would one day rupture and lead to sepsis, which is a life-threatening medical emergency.

“I just started as the president of the Scrubs Club and became the vice president of the Fitness and Adventure Club in May 2022,” says Healey, of the same time she learned about her second hernia. “I didn’t want to have another hernia surgery, but I understood the risks, and decided to have the surgery.”

Like the Greek god Sisyphus, who was condemned to repeatedly roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll down again once he reached the summit, Healey’s persistent struggle against her medical ailments seemed futile. Told by some to just quit, Healey became more resolute, stronger and braver.

“Each time someone would tell me that I wasn’t going to be able to do this (graduate),” says Healey with a voice of determination, “it would just make me fight even more, telling myself ‘Girl, you got this.’” 

In May, Healey will walk with her fellow Class of ’23 graduates, proving that perseverance and personal belief do indeed matter. Her advice to them: “Live everyday like it’s your last. Be Brave. Be Humble. And Be Kind.”

Ongoing Investigation

Chaminade director of forensic sciences and a hui of scientists research PMI 

It may sound morbid, but David Carter, Ph.D., wants to figure out how long people have been dead. And he may just be able to do so, thanks to a $830,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). In collaboration with colleagues from Colorado Mesa University, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Northern Michigan University, Western Carolina University, Texas State University San Marcos and University of Québec at Trois-Rivières, the hui of forensic scientists is studying microbial communities with hopes of discovering their own forensics Holy Grail. 

“What’s the first question that a loved one asks after a death, ‘When did he or she die?’” Carter asks rhetorically. “There’s definitely increasing interest in PMI (Post-Mortem Interval or the time that has elapsed since an individual’s death). It’s critical information that could be key to solving a crime—or providing an alibi—in absence of any witnesses … or insects.”

The word “forensic” comes from the Latin word “forensis” that means “of or before the forum.” According to the Department of Justice, forensic science is a critical element of the criminal justice system.  Forensic scientists examine and analyze evidence from crime scenes and elsewhere to develop objective findings that can assist in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of crime or absolve an innocent person from suspicion. 

David Carter holds his American Academy of Forensic Sciences Pathology/Biology Section Award for Achievement in the Forensic Life Sciences.

And that’s the point of the NIJ grant, which seeks “to create and validate a microbial-based model to predict PMI across locations in the U.S.” Carter’s and his colleagues’ proposed applied research seeks to improve forensic science for criminal justice purposes by increasing knowledge about a potential new type of physical evidence (microbes), and focuses on developing a tool in which the microbiome present on skin or in nearby soils is used as physical evidence to estimate PMI.

“Jessica Metcalf of Colorado State and Rob Knight of UC San Diego and I initiated this research in 2011,” Carter explains. “So, this recent grant is part of a series of funding that has allowed us to continue our research. It’s a sign of success, but we’re still not quite there.”

In their previous research, investigators utilized skin and soil samples associated with 36 human cadavers collected daily for 21 days from three forensic facilities, which predicts PMI within approximately +/- 3 days over the first 21 days postmortem. As a result, this new research provides useful accuracy for crime scene investigations. In the current proposed research, the first goal is to expand the 36-body PMI microbiome database by collecting similar sample types from an additional 18 human cadavers from two additional facilities, which are in a climate type not yet represented in the PMI database. This additional collection will bring Köppen-Geiger classified climate types (tropical, arid, temperate, continental and polar) in the database to include three of the major U.S. climate types.

“I’ll be traveling to Tennessee in February to lead a training workshop,” Carter says. “I’ll teach participants the proper techniques in collecting samples, which will then be sequenced at a forensic lab for further examination.”

An anthropologist major as an undergraduate at the University of Idaho, Carter didn’t learn about forensics until his senior year. But when he did, the Indiana Jones in him decided to attend Bournemouth University in England to pursue his M.Sc. in Forensic Archaeology, eventually earning a doctorate from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. 

“I’ve always been curious about archeology, history and skeletons,” says Carter, whose interest in the “unknown” started in a movie theatre while watching “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” “I think of death and decomposition all the time. 

“I even discuss it at home with my wife, Charlotte—who’s a Medicolegal Investigator with the City & County of Honolulu’s Department of the Medical Examiner,” Carter continues. “I live in the world of the fringe, but people tell me I look so normal.”

Top 40 Under 40

Katelynn Perrault makes “The Analytical Scientist Power List 2022”

Lab coats buttoned up and goggles on, Katelynn Perrault, Ph.D., instructs her students in the FS 430L class at Henry Lab 5. For the past five years, the Canadian native has taught aspiring forensic scientists the techniques and forensic methodologies for qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical evidence. Making “The Analytical Scientist Power List 2022 – Top 40 Under 40,” the Associate Professor of Forensic Sciences and Chemistry is passionate and proud of her achievements, which include a 2021 Fr. John F. Bolin Award for scholarly work, a 2021 Distinguished Faculty Award, as well as the 2021 President Mackey Award for outstanding mentorship.  

“I was always intrigued by science outreach events when I had access to them, and eventually did a career project in high school on Forensic Sciences,” recalls Perrault, “I was also curious about the thought of using the sciences to solve crime and contribute to serving justice.”

Perhaps popularized by CBS’s NCIS program, employment of forensic scientists is expected to grow 17 percent by 2026, which is quicker than the average of all U.S. occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2020, there were 16,640 forensic scientists, also known as crime scene investigators or forensic science technicians. The BLS projects that 2,500 new forensic scientist jobs will be added to the market each year through 2030.

Katelynn Perreault made “The Analytical Scientist Power List 2022.”

And growth has also occurred in the Chaminade program. So, too, has interest and breadth.

“When I started, we did not have a chemistry major,” says Perrault, who teaches across the department’s Forensic Sciences, Biochemistry and Chemistry majors. “It is exciting to see more students considering chemistry as a major. I feel that we have seen more positive perception shifts towards the utility of chemistry in other disciplines during my time, which is always exciting to see.”

Perrault is also the Principal Investigator of the Laboratory of Forensic and Bioanalytical Chemistry, which focuses on using multidimensional chromatography to uncover volatiles as mediator chemicals in processes associated with life, health and death. Through her research, she has cultivated an international network of collaborators in academia, police and government agencies.

Marking the second time she has appeared on the “The Analytical Scientist Power List 2022 – Top 40 Under 40,” Perrault says it’s affirmation that she continues to do novel research in the field of analytical chemistry that is contributing to society.

“I think as scientists, this is one of the things we are always striving for—to use science in service,” Perrault points out. “This recognition helps me to reflect on the fact that others see this applied chemistry as being meaningful and worthwhile, and that means a lot to me. This motivates me to continue to use chemistry as a means to solve important challenges in our world.”

Now entering her sixth year at Chaminade, Perrault has discovered a passion for training the next generation of scientists. “It brings me great fulfillment thinking about the work they will do beyond their time with us,” she says. “Receiving emails from our alumni about the exciting things they are doing always brings a smile to my face.”