For many undergraduates, summer means spending lots of time at the beach or the mall.
But for a group of Silverswords, this summer offered the perfect opportunity to sink their teeth into a complex research project under the mentorship of a Chaminade professor. The undergraduates presented their work in July at the Summer Research Institute Symposium on campus.
Among the areas they explored: AI, healthcare, architecture and financial literacy, to name a few.
Shania Lindsey R. Gervacio ’27 presented her research on using artificial intelligence as a creative tool in interior design concept development. The Environmental + Interior Design student at Chaminade conducted her research under Associate Professor Junghwa Suh, D. Arch.
“I chose to take up this summer research opportunity because I wanted to utilize my free time expanding my knowledge in this career field of interior design while developing my skills in research and public speaking,” she said, adding her goal is to become an interior designer.
“I was very excited that I had the chance to present my findings and results to the University community. I honestly was unsure of who would be attending, so it was definitely a unique and memorable experience to have presented in front of diverse audiences.”
Gervacio hopes to refine her research paper for an upcoming national conference.
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Jax Wong ’26, who is majoring in psychology, presented research on potential psychosocial interventions for adults with autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). His research was conducted under Associate Psychology Professor Abby Haltson, Ed.D.
Wong said he chose the topic because he has autism and ADHD, and wanted to investigate support available to people like him in the community.
“I consider myself very lucky and fortunate to have a strong support system, but many other folks do not and are left to fend for themselves,” he said.
“My research findings confirmed my predictions: there is a very concerning lack of research on my communities and the evidence for potential interventions is also lacking.”
Wong added it was “intimidating” to present his research to the University community, but the experience gave him more confidence in his work and his research skills. He now looks forward to pursuing a career in academia to improve the state of research in his areas of interest.
The annual Summer Research Institute is coordinated at Chaminade in partnership with Kapiʻolani Community College.
Amber Noguchi, Ph.D., who is assistant provost for Undergraduate Research and Pre-Professional Programs, said the grant-funded initiative offers important research experiences to undergraduates. In a new aspect this year, each student also selected a community partner to work with in addition to a mentor.
The community partners, including nonprofits, informed the research work, provided background information on fields, and directed students to available resources and information.