Category: Education

2026 ASHRAE Student Design Competition Winners Highlight Next-Generation Building Solutions

ATLANTA (August 20, 2026) – ASHRAE announced the winners of its 2026 Student Design Competition, Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge and Building Energy Quotient Competition. The competitions recognize the outstanding abilities and innovative problem-solving skills of students in HVAC&R, building sciences and engineering.

The 2026 student competition focused on a new building being added to a university campus in Denver, Colorado.

Teams competed in one of four categories:

• HVAC Design Calculations
• HVAC System Selection
• Setty Family Foundation Net Zero Energy Design
• Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge

First place in the HVAC Design Calculations category is awarded to Sanika Rajendra Gavhane, Nikita Vaijinath Suryawanshi, Neha Vaijinath Suryawanshi, Pradnya Ashok Mane, Sakshi Sanjay Chaugule and Sakshi Santosh Bhosale of SVERI’s College of Engineering Pandharpur. The team advisors is Dr. Digvijay D. Ronge.

Placing first in the HVAC System Selection category is Tong Chi Ho, Hadi Muhammad Raahim, Chow Ching Mei and Chan Wing Ho of The University of Hong Kong HKU. The team advisor is Dr. Benjamin P. L. Ho. 

Receiving first place in the 2026 Setty Family Foundation Net Zero Energy Design category are Syahlaisa Afra Amanio, Vine Novia Pakpahan, Laura Mellisa, Fawzaan Dwi Sulistiyanto, Muhammad Djackwan Firdaus and Nadhif Khairu Athallah of Universitas Indonesia. The team advisors are Dr. Miktha Farid Alkadri and Dr. Eng. Arnas Lubis.

In the 2026 Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge, students were asked to design an innovative system for residential applications that rejects heat into domestic hot water and absorbs heat from domestic cold-water systems for space heating and cooling.

First place is awarded to Muhammad Mirza Adhiyarahman, Ahnaf Irbah Hidayat, Rimba Harits Hartanto, Gravin Hotasi Zakharia, Juan Aaron Norata and Muhammad Khairul Anam of the Bandung Institute of Technology. Team advisor is Dr.Eng. Ir. Gea Fardias Mu’min, S.T., M.T. 

The project explored HYDEX, which is a modular residential GSHP retrofit that acts as a thermal battery, capturing waste heat from greywater and the heat-pump system, storing it in stratified buffer tanks, and intelligently redirecting it to improve HVAC efficiency and preheat domestic water while reducing energy consumption, operating costs, and carbon emissions.

The Building Energy Quotient Competition takes theory into practice by giving students building energy assessment experience in an operational setting, while working collaboratively with building owners. Students had the opportunity to evaluate and audit building energy consumption for buildings in operation to give the building a Building EQ score using the ASHRAE Building EQ online tools.

First place was awarded to Ivy Exum, Alexander Charbonneau, Tyler Milstead, Ethan Schriner, Hoang Dinh, Tanner Rapp, Keegan Snoozy, Chris Fisher and Nickolas Bozonelos of University of Washington ASHRAE at UW. The team advisor is Robert S Rushing.

The projects will be recognized during the 2027 ASHRAE Winter Conference, January 23-27, 2027 in Chicago, Ill. The Winter Conference is held in conjunction with the ASHRAE co-sponsored AHR Expo, which will be January 25-27, 2027 at McCormick Place Convention Center.

For a full list of Student Design Competition and Applied Engineering Competition winners (First, Second, Third and Rising Star), please visit the Competitions page on the  Student Zone.

Shiksharatan India Foundation Holds Training Programme on Scholarship Opportunities

New Delhi, August 20, 2026

Shiksharatan India Foundation, Gurugram, organised a one-day training programme on education and scholarships at the H.K.S. Auditorium, Inderjit Gupta Marg, Delhi. Trainees from around 20 states participated in the programme.

The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste, Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SC/ST. Addressing the trainees, Dr. Kulaste said quality education is essential for securing a better future for children. He said scholarships can provide important support to students from economically weaker families and help them continue their higher education.

Dr. Kulaste appreciated Shiksharatan India Foundation’s initiative to provide 16,000 scholarships. He said scholarships give students an opportunity to continue their studies and develop their potential. He also said that greater participation from the government, industry, donors and social organisations can help connect more students with educational opportunities through scholarships.

During the programme, Mr. Satish Kumar, Founding Member of the Foundation, briefed participants about the organisation’s work and its scholarship campaign. He said the Foundation is conducting a national-level examination for meritorious students from economically weaker sections and is working towards providing 16,000 scholarships to top-ranking students.

He said the Foundation is also focusing on skill development and mentorship along with scholarships. It is also undertaking an initiative to recognise schools, educational institutions, principals and teachers for their contribution to education at the national level. The Foundation said the participation of parents, teachers and educational institutions is essential for the success of the campaign.

Mr. Somjibhai Damor, former Member of Parliament and National President, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, and Ms. Mayatai Ewnate, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, also addressed the trainees.

During the programme, Mr. Shankar Lal Bodat, National Vice-President of the Parishad, shared details of the organisation’s activities. He said the organisation runs four colleges and 38 secondary and higher secondary schools. He added that it has organised 16 national-level conferences so far, covering issues related to the constitutional rights of tribal communities as well as water, forests, land, education, healthcare, agriculture and employment.

Mr. K.C. Ghumaria, State President, Rajasthan Branch, and Mr. Lukkibhau Jadhav, National President, Youth Wing, also addressed the trainees. Both appreciated Shiksharatan India Foundation’s scholarship initiative and emphasised the need to take the campaign to more students.

During the programme, speakers suggested creating separate groups of urban and rural students for the scholarship initiative. They said this approach could help ensure that more students from both areas benefit from the campaign.

At the conclusion of the programme, Mr. Satish Kumar thanked Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste and all the guests, trainees, students, teachers and other associates for their participation and support. He also thanked members of the media for their cooperation in making the programme a success.

University of Houston Biologists Awarded Nearly $1M NSF Grant to Study How Mutation Rates Evolve

Multi-institutional Research Could Offer Insights into Cancer Progression, Antibiotic Resistance

HOUSTON, Aug. 20 — A nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will allow University of Houston researchers to investigate how mutation rates evolve across species — work that could offer critical insights into cancer progression and antibiotic resistance.

Over the next four years, UH professors and evolutionary biologists Ricardo Azevedo and Rebecca Zufall, alongside scientists Maurine Neiman from the University of Iowa and Stephen Wright from the University of Toronto, will examine how an organism’s reproductive mode — whether sexual, asexual or self-pollinating — alters the speed at which its DNA mutates. This mutation rate dictates how quickly species can adapt to changing environments.

Supported by a combined $2.08 million in total NSF funding across partner institutions, the multi-institutional project builds on previous research by Azevedo and Zufall that found Tetrahymena, microscopic single-celled freshwater organisms, has the lowest mutation rate ever recorded. The discovery provides a foundation for the researchers’ next question: what determines how quickly mutation rates evolve across different organisms and reproductive systems?

“This collaboration is really powerful because we have three empiricists who work on these three different systems, and then Ricardo is the theoretician and modeler,” Zufall said. “We won’t only focus on the outcome of our specific species. We want to find broad patterns that underlie how populations evolve across all of life.”

Researchers from the two other institutions will examine snails and mustard plants, respectively, with the UH team focusing on Tetrahymena. By comparing closely related organisms within each group that differ primarily in their mode of reproduction, the researchers can isolate the exact impact reproduction has on mutation rates without interference from other biological variables.

“If we understand how mutation rates evolve, potentially, we’re helping understand evolution more broadly in all kinds of systems — from cancer to the evolution of antibiotic resistance or drug resistance in active infections,” said Azevedo, the grant’s principal investigator. “That’s something that has a lot of practical, interesting applications.”

Azevedo noted that cancer cells inside growing tumors reproduce asexually and often elevate their mutation rates, enabling them to adapt quickly and resist treatment. And although the project is driven by basic science rather than immediate clinical applications, understanding mutation rate mechanics addresses fundamental questions in medical research and overall human adaptation and survival.

University of Houston Awarded $3.8M Grant to Expand Access for Prediabetes Prevention

HOUSTON, Aug. 20 – The University of Houston has received a $3.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health to launch a five-year study evaluating whether continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) can be an effective and accessible tool for preventing or delaying progression to Type 2 diabetes among underserved populations.

With an estimated 115 million U.S. adults living with prediabetes, researchers and clinicians from UH Health, the University’s academic health enterprise, will work with community partners to test how CGMs can be used as an effective and accessible tool for preventing Type 2 diabetes.

“This is not just about rolling out new technology—it’s about putting an actionable diabetes prevention tool in the hands of people who have historically had limited access to these advances,” said Lola Adepoju, leader of the study and executive director of the Humana Integrated Health Systems Science Institute at UH. “As diabetes care continues to advance, we have an opportunity to close some of these access gaps and make sure people who could benefit most aren’t the last ones to gain access.”

Turning Real-Time Data into Action

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 80% of people with prediabetes don’t know they have the condition, potentially missing a critical window to make changes that could prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes. Even after diagnosis, the challenge is turning that diagnosis into action. CGMs provide a real-time window into how blood sugar responds throughout the day, helping patients better understand how their daily habits affect their health.

“CGMs help patients connect everyday choices — what they eat, how much they move and how well they sleep — with what’s happening inside their bodies,” Adepoju said. “That feedback is immediate and personal, which can give people the information and motivation they need to make healthier choices before prediabetes progresses to Type 2 diabetes.”

Researchers will examine whether those insights translate into measurable health improvements. The study will track changes in blood sugar awareness, health behaviors and HbA1c, a key measure of glucose control, as well as whether participants return to normal glucose levels or delay progression to Type 2 diabetes.

Expanding Access Through Community Health

Even as CGMs become more widely available, cost remains a significant barrier for some people. The devices are not typically covered by insurance for prediabetes, and while some are now available over the counter, the out-of-pocket costs can still prevent patients who could benefit from the technology from getting it.

Adepoju’s team hopes to close that gap by working with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community partners to broaden access to CGMs, while training community health workers to help patients understand and use the technology effectively.

“If this study is successful, prediabetes care could become more proactive and accessible, combining earlier intervention, effective technology and ongoing support tailored to each patient’s needs,” Adepoju said. “We also hope to show insurers and policymakers the value of covering CGMs for people with prediabetes, particularly those who may not be able to afford these devices on their own.”

The focus on prevention, technology and community-based care also makes the study a natural fit for the UH Health mission.

“This study reflects exactly what UH Health is about — bringing together researchers, clinicians and community partners to turn new ideas into better health and healthcare,” said Dr. Jonathan McCullers, vice president for health affairs at UH and dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. “By pairing innovative research and technology with community-based care, we have an opportunity to improve how we prevent chronic disease while expanding access to the tools that can help people live healthier lives.”

The Flower of Canaan by Tim Flood now available from Histria Books

Histria Books is pleased to announce the release of The Flower of Canaan by Tim Flood. This novel is published by Histria Fiction, an imprint of Histria Books dedicated to outstanding original works of fiction.

The Flower of Canaan is a strong feminist novel that follows Anat, a young woman in an ancient Levantine city where beauty, marriage and belief can decide a life. As a charismatic outsider unsettles Beit Shahar, Anat and the people closest to her confront a world in which faith is becoming a tool of power, and women are expected to carry the cost.

This is historical fiction with an unusually intimate pulse. It brings the Bronze Age to life not as a museum piece, but as a place of hot streets, family bargaining, private rituals and dangerous public certainty. Anat’s voice gives the novel its force: observant, wounded, funny when it can be, and unwilling to accept the roles assigned to her. The book asks urgent questions about religious extremism, bodily autonomy and who gets to tell a community’s story. Its ancient setting makes those questions sharper, not safer, offering direct access to conflicts that shape lives.

Praise for The Flower of Canaan:

“The Flower of Canaan does what historical fiction about ancient women almost never does: it lets its heroine be furious, strategic, sexual, and sacred all at once, and treats none of those things as contradictions. Flood doesn’t write Anat like a man imagining what a woman feels. He writes her like someone who listened.” — Deviant Quill

Tim Flood writes about characters who challenge their upbringing, seeking deeper relationships and the freedom to fulfill their potential. His forthcoming novel, The Flower of Canaan (2026), explores the roots of societal conditioning and the challenges faced by women in history and myth. He is also the author of the nonfiction book Islands Apart: Chronicles of Family Healing (1999), which examines teen addiction and the impact on families, and his short story Spaceman was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Retired from a tech career at Stanford University, Flood lives with his wife near San Francisco.

The Flower of Canaan by Tim Flood, 340 pp., ISBN 978-1-59211-752-9, is available at HistriaBooks.com and from all major book retailers. This title is also available as an ebook. Titles published under the imprints of Histria Books are distributed in the United States and Canada by Simon & Schuster and in the rest of the world through Unified Book Distribution. For information on publishing with Histria Books, please visit HistriaBooks.com or contact us at info@histriabooks.com.

Jason Prevelige Named Director of Sacred Heart University’s Doctor of Medical Science Program

FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University has appointed Jason Prevelige founding program director of its Doctor of Medical Science (D.M.Sc.) program.

Prevelige, a Sacred Heart alum and longtime educator, returns to the University with more than 17 years of clinical experience and a distinguished record of leadership in physician associate (PA) education, health care advocacy, and professional organizations. As founding program director, he will provide academic, administrative, and strategic leadership for the University’s newly established post-professional doctoral program, overseeing its launch, curriculum, faculty, assessment, and continued growth.

Before joining Sacred Heart full time, Prevelige played an integral role in developing the University’s physician associate studies program, serving on its founding advisory committee, developing the pediatric curriculum, and teaching pediatrics and emergency medicine since the program’s inaugural cohort. He also helped shape the foundation of the Doctor of Medical Science program alongside colleagues Reynold Jaglal, director of the physician associate studies program and Eric Nemec, clinical professor and director of research, assessment, and program development. 

Throughout his career, Prevelige has practiced emergency medicine as well as pediatric hospital medicine, neonatology, and urgent care. He has held health care leadership positions for more than a decade and most recently served as assistant medical director in emergency medicine at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury. Nationally, he completed a three-year leadership succession culminating in his term as president and chair of the board of the American Academy of Physician Associates. He also served two terms as president of the Connecticut Academy of Physician Associates and continues to chair its legislative committee.

“Dr. Prevelige is a visionary leader whose expertise spans academia, clinical practice, and national professional leadership,” said Karl Minges, dean of the College of Health Professions. “I am confident he will build a distinctive and innovative D.M.Sc. program that empowers physician associates to advance their careers and lead in an increasingly complex health care environment. We are excited to welcome him to Sacred Heart University and look forward to the impact he will have on our students and the profession.”

In a question-and-answer session, Prevelige discussed what drew him back to Sacred Heart University, his vision for the D.M.Sc. program, and how his experiences have prepared him to lead the University’s newest doctoral program.

What attracted you to Sacred Heart University and the D.M.Sc. program?
When the Doctor of Medical Science program was proposed, I was honored to be asked and jumped at the opportunity to assist my colleagues, Drs. Reynold Jaglal and Eric Nemec, in shaping the foundation of the program. When the position of program director was open, it seemed natural for me to apply. I feel now that I have come full circle in my SHU journey and am so thrilled to once again return in such a significant capacity to SHU.

What excites you most about leading the program?
While something new and different can be scary, it can also be exciting. For me, the opportunity to develop a world-class program, built for PAs who are looking for that next step in advancing their knowledge base and career, is an incredible one. I have had a variety of experiences, including my own education, that I am bringing with me, and to take the best of those experiences and share them with others is so unique and does not happen every day!

How have your previous experiences prepared you for this role?
I have been so fortunate in my career that I have been surrounded by phenomenal leaders who have mentored, supported, and helped shape my journey. After my PA education at Quinnipiac University, I quickly became involved in our state’s professional organization, the Connecticut Academy of Physician Associates. I have held a variety of roles, including two terms as president, and I continue to serve as the chair of the legislative committee. That work has provided me the opportunity to help shape health care and health care education in our state through advocacy efforts that have included authoring and amending language that later became law and working closely with our state’s legislators.

That eventually led to my service to our national organization, the American Academy of Physician Associates, where I first served in the House of Delegates, which is the policy making body for the Academy, later as a director at large, and most recently was elected president and chair of the board of directors, with my term just ending June 30.

In that role I had the amazing opportunity to travel across the country and internationally where I engaged PAs, physicians, nurses, and other health care leaders. I advocated for patients and PAs at the federal level and even internationally, had the opportunity to engage the national media and do my part to shape health care in different ways.

Along the way I completed an MBA at Quinnipiac, and my own Doctor of Medical Science at University of the Pacific.

What do you hope students gain from their experience in the program?
I hope to see our students find their own areas of personal growth. My own doctoral education helped me to grow as a leader as I self-reflected, but my own education also grew my network which is where opportunities in leadership often come from. I want to help our students achieve their goals in life by enhancing their already solid foundations with new areas of focus that will allow them to provide even better patient care through a stronger ability to advocate, to lead teams, to educate the health care providers of tomorrow.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for the program?
The opportunities for this program are endless in my opinion. With our SHU Dingle campus, there is an incredible opportunity to expose our students to international models of health care to help inform their work in our system. At the same time, there is opportunity to provide our education to international PAs and carry the SHU mission further abroad. I see the ability to grow relationships, not just among classmates in the program, but between our doctoral students and our PA students so we can create bonds between our PAs of today, with our PAs of tomorrow. Through the Doctoral Capstone, our students will have the ability to make real change in their workplaces, in the literature and in health care.

Odisha Issues Gyanodaya Guidelines, Clarifies Free KG-to-PG Education Benefits

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 14 (UDN): The Odisha Higher Education Department (DHE) has issued detailed operational guidelines for the Gyanodaya Shikshya Ru Samrudhi scheme, bringing clarity to the eligibility criteria and coverage of the state government’s free education initiative.

Representational Image

The guidelines, issued on Friday, specify which students and institutions will be covered and lay down rules governing admissions, attendance and fee collection.

Who Will Get the Benefit?

The scheme will cover regular undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students enrolled in eligible institutions across Odisha.

These include:

State public universities
Government colleges
Government-aided colleges
Sanskrit colleges

However, several categories have been kept outside the scheme.

Self-financed courses will not be covered. Professional programmes such as B.Ed, B.H.Ed, M.Ed, ITEP, LLB, LLM, BBA, BCA, MBA and MCA are also excluded.

Students enrolled in private unaided colleges, institutions operating under public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements, and those pursuing courses through distance, open or correspondence modes will not be eligible for the benefits.

SAMS Admission Mandatory

The guidelines make admission through the State Admission Management System (SAMS) mandatory for students seeking benefits under the scheme.

Eligible students must take admission or re-admission through SAMS in regular UG or PG courses offered by institutions covered under the programme.

Students are also required to maintain a minimum 75 per cent attendance to continue receiving the benefits.

Colleges Barred From Collecting Covered Fees

The new guidelines also regulate fee collection from eligible students.

Colleges and institutions covered under the scheme cannot collect fees that are included within the benefits provided under Gyanodaya.

However, institutions may collect certain optional charges, including seminar fees, excursion fees, study tour fees and alumni association fees.

Such charges must be linked to specific activities and should have the approval of the competent authority in accordance with government instructions.

Scheme Aims to Expand Access to Higher Education

The operational guidelines are expected to remove ambiguity over the implementation of the Gyanodaya scheme and ensure that eligible students receive the intended benefits without additional financial burden.

By clearly defining eligible courses, institutions, admission procedures and fee rules, the Higher Education Department has sought to bring greater transparency and consistency to the implementation of the state’s free education programme.

NITI Aayog Consults Stakeholders on Transforming Vocational Education in Schools

New Delhi, August 14, 2026: NITI Aayog organised a stakeholder consultation on “Transforming Vocational Education in India: Vocational Education in Schools”, chaired by Dr. Joram Aniya, Member, NITI Aayog, with the objective of strengthening the integration of vocational learning into school education.

The consultation brought together representatives from the Department of School Education & Literacy and other stakeholders to discuss ways to make vocational education more relevant, accessible and aligned with the changing requirements of the economy and labour market.

The discussions focused on improving the delivery of vocational education at the school level, strengthening links between education and employment, and creating greater opportunities for students to acquire practical and industry-relevant skills alongside academic learning.

The consultation also underlined the importance of closer coordination among policymakers, educational institutions, industry and skill-development organisations. Such collaboration can help ensure that vocational programmes reflect emerging opportunities and equip young people with skills needed for the future of work.

The initiative is in line with India’s broader efforts to build a more flexible and skills-oriented education system, where vocational pathways are integrated into mainstream schooling rather than being treated as an alternative to academic education. NITI Aayog’s ongoing work on education and skills seeks to support policy approaches that can contribute to a more capable and future-ready workforce.

Hawai’i High School Students Take Ideas to Launch at Hawai‘i Pacific University Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

HONOLULU | Aug 12: Nearly 60 Hawaiʻi high schoolers walked into HPU’s Sunset Ballroom at Aloha Tower Marketplace on July 27 with an idea and a laptop. By Friday afternoon, they had honed their “why,” their target market, and solution, walking out with a nascent venture and live websites they had built themselves.

The free HPU x Blue Startups Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, held July 27 to 31 and sponsored by HPU’s John F. Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway, brought together rising juniors and seniors from 18 public and private schools across the islands for five days of building. Working solo or in groups of two or three, students launched 40 ventures, each one identifying a business opportunity, designing a brand, building and publishing a live website (with AI tools), producing marketing assets and presenting the result to a panel of founders, mentors, and investors.

“What we saw this week is exactly why the Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway exists at HPU,” said HPU College of Business Dean Amy Nguyen-Chyung, Ph.D., lead of the Pathway. “At the start of the week, the students formed an initial idea of their business opportunity and by Friday, they had built real websites identifying the problem and solutions and stood up in front of founders and investors to defend their work. This group went further by envisioning their target customer’s key characteristics with an empathy map and turning those target customers into a virtual business advisor using AI.  I am so impressed by their work and presentation skills. Investing in developing youth entrepreneurship and leadership skills is a worthwhile way in which HPU and the Scarpa Pathway can engage with the community.”

The Bootcamp was led by Alexi Drouin, an entrepreneur, HPU adjunct professor and academic director at Blue Startups, Hawaiʻi’s premier tech accelerator and a program ranked among the top 20 in the country by TechCrunch. 

Each day carried a theme and ended with something shipped. Monday was Find Your Opportunity, when students landed on an idea and drafted a name, a logo and a one-liner. Tuesday was Design Your Solution, when they pressure-tested those ideas against AI-simulated customers and toured HPU’s waterfront campus and Makerspace. Wednesday was Build Your Website, a full day of production that ended with every student holding a public URL. Thursday was Launch Your Idea, devoted to social posts, short videos and slide decks. Friday was Present Your Business.

Guest speakers came from across the local startup community and, in one case, from the students’ own generation. Coen Cadinha of Keiki Rise and Big Boy Sweets opened the week as a peer-age founder. 

Nalukai Foundation Board President Allen Murabayashi presented on Tuesday about the importance of talking to customers. Giovanna (“Gigi”) Scholbi (HPU ’25) of Cheeki Swimwear spoke about writing down goals and going after them while also giving tips about sourcing sustainable materials. 

Miki Hardisty of Olelo Intelligence spoke Wednesday about building an AI company in Hawaiʻi and led the students in an exercise of using agentic AI. 

ʻIolani School’s Gabriel Yanagihara spoke Thursday to talk about AI in the classroom and online. On multiple days, Nguyen-Chyung introduced additional examples to drive home the importance of problem identification, product market fit and writing down key components of the one’s plan using a simple canvas. 

On Friday, presentation day filled the room with students, parents, teachers and HPU staff. HPU entrepreneurial coordinator and small business management instructor Richard Kebo listed the three key requirements needed before making a sale (business registration, bank account and general excise tax number). Individuals and teams took the front of the room in turn, speaking for 60 seconds, showcasing their business websites and presenting the overarching goals of their companies. After every four presentations, the expert panel offered feedback to the groups.

The panel included Blue Startups Program Director David Holt, Liya Safina of Hawaii Angels and Google, Murabayashi, and Nguyen-Chyung. It was not a pitch competition. Nobody won, and that was deliberate.

The companies took direct aim at problems the students’ families live with.

NāUlu, founded by Hanae Kauanoe and Sophia Tung will be a nonprofit that supplies basic phones with prepaid minutes and preloaded apps to unhoused families and people at risk of homelessness, with GPS directions to shelters and food sources and tools for finding work. Their premise is that staying reachable is often what separates crisis from stability.

May Shiraishi’s Ventur aims to connect Hawai’i students with internships and volunteer roles. Her website has now aggregated over a hundred available roles.

Emily Fukui and Kirah Wong built Brain Chain to address Hawaiʻi’s brain drain. Their job board aims to pair Hawaiʻi-born college graduates with local specialized roles that include subsidized housing. The founders said they talked to graduates stuck on the continental U.S. who wanted to come home and could not make the rent math work.

Trevor Chvosta’s Local Produce lets residents order specific crops directly from island farmers after harvest and pick them up at neighborhood drop points on Mondays and Thursdays, with leftover food routed to food banks. Lariah Trevenen-Ferreira built Hoʻihoʻi i ka ʻĀina as a portal connecting people to land and marine restoration projects grounded in Native Hawaiian practice.                                                                                                                           

A fan of Pokemon-Go, Kiva Ebert founded Malama Go, a real-world interactive game that incentivizes tourists to visit sites and learn about Hawaiian culture, earning points that could be redeemed with local merchants or for cultural figurines.

Aware that teens in hospitals have few options to keep them occupied, Thalia Grace Hoapili aims to stock hospitals with free Mālama Crafteen Kits for patients ages 12 to 19, pre-cut, so teenagers can start creating from a hospital bed.

Others tackled dementia care, teen mental health, permitting for first-time renovators and senior isolation.

Forty-five students who completed the full week, published their deliverables and finished both surveys will earn an HPU x Blue Academy Certificate of Completion, shareable on LinkedIn. 

VIT Bhopal University and Caucasus University, Georgia Sign MoU to Strengthen Academic and Research Collaboration

New Delhi, Aug 12: VIT Bhopal University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Caucasus University, Georgia, establishing a framework for academic cooperation between the two institutions.

Under the MoU, the collaboration will encompass student mobility across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes, faculty and staff exchanges, joint research and consultancy initiatives, participation in seminars and academic meetings, exchange of academic resources, and the development of short-term academic programmes and collaborative projects.

Speaking on the collaboration, Ms. Kadhambari S. Viswanathan, Assistant Vice President, VIT Bhopal University, said: “Higher education today extends far beyond geographical boundaries, making international collaboration an essential part of preparing students for the future. At VIT Bhopal University, we are committed to creating a globally connected learning environment where students and faculty can benefit from diverse perspectives, ideas, and experiences. Our partnership with Caucasus University is another step in this direction, reflecting our vision of building meaningful global relationships that enrich education, inspire innovation, and create lasting academic value.”

Dr. T. B. Sridharan, Pro Vice Chancellor, VIT Bhopal University, said: “International collaborations are most valuable when they create sustained academic engagement rather than one-time exchanges. This partnership with Caucasus University provides a framework for faculty, researchers, and students to work together on initiatives that contribute to teaching excellence, research, and global learning.”

The agreement reflects a shared commitment to expanding international engagement in higher education through collaborative teaching, research, and student development initiatives. By enabling interdisciplinary collaboration and academic exchange, the partnership will create greater opportunities for students and faculty from both institutions to gain international exposure, engage in joint research, and exchange knowledge, while allowing the two universities to leverage each other’s academic expertise and resources.

Located in Tbilisi, Georgia, Caucasus University is one of the country’s leading private higher education institutions. With academic partnerships spanning more than 360 universities across 74 countries, the university is recognized for its strong international outlook and emphasis on academic excellence, innovation, and industry engagement. Through this collaboration, both institutions aim to strengthen knowledge exchange and advance joint academic and research initiatives.

The MoU marks another step in VIT Bhopal University’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international collaboration and provide its academic community with opportunities for global engagement.