Hawaii residents contributed to key space-related discussions at the 5th annual EMER-GEN® Conference held at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott. The program, presented by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) in a joint initiative of the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), represents young professionals and university students (ages 18-35) who are enthusiastic about careers in space. SGAC, a global non-governmental organization partners with the United Nation and organizations from around the world to nurture the next generation of space leaders.
Excellent speakers and mentors joined the EMER-GEN event on September 7th with a series of pre-event webinars with a focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among the cohort. The group met in-person on September 26-27 for the main program that featured sessions in Celestial Navigation, Space Traffic Management, Mentoring, Consensus Building and a Hack-A-Thon. Teams of participants were challenged to find innovative ways to apply space-based technologies.
“This year’s EMER-GEN program welcomed 47 young space professionals, half of whom call Hawaii home, and the rest were from all over, as far away as India,” said Annette Lynch, MEDB Program Manager. “Scholarships were available for Hawaii residents as the program looks to help build the Hawaii aerospace sector.”
Four young professionals on the planning committee helped the MEDB organizers shape the program. Two representatives nominated by SGAC, Rishin Aggarwal, Indian Space Research Organization, and Eniko Molnar, Satellite Applications Catapult (UK), were joined by 2021 alumnus Zachary Stein of The Boeing Company, a resident of Maui. A 2020 alumnus, Quentin Verspieren of the University of Tokyo, returned to the committee to provide his experience and knowledge of space policy and consensus building.
Hackathon Mentor Tom Kubancik, founder and Executive Vice President of Trusted Space, Inc., said, “EMER-GEN employs the creativity and vigor of our youth in advancing humanity through the peaceful uses of space. It is vital for the future generation to develop methods to operate spacecraft safely in the increasingly congested and contested space environment.”
Christianne Young, Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory, said, “I have been working on launching cube satellites at the University of Hawaii. EMER-GEN opened my eyes to the need for international policy and cooperation for space safety.”
Discussion topics ranged from effective multi-cultural communication and leadership qualities to international cooperation in space and the long-term sustainability of the space environment.
On September 27-30, the 23rd annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference, a program of the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), had its highest-ever registration of 1,212 in-person attendees at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott─ Maui. An additional 259 participants viewed the livestream of the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA).
The conference represented a cross-section of government, military, industry, and academic participation that fueled important discussion on space sustainability at local, national, and international scales. Keynote presentations, SSA Policy Forums coordinated with Secure World Foundation, invited talks, poster presentations, exhibits, technical sessions and short courses were featured in the program.
“The AMOS Conference is experiencing astronomical growth on all fronts: attendance in-person from around the world, partnerships with our sponsors and exhibitors, and the technical contributions by our authors and presenters,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “This year’s gathering mirrors the growth we have seen in the space economy across the globe. Our international participants, from 23 countries, included our neighbors from the Indo-Pacific region as well as Europe and Central America. Additionally, MEDB continues to support the Air Force’s mission on Maui which, in turn, supports our mission of economic diversification.”
Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director for Secure World Foundation (SWF) and an AMOS Conference panel moderator, noted, “AMOS provides the opportunity for networking and knowledge-sharing within the SSA community. The keynotes and SSA policy forums at AMOS offered collaboration on space security and stability by looking at how SSA can promote space safety among all nations. Space has become an increasingly complicated domain and it is vital to have a cooperative approach for space sustainability in order to benefit all people.”
Conference Technical Chair Paul Kervin, Air Force Research Laboratory (retired), noted, “In collaboration with the American Astronautical Society (AAS), the AMOS Conference provided participating authors the opportunity to be published in a well-respected peer-reviewed Journal of Astronautical Sciences. At the close of the conference, AAS also recognized outstanding efforts by presenting awards for Best Paper and Best Student Paper.”
The continued growth in attendance and participating countries at AMOS reflects the growing interest in space sustainability and space commerce initiatives.
Nationwide and on Maui, October is observed as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This health campaign, organized by major breast cancer charities and non-profits, was developed to increase awareness of the disease and raise funds for research on its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.
Various Maui hotels, businesses, schools, and organizations, including the Maui Police Department, band together to educate the community. Their message emphasizes early screenings for cancer, currently the most effective way of dealing with the disease before it becomes too advanced to control. Awareness of the signs and finding help after a diagnosis are a vital part of this education.
Two Maui nonprofits, Mana’olana Pink Paddlers and Maui Cancer Resources (MCR) have joined forces in their efforts to assist cancer patients and survivors. Dr. Bridget Bongaard, Maui Cancer Resources Medical Director, founded MCR to offer Integrative Oncology consultations.
“Our goal is to create a comprehensive cancer support program and grow outreach services to support Maui cancer patients to achieve maximum positive outcomes,” said Bongaard. “By providing survivors with a personal cancer journey guide, we walk them step-by-step through the challenges that arise from diagnosis and treatment to recovery. In addition, MCR offers weekly on-line support groups, mindfulness training, cooking and nutritional education, self-care consults and quarterly day-long workshops which share different effective-movement strategies.”
Medical research shows the importance of physical activity in cancer prevention and survival. Findings demonstrate that those with high physical activity have a 40-50 percent reduction in the risk of cancer. Dr. Bongaard collaborated with the Pink Paddlers, Maui’s only nonprofit paddling club, to help cancer survivors regain health and fitness through outrigger paddling. Mana’olana’s paddling programs are open to persons with any type of cancer, both men and women. Mary Dungans, Mana’olana President noted, “Our program works magic for survivors wanting to regain mental and physical health after the grueling effects of cancer treatment. Paddling together builds confidence as we become part of something bigger than ourselves. Working with MCR, our mission is to create a comprehensive cancer support program and outreach service to help Maui cancer patients achieve the best possible results.”
MCR and Mana’olana Pink Paddlers are collaborating to help Maui cancer survivors achieve lifestyle changes that make a difference as well as lifelong friendships.
Dr. Bridget Bongaard, Maui Cancer Resources, Medical Director
World-renowned Maui artist Philip B. Sabado, formerly of Sabado Art Studios in Wailuku, has a new location. Still in Wailuku, he recently moved into a more spacious location on Market Street called Sabado Galleries, where his commitment to creating art that is historically accurate and expresses the essence of Hawaiian culture continues. His work, depicting his love for the nature and culture of Hawaii, has been commissioned for numerous public and private murals over the years, is in many businesses and hospitals throughout the islands, and is celebrated within the collector community.
A long-time Maui resident, also with a gallery in Wailea, Sabado was born and raised on Molokai where his mother regularly put aside enough money for paint and paper for the fledging artist. After serving in the United States Army, he began studying at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Sabado furthered his studies at the Art Center College of Design in California, worked in illustration and design, and carved out a successful career as an art director. Selected as one of the top 50 illustrators in the country, Sabado was chosen to attend an art university in Paris.
“I have been blessed with an incredible career,” Sabado said. “Yet, with all that success, home called me back to the islands where I began the next phase of my life within the fine arts. Back on Maui, I became immersed in painting the beauty of the Hawaiian culture and the Hawaiian spirit. As a young child I was absorbed in the local culture around me; however, painting it came later in life. My kumu told me that these things were waiting for me to paint when I was qualified, mentally, spiritually and physically.”
According to Sabado, the space in his new Market Street location will also be used to exhibit the work of other local artists and provide art lessons to children and adults. “We pride ourselves on teaching art students the fundamentals of drawing and painting in a variety of media and on recruiting UH students to work on commissioned murals, with college credits. We provide all of the tools and supplies for their journey into art!”
Wailuku is in the talking stage of becoming an art and cultural district with qualifications for art grants. We are hoping for a wonderful new area to emerge.
Philip Sabado, Sabado Galleries, Wailuku and Wailea
Linda Vincent of Kula has spearheaded the International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) project on Maui to honor her son who died on August 12, 2019, of an accidental opioid overdose. The IOAD is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose. It is a day to remember without stigma those who have died and to acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. Millions of opioid painkiller prescriptions are still written annually and Americans are dying every day from overdoses.
Vincent first learned of IOAD when the Mayor of Honolulu sent to her family a picture of the government buildings lit with purple lights. “It was so touching to me as a way to honor my son and all of those who have died from this preventable disease,” Vincent said. “I previously organized this project in Rhinebeck, New York with great success. Now that I live on Maui, I plan to continue the work with Malama Family Recovery Center, Aloha House Makawao, and other non-profits.”
Jud Cunningham, CEO of Maui Behavioral Health Resources, the umbrella organization for the non-profits Aloha House, Malama Family Recovery Center and Maui Youth & Family Services, noted “We are working on preventing overdose through our efforts at treatments for substance use disorder and care for long-term recovery. Our agencies have programs in Makawao and throughout central Maui, which help adults and youth with mental health and substance use issues. We appreciate all support for this initiative.”
Wade Maede, Acting Maui Assistant Chief of Police, added, “On behalf of Chief John Pelletier and Deputy Chief Charles Hank III, the men and women of the Maui Police Department would like to acknowledge IOAD annually on August 31 and each day. Every year, community members lose loved ones to narcotic overdose. The Maui Police Department is committed to reducing the number of deaths by providing each officer with a Narcan kit. We will continue to educate the public on the dangers of opioids and other narcotics, so no family has to suffer losing a loved one again. Together, we can make a difference.”
Over 25 Makawao merchants observed the first International Overdose Awareness Day. We hope in 2023 to go island- and state-wide. It’s time to remember and time to act.
