Baldwin Robotics team rocked this weekend at the FIRST Robotics Competition’s San Diego Regional tournament by making it to the finals. Although their alliance ultimately lost their final match, they did an outstanding job representing their school and Maui. You can see the final match here. Baldwin is team #2439.
Maui’s technology sector, which employs about 2,000 people, provides the economy with healthy diversity and represents a sustainable strategy for further development, aligning with values voiced by the community through the Focus Maui Nui process. One of the leaders in this area of “clean” growth is the company founded in 1997 by Vaughn Vasconcellos—Akimeka, LLC. This award-winning global enterprise fills Information Technology (IT) needs for the Department of Defense and state agencies. Akimeka, based in Kihei, is now one of Hawaii’s largest information management and technology companies.
Vasconcellos was raised on Molokai and attended Kamehameha schools before graduating with an engineering degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an executive master of business administration in strategy from Northeastern University. In 2000, the Small Business Administration for the State of Hawai’i selected Mr. Vasconcellos as Entrepreneur of the Year, and since then, prestigious awards have continued thanks to a dedicated staff and through hard work.
Akimeka was named one Hawaii’s “Best Places to Work” in 2008. Vasconcellos was named Hawaii’s Small-Business-Person of-the-Year (SBPOY) for 2009. Akimeka has become a “family of organizations” with more than 220 employees in operations spanning Hawaii and Texas, Florida, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. In August 2010, Akimeka was acquired by VSE Corporation and continues to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Vasconcellos’ aim of creating jobs goes beyond building business to supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. The Alaka’ina Foundation, a not-for-profit Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) founded by Vasconcellos focuses on building leadership programs for native Hawaiian youth in rural areas and Hawaiian Homestead communities.
Earlier this month, 27 robotics teams competed in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) 2010 Maui District Tournament. It was a fun, challenging, and exciting event for more than 300 students as well as teachers, advisers, and parents at the Maui High School Gymnasium.
It was just five years ago that MEDB’s Women in Technology program made grants to two Central Maui 4-H robotics teams—the Bunnies and the Ladybugs—to battle it out in the first Maui FLL qualifier in a pilot project funded by the USDA. The Bunnies became the Maui Girls and the 4-H club, with the same leaders, are still going strong, winning the Robot Performance award this month and qualifying for the State FLL Championships next month.
Since those early days, MEDB has leveraged further funding and resources from USDA, the Department of Education, the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL), and established the Ke Alahele Education Fund to support robotics programs across the County, both by direct funding and provision of equipment and computers. The Ke Alahele Fund is supported, in turn, by many businesses, non-profits, and individuals seeking to develop the STEM skill base of Maui’s students.
In 2010, MEDB estimates it has already directed approximately $150,000 to robotics programs, events, and training, in support of FIRST Lego League, VEX robotics, Botball, and FIRST robotics.
“The rapid growth in robotics participation and student proficiency is highly gratifying,” observes Leslie Wilkins, Program Director for Women in Technology. “It validates and confirms the importance of our community investment and commitment over the last few years. It bodes very well for our future.”
Preparedness counts when a natural disaster happens. So does getting fast, reliable information on which the public as well as emergency responders can act. The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) is stepping up to support both.
With communications technology boosting the process, PDC is moving to speed information on threats and hazards to the public, introducing in July 2010 a Disaster Alert application for the iPhone and iPad.
“Disaster Alert puts the latest reliable hazard and disaster information in the hands of the public anywhere in the world,” said PDC Executive Director Ray Shirkhodai.
The apps are the first developed for smart phone based platforms, but PDC will seek development of apps for other mobile systems. The iPhone app is available free in the Apple iTunes store.
PDC, located in Kihei, has long been an information resource on natural hazards through its Disaster Alert and Hazards Atlas – an interactive map displaying data on events around the globe and updated 24/7 through a Disaster AWARE decision support system. A Disaster Alert system was already in operation through Facebook and Twitter connections, sending email messages and Tweets to subscribers directing them latest information on the Atlas. With the iPhone/iPad application, subscribers can review the data on their mobile communications platforms immediately.
The agency is well established as an information management agency in helping states and communities plan for threats of natural events — tropical cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic explosions – as well as hazards caused by man such as wildfires and chemical spills.
