Photo by Brad Goda Photography/University of Hawaii Office of Vice President for Research and Innovation
Rooted in her Hawaiian heritage, Dr. Kiana Frank has forged a career in microbial ecology interwoven with an intricate connection to her homeland and a passion for its protection. Her fascination with science was sparked by her grandmother’s story about lepo ´ai ´ia (edible mud) in the nearby Kawainui Marsh, which according to legend was enjoyed by the warriors of Kamehameha the Great. “Why did the red mud taste like this, the green like that?” Dr. Frank recalls asking after some sampling at age six. “It gave me this drive to protect the spaces I grew up in — to promote the resiliency of environments that could host such delicious mud.”
Dr. Frank viewed a law career as her ideal vehicle for environmental activism until her high school biology teacher, Gail Ishimoto, told her she’d make a terrible lawyer. Dr. Frank says that Ms. Ishimoto, who was the winner of the 2018 AISES Educator Partner Award, was one of the most important influences on her academic trajectory. Steered instead to a summer science research institute, Dr. Frank realized that what she loved doing since childhood was related to microbes — and microbes can lead to a viable career.
“I tell students you have to find what brings you joy and go for it so hard. As a young female Hawaiian scientist, academia was not the easiest path.”
Participating in science fairs and working at a cancer research center helped solidify this direction. After winning an international science fair for developing a novel technique for extracting DNA from small volumes of water, Dr. Frank attained a full scholarship to the University of Rochester before earning a PhD in molecular cell biology at Harvard University. “Going 6,000 miles from home is the scariest thing any student can do,” Dr. Frank reflects. “I was the only kid from Hawaii, the only Hawaiian. My undergrad years were challenging and lonely, but I worked hard. And that hard work got me to grad school.”
Inspired by acceptance of her ideas at Harvard, Dr. Frank undertook microbial oceanography studies and research expeditions at the bottom of the sea. Whenever she struggled with the demanding workload, she remembered that hardships in traditional stories led the protagonists to metamorphoses that launched the next phases of their journeys.
In 2016 her journey led to the destiny she had envisioned at age 14: she was appointed assistant professor of Native Hawaiian biology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the Pacific Biosciences Research Center, with a focus on elevating Native Hawaiians in STEM. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” says Dr. Frank. “I tell students you have to find what brings you joy and go for it so hard. As a young female Hawaiian scientist, academia was not the easiest path. I’m not your typical biologist or professor.”
Always knowing she’d have to leave home to land her dream job, she says one of her life’s highlights was returning after many years. While her pragmatic parents had pushed Dr. Frank toward business studies, they supported her vision with the understanding they couldn’t pay for it. “In fourth grade I told my elementary school counselor I didn’t have time for nonsense because I had to focus and pay my way to college,” Dr. Frank says. “I’d always worked so hard to make sure I could come back. It wasn’t until I came back as an adult that I could embrace all those layers of culture and language that really elevate my practice of science.”
As she dives deeper into traditional stories to decode ancestral scientific teachings, Dr. Frank finds some of her students are so immersed in their culture that they’re bridging knowledge systems from the other direction. She believes it’s especially important for environmental scientists to build fluency between these realms to understand the diverse layers of connection with places.
Indigenous knowledge is integral to Dr. Frank’s work, including a new course studying island invasion biology in Hawaii and the Galapagos. Elevating traditional knowledge gives new insight into local conservation practices and helps Dr. Frank communicate mysteries of the unseen microbial world.
She’s loved the hula since she was a little girl, when she would connect to her place and ancestors through her aunt’s storytelling. As a “kinesthetic learner,” Dr. Frank weaves stories through dance to share cultural and scientific knowledge. She has displayed in her office one of her favorite Indigenous teachings — “´A´a i ka hula, waiho ka hilahila ma ka hale,” which translates to, “If you want to dance the hula, no be shame,” — to remind herself it’s okay to be different. “You just have to be 100 percent you about it,” says Dr. Frank. “Because I’ve done it my way, I haven’t sacrificed pieces of myself. For me, being a scientist is all about how I care for the places and people I love.”
— by Patrick Quinn
via @scicommlab
The Indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands made their home on one of the Earth’s most isolated archipelagos. The unique biogeography of these beautiful islands has inspired a richly complex culture while providing a home for diverse plants and wildlife.
Courtesy images
Growing up, Rose Barrett knew what she needed to do. Like many other bright students in a low-income family, she was expected to graduate from college and pursue a field that would provide a good living. Despite the odds, Barrett did just that: she is now a successful actuary able to provide for her family while doing something she truly loves.
Her hometown of Visalia, Calif., is more urban today, but when Barrett was growing up, it was semi-rural with a focus on agriculture. Because her family could not afford college, getting a degree seemed like a stretch. Still, Barrett tried hard to meet her parents’ expectations while at Mount Whitney High School: perfect attendance, great grades, and extracurriculars. But she wasn’t sure what her next move should be until she found someone who could answer questions her parents couldn’t. “I had a really good high school guidance counselor who thought I was smart and encouraged me to explore potential colleges and careers,” explains Barrett. With this support, Barrett received a full financial aid package to the University of the Pacific.
“Being an actuary has been a satisfying way to use my brain and personality to earn a great living.”
College was a welcome new experience for Barrett. “I loved being in an academic environment among people from all over, which I hadn’t experienced in my upbringing,” she explains. Like many students, as she took more courses Barrett changed her career goal. “When I entered, I intended to go into dentistry,” she says. “But it turned out I wanted to continue in the mathematics curriculum rather than pre-dental.” As she began to focus more on math, she discovered statistics. “I found my probability and statistics courses particularly interesting,” notes Barrett, “which is good because that is largely what I do for a living now.”
With her love of statistics and math grounding her education, Barrett began to explore careers in those spaces, and actuarial science seemed like a great fit. After graduating, she held many different roles within and slightly outside the actuarial career path. “For many years, my goal was to become a credentialed actuary, which I am now,” explains Barrett. “Being an actuary has been a satisfying way to use my brain and personality to earn a great living.”
Barrett spends her time analyzing the financial consequences of risk. She is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries who now has her own consulting business. “I’m my own boss these days!” says Barrett. “I’m proud to have started my own small firm and that I’m able to work with clients I enjoy.”
Becoming an actuary did not happen overnight — it took many years and much perseverance. “I got where I am today by being a good actuary and meeting a lot of people in the risk and insurance world, which helped when I was looking for clients,” she notes. Now, with more than 30 years of experience, Barrett is happy with all she has accomplished and continues to achieve. “My career has lifted me from my own full financial aid student status to being a parent whose children didn’t have to apply for financial aid,” she says. “I’m very proud of that, and very grateful for the career that allowed me to do that.”
Barrett understands only too well the struggles many young people face in following their dreams, but she wholeheartedly encourages them to keep going. “Absolutely go to college in any way you can,” says Barrett. “You do not need to know what you hope to be when you grow up. Go to college and discover what interests you and what you are good at.” As Barrett has shown, letting your passion guide you can be a great way to get to where you want to be.
— by Alexa Panza
Warriors directed by Hunkpapa Lakota leader and holy man Sitting Bull were the first to confront soldiers of the 7th Cavalry under General George A. Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The cavalry was destroyed, but the backlash eventually resulted in the Hunkpapa Lakota being moved to the Standing Rock Reservation in North and South Dakota, where many live today.