ARCS Foundation Honolulu Chapter is an all-volunteer, non-profit orgnization that provides financial support to outstanding University of Hawai‘i students pursuing graduate studies and conducting research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health.
Scholar Matsuda Wins Prestigious Coral Conservation Fellowship
“The increasing frequency and severity of global coral bleaching events, the devastation to reef ecosystems and the communities who rely on them led to my dedication to coral reef conservation.”
As a University of Hawai‘i at Manoa doctoral candidate, 2019 Honolulu ARCS Scholar Shayle Matsuda pioneered new molecular techniques to study symbioses between coral, algae and bacteria. He continues that work as part of an international coral reef restoration project under a 2021 David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship—a premier postdoctoral program in conservation science that supports early-career scientists and seeks solutions to the most pressing conservation challenges.
“ARCS Honolulu Chapter provided recognition that my efforts and education were a worthwhile investment at a time when others could see little future for me.”