Pacific Islands Region

Ms. Allegra Mayer and Ms. Ana Reyes are this year's Hollings Scholars being mentored by the Pacific Island Region's Allen Tom. Allegra is working at the `Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii and Ana is stationed at the Waikiki Aquarium on Oahu. In addition, PIR's Nancy Daschbach is a co-mentor for Ms. Katie Rozar at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (HIHW).

Allegra Mayer is a senior at Northwestern University double majoring in Integrated Science and Environmental Science. She is working at the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo on a project on climate change on Mauna Kea. Allegra is specifically looking at changes in snow cover and precipitation on Mauna Kea and its implications for native ecosystems and Hawaiian culture. The end product will be a science on a sphere presentation for use at 'Imiloa Astronomy Center.

Ana Reyes, a junior at Savannah State University, will be working with the education department of the Waikiki Aquarium and conducting her own project entitled "Promoting conservation action among aquarium visitors." Her interests are in marine science education, and she hopes to use this experience to further her career choice.

Katie Rozar is a junior at the University of South Florida. Katie sits in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary office, and is working to expand the sanctuary's water quality program. She has been synthesizing data collected at four sites over the past two years, and will be adding a fifth site to the water quality sampling protocols. Katie's lead mentor is Ka`au Abraham, Maui site coordinator, and the PIR shares mentorship responsibilities with HIHW.