There's not a lot of funding dedicated to research on rainbows, but a passion for photography and the spiritual draw of the atmospheric phenomenon keeps University of Hawai‘i Professor Steven Businger on the chase.
The certified consulting meteorologist and ARCS Scholar advisor shared his knowledge—from ancient Greek and Hawaiian observations to modern understanding of the physics—in an illustrated Honolulu Pau Hana talk. It takes sun and rain, sure, but there are additional factors that make Hawai‘i arguably the rainbow capital of the world. Dr. Businger's determination to photograph a full-circle rainbow led him to co-create the RainbowChase phone app, which can direct you conditions conducive to rainbow watching.
- View the video of his presentation on the ARCS Honolulu YouTube channel.
- Download his slides
- Read his article in the Bulletin of the American Meterological Society
- Download the RainbowChase app from the AppleStore or GooglePlay
- Listen to his interview on National Public Radio's Science Friday
To Quote a Scholar: Mason Russo
"I have conducted comprehensive studies on two invasive insect pests in the Hawaiian Islands that are severely impacting Hawaiian ecosystems. The coconut rhinoceros beetle is spreading fast across Oahu and has reached other islands. The hala scale impacts native coastal hala forests."
Besides offsetting the high cost of living in Hawai‘i, funds from the 2024 Maybelle F. Roth ARCS Scholar and Honolulu Scholar of the Year awards would allow Mason Russo to return to Asia if an initial survey produces promising biological control agents for the battle against destructive insects that threaten Hawai‘i trees.
Scholar Update: Indigenous Scientist Haunani Kane
“Climate issues are large global issues, but the solutions are really going to need to be locally based, driven by communities: community needs, and their vision for the future, as well as looking at our native people and the way that they have sustainably managed lands and their coastal resources,”
2017 Toby Lee ARCS Scholar Dr. Haunani Kane combines indigenous knowledge and modern scientific techniques in her work as Univrsity of Hawai‘i at Manoa assistant professor of earth sciences. Read more
Science Communicator Christie Wilcox Tells it Like It Is
Christie Wilcox, PhD, on her Honolulu ARCS Scholar Award: "The life of a graduate student is not enviable… For me, it was essential. It was what I needed, the kind of funding to pursue these curiosities that I had. And I was grateful for it.” Read more about the the award winning science communicator.