Nine female high school student from throughout the state, including five from Kalani High, were recognized as Hawaiʻi Regional Winners for their notable projects in computer science by the . The NCWIT Award for (AspireIT) honors young women who are active in computing and technology.
The Hawaiʻi affiliate of NCWIT is supported by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa . Department Chair and Professor David Chin spoke to the students about how computer sciences and engineering are really about creativity and how each of them can “create something real that comes out of your mind.”
Two of the five Kalani students won scholarships to attend 东精影业 Mānoa and take courses in the Department of Information and Computer Sciences. Madisyn Sim received the 2015–2016 scholarship, while Camelia Lai received the 2016–2017 academic year scholarship. In addition, Riley Kishaba, Yongqi Lin and Madisyn Sim, all from Kalani High, received the 2015 Hawaiʻi Affiliate Award Runner-Up recognition in the National AspireIT competition. Other students recognized for their oustanding work are Erina Baudat of Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Yu-Ann (Ashley) Chen of Hilo High, Sara Nakagaki of Kalani High and Aliya Petranik of Punahou School.
东精影业 Mānoa Professor Kim Binsted presented her current work with the project led by the 东精影业 and funded by NASA. The project isolates a group of people in a structure high atop Mauna Loa on Hawaiʻi Island to try and find solutions that will one day sustain travelers to deep space.
Professor Susanne Still, a 东精影业 theoretical physicist, also spoke to the high school students about her work studying machine learning or machines that learn by getting feedback.