The Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) is defined by a commitment to high-impact research and the development of innovative solutions for our changing oceans. This week, we are proud to celebrate four of our graduate students whose dedication to scientific excellence has been recognized with prestigious university and national awards. These honors highlight the caliber of scholarship being produced by our next generation of marine scientists.

“The achievements of these four students reflect the depth and breadth of research excellence at HIMB,” shares HIMB Director Megan Donahue. “From leveraging big data and ecological theory to advancing field techniques in marine mammal science, their work provides the scientific foundation necessary to address the complex challenges facing our marine and coastal ecosystems.”

Maddie Berg (Ph.D. Student, Donovan Lab) Maddie has been awarded the Raskin Scholarship by the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP), an annual honor given to one student in the Earth or computer sciences. Maddie’s research focuses on land-based impacts to coral reefs across space and time, requiring the synthesis of diverse datasets. This “big-data” aspect of her research has led her to develop a specialized focus on cyberinfrastructure. Maddie is utilizing this award to further explore the intersection of coastal marine research, geospatial analysis, and computational science to improve data systems for the broader scientific community.

Lewis Evans (Ph.D. Student, MMRP) Lewis has been named the recipient of the Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship, a highly competitive honor awarded every two years by the Society for Marine Mammalogy. Following the legacy of Dr. Herman’s work in Hawaiʻi, Lewis is investigating the energetic expenditure and reproductive strategies of male humpback whales (koholā) on their breeding grounds. By integrating an eight-year drone photogrammetry dataset with fine-scale movement data from biologging tags, Lewis is quantifying the physical costs of reproductive behaviors. This research is necessary for identifying the physiological thresholds that will determine how humpbacks adapt to a changing North Pacific.

Liah McPherson (Ph.D. Student, MMRP) Liah has been awarded the Denise B. Evans Fellowship for the 2026–2027 academic year, which recognizes commitment to oceanographic research. Liah’s work, conducted in collaboration with the Alaska Whale Foundation, investigates how Eastern North Pacific gray whales are adapting to climate-driven shifts in traditional food sources. By documenting a novel foraging behavior—feeding on Pacific herring eggs in Sitka Sound, Alaska—Liah is providing the foundation required for both whale conservation and local fisheries management.

Sophia Rahnke (Ph.D. Candidate, Marine Ecological Theory Lab) Congratulations to Sophia on receiving the OVPRS Student Award for Excellence in Research. This university-level honor recognizes Sophia’s work at the intersection of fisheries science and policy. Using advanced simulation modeling, she explores the dynamics of Hawaiʻi’s nearshore fisheries across historical and future timescales. As her advisor, Lisa McManus, notes, Sophia’s research “uniquely bridges ecological theory with Indigenous stewardship practices to address real-world challenges in Hawaiʻi’s coral reef ecosystems.” Her work is a significant contribution to sustainability goals for the islands.

HIMB congratulates Lewis, Liah, Sophia, and Maddie on these well-deserved honors. Their work ensures that Hawaiʻi remains at the forefront of marine conservation and ecological innovation.