UH Mānoa Institute for Astronomy Open House, Oʻahu, 23 April 2023 - TMT team from left: Fengchuan Liu, Yuko Kakazu and Leinani Lozi. The TMT table features Lei Hōkū (lei made of stars) with Leinani. The family friendly, admission-free event attracted about 1100 visitors - Image credit: TMT International Observatory
On Sunday, 23 April 2023, the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at UH-Mānoa hosted its annual Open House. With participation from various Hawaiʻi astronomy, science and technology organizations, volunteers at the event engaged ʻohana with educational activities featuring black holes, spectroscopy, radio telescopes, tiny satellites and more. Led by Leinani Lozi, TMT staff taught keiki to make Lei Hōkū, crafty lei made of stars. Fengchuan Liu, Yuko Kakazu and Leinani also gave a public talk on TMT’s current status in Hawaiʻi and our Education, Outreach and Broader Impacts (EOBI) programs.
“As an IfA alumnus, participating in the IfA Open House is like coming home. This annual community event is the largest at IfA, drawing over a thousand people each year. I cherished the opportunity to reconnect with my Ph.D. advisor, colleagues, friends, and even my daughter's first babysitter, who brought her family along! The IfA campus was bustling with keiki and their families, and there was significant interest in TMT's project status. Following our presentation, we received numerous positive comments from the public on our new education and workforce initiatives,“ said Yuko.
Photomontage of the Institute for Astronomy Open House, UH Mānoa on 23 April 2023 - TMT’s Hawai‘i team gave a talk on the project status and TMT’s new vision on community engagement and educational initiatives - Image credit: TMT International Observatory
