Kevan Kamibayashi

I first became interested in Volcanic Sciences when I attended Na Pua Noeau, Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children, back in 1991.  At 11 years of age, University of Hawaii- Hilo’s Dr. James Anderson and Dr. James Kauahikaua of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory intrigued my interest through hands-on methods of teaching.  In 1998, during my senior year of High School, Dr. James Anderson recommended my name to the Deputy Chief Scientist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Arnold Okamura, to be a MPES (Minority Participation in Earth Sciences) program hire.  I began my work with HVO in the summer of 1998 with the background of geology attained while a student under Na Pua Noeau.  As I worked on my Bachelors Degree, classes like Volcanology, Field Methods, GIS, and of course Mineralogy and Petrology aided my advance at HVO.  The Professors of the Geology department made my Bachelors Degree a fun and joyful experience.  With my degree in hand, the Geology Department of the University of Hawaii- Hilo helped me become a full time employee of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.  If I was to give one quote for what the Geology Department of the University of Hawaii- Hilo can do for your career it would be simply:  “If they can teach me… then they can certainly teach you”.