 |
E. GORDON GRAU
UH Sea Grant Director |
 |
STEVE MEDER
Center for Smart Building and
Community Design Director |
| |
|
| |
Stephen Meder, Director of the Center for Smart Building and Community Design (the Center), is tasked with exploring and mitigating the built environment’s impacts on our marine and coastal resources.
Meder holds a joint University of Hawai‘i appointment. He serves as the Center’s director at the Sea Grant College Program and is also on the faculty of the School of Architecture where is teaches, conducts research and serves as director of the School’s Environmental Systems Laboratory.
Meder’s research on sustainable development, particularly solar design and high performance buildings has been widely recognized. He has received numerous awards for his innovative designs and work
Steve is a driving force for improving the quality of the built environment at the university and in this region. He brings this as new dimension to the Sea
Grant College Program and we’re delighted to have him on board.
» top |
| |
|
 |
JOHN CAREY
Sustainability Coordinator
|
| |
|
| |
Serving as the UH Sea Grant Sustainability Coordinator for the past two years, John Carey has played a significant role in guiding and catalyzing the Program’s sustainability initiatives, including the Center for Smart Building and Community Design.
Carey brings a wealth of formal and practical experience to his responsibilities at UH Sea Grant. In addition to a master’s degree in political science from Ohio State University, Carey completed the Senior Executive Program at Harvard in 1988. Carey began his career at the national Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where he would ultimately serve as chief of OMB’s Commerce Branch. In 1980, he accepted position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a comptroller and director in the Office of Budget and Finance. He also served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of NOAA’s National Ocean Service for six years and retired from NOAA in 1999 as the agency’s Associate Deputy Undersecretary.
Carey believes that Hawai‘i can become a model of sustainable use and development. He cites the worldwide recognition and documentation of anthropogenic impacts over the past decade, such as global climate change, and how these are exacerbated in insular environments. On a half-time appointment, Carey splits his time between Hawaii and Washington, D.C., ensuring that Hawai‘i’s sustainability aspirations, accomplishments, and lessons are shared nationwide.
» top |
| |
 |
PETER RAPPA
Coastal Resource Extension Agent
|
| |
|
| |
Rappa brings to the Center both practical and formal experience. He holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the UH at Mānoa, where he focused on coastal zone management and environmental planning. He is currently working toward a doctorate in the same department. He has also served as a Technology Transfer Specialist at the University of Hawai‘i Water Resources Center. In addition, Rappa has an understanding of, and commitment to, addressing the challenges of restoring and maintaining our marine resources gleaned from six years as the principal investigator of UH Sea Grant’s Hanauma Bay Education Program.
Rappa will integrate his practical experience and doctoral studies to address coastal community development, particularly in the beachside town of Kailua, on Oāhu. Kailua, bordered on two sides by Kailua Bay and the wetlands of Kawainui Marsh, respectively, is poised to undergo significant changes in the next decade as approximately one-half of the towns commercial leases expire and will be renegotiated for redevelopment. Many of these leases are held by a single landowner, providing the possibility for a comprehensive planning effort.
» top |
| |
|
 |
SARA PECK
Coastal Resource Extension Agent
|
| |
|
| |
Sara Peck's area of expertise lies in her ability to teach and motivate ethnically diverse community members to accomplish a common goal. Island communities must approach coastal resource management and land use planning as delicate balances with finite proportions. Peck encourages community participation by delivering active educational opportunities through volunteer programs, workshops and public presentations. Peck reasons that citizens who understand the near shore ecosystems will advocate for sustainable human use and land development.
Peck has initiated, implemented and publicized an ongoing series of programs to encourage community involvement in understanding Hawai‘i 's coastal ecosystems. These innovative education programs include the free public education ReefTalk Series and two volunteer programs - ReefWatchers and ReefTeach. She also co-founded a cross-peer learning program wherein teens teach elementary students (Aloha Kai) about marine life. These community outreach programs have attracted and educated hundreds of young and old community members interested in matters of resource sustainability. In addition, she helped Hawai‘i State Division of Aquatic Resources establish the first successful large area community based marine resource advisory group in Hawai‘i , the West Hawai‘i Fishery Council. From broad stakeholder representation, this volunteer group has distilled multiple resource use interests into community supported rule changes. These changes include the designation of Fish Replenishment Areas where, along 34% of the coastline, no aquarium fish collecting is allowed and authored a gill net rule that allows traditional and subsistence fishing yet discourages commercial gill netting and sets aside some marine protected areas where no gill netting is allowed.
» top |
| |
|
|
