HPU Capstone Symposium 2026

Welcome

The Capstone Symposium is an annual virtual event at Hawai'i Pacific University to promote academic excellence, learning with real-world purposes, interdisciplinary exchanges, and HPU-community connections. The organizing committee is happy to welcome you to our new event website! Here you will find more information about the event's objectives, the speakers, and the schedule. You will also be able to explore the content and see the list of participants. 

THE CAPSTONE SYMPOSIUM PROVIDES PRESENTERS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO:

• share what they have accomplished in their degree program

• showcase their competency, creativity, and innovation in certain areas

• relate discipline-specific learning outcomes to real-world applications

• link their knowledge and abilities to future employment or higher education

• substantiate professional development and achievement

THE CAPSTONE SYMPOSIUM ENABLES THE AUDIENCE TO LEARN ABOUT:

• what HPU students can accomplish by the time they graduate

• what different degree programs can offer

• how HPU contributes to the local community and the world

Majors Represented

Business Analytics, Business Management, Cinematic and Multimedia Arts, Communication, Computer Science, Criminal Justice Administration, Diplomacy and Military Studies, Environmental Studies, International Relations, Marine Affairs, Marine Biology, Nursing, Oceanography, Physical Therapy, Political Science, Public Health, Social Work, Strategic Communication, Teaching English as a Foreign Language

2026 Awards and Prizes

Congratulations to all presenters for a successful capstone symposium on April 24, 2026!

Congratulations to the following winners for outstanding performance:

Category Awards

Outstanding Creative Work Award - Undergraduate
Isaiah Velez: It's Cheaper Than Therapy MV, Cinematic Multimedia Arts, CLA

Outstanding Internship/Practicum Award - Undergraduate
Reycajen Magbulos: Incorporating Cross-Cultural and Study Abroad Experience in Language Teaching, TESOL, CLA

Outstanding Internship/Practicum Award - Graduate
Martha 'Tita' Garcia: Transcending Physical Therapy Settings: Pain Neuroscience Education in Acute Care Settings to Reduce the Risk of Developing Chronic Nociplastic Pain, Physical Therapy, GCHS

Outstanding Practical Project Award - Graduate
Steven Kobayashi: Reuse as Primary Prevention: A Pilot Environmental Health Initiative in Hawai'i, Public Health, SON

Outstanding Practical Project Award - Undergraduate
Jayla Strawder, Steven Felix, Norleen Tangonan, Jasmine Tampon: Priced Out of Paradise: Addressing Nutritional Equity and Diabetes on the Wai'anae Coast, Nursing, SON

Outstanding Practical Project Award - Undergraduate
Sara Fitzsimmons, Kalai Posiulai, Emma Willing, Janice Lou Bimbo: Improving Chronic Disease Outcomes in Wahiawa Through Culturally Tailored Community-Based Nursing Interventions, Nursing, SON

Outstanding Practical Project Award - Undergraduate
Leonora Franco: Assessing the Impact of Art to Raise Awareness on Plastic Pollution, Environmental Studies, CNCS

Outstanding Practical Project Award - Undergraduate
Luke Sirp, Tyler Alexander, Pia Skuthan, Schyler Verano: Development of a Website to Research and Improve Postpartum Health in Women Over 40, Computer Science, CNCS

Outstanding Research - Graduate
Haley Tiffany: Affirming vs. Non-Affirming Therapy: Autistic Adults' Lived Experiences, Social Work, CLA

Outstanding Research - Graduate
Samantha Moon: Saving Face, Seeking Help: Chemyon, Filial Piety, and Suicide Prevention in Korean Communities, Social Work, CLA

Outstanding Research - Graduate
Cortney Given: Mental Health Stigma and Help Seeking Behaviors Among Parents of Children with Congenital Heart Defects, Social Work, CLA

Outstanding Research - Graduate
Abraham Webb: Evaluating a Custom Game "Phase Zero: Indo-Pacific" for Statecraft, Diplomacy and Global Security, CLA

Outstanding Research - Undergraduate
Maya Pompel: Factors Determining Zoantharia Abundance and Distribution in Kane'ohe Bay, O'ahu, Oceanography, CNCS

Outstanding Research - Undergraduate
Jordan Boucher: Spatial Water Quality Patterns and Native Fish Presence Across Three Loko I'a Sites at Waiale'e, O'ahu, Environmental Studies, CNCS

Outstanding Research - Undergraduate
Connor Fong: Impacts of Anthropogenic Light Pollution on Monthly Aggregations of Box Jellyfish Alatina alata Aggregations on O'ahu's (Hawai'i) Southern Shores, Marine Biology, CNCS

Dean's Awards

Dean’s Award - School of Nursing
Jayla Strawder, Steven Felix, Norleen Tangonan, Jasmine Tampon: Priced Out of Paradise: Addressing Nutritional Equity and Diabetes on the Waiʻanae Coast, Nursing, SON

Dean's Award - Graduate College of Health Sciences
Javen Miguel: Clinical Reasoning During Rapid Deterioration: A Case of Pulmonary Fat Embolism, Physical Therapy, GCHS

Dean’s Award - College of Liberal Arts
Preston Silva: Felt: A Film By Preston Silva, Cinematic Multimedia Arts, CLA

Dean's Award - College of Business
Tatsuru Akeyama, Sherry Briscoe, Victoria DelaCruz, Brynne Hopeau-Lampitoc, Penny Kabua, Bin Liu, Claudia Sawdy, Chelsea Tagaloa, David Templarios: A Data-Driven Mental Health Risk Monitoring System for Elite Athlete, Business Analytics, COB

Dean’s Award - College of Natural and Computational Sciences
Isabella Acosta Figueredo: Potential Toxicological Impacts of Micro-nano Plastic Ingestion in Humpback Whales, Marine Biology, CNCS

Acknowledgements

The 2026 Capstone Symposium organizers would like to thank the following faculty, staff, and offices:

Capstone mentors: Dr. Ashley Boles, Dr. Redouane "Red" Briou, Dr. Peter Britos, Dr. Derek Cegelka, Dr. Lori Daniels, Dr. Joshua Forakis, Dr. John Hart, Dr. Russell Hart, Dr. Leeah Javier, Dr. Burgel R. Maria Levy, Dr. Cataixa Batista Lopez, Dr. Peter Mataira, Dr. Jennifer Merkle, Dr. Ngoc Phan, Dr. Barbara Quimby, Dr. Larry Schuetz, Dr. Grace Schonhardt, Dr. Mary L. Smith, Dr. Aundrea K. Vidal, Dr. Carmella Vizza, Dr. Lynda Voiles, Dr. Qing Zhang

Proposal reviewers: Dr. Heather Medicine Bear, Dr. Christina Cuka, Dr. Maria Levy, Dr. Cynthia Lynch, Dr. Brett Neilson, Dr. Hanh Nguyen, Dr. Noelia Paez, Dr. Mary Smith, Dr. Erika Collazo-Vargas, Dr. Daniela Wagner-Loera, Dr. Sabrina Thomas

Judges: Dr. Stephen Allen, Dr.  Cataixa Lopez Batista, Dr. Joy Bliss, Dr. Ashley Boles, Dr. Pete Britos, Dr. Amy  Nguyen-Chyung, Dr. Stewart Crawford, Ms. Estela Derr, Dr. Xin Fang, Dr. David Field, Dr. Steven Hanneman, Mr. Bradford Harrison, Dr. Russell Hart, Mr. Azhar Ishaque, Dr. Tandrea Jackson, Dr. Carrie Jones, Dr. Laurie Leach, Dr. Brett Neilson, Dr. Regina Ostergaard-Klem, Dr. Ngoc Phan, Mr. Jeff Rich, Dr. Larry Schuetz, Dr.  Chadia Chambers-Samadi, Mr. Iven Sugai, Dr. Sabrina Thomas, Mr. Robert Treakle, Dr. Jennette Vanderjagt, Dr.  Daniela Wagner-Loera, Dr. Rong Zou

Sponsors and Supporters: The Office of Academic Affairs, Career Development Center, Marketing and Communication, HPU Libraries, and Student Life.

Organizing Committee

Dr. Hanh Nguyen, Professor, College of Liberal Arts, Chair; Dr. Brett Neilson, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Co-Chair; Dr. Noelia Paez, Associate Professor, College of Business, Organizer; Dr. Mary Smith, Associate Professor, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Organizer; Dr. Sabrina Thomas, Director, HPU Libraries.