Lelemia Irvine, EIT
Dr. J. Lelemia Irvine is kupukaaina, a lineal descendant from the aboriginal families that sprouted out of the land of Waiʻanae. He earned his BS and MS degrees in Biological Engineering and MS and PhD in Civil Engineering degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Notably, Dr. Irvine is the first Native Hawaiian kāne to earn a PhD in any engineering discipline at UH Mānoa. Assistant Professor Irvine is the first appointed Physics faculty at the University of Hawaiʻi—West Oʻahu. Previously, he served as a Lecturer and Teaching Assistant in Civil Engineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. In recognition of his excellence and dedication to teaching, Kumu Lelemia received the Frances Davis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2013 from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. At UH West Oʻahu, Dr. Irvine is developing the physics, pre-engineering, and engineering courses within the Mathematics, Natural and Health Science Division. Kumu Lelemia is a self-described rain farmer seeking to connect sky, aquifer and culture through the physics of fluid dynamics. In general, his research interests involves Water—Indigenous Knowledge—STEM education nexus. Specifically, his research thrives on interdisciplinary collaborations with a special focus on (i) Indigenous grounded STEM-oriented Education, (ii) water sust-ʻāina-bility and (iii) natural and biological applications and implications of environmental physics. Recently, Dr. Irvine and his collaborators were awarded the prestigious Spencer Foundation Grant to study the impact of COVID-19 on the indigenous teaching practices in Hawaiʻi For inquiries to have @KumuLelemia (and friends) to outreach at your class or his lab, please email: [email protected] |