New Manoa dean an expert on sugar cane biotechechnology
HONOLULU - The University of Hawaii is naming a Florida sugar cane biotechnology expert to be the new dean of its College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
The university said Monday that Maria Gallo will assume her new position at the Manoa campus in July. She's currently professor and chairwoman of the Agronomy Department at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
In Florida, Gallo leads a research program aimed at improving the performance and quality of tropical energy and agronomic crops.
She is the founder of the world's pioneering programs for sugar cane biotechnology. Her research team's main focus has been enhancing sugar cane as a bioenergy crop.
The College of Tropical Agriculture has also been studying how to use crops to produce fuel.
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Hawaiian aids medical patients in American Samoa with fares
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa - Hawaiian Airlines will continue offering discounted fares to those in American Samoa needing medical treatment abroad.
The Honolulu-based airline runs the program in partnership with LBJ Medical Center, American Samoa's only hospital. On Monday, it renewed the program for a second year.
People wanting to take advantage of the discounts must book their tickets through the hospital. Last year, more than 150 patients from American Samoa made use of the program.
The discounts are available on Hawaiian flights to Honolulu and Manila.
Hawaiian spokesman Keoni Wagner says the airline recognizes the special role air transportation plays in meeting needs of the community in the U.S. territory.
Hawaiian operates two weekly flights between Honolulu and Pago Pago. It's the only airline connecting American Samoa to the U.S.
