Kekuʻiapōiula "Kuʻi" Keliipuleole
Marine Biology Graduate Student, SOEST Maile Mentoring Bridge Program Manager
Oahu, Hawaii
I am kamaʻāina to Pālolo on Oʻahu
I am kamaʻāina to Pālolo on Oʻahu
Field of study/specialty
In Marine Biology, I study marine, coastal invertebrates. Right now, I am trying to understand what parameters affect the carrying capacity of opaeʻula, a type of shrimp endemic to Hawaiʻi that live in anchialine pools.
What inspired you to pursue STEM?
An incident I had with a shark, initially, but many people have kept me on this path throughout my life. Iʻd say I owe a lot to my parents for their constant exposure to nature and how they nurtured my love for inquiry and exploration.
What is something you wish you knew when starting out in this field/ advice you would give NHPI students interested in pursuing this type of career?
Do internships and REUs and any other research opportunity available! Most of my experience (and most of what I can remember/recall) was gained while doing REUs or working for a research laboratory. Understanding why you have to learn certain things as an undergraduate in college is much more obvious when you get to do actual research (fieldwork or laboratory work). Plus, doing something fun, like fieldwork/lab work, makes doing the not so fun and tedious things more bearable.
In Marine Biology, I study marine, coastal invertebrates. Right now, I am trying to understand what parameters affect the carrying capacity of opaeʻula, a type of shrimp endemic to Hawaiʻi that live in anchialine pools.
What inspired you to pursue STEM?
An incident I had with a shark, initially, but many people have kept me on this path throughout my life. Iʻd say I owe a lot to my parents for their constant exposure to nature and how they nurtured my love for inquiry and exploration.
What is something you wish you knew when starting out in this field/ advice you would give NHPI students interested in pursuing this type of career?
Do internships and REUs and any other research opportunity available! Most of my experience (and most of what I can remember/recall) was gained while doing REUs or working for a research laboratory. Understanding why you have to learn certain things as an undergraduate in college is much more obvious when you get to do actual research (fieldwork or laboratory work). Plus, doing something fun, like fieldwork/lab work, makes doing the not so fun and tedious things more bearable.