The UH System

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Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research

Research Medal Award Winner

Tobias Owen, headshot

Tobias Owen
Astronomy

Astronomer Tobias Owen has been with UH Manoa’s Institute for Astronomy for 16 years. He is a respected international leader in planetary exploration and an influential figure in solar system research.

Owen was involved in all of NASA’s major planetary missions over the past 40 years, including the recent planning and launch of the Cassini-Huygens mission to the Saturnian system.

Owen’s recent scientific achievements include the successful return of data from the Huygens Titan probe, the discovery of methane on Mars and determining the importance of deuterium and other isotopes for the history and formation mechanisms of our solar system.

The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research is awarded by the Board of Regents in recognition of scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of knowledge and enrich the lives of students and the community. The board also awards the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching.

Select a recipient for more about that individual.

Current awardees and links to archives.

2006

Milton Garces, headshot
Milton Garces
Geophysics and planetology
Albert Kim, headshot
Albert Kim
Civil and environmental engineering
Tobias Owen, headshot
Tobias Owen
Astronomy

2005

Bruce Chorpita, headshot
Bruce Chorpita
Psychology
Ho-min Sohn, headshot
Ho-min Sohn
Korean language
Paul Lucey, headshot
Paul Lucey
Geophysics and planetology

2004

Alexander Krot, headshot
Alexander Krot
Geophysics and planetology
John L. Tonry, headshot
John L. Tonry
Astronomy

2003

Andrew Harris, headshot
Andrew Harris
Volcanology
Laurence N. Kolonel, headshot
Laurence N. Kolonel
Cancer epidemiology
James B. Nation, headshot
James B. Nation
Mathematics

2002

Margaret McFall-Ngai, headshot
Margaret McFall-Ngai
Marine organisms
Stephen Olsen, headshot
Stephen Olsen
High energy physics
 Edward Ruby, headshot
Edward Ruby
Marine organisms