Originally from Dingras, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines, Ken Husty Tungpalan’s family came to Honolulu for a better life and better opportunities. While at Waipahu High School, and now a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa undergraduate student, Tungpalan has pursued and created opportunities to advance his knowledge and academic career.
Tungpalan is majoring in Earth sciences and minoring in atmospheric sciences at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). He was selected for the NOAA Hollings Preparation Program (HPP), a program that guides talented undergraduate freshmen through a research project, which prepared him to be successful in his application for the 2025–27 NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. For Tungpalan’s HPP project in the summer of 2024, he helped kickstart the NOAA Pacific Islands Climate Regional Team’s mission of compiling a digital inventory of Pacific Island climate-related stories.
“Sea level rise, warming ocean temperatures, ocean acidification and extreme weather threaten the destruction of properties and habitats across the Pacific region, including my island home of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi,” said Tungpalan. “I still remember typhoons ravaging my family’s farmlands in my home country, the Philippines. After witnessing the damages caused by climate change, I felt compelled to advocate for climate solutions by sharing stories of the Pacific region.”
During the summer program, Tungpalan gathered more than 700 stories and resources—articles, case studies, videos and factsheets—that speak to the resilience of the people of the Pacific.
“This experience was important for me because these stories of innovation and resiliency can provide hope, knowledge and resources throughout the region,” Tungpalan. “It feels amazing that I am contributing to help protect my community.”
Pursuing long-held curiosity
As a young child, Tungpalan was always fascinated by the world around him and he wondered how the planet formed and has transformed over time.
“However, living in the rural areas of the Philippines, I didn’t have an opportunity to expand my knowledge due to the lack of resources,” he said. “After immigrating, I had the opportunity to follow this passion of mine.”
Connecting with Earth scientists near and far
Once he arrived at SOEST, Tungpalan established a chapter with Sigma Gamma Epsilon, a national honor society for Earth science majors, to cultivate skills, partake in scientific research and build professional networks. He represented Hawaiʻi and UH Mānoa at the biennial Sigma Gamma Epsilon National Convention in Illinois, April 11–13. Tungpalan also participated in the SOEST Maile Mentoring Bridge program, which helps undergraduates from Hawaiʻi thrive through individualized mentoring and peer support.
Tungpalan anticipates graduating in 2027 and hopes to pursue graduate school and research past climate and ecology of our planet, ultimately aiming to work for the U.S. Geological Survey or NOAA as a research scientist.
For the entire story, visit the SOEST website.
—By Marcie Grabowski
