University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology alumna Alyssa Agustin and more than a dozen more with UH ties were recognized on the Pacific Business News (PBN) 40 Under 40 list. The list spotlights young professionals in Hawaiʻi who demonstrate leadership, career achievement and a strong commitment to the community.
“I am honored to be selected in 2025 for my leadership in managing coastal projects and for my service to the community through mentoring and STEM education,” said Agustin, who is a project manager at Sea Engineering.
The recognition highlighted Agustin’s work launching Hawaiʻi’s first Society of American Military Engineers STEM Camp for high school students, as well as her broader efforts in professional development and volunteer leadership.
Agustin earned a bachelor’s of science in global environmental science in 2013 and a master’s of science in oceanography in 2017. Mark Merrifield, who was an oceanography professor and director of the UH Sea Level Center, advised her undergraduate and graduate research, which focused on wave-driven sediment transport, marine debris deposition patterns and the processing of tide gauge data.
At Sea Engineering, Agustin manages a wide range of coastal and marine infrastructure projects. She leads coastal assessments, environmental permitting, construction oversight, drone-based aerial surveys, stakeholder coordination, and business development and marketing.
“I’m deeply grateful for the education and mentorship I received through SOEST,” Agustin said. “SOEST gave me a strong foundation in scientific thinking, data analysis and technical communication. It’s been incredibly rewarding to build a career that stays grounded in ocean science while contributing to real-world coastal resilience and infrastructure solutions in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region.”
For more on Agustin, see Marcie Grabowski’s story on the SOEST website.
Other honorees with UH ties
- Katie Arita-Chang, iQ 360
- Laura Bailes, Mālama Maunalua
- John “Mac” Blanchard, Lung Rose Voss & Wagnild
- Nicole Cacal, TRUE Initiative
- Kapua Chandler, Namahana School
- Jarrett Dempsey, Cades Schutte LLP
- Joseph Furutani, Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co.
- Sean Ganhinhin, Prince Waikīkī
- T. Ilihia Gionson, W.M. Keck Observatory
- Tyler Gomes, Kilohana by Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
- Gregory Hackler, First Hawaiian Bank
- Elizabeth Higashi, Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
- Jacob Karasik, Gentry Homes Ltd.
- Florelei Lopez, Central Pacific Bank
- Christopher Lum Lee, TriSec, Inc.
- Reyn Mukawa, WCIT Architecture
- Brittany Montilliano, YWCA Oʻahu
- Kyson Morikuni, EnviroServices and Training Center
- Jue Tina Wang, Tanaka Holding Hawaii, Inc.
