Georges Frem, a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate from Lebanon, traded a career in engineering for a future dedicated to science and service, inspired by the deep cultural values he encountered in Hawaiʻi.
Frem will cross the stage in December 2025 to accept his bachelor of science in biology from the UH Mānoa School of Life Sciences, marking the completion of an academic journey that started and ended on opposite sides of the globe. After finishing his first degree in mechanical engineering at the American University of Beirut, Frem made a life-changing decision to pursue his true passion for nature and animals at UH Mānoa.
From classroom to independent research
Frem pointed to his experience with the UH Mānoa Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) as the single most valuable part of his academic career. After taking a BIOL 305 course with Associate Professor Amber Wright in fall 2024, he reached out to her about a project.
“We brainstormed ideas and decided to apply for a UROP grant to conduct field collections to gain insights about trophic interactions among lizards on Oʻahu through stable isotope analysis,” Frem said. “I secured the money and managed to conduct my own personal research project from start to finish.”
Frem has remained a part of the Wright lab and is currently writing a manuscript based on his UROP work for potential publication. “This immersion in the scientific process has served as extremely valuable data for the deliberation of my future career choice,” Frem said. “Having had the privilege to execute science in this manner has definitely incited me to consider a career as a scientist a lot more seriously.”
Inspired by kuleana
Frem came to Hawaiʻi partly looking for cultural exposure, but he wasn’t prepared for the commitment he found within the UH community. He was surprised by the university’s role as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning, integrating place-based science into academics and the collective consciousness.
“The fierce passion expressed by members of the UH community when talking about Hawaiian culture and place-based science was surprising to me,” Frem said. “I was saddened by the realization that we Lebanese, seldom exhibit that same awareness, pride, and responsibility when it comes to our own culture and nation, especially as it relates to our unique ecosystems.”
This realization inspired him to act. He joined community work days and got a firsthand taste of the community’s sense of kuleana (responsibility). These efforts included:
- Helping out at UH’s Ka Papa Loʻi Kanewai and planting kalo (taro) at the Waimanālo Research Station.
- Volunteering at Loko Ea fishpond to remove invasive grasses.
- Assisting the Mānoa Cliff Restoration Project to remove invasive ginger.
“I have been humbled by the deep sense of care fostered by UH and the Hawaiian community in general, and am deeply inspired to promote those same values in my own ʻāina,” he said.
Returning home
As his undergraduate journey ends, Frem is focused on how he can be useful to his home country, Lebanon.
“I know I want to contribute to Lebanon and bring forth the best in it,” he stated. His future will involve science, although he is still weighing options—possibly as a researcher studying Lebanon’s native ecosystems, or starting science-based businesses to fund community initiatives.
One thing is certain: he is ready for the next step. “I am most likely going to be applying to grad school, and my time here has undoubtedly prepared me very well for that,” Frem said.
