Endowments provide continuing support for ARCS Scholar Awards. They can be—
Read the stories of some of the remarkable women who created or are memorialized by endowed funds.
Born in the early 1890s to the wealthy kama‘aina family that co-founded Bank of Hawai‘i, Helen Jones attended O‘ahu College, majored in science at Smith College, and was one of the first women to obtain a driver's license on O‘ahu. She married R.J.H. Farrar and moved to Hawai‘i Island, where she became fascinated by construction of the first telescopes on Mauna Kea and the young astronomers she met. Her nephew Russel Richards established the Helen Jones Farrar Award as a fitting memorial. The award goes to an ARCS Scholar in astronomy or tropical agriculture.
Bellingham, Wash., native Maybelle Felker earned a BS in home economics from Oregon State University and moved to Hilo following her husband’s death in 1927. She taught English in Asia and Spain, earned master’s degrees from the University of Hawai‘i and UC Berkeley, and authored A Tentative Three Year Secondary Course of Study in Spanish. After retiring as a UH associate professor, she traveled widely and was active in the Hawaiian Historical Society and Malacological Society. She established an ARCS Award for students studying conservation biology at Hawai‘i Community Foundation.
Shelagh Scoville was born in Pasadena in 1928 and studied at Dominican College in San Rafael. She opened The Gallery in Hilton Hawaiian Village in 1950 to showcase contemporary work by local artists. While president of the ARCS Honolulu, she created the Federick Mosson Kresser ARCS Award in engineering in memory of her husband, president of Pacific Construction Company. Active in National Society of Arts and Letters and National League of American Pen Women, Shelagh wrote a children’s book, The Chronicles of Fitkin Le Fraise, and Ulu's Dog, a collection of short stories.
Hazel Lois Van Allen was described as a “vivacious wahine” and gracious hostess with homes in Reno and Honolulu. But she was humble and private in her role as benefactress. Hazel and her husband, retired Army Col. William Van Allan, established the Bretzlaff Foundation Trust in honor of her first husband, W. Herbert Bretzlaff, to support education, the arts, and social organizations. The Bretzlaff Foundation ARCS Award supports a student in Engineering.
1942 Punahou School alumna Charlotte Moulton Friel was known for a lively personality and penchant for shopping. She and husband Mark Reid Yates traveled extensively and were active in the Pacific Club, Oahu Country Club, and Outrigger Canoe Club. They endowed the Dr. Guy Moulton Yates ARCS Award in medicine in memory of their son. A lifelong member of P.E.O., Charlotte supported numerous community organizations, financed acquisition of an organ console at Central Union Church, and donated works of art to various museums.
The ever elegant and gracious Jackie Takeshita attended MidPac School and University of Hawai‘i. She was active in ARCS, serviing as Honolulu President 1998–2000, and remains a patron of Ballet Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i Opera Theatre. When she and husband Clifford Laughton launched their satelite telecommincation company, they named it Columbia Communications Corp. in honor of NASAʻs space shuttle. The endowment they funded from the proceeds supports the Columbia Communications ARCS Award in astronomy.
Born in 1924 in Pasadena and trained in Dewey educational pegagogy, Mona delighted in being "Mrs. George Orton Elmore." The former teacher and school superintendent and her real estate developer husband moved to Kaua‘i and then Honolulu, where they were unwavering supporters of ARCS. She sought advertures abroad and intelligently quizzed ARCS Scholars at home. ARCS Honolulu used her 2019 bequest to establish the George Orton and Mona Marie Elmore ARCS Scholar endowment, annually funding awards in astronomy, oceanography, and other approved ARCS disciplines. Read more about her gift
Born in Seattle in 1956 and trained in journalism at the University of Washington, Cheryl moved to Kailua to marry Advertiser reporter Andy Yamaguchi. Her favorite activity during 30+ years as a Univeristy of Hawai‘i public information officer—writing about scientific research—led her to ARCS. She has served several terms as chapter co-president. Cheryl used her inheritance to establish the H. Keith and Sue Ernst Endowment to honor her parentsʻ hard work, intellectual curiosity, and belief in higher education. She is active in Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i and Jane Austen Society of North America.
Jane and Daniel Katayama Scholar of the Year Mason Russo and sponsorsNiki Lee
Dr. Jacqueline Maly
Elizabeth Asteriadis
Jane and Daniel Katayama
Vanelle Maunalei Love
Elizabeth Nesbitt
Caron Ogg
Elizabeth Wainwright
Leslie Wilson
Stephanie Laws
Brent Tully
Cindy Hunter
Jane Katayama
"The grant will cover travel to one or two conferences that I would not be able to attend otherwise."
2024 Toby Lee ARCS Scholar Lucas Ellison uses data from past droughts to analyze the performance of climate simulation models to better predict the impact of climate change.
“My research, if successful, would add a new diagnostic toolset for medical professionals to assess risk for those already at a high risk for developing neuropsychiatric disorders.”
Honolulu ARCS Scholar Alexandru Sasuclark received Best Poster Presentation at the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s 2021 Annual Biomedical Sciences and Health Disparities Symposium. The George and Virginia Starbuck ARCS Award receipient studies the role of selenium in development of particular neurons in the brain and the perineuronal net structures that surround them. Disruption in their development is characteristic of many neurodevelopmental diseases. A University of Hawai‘i at Manoa PhD candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology, Alexandru aspires to a career in industry pursuing treatments for neurological ailments.
Read about his inspiration or watch his video
"I have conducted comprehensive studies on two invasive insect pests in the Hawaiian Islands that are severely impacting Hawaiian ecosystems. The coconut rhinoceros beetle is spreading fast across Oahu and has reached other islands. The hala scale impacts native coastal hala forests."
Besides offsetting the high cost of living in Hawai‘i, funds from the 2024 Maybelle F. Roth ARCS Scholar and Honolulu Scholar of the Year awards would allow Mason Russo to return to Asia if an initial survey produces promising biological control agents for the battle against destructive insects that threaten Hawai‘i trees.