Baring is majoring in biology and pursuing advanced research at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. She was formerly in the STEM program at Kapi'olani Community College.

Stung by his criticism, authorities arrested him in 1977 and sentenced him to maximum-security imprisonment, naming him a threat to "the preservation of public security."

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations demanded his freedom as "a prisoner of conscience." The campaign was successful.

Myron Tong is administrator of St. Francis Healthcare Foundation of Hawaii, overseeing the Foundation's fund development and community development activities and property management. He authored grants and negotiated terms for land acquisition from the City and County of Honolulu for St. Francis Residential Care Community.

Kathy Hallock is the senior social worker with St. Francis Hospice. She created the social work role for Hospice and is a mentor to other social workers. Hallock designed the bereavement care program for survivors, including support groups and the annual interdenominational memorial service.

Vincent Lee is Oahu Regional CEO of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, overseeing the organization's three hospitals on O'ahu. Prior to joining HHSC in 2001, he served as assistant administrator of St. Francis Medical Center and vice president at St. Francis Healthcare System.

Among the honorees was Victoria Niederhauser of Honolulu who received NAPNAP/Wyeth Immunization Grants, which help to improve childhood immunization rates.

Esther Masako Tateishi Sato, Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawai'i, College of Education, received Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for her contribution to the promotion of Japanese language education overseas and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

Dr. Glenn Katsuichi Miyataki, former president of Japan-America Institute of Management Science, received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his contribution to international business management education and to the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Health and Human Services Academy Team of Wai'anae High School is this year's recipient of the 2008 Francis Hatanaka Award for a Good Idea Grant by a team.

First-place winners were: kindergarten, Lucky Thepsenavong of Ali'iolani Elementary School; first through second grade, Amanda Zubowicz of Hickam Elementary School; third through fourth grade, Dakota Miller; fifth through sixth grade, Austin Montgomery.

The winners and 16 honorable mention posters will be featured in the agency's 2009 water conservation calendar, which will be available to the public at the end of the year. Winners were selected based on the quality of artwork and the student's ability to creatively convey the importance of water conservation.

Gutrich, who grew up in Chicago and now lives in Kailua, is an ecological and environmental economist. Students say he instills confidence in them and inspires better environmental stewardship.

Bigler is a clinical neuropsychologist who considers himself a cognitive neuroscientist and educator with broad interests in understanding brain function, behavior and cognitive abilities. His research has helped deepen understanding of how the brain adapts to brain injury.

Each year, more than 30,000 lei are donated by school children throughout the state.

The award, named in honor of the late Masayuki Tokioka, founder of Island Insurance Company, Ltd., is presented to a public school principal who is visionary, community-minded, and has an entrepreneurial spirit — qualities of leadership that Tokioka exemplified in his company and in the business community.

Patients are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers in the hospital and receive smoking cessation/ weight management counseling.

Tam is the manager of the Ulua/Papio Tagging Program based in Honolulu. Over a six-year period, Tam's research program involved more than 2,200 anglers who tagged and released more than 27,000 jacks in the main and northwestern Hawaiian islands.

The research has generated important information on the growth, mortality and movement of these key species. And by involving large numbers of fishermen in this research, Tam has helped create an educated and well-informed fishing community that is essential to the sustainable management of these important fish species.