News

UHERO’s Nori Tarui appointed to Collaborative Research Group on Environmental Economics and Policy

April 9, 2026

UHERO’s Nori Tarui has been appointed as the Group Leader at the National Institute for Environmental Studies’ (NIES) Collaborative Research Group on Environmental Economics and Evaluation. The Group takes a multidisciplinary approach to analyzing environmental policy. Click here to learn more.

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Mental health impacts of Maui wildfires extend beyond burn zone

March 11, 2026

A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry finds that the mental health impacts of the Maui wildfires extend beyond the burn zone. In this cross-sectional study of 2,453 adults, residents within wildfire burn zones had a 53% higher risk of depression and 67% higher risk of anxiety compared with unexposed individuals, with suicidal ideation not […]

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Nearly $800K awarded to support MauiWES

March 2, 2026

Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Kaiser Permanente have committed nearly $800K in funding to support the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES). “‘This support allows us to keep showing up for the Maui community over the long term,’ said study co-lead Ruben Juarez, professor at the UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO). ‘The willingness of residents to participate […]

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New $2 Million Gift Supports UHERO Research on Wildfire Risk and Land Management

February 11, 2026

UHERO will play a central role in a new, $2 million research effort funded by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos examining how land-use decisions can reduce wildfire risk across Hawai’i. Researchers at UHERO, ISR, and NREM will examine the costs and benefits of transitioning high-risk lands across the state toward safer and more productive […]

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UHERO’s Ruben Juarez to Present at 1st Annual LA Fires Research Conference

January 5, 2026

UHERO’s Ruben Juarez and Alika Maunakea of the John A. Burns School of Medicine will present at the 1st Annual LA Fires Research Conference, sharing lessons from Maui and examining the broader national implications for wildfire-related health research on the first anniversary of the LA wildfire.

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UHERO’s Colin Moore to present to the Senate Committee on Judiciary

September 3, 2025

UHERO’s Colin Moore will be giving an informational briefing to the Senate Committee on Judiciary on September 18 at 10:00am. The presentation will be about the erosion of democratic norms in the United States and its impacts on the State of Hawai‘i.

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Work at UHERO: Assistant/Associate Professor (SSRI/UHERO) – Economic Forecasting

August 18, 2025

University of Hawai’i Economic Research Organization (UHERO), Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), College of Social Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Manoa (Honolulu, Hawai’i) invites applicants for the position of Assistant or Associate Professor. This is a 9-month, full- time, permanent, tenure-track faculty appointment to begin as soon as January 1, 2026, subject to position clearance […]

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Work at UHERO: Assistant/Associate Professor (SSRI/UHERO) – Public Finance and Taxation

University of Hawai’i Economic Research Organization (UHERO), Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), College of Social Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Manoa (Honolulu, Hawai’i) invites applicants for the position of Assistant or Associate Professor. This is a 9-month, full- time, permanent, tenure-track faculty appointment to begin as soon as January 1, 2026, subject to position clearance […]

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New MauiWES Study Published in JAMA Network Open

August 6, 2025

A new paper in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the American Medical Association, led by Dr. Ruben Juarez, Dr. Alika Maunakea, Dr. Daniela Bond-Smith, and the MauiWES team at the University of Hawai‘i, highlights both the challenges and the resilience of communities impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires. The study, which followed over 1,100 […]

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