About Missions Educational Outreach Contact
Project Imua is managed by faculty/staff members from different campuses of the University of Hawai‘i Community College system—including Windward Community College (WinCC), Honolulu Community College (HonCC), Kapi‘olani Community College (KapCC), and Kaua‘i Community College (KauCC). The headquarters of Project Imua is located at Windward Community College (Hale 'Imiloa Room 112).
Windward Community College Mentors
Jacob Hudson, Jr., PhD: Windward CC Mentor & Rocketry Coordinator
Jacob Hudson Jr., PhD, is a lecturer of physics and astronomy at Windward Community College. After receiving his PhD in High Energy Particle Astrophysics, he has maintained an active interest in aerospace studies and, in particular, rocket propulsion. Hudson is the coordinator for the NASA Aerospace Education Laboratory (AEL), part of the Center for Aerospace Education, and is the associate director for rocketry in the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium. He is a current member of both the National Association of Rocketry and Tripoli Rocketry Association, and is Level 3 certified in high power rocketry in both organizations.
Honolulu Community College Mentors
Shidong Kan, PhD: Honolulu CC Mentor
Shidong Kan is an assistant professor of physics at Honolulu Community College. He is the college's associate director of the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium (HSGC). Kan has taught various physics courses at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Honolulu Community College, including introductory physics, algebra based and calculus bases physics. He is also the Principle Investigator of a Federal Grant Pre-Engineering Education Collaborative II (PEEC II).
Helen Rapozo: Honolulu CC IT & Assistant Mentor
Helen Rapozo is an information specialist at Honolulu Community College. Helen helps the team with using the University of Hawai‘i collaboration software tools and public web page, and also assists by taking photographs and advising on controller programming. Helen also supervises the CAELUS (Center for Aerospace Education Launch for University Students) Section of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) based at WinCC and the Model Rocketry HonCC Mag group.
Mevan Ranasinghe: Honolulu CC Assistant Mentor
Mevan Ranasinghe is a lecturer who has been teaching Electrical Electrical, Civil Engineering and Physics classes at Honolulu Community College since January 2018. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a master's in Electrical Engineering (Signal Processing) and has been working in industry as an engineer for more than 10 years. He is involved as a mentor in HonCC MAG as well as other student projects on campus.
Kerry Tanimoto, PhD: Honolulu CC Assistant Mentor
Kerry Tanimoto is an associate professor of physics at Honolulu Community College. His doctoral research was in optical studies of novel thermodynamic phases exhibited in condensed matter systems. Tanimoto has taught a variety of physics courses, from conceptual to calculus based, and also teaches introductory astronomy on a regular basis.