OUR GUIDING RESEARCH QUESTION:
How can traditional navigation practices build community resilience and interconnectivity in the time of climate change and post-pandemic disruption?
The Origin of Project oCEANIC
Members of the Computational Archaeology and Seafaring Theory (CAST) research collective at a workshop in December 2022.
In December 2022, Dr. Jarriel and titled navigators Larry and Alson attended the Computational Archaeology and Seafaring Theory (CAST) workshop at Stanford University.
At the workshop, they met scholars from UH Hilo and Manoa and discussed the possibility of using computer modeling to access past decision-making, environmental challenges, and community connection.
Research Team From Purdue University
Dr. Katie Jarriel
Lead Researcher
In 2023, Dr. Jarriel received a Breakthrough Award from the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University. This allowed her to assemble a team of undergraduate Honors students from a variety of backgrounds and majors. Since January 2024, the team has been researching traditional Yapese and Marshallese seafaring and building a model to simulate navigation.
Naeem Bahemia
Computer Science
Allyson Dinwiddie
History & Classical Studies
Anna Dorson
Animal Sciences
Jake Dorson
Planetary Sciences
Danielle Ejiogu
Computer Science
Chris Farber
Computer Science
Sam Landers
Computer Science
Giovanni Stabile
Chemical Engineering
Hannah Stegall
Civil Engineering
Marlo Weber
Computer Science
Our Collaboration
The Purdue team traveled to Hawaiʻi in May 2024, attended workshops with scholars from UH Hilo and UH Manoa, and learned from titled Micronesian navigators. We presented our preliminary agent-based model and received feedback from our collaborators.
The Purdue and Hilo collaborators at a workshop at UH Hilo.
Torri Law, a masters student at UH Hilo, demonstrates how to make a lei from a ti leaf.
Nick Mar, a titled navigator from New Zealand, explains a canoe exhibit at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center.
Danielle and Hannah present at UH Hilo.
Jake and Allyson present at UH Hilo.
Shania Tamagyongfal, Jermy Uowolu, Torri Law, and Hoku Brown engage in the UH Hilo presentations.
Chris and Connor present at UH Hilo.
Gio and Marlo present at UH Hilo.
The Purdue and Hilo teams.
Kehau Marshall guides the team through Ulu Mau Puanui.
Kehau Marshall teaches the team about agricultural experiments informed by traditional practices.
The team walking through Ulu Mau Puanui.
