About Us

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture’s industry development plans, policies and programs, including concurrence on the allocation of the available annual budget. The Board of Directors is also responsible for development of ancillary agreements with other agencies and institutions. The Board:

• provides oversight for regional program development, execution and management;
• appoints and removes individuals to the Industry Advisory Council and Technical Committee;
• approves the proposed duties and membership of the Industry Advisory Council and Technical Committee;
• approves the proposed strategy for project selection;
• approves the Annual Plan of Work, including budget allocations;
• approves the Annual Accomplishment Report for consistency with the goals and objectives of CTSA and the authorizing legislation; and
• directs the Executive Director to respond to its information needs.

The Executive Committee (EC) of the Board of Directors is comprised of the presidents, or their appointed representatives, of the University of Hawaii and the Oceanic Institute, the two institutions that co-administer the Center.

Anthony Ostrowski, Ph.D., of The Oceanic Institute and Jo-Ann Leong, Ph.D., of the University of Hawaii are the two Executive Committee members.

The Executive Committee is responsible for making the final decisions on administrative policy, budget and procedures of CTSA. It also appoints the Executive Director of CTSA.

A brief profile of each Board member follows:

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Chair of CTSA’s Board of Directors

Jo-Ann Leong, Ph.D.

Dr. Jo-Ann C. Leong is the Director of the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology and Professor in the School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.  Dr. Leong is also a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and the former Chairman of the Department of Microbiology at Oregon State University.  There, she held the Emile Pernot Endowed Professorship. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology.  She now serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Center of Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture in Hawai‘i, is President Elect of the National Association of Marine Laboratories, is Co-Chair of the Ecosystem Science and Management Working Group for the NOAA Scientific Advisory Board, and is on the National Committee of the Census of Marine Life.  She served as the editor of the Viral Diseases section of Diseases of Aquatic Organisms for more than 10 years and was on the Editorial Board of Marine Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and the Journal of Marine Biotechnology.  Dr. Leong has published over 100 refereed research papers that resulted from the work of her 18 doctoral students and 6 M.S. students. She holds 3 patents for the first viral vaccine for fish and the first DNA vaccine for aquacultured species in the U.S.  It was in her laboratory that a new genus of Rhabdoviridae, the Novirhabdovirus, was discovered and the type virus, Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus, kills millions of young trout and salmon each year.  She has devoted much of her career to the development of vaccines and control strategies for diseases of aquatic organisms.  She retains funding from NSF and NOAA.

Singeru Singeo, Ph.D.

Singeru Singeo joined the CTSA Board of Directors in 1996. Singeru wears several hats at the College of Micronesia (COM). He is COM’s Executive Director and also Interim Director for Land-Grant Research, as well as the Extension Program.

Singeo while also majoring in Business Education earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California. He went on to earn a doctorate in dentistry from Loma Linda University in California. Singeo has a diverse background. He is licensed to practice dentistry in California and in Micronesia where he worked as staff dentist for Pohnpei Health Service for several years. Director and Instructor of Technical Training at the College of Micronesia Dental Nursing School in Palau. He also was an adjunct instructor at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry for its program in Micronesia.

Singeo has held several administration positions at the College of Micronesia. He has served as Development Officer, Personnel Officer, and Chancellor of the College of Micronesia System.

His interest in Marine Biology has led him to support the establishment of an aquaculture hatchery in Pohnpei for spawning and grow-out work related to pearl oysters and sea cucumbers. He continues to promote the establishment of other aquaculture hatcheries throughout the Micronesian region.

Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D.

Sylvia Yuen is the Interim Dean and Director of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at the University of Hawai‘i, the first woman to lead the college. She previously served as the Director of the Center on the Family, CTAHR’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UH-Mānoa’s Director of Equal Employment Opportunity, and UH’s Employee Relations Administrator. Her graduate work was conducted at the University of Illinois and the University of Hawai‘i, and she received additional training at the University of Chicago (gerontology), the University of Michigan (research on Asian/Pacific Islanders), and Harvard University (management). Sylvia serves as the PI of the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific (ADAP) program, a consortium of land-grant institutions in the Western Pacific. Her publications have targeted both professional and community audiences, and she and her colleagues have won awards for a data-based Web site, a videotape on families, and other work. She is the recipient of both CTAHR’s and Maryknoll High School’s Outstanding Alumnus Awards, three Excellence in Teaching awards, and commendations from the Hawai‘i State Legislature for distinguished service to the state. 

Lee Yudin, Ph.D.

Lee Yudin has represented the University of Guam as a member the CTSA Board of Directors since 2003. Yudin is the Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences at the University of Guam (UOG). He has been with the University of Guam since 1989. Yudin earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in entomology from the University of Hawaii. As a professor at UOG, his research was primarily in urban pest management with an emphasis in the control of subterranean termites. Yudin sits on the Board of Directors for the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific (ADAP) program – a consortium of land grant institutions in the Western Pacific. He is also a member of the Asian Association of Agricultural Colleges and Universities (AAACU). Yudin has numerous extension and research publications. He has traveled extensively throughout the world working in the Middle East and in East Africa. Yudin is a strong supporter of aquaculture on Guam and in the region.

Dr. Yudin was elected to the Policy Board of Directors (Board on Agricultural Assembly) from 2008 – 2010 and most recently from 2010-2012, as a voting member representing the Insular Institutions.  In addition, Dr. Yudin is also a member of Budget and Advocacy Committee and the Committee on Legislation and Policy (former Farm Bill Committee). 

Harry Ako, Ph.D.

Harry Ako joined the CTSA Board of Directors in 2009. Ako is chairman in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering at the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. In the past few years he has devoted his time to nurturing and advancing the department’s award winning research programs in the areas of molecular biosciences and bioengineering, despite the limitations in available resources and its outreach activities (via winning business competitions), as well as its strong, dynamic and growing instructional programs, both undergraduate and graduate. Ako considers the morale within the department important as well.

His earlier scholarly work led to the formulation of marine shrimp and marine finfish feeds that were not only well considered, but also held dominant commercial positions as well. There was a focus on the nutritional as well as palatability aspects of feeds. Live feeds developed for baby marine fish focused on their fatty acids and led to greater stress resistance for these animals. The omega-3 fatty acid DHA (22:6n-3) was found to be critically important. Ako conducted research on freshwater ornamental fish and ornamental fish coloration with carotenoids.

Other aspects of his research team’s work with fatty acids led to the development of the Hawaiian oils industry. Kukui nut oil products have made it into the cosmetics industry and macadamia nut oils have a presence in the cosmetics as well as the food oil industries.

Todd Low

Todd Low joined the CTSA Board of Directors in 2009. He is the Manager of the Hawaii State Aquaculture Development Program (ADP), which is charged with implementing the state plan through planning and policy development, providing support services, and funding research, development and demonstration projects. He recently served as the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA), Market Development Branch Manager and managed several programs focusing on marketing Hawaii’s agriculture products to local, domestic and international markets. The programs included the Seals of Quality program, which helps companies market their premium products; the Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign, which encourages Hawaii consumers to purchase local food products; and the Matching Marketing Funds Program, which supports the marketing efforts of local farmers by providing matching funds for distribution, tradeshow and education projects. His knowledge of agricultural distribution systems is seen as a key component in increasing the market for aquaculture products.

Low has an MBA, and prior to being employed by the State, he was the Product Development Manager for American Savings Bank (ASB), where he constructed financial modeling for new products in addition to overseeing training modules prior to the roll-out of those products. Previous to ASB, Low was the Interactive Marketing Manager for the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, where he was responsible for marketing programs to Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, and where he developed the state’s official tourism web site, http://www.gohawaii.com.

Anthony Ostrowski, Ph.D.

Anthony Ostrowski has over 23 years experience in aquaculture research, development and management at the Oceanic Institute.  Between 1990 and 2002 he managed three out of the five major research programs at the Oceanic Institute. Between 2002 and 2009, he was director of a seven-state, multi-institution consortium research program for marine shrimp. He became Vice President at the Oceanic Institute in 2007 and President in 2009. Dr. Ostrowski has extensive experience in feeds, hatchery, and growout research for marine food species.  He has developed methods for larval rearing, nursery, on and offshore growout, nutritional requirements, and commercial diet formulations for multiple marine finfish as well as the Pacific white shrimp.  His research has led to commercial development of marine aquaculture. His work on the importance of fishmeal quality to diet acceptability in marine species led to the creation of commercial feeds presently used in Hawaii for the Pacific threadfin and in other areas of the country for other marine species.

Dr. Ostrowski currently serves on the Joint USDA, NOAA, and USFWS National Aquatic Animal Health task force. His is also Board member of the Aquaculture Certification Council, a 501(3) c non-profit organization dedicated to certifying social, environmental and food safety standards at aquaculture facilities throughout the world, and Board member of the Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association. He serves on several state and regional proposal review and technical committees. He is Chairman of the Executive Committee of the U.S. Marine Shrimp Farming Consortium, a seven state consortium dedicated to development and transfer of shrimp farming methods.

Ron Weidenbach

Ron Weidenbach is Co-Owner/Manager of Hawaii Fish Company Inc., a multi-species aquafarm formed in 1978 and now located on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.  He has been a member of the CTSA Industry Advisory Council (IAC) since 1992, Chair of the IAC since 2010, and President of the Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association since 1997.  Ron holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Natural Resource Management from the University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources and the Rackham School of Graduate Studies.  He began his aquaculture career as a researcher with the University of Miami, Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in 1970, and subsequently held fisheries and aquaculture research positions with the National Audubon Society, the University of Michigan, and the East West Center.  He has served as an aquaculture consultant to Pfizer Pharmaceutical International, the World Bank, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the East-West Environment and Policy Institute, and has been Principal Investigator on numerous aquaculture research and economic development grants.  Ron was honored by the U.S. Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society as its first Honorary Life Member, and was awarded the prestigious Tibbitts Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a national model of excellence for the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his years of aquaculture research and development work.