MENTORING BY DESIGN
About USThe mentoring philosophy and tools shared through this website were developed by the Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators (ISEE) at University of California, Santa Cruz, based on many years of experience from leading the Akamai Workforce Initiative (or “Akamai”–the Hawaiian word for smart or clever) .
Since 2003 we have collaborated with the astronomy industry in Hawaiʻi to develop a diverse, local workforce in STEM. More than 600 college students have been mentored through Akamai’s Internship Program. Engineers, technologists, and scientists collaborate with Akamai program professionals to co-mentor interns, establishing a thriving community of mentors. This site shares the work of the Akamai mentoring community.
Proven Success
Impact Recognized by a Presidential Award
Akamai keeps track of alumni–88% stay in STEM, including those from groups that historically are less likely to stay in STEM. Hundreds have jobs in Hawaiʻi. That success, and a compelling story about how the program strategically uses the themes described in this site landed the program a PAESMEM award in 2018.
%
Akamai Alumni Still in STEM
%
National Average
Mentoring By Design Leaders
Lisa Hunter (left, Director of the Akamai Workforce Initiative) and Jerome Shaw (right, Associate Director of the Akamai Workforce Initiative) lead the community that created Mentoring By Design and the Akamai Mentor Workshop.
Workshop Instructors
Mentoring By Design is a website that shares the mentoring philosophy and approach developed over many years through the Akamai Mentor Workshop. The innovative developers and instructors of the workshop include:
Austin Barnes, Cynthia Carrion, Lisa Hunter, Renate Kupke, Heather Kaluna, Nicholas McConnell, Rafael Palomino, Chriselle Nagata, Jerome Shaw, and Stacey Sueoka.
Contributors to this Website
The examples in this website were developed by a group of mentors who participated in the Akamai Mentor Summit, April 30-May 2, 2026 in Kona, Hawaii.
| Last name | First name | Organization |
| Brodheim | Max | W. M. Keck Observatory |
| Dillon | Daren | University of California Observatories |
| Drakos | Nicole | University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo |
| Fehlmann | Andre | National Solar Observatory Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope |
| Fowler | Jules | Univeristy of California Santa Cruz |
| Haleamau Rubio | Kody | Canada France Hawaii Telescope |
| Hinz | Phil | University of California Observatories |
| Hoogendam | Willem | Univeristy of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy |
| Hunter | Aaron | University of California Observatories |
| Jaeggli | Sarah | National Solar Observatory Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope |
| Jeschke | Eric | Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
| Jones | David | Univeristy of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy |
| Kackley | Russell | Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
| Kuo Tiong | Blaise | Planet Labs |
| Liang | Pei | United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service |
| Lozi | Julien | Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
| Lu | Cicero | Gemini Observatory / NSF NOIRLab |
| Mauri | Kyle | Akamai Alum |
| McKay | Luke | Univeristy of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy |
| Onodera | Brialyn | National Solar Observatory Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope |
| Ramos | Lucio | Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
| Rodriguez | Cristian | University of California Observatories |
| Schad | Tom | National Solar Observatory Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope |
| Shaw | Jerome | Univeristy of California Santa Cruz |
| Takamiya | Marianne | University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo |
| Tanaka | Windell | Canada France Hawaii Telescope |
| Vievard | Sebastien | University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa |
| Viljoen | Cecilia | Kona Aquaculture Inc |
| Westfall | Kyle | University of California Observatories |
| Wold | Truman | W. M. Keck Observatory |
Leaders and Funding
This website is based on the work for the Akamai Workforce Initiative led by the Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators at University of California, Santa Cruz.
Development of this website was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Science Foundation (AST#1743117 & AST#2034962), and the Hawaii Community Foundation.
Address
Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators
Mailstop: UCO/Lick Obs ISEE
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Email: isee@ucsc.edu