Categories: Staff

Danielle Shemesh

Danielle Shemesh Staff

Danielle Shemesh served in the IDF (Israel Defense Force) for two years under the intelligence defense corps, where she collected and shared information regarding threats and security. After serving, she backpacked Central and South America for two years where she volunteered and visited many cultural sites protected by UNESCO. In 2010, she moved to Hawai‘i and decided to pursue her interest in archaeology and graduated with a BA in Anthropology with a focus on Pacific Island Archaeology. Her passion is preserving not only history but also nature and the sea, and therefore she is also an active member in a local non-profit organization called Sustainable Coastlines as well as the Surfrider Foundation.

Robin Kapoi

Robin Kapoi-Keli’i was born and raised on the leeward side of O‘ahu on the Wai‘anae Coast. She received her BA in Anthropology and Certificate in Applied Forensic Anthropology from the University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu. In addition to her experience working in archaeology, Robin has participated and volunteered with several projects. These include the Honouliuli Archaeological field school (2009-2012), Mount Ka‘ala Archaeological field school (2009), and North Shore Archaeological Field School (2013), as well as interning at the Bishop Museum (2014).

Lizabeth Hauani‘o

Lizabeth Hauani‘o came to Hawai‘i in 1983 and lived in Kalapana on the Puna coast. Lizabeth has worked in cultural resource management for more than 25 years on the islands of Hawai‘i and Maui in a broad range of archaeological and cultural projects including all aspects of archaeological field work; survey, mapping, site recordation, excavation, laboratory analysis of artifacts, and monitoring. She also has substantial experience in lava tube exploration, mapping, and excavation. She has supervised large, small, short, and long term monitoring projects and numerous survey and data recovery crews with accompanying report support.

She has worked with many Hawaiian burials and Burial Plan implementation situations, cultural resource management mitigation issues, repatriation of human remains under NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act), and support with lineal and cultural descendants in the Section 106 consultation process. Lizabeth has worked with the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), the Hawai‘i Island Burial Council (HIBC), and the State and County of Hawai‘i.

Lizabeth graduated from the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 2007 with a B.A. in Anthropology with Honors and also holds an A.A. in Communications.

Estevan Gutierrez

Estevan Gutierrez graduated from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in 2014 with a B.A. in Anthropology. He has participated in the North Shore Archaeological Field School and conducted research projects in Guangxi, China collecting geographic information data for spatial site 3D remodeling. Estevan was selected as a Research Fellow for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conducting research on underwater World War II losses. He has worked in Geographic Information Systems for 10 years, working on projects around the world. He is currently pursuing his Masters of Science in Cartography/GIS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jeffrey Lapinad

Jeffrey Lapinad was born and raised on the windward side of O‘ahu. Jeff attended Windward Community College before transferring to Kapiolani Community College to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts. With a wide variety of work experience ranging from customer service to merchandising, Jeff found his niche as a Field Inspector, providing fiber optic communications to Hawaiian Homelands across the state, and this is where his interest in archaeology began. He has worked on various archaeological projects on Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Maui, and Hawai’i Island. When Jeff isn’t working, he is deep sea fishing or developing new fishing lures in his workshop.

Manuwai Peters

Manuwai Peters comes to Keala Pono with many years of experience in Hawaiian language education on Moloka‘i. He was a part time lecturer at Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at UH Mānoa, Instructor at Kapiʻolani Community College and lecturer at MCC- Molokai Education Center.  Manuwai was involved in archaeological issues beginning with the controversial H-3 impact on the Luluku and Halawa complexes on Oʻahu and was part of the team that conducted research in Wailau, Moloka‘i with Dr. McElroy. He holds a MA degree in Public Administration from Columbia University and received a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California in 2017. He is currently a Hawaiian language immersion teacher at Moloka‘i High School.

Steve Eminger

Keala Pono Steve

Growing up in East Molokai’s remote Halawa Valley fostered Steve Eminger’s early interest in Hawaiian culture and history. Years of exploring the island, coupled with self-directed studies, led to more formal training with the Molokai Community Archaeological Training Program in 2004 and 2005. Steve has worked on numerous archaeological projects with leading researchers and various CRM firms throughout the Hawaiian Islands, as well as periodic archaeological work with the National Park Service in Kalaupapa, Molokai. Complementing his extensive practical experience, Steve is currently finishing up his B.A. in Anthropology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with planned graduate studies to follow. Steve’s academic interests include researching Hawaiian texts to inform archaeological studies as well as land matters in Hawai‘i, Hawaiian rock art, settlement patterns, thorium dating of coral, geochemical sourcing and archaeostronomy.

Windy McElroy

Windy Keala McElroy received her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2007. Her dissertation explored the development of irrigated agriculture in the remote Wailau Valley on Moloka‘i. This research was featured in the PBS series Pacific Clues, several local newspaper articles, a Hawaiian language television news segment, and an exhibit at the Bishop Museum. Dr. McElroy has authored more than 200 publications, including academic articles, book chapters, technical reports, and papers presented at professional and community meetings. As a strong advocate for community outreach and training, Dr. McElroy has led archaeological field training programs on Moloka‘i, Oʻahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. She served three years as Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, teaching field schools on the North Shore of Oʻahu. Dr. McElroy was raised in Waimānalo on O‘ahu, and though her work has always focused on Hawai‘i, she has been part of archaeological research projects that span the globe, from Belize, to the mainland U.S., French Polynesia, the Austral Islands, the Philippines, Fiji, Guam, the Marianas Islands, and Okinawa.