Pacific-Continental Network of Biosecurity Professionals
University of Hawaii At Manoa
Professor
Daniel Jenkins
While he was initially reluctant to interview for a position at the University of
Hawaii at Manoa, Dr. Jenkins was immediately captivated by the unique natural
and cultural resources of Hawaii, and from his first day on the campus he
established some of his deepest and most enduring friendships among members
of the Polynesian community. He is deeply committed to advancing Pacific
Islanders and their perspectives into leadership roles in island biosecurity, and
related positions in land and cultural stewardship.
Education / Professional Prep / Appointments
Ph.D. Biological and Agricultural Engineering;
M.Eng. Agricultural and Biological Engineering; B.S. Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
Professional Engineer (State of Hawaii)
Certified Pesticide Applicator (State of Hawaii)
Part 107 Certified Remote Pilot (FAA)
Specialty Skills and Knowledge
Current Research
Engineering novel molecular tools and handheld instrumentation for
agricultural diagnostics.
Custom Environmental surveillance and control systems for invasive organisms
Drones
Custom instrumentation and user interface design
Machine vision / AI
Drone operations (GIS, flight planning, customization, mission execution)
Lab Website
Key Publications
Rodriguez, R., J. K. Leary, and D. M. Jenkins. 2022. Herbicide Ballistic Technology for Unmanned
Aircraft Systems. Robotics. 11, 22 https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics11010022
Rodriguez, R., R. L. Perroy, J. K. Leary, D. M. Jenkins, M Panoff, T. Mandel, and P. Perez. 2021.
Comparing interpretation of high-resolution aerial imagery by humans and Artificial Intelligence to
detect an invasive tree species. Remote Sensing 13(17):3503.
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13173503
Jenkins, D.M., Watanabe, S., Haff, R.P., Melzer, M.J., Jackson, E., Liang, P.-S., 2021. Dose
response of coconut rhinoceros beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to 92 kV x-ray irradiation. J.
Appl. Entomol. 145, 1039–1049. https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.12930
Diaz, L. M., B. E. Lee, and D. M. Jenkins. 2021. Real-time optical analysis of a colorimetric LAMP
assay for SARS-CoV-2 in saliva with a handheld instrument improves accuracy compared to
endpoint assessment. Journal of Biomolecular Techniques. 32(3):