Melelani Oshiro has been with University of Hawaii at Manoa, Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences since 2009. She spent 10 years as the Research Technician for Range and Livestock Programs and in 2019 accepted a position as Assistant Livestock Extension Agent. Melelani is native of Hawaii island, where she grew up in Kapulena, a small plantation town on the Hamakua Coast. As a sugar plantation community, exposure to agriculture played a big part of her life. Furthermore, her families connection to the ranching communities is where her exposure to cattle, horses and other livestock extended. She also spent 10 years as a veterinary technician working for a local animal clinic. Melelani holds two B.S. degrees in Agriculture from UH Hilo and Animal Science from Massey University in New Zealand and a M.S. degree in Animal Science at UH Manoa where her studies focused on effects of grazing behavior on production efficiency of grass-finished cattle in Hawai’i. 

Shannon Sand joined the University of Nebraska Lincoln in March 2023. Prior to that she was at the University of Hawaii as an agricultural finance and business extension agent from 2013-2023. Her responsibilities included all commodities, and she served statewide helping producers with risk management, business planning, expansion, finance and risk management.  Her previous work since 2013 has been for various land grant universities focusing on agricultural economics in extension. Her goals are to gain greater understanding and experience in the five areas of risk management. She has done many programs focusing on different risk management techniques, and focusing on different areas of risk management to help increase producers long term sustainability. Shannon comes from a farming/ranching background as a fourth generation farm kid. She has an B.S.  in Ag. Business Management and Marketing, M.S in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida, a M.S in Ag Economics from Oklahoma State University and M.Ag. from Auburn University.