Axel Defngin, MA

Program Coordinator

Håfa Adai, Mogethin. Axel was born and raised in Hilo town, Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, and is from Wanyan village, Gagil municipality, Nam nu Waqab (state of Yap) in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). His clan, Lasialap, comes from the Kingdom of Kitti in the state of Pohnpei, FSM. He earned an MA in Pacific Islands Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and a BA in Pacific Islands Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Axel is currently researching Pacific history, Indigenous politics, and economic development in Micronesia, while also actively contributing to various Pacific Islander community-serving organizations, such as the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership Board of Directors, and the Fourth Branch-Micronesia. He has been residing in Mangilao village, Guåhan since Fall 2024. Axel currently serves as the Program Lead for the NSF Navigating Home program at the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant, working to support the next generation of STEM leaders in the region. Saina ma'åse', Kammagar.