She was born in 'Ele'ele and grew up on the island of Kauai in the Territory of Hawaii, graduated from Punahou School in 1946, and obtained her first B.A.
of General Science until 1982 (when she moved to Zoology), and was one of the most engaging lecturers in the large survey courses taught at the Varsity Theater off-campus.
[4] In later years, she taught a popular course in the natural history of the Hawaiian Islands,[2] for which she edited a textbook in 1994.
She also served at various times as dean of graduate students, as department head, and as a member of the Faculty Senate.
Active in many environmental projects, she helped found the Save Diamond Head Association, conducted research on the effects of the atomic bomb in the Marshall Islands, and did pioneering research on micromollusks for biomonitoring.