Matthew Gonser, extension agent for the Sea Grant College Program at the University of Hawaii, knows the bar is set high for the student design challenge he’s overseeing. Just consider its title: “Make the Ala Wai Awesome.”

The sorry state of the manmade canal, and the watershed tributaries that feed it, will require the never-say-die determination of academics to overcome.

The final plans will be hammered out by year’s end, with the challenge itself set for Jan. 9-March 17. Meanwhile there are myriad resources summarizing some past research at the project website (www.alawaichallenge.org).

“It’s a huge educational opportunity to draw the full-court-press attention,” Gonser said, adding the open-ended question of the challenge: “If our history of the built environment has led to this, and we’re looking for a different future, what would have to change?”