Silva worked for the Hawaiian Sugar Growers Association from 1951-1959 and was a member of the Department of Agronomy and Soil Science at the University of Hawaii from 1964 until he retired in 1998. His expertise in statistics and experimental design was recognized by his appointment from 1970-1977 as Station Statistician for the College of Tropical Agriculture designing and implementating an international research project at the University of Hawaii supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1974 to 1983 known as the Benchmark Soils Project. Dr. Silva was part of a collective network of research scientists from the Philippines, Indonesia, Cameroon, Brazil and the U.S. He contributed immensely to improving the diet and the lives of needy people in developing countries around the world. (Excerpted from obituary, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, January 24, 2016. https://www.oahumortuary.com/obituaries/James-Silva-4/#!/Obituary