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SACNAS 2026 DAY 2: Students dazzle with presentations,G3 Makerspace shines, CBT highlights UOG undergraduate and graduate programs and mentors offer guidance

The University of Guam (UOG) continued to make its presence felt on Day 2 of the 2026 Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Annual Conference, as students, researchers, and university representatives showcased the island’s growing contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Kyle Mandapat November 1, 2026

NATURAL RESOURCES

Our natural resources team is hard at work protecting
and conserving native and endemic plant species.

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OCEAN CONSERVATION

Our ocean research teams are working to protect our
precious marine resources and species including our native
Sea Turtles and fisheries

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Sustainable Start

At the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant), we define sustainability as the balance between meeting current needs and safeguarding the resources of future generations. Established in 2009, UOG CIS & Sea Grant is the region’s lead institution for supporting the transition toward a sustainable, self-reliant, and prosperous island community.

Ocean of Reach

Since our founding, UOG CIS & Sea Grant has evolved into the region’s focal point for sustainability research and community outreach. We collaborate closely with government agencies, NGOs, and community groups to address critical island needs across four key pillars: Environment, Economy, Society, and Education.

A Green Future

With an expanding portfolio of implementation projects and strong community partnerships, UOG CIS & Sea Grant is moving the region toward a sustainable tomorrow. Our work is defined by action. Through transformative programs like Guam Green Growth, the SEAS Islands Alliance, and Navigating Home, we are turning sustainability plans into on-the-ground reality.

UOG CIS & Sea Grant Spotlights

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Guam’s Cheryl Sangueza to be honored with SACNAS Distinguished Mentor Award

“I’m not going to lie, for me, this is a ‘lifetime achievement award.’” That is how Cheryl Sangueza, Ph.D., describes being named a 2026 SACNAS Distinguished Mentor.
The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) is recognizing Sangueza, one of Guam’s own, for a sustained, long-term record of mentorship in STEM, the standard the Distinguished Mentor Award is built on. She will receive the award during the conference general session.

October 29, 2026 No Comments

From kitchens to communities: UOG CIS and Sea Grant join typhoon relief efforts

By Riyo Anne Reyes, REEF intern

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) joined other organizations in a community-wide food distribution effort to support residents affected by Typhoon Champi.

October 28, 2026 No Comments

UOG students to leverage unique island research into career-building connections at SACNAS

University of Guam (UOG) students will not only present their research this week at the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference, but will also gain access to scholarships, internships and research opportunities, according to program leadership.

October 26, 2026 No Comments

Abby Crain, G3 Makerspace & Innovation Hub coordinator, holds hand-carved stamps of Guam’s flora and fauna.

What’s in G3’s bag? A little piece of Guam heads to SACNAS

By Riyo Anne Reyes

From delicate orchids and tropical fruits to coconut crabs and seashells, a little piece of Guam is making its way across the Pacific.

The Guam Green Growth (G3) Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub is bringing a collection of locally made, island-inspired creations to the 2026 Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference in Long Beach, California, showcasing the island’s creativity, culture and commitment to sustainability.

October 26, 2026 No Comments

NavHome fellow is returning to SACNAS with a research question on genetics and khat

Navigating Fellow Nico Valencia will present the research poster, “GWAS for Khat Use and Khat Use Frequency in Eastern Africans Identifies Genetic Risk Loci and Psychiatric Links,” at this year’s SACNAS conference.

For Nico Valencia, this year’s SACNAS conference is a return trip. His first was in 2023 in Portland, Oregon, where he presented research from an earlier grant-funded program. His topic then was childhood nutrition. “I presented on the protective effects of breastfeeding in children for obesity. In short, the more a child is breastfed, the lower their likelihood of obesity later in childhood.”

October 22, 2026 No Comments

A fisher and his kids pose in front of a Guihan for Guåhan catch mat lined with reef fish.

Reeling in the numbers: Fishers help G4G put local catch on the dashboard

By Leilani Sablan Naden, program lead for Guihan for Guåhan

Fishers know the ocean in ways that can take a lifetime to learn. They recognize familiar fishing grounds, notice shifts in the size and abundance of certain species, and carry generations of knowledge about the waters that sustain our island. But what happens when we bring that knowledge together with fisheries data? What more can we learn when the people who depend on the ocean have access to the information their own catches help generate?

October 21, 2026 No Comments