Speaking to students at the University of Guam School of Engineering in a talk titled “Circular Economy 101: Advancing Circularity in Guam,” Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, argued that Guam does not have to invent a circular economy, only return to one, and that the engineers of tomorrow will help rebuild it.
Speaking to students at the University of Guam School of Engineering in a talk titled “Circular Economy 101: Advancing Circularity in Guam,” Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, argued that Guam does not have to invent a circular economy, only return to one, and that the engineers of tomorrow will help rebuild it.
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.
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.
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.
From protecting coral reefs and restoring watersheds to advancing aquaculture and strengthening coastal resilience, the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) is calling on researchers to turn innovative ideas into solutions for the Pacific.
When two super typhoons hit Guam this year, University of Guam undergraduate Segundo Garrido was already out in the field counting insects. His research now provides the island’s first parasitoid inventory in about 60 years and earned him recognition in the undergraduate poster presentation category for life sciences/environmental sciences at the 2026 SACNAS Annual Conference in Long Beach, California.
The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) is expanding its commitment to sustainable fisheries and community education with the establishment of a new Sustainable Fisheries Education Fellowship, naming Kevin Rivera as its inaugural fellow.
The University of Guam continued its ongoing award streak at the SACNAS Annual Conference with three students and one faculty mentor taking top honors at the nationaly STEM assembly.
Over six-hundred college and university students from all over the country presented their research over the course of the two-day judging period and of them, three UOG students were presented with disguised recognition awards.
The University of Guam delegation to SACNAS continued to celebrate Indigenous cultures, and expand their academic and professional horizons during the third day of the 2026 Annual Conference.
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).
303 University Drive
UOG Station
Mangilao, Guam 96913
Phone: (671)735-5631
Email: cis@uog.edu
seagrant@uog.edu
©2026 University of Guam
Sea Grant. All rights reserved.
303 University Drive
UOG Station
Mangilao, Guam 96913
Phone: (671)735-5631
Email: cis@uog.edu
seagrant@uog.edu
©2026 University of Guam
Sea Grant. All rights reserved.
