All three students were a part of the largest delegation, all grant funded, UOG has ever sent to the SACNAS conference.  Over thirty student abstracts were accepted for presentation. 

“These dedicated students have showcased the high quality of research that UOG produces and we are so proud of them,” said UOG President Anita Borja Enriquez, D.B.A. “For their work to be just a few that were recognized among the hundreds of presenters and thousands of attendees is a great accomplishment.  Congratulations to the Tritons and their mentors on this feat.”

According to Garrido, presenting at the national conference was a welcomed new experience. 

“Being at SACNAS was such an eye opening experience. I really enjoyed my time there because I was able to spend my time surrounded by so many like minded and committed people,” said Garrido. “It encouraged me to continue in my journey for professional development and reminded me of why it’s important to work hard to help people and get closer to living the life I want for myself.”

“Dr. Sangueza is a vital part of the capacity building grants here at UOG that lift students into STEM pathways,” said Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant as well as principal investigator for the NSF INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance and Navigating Home and longtime Sangueza collaborator. “Cheryl is an incredible mentor to our students, helping them find their way to a successful future. This honor for her is very well-deserved!”

Along with her role in the classroom, Sangueza is a part of the leadership teams behind some of the university’s most successful capacity building programs. She serves as co-principal investigator for the NSF EPSCoR  E-CORE, NSF INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance, and NSF Navigating Home programs as well as the principal investigator on the Alfred P. Sloan program at UOG.