This series of Business Confidence Surveys represents PCEI’s continued efforts to address the gap in availability of reliable, current, and relevant indicators of business and economic conditions on Guam. Parallel to its goal exhibited in the previous three surveys, this survey keeps track of the perspectives of Guam-based business owners’ and managers’ on local, regional and global business conditions. These include assessment of their company’s performance over a year and their prospects in the following year, expressed in terms of capital expenditures, employment, sales, inventory and profits.

Maria Claret M. Ruane, Ph.D., UOG PCEI in-house economist, and Cynthia P. Cudia, a Fulbright Scholar in Residence, analyzed the data collected from 20 businesses who responded to the survey during the month of October 2010. Results show that:

· In all five areas of business surveyed, namely, capital expenditures, employment, sales, inventory and profits, majority (ranging about 47% to 81%) of twenty owners or managers of Guam-based businesses who responded to the current survey indicated that they met last year’s performance expectations. Around 6% to 14% exceeded their last year’s performance expectations in the five business areas. However, there is an equal percentage (about 47%) of the respondents indicating two different outcomes, positive and negative. The positive indicates the same performance of their businesses this year as they expected last year; and the negative is the sum of the respondents who indicated that their company performance this year is either worse or much worse than they expected last year.

· Except for employment, there is a clear majority (about 53% to 71%) of the business owners or managers surveyed hold positive expectations for their company’s capital expenditures, sales, inventory and profit performance in the next 12 months. It is remarkable that about 71% of the respondents forecasted to generate higher sales revenue in the next 12 months. Although employment is not expected by majority to be better than this year’s record, still about 53% of the respondents indicated a “neutral” prospect as they expect that it will remain the same as this year’s performance.

· About 74% of the survey respondents indicated positive prospects for the industry in which they operate. It is remarkable that nobody indicated a negative “much worse than this year’s” prospect while about 16% of them were “neutral”, i.e., expecting their business performance in the next 12 months to be the same as in the past 12 months. Only about 11% of respondents expressed negative prospects for their industry in the next 12 months.

· This survey results show strongly positive prospects for the Guam economy in the next 12 months, with about 79% of business owner or managers surveyed who expect the Guam economy to perform better than it did this year; about 5% expecting next year’s performance to be the same as this year’s; and only about 16% of the respondents expect the Guam economy in the 12 months to be worse than in the past 12 months.

“PCEI is currently evaluating the low response rate to this survey and possible reasons for it,” noted Ruane. “As previously noted, this survey was the fourth conducted semi-annually since February 2009. In all four surveys, the response rates had always been on the low end but the latest was the worst. Businesses may be “surveyed out” after having been asked to reply to several surveys during this year alone.”

“One reason for the low survey response rate in the current survey might be the timing of the most recent survey, which coincided with the annual survey of the Top Companies conducted by the Guam Business Magazine (GBM) and co-sponsored by ASC Trust Corp. Because the GBM survey asked similar questions to 30 large companies on Guam and Micronesia, it appeared that many of the same companies found the PCEI survey redundant and hence chose not to participate in it (only 2 of the 20 respondents to the PCEI survey indicated they were not small businesses). Nonetheless, it might be useful to combine the responses of small business owners/managers from our survey with those by the large businesses that David J. John of ASC Trust Corp., Jerry Filush of Deloitte and Touche, and Maureen Maratita of Glimpses Publications “visited … to get their views on how their businesses have been doing so far this year and where they see things going over the next year” (GBMagazine, November-December 2010). Taken together and interpreted with caution, the two surveys suggest the same pattern: that businesses on Guam, small and large alike, are optimistic about future prospects for the local economy.”

Both PCEI and GBM surveys were conducted in October and did not reflect major developments that occurred afterwards, including the incoming administration and legislature on Guam, along with more recent surprises such as the fiscal challenges faced by the Government of Guam in general, made worse by the dire fiscal conditions at the Guam Memorial Hospital.

“PCEI will revisit the timing and frequency at which the survey is conducted. Perhaps every six months might be too frequent to our survey respondents,” noted Ruane. Click here for the full report.

-END-

University of Guam President Robert A. Underwood received the Higher Education Award from the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund on November 10 for his long-standing commitment to education and efforts to increase access to education for Asian and Pacific Islander American students during the APIASF’s Today’s Minds, Tomorrow’s Future Scholarship Benefit in New York.

Underwood was the first chair of the Board of Directors when it began in 2004. It is now the largest scholarship fund serving the Asian & Pacific Islander community.

“I was able to help launch the APIASF with a few corporate partners including McDonalds, Wells Fargo, ATT and Wal-Mart. It is now a multi-million dollar operation,” said Underwood. “I am pleased to see that the organization is thriving, and that these scholarships are increasing access to higher education for Asian and Pacific Islander students.”

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation's largest 501c(3) non-profit organization that provides scholarships to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) with financial need. Based in Washington, DC, APIASF was formed in 2003. The APISF’s vision is to see that all APIAs have access to higher education and resources that cultivate their academic, personal and professional success regardless of their ethnicity, national origin or financial means. Pictured are Nerissa Underwood, Superintendent of Guam DOE, Jacinta Titialii Abbott, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Robert A. Underwood.

The underwater Marigondon Cave offshore from Plantation Bay Resort, Mactan Island,

Caves and rock shelters have been attractive magnets for human settlement as well as to investigators who have often found archaeological remains at undisturbed shelters.

A University of Guam scientist, Alexander M Kerr, will join an international team from ten institutions in using genetic information from modern species, as well as data from fossils dating back more than 500 million years to figure out precisely where echinoderms fit into the history of all life.  The $3 million initiative begins in January 2011.

Echinoderms include five living classes of animals whose common names are starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, crinoids and sea cucumbers. But those five living classes don’t tell the entire echinoderm story. Up to 16 other classes are extinct and known to have existed since at least the Cambrian Period, 540 million years ago. Fossil echinoderms are common throughout Earth's history, but a comprehensive effort to reconstruct the group’s entire history has yet to be attempted.

This project is rare within the NSF Tree of Life initiative for its mix of coral-reef biologists, paleontologists, geneticists and computational biologists.  “We all complement one another – the idea is to pool and digitize as much information as possible and come up with a consensus about how evolutionary history unfolded in echinoderms,” said Bill Ausich, a team leader and palaeontologist at Ohio State University.

Meanwhile, other scientists will be able to collect genetic and anatomical data on living echinoderms.  "The University of Guam Marine Laboratory will form an important link in this project by providing researchers unrivalled access to a rich and poorly studied set of living species of echinoderms in our region." Kerr said.

That broad combination of research techniques, however, will also pose an information-technology challenge. To address this, computational biologists will link computers together to analyze massive amounts of data.  The computer array will explore the similarities and differences between the modern samples containing both genetic and anatomical information, and the fossils containing only anatomical information to construct what is called a phylogenetic tree for the entire echinoderm group.  Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary relationships among various biological species believed to have a common ancestor. "The Tree of Life is, in fact, one massive phylogenetic structure involving all organisms, from bacteria to fungi as well as plants and animals." notes Dan Janies, team organiser and computational biologist at Ohio State University Medical School.

He has written six books: North Vietnam's Strategy for Survival (1972); Jury Selection Procedures: Our Uncertain Commitment to Representative Panels (1977); Sharing the Resources of the South China Sea (co-author 1997); Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawai`i? (2008); International Law and Litigation in the U.S. (co-author, 3rd ed. 2009), and Checklists for Searches and Seizures in Public Schools (co-author updated annually).

He has also written numerous articles, focusing in particular on issues related to international ocean law, international human rights, international environmental law, and the rights of Native Hawaiians.

In 1987, Professor Van Dyke was recipient of a University of Hawaii Presidential Citation for Excellence in Teaching, and he has been selected Outstanding Professor at the Law School on four occasions. Professor Van Dyke will be a Visiting Professor at the University of California at Berkeley in spring 2011.

He began his career as a law clerk for Chief Justice Roger Traynor of the California Supreme Court (1969-70). Professor Van Dyke has served as the Law School's associate dean (1980-82), as the University of Hawaii's representative on the executive board of the Law of the Sea Institute (1982-88), as director of the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace (1988-90), and as an Adjunct Research Associate or Fellow at the East-West Center (1979-91, 2000-present).

Oct. 26, 2010

UOG RECEIVES $1.3M Grant to Assist First-Year Pacific Islander Students

Kubre - Student Enhancement Program

 Pacific Islander students who need assistance in developing their math skills will have more support thanks to a five-year $1.3M grant from the U.S. Department of Education Asian American and Native American Pacific Island Serving Institution Program.

 In Chamorro, the term Kubre means to help out or assit. This grant program is entitled Kubre because it focuses on ensuring that students, and particularly first-year Pacific Islander freshmen, receive quality academic and support services such as tutoring, mentoring, supplemental instruction, and career exploration.

 “We look to increase retention and to encourage students to continue their studies and complete their degree programs,” said UOG President Robert A. Underwood. “If a student is successful academically then they are more likely to continue their education. This grant provides our students with additional support to ensure they are able to pass their courses and ultimately graduate with a bachelor’s degree.”

 The Kubre program will focus on increasing the number of freshmen who succeed in demonstrating mathematic skills. “University of Guam math placement test data show that in fall of 2009, 72% of incoming freshmen tested into developmental math,” said Julie Ulloa-Heath, dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services at UOG. “Furthermore, many students who test into developmental math do not pass the course. This grant provides us with the funding to mitigate this trend and improve the number of students who successfully complete the coursework.”

 Robert A. Underwood introduced legislation to create the American and Native American Pacific Island Serving Institution Program when he was Guam’s Congressional Delegate. “I view this as a watershed grant that has the ability to positively impact the lives of many of our freshmen, supports our natural choice initiative, and will ultimately contribute to producing Guam’s professional class.”

 For more information on how to participate in Kubre, please contact Dean Ulloa-Heath at 735-2292 or julieuh@uguam.uog.edu. 

 

Parsons Scholarship

 

The University of Guam and the UOG Endowment Foundation awarded Parsons Scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $6,000 to UOG Pre-Engineering students Kyle Santos, Manuel Degracia, and Julius Raposa on October 15. Parsons recently donated $15,000 to UOG and the UOG Endowment Foundation to support scholarships for pre-engineering students attending the university. Scholarships were awarded to students based on academic achievement and financial need. Pictured from left are UOG President Dr. Robert Underwood; Kyle Santos; UOG Financial Aid Director Mark Duarte; Manuel Degracia; UOG Endowment Foundation Executive Director Mark Mendiola; Julius Raposa,; Robert Marks, Parsons; and Shahram Khosrowpanah, UOG professor and pre-engineering faculty member. Not pictured is Carlo Santos who also received a scholarship.

 

Oct. 11, 2010
UOG LOGO APPAREL TO LAUNCH AT KMART OCT. 21

The University of Guam in partnership with Pacific Charlie will launch UOG logo apparel at Kmart on Oct. 21. A variety of t-shirts, caps, and soon hoodies, will be available at the Guam Kmart store.

“This marks the first major effort of the University’s collegiate licensing program,” said Cathleen Moore-Linn, director of integrated marketing communication at UOG and manager of the collegiate licensing program. “Our goal is to have UOG logo apparel and other merchandise available in Guam’s major retail outlets. The UOG logo apparel items make great gifts for friends and relatives both on and off-island as well as for alumni of the institution. The merchandise helps to build brand awareness among various constituencies and is also a nice way to commemorate a visit to the island.”

UOG President Underwood and Board of Regents Chairman P. Sonny Ada have both advocated the launch of the program. “We would like to see UOG logo apparel at the airport, at ABC stores, and other high traffic retail outlets,” added Moore-Linn.

Pacific Charlie was selected from a pool of businesses who responded on an RFP in 2009. The University signed a collegiate licensing agreement with Pacific Charlie and 8% of all sales of UOG merchandise made by Pacific Charlie to retail outlets will be paid to UOG on a quarterly basis. “From the beginning, we envisioned collaborating with a local business in this venture. Pacific Charlie saw the potential in the collegiate licensing program and submitted an outstanding proposal.”

To view the UOG logo apparel visit www.uog.edu.

For more information on the collegiate licensing program contact Cathleen Moore-Linn at 735-2944 or cmoore@uguam.uog.edu.

September 22, 2010
ACEI Officers 

The Association of Childhood Education International at the University of Guam were inducted on September 22, 2010. Officers are, front row, from left Risa Hameister, vice president; Heidi Cameron, president; back row from left Maria Perez, treasurer; Shawlon Abuan, secretary; Katrina Baza, public relations officer; and Jovina Munoz, public relations officer.

 

Sept. 29, 2010

UOG SCHOOL OF NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES RECEIVES $1.2M AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER GRANT
The University of Guam’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences has received 1.2 million dollars from the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for the Guam/Micronesia Area Health Education Center (AHEC) grant.  The funding will support AHEC grant objectives including the recruitment of students into primary care and public health careers and providing interdisciplinary training and continuing education for health professionals in Guam, the Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Kosrae.

 

This marks the second year of funding for the AHEC grant and a notable 38 percent increase from year one funding.

 

Through the collaborative efforts of the UOG’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences with the John Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Guam will also receive funding to support the purchase and set up of a simulated manikin for Guam Memorial Hospital to use for training purposes.  This will provide an expanded opportunity to keep staffing skills current and provide more training for nursing students during their clinical experiences.

 

The University of Guam was designated as the program office for the Guam/Micronesia Area Health Education Center (AHEC) in 2009 in partnership with the University of Hawaii, the Guam Community College, the College of Micronesia, the College of the Marshall Islands, and the Pacific Islands Health Officers Association.

 

The goal of the Guam/Micronesia AHEC is to improve the health of the underserved through collaborative regional training initiatives across the Micronesian region. This area has some of the highest health workforce shortage ratings, and greatest health and education disparities in the US.  The Guam/Micronesian Area Health Education Center emphasizes community-based interisland training for healthcare providers and students while enhancing health career education and recruitment from elementary to community college levels.

 

For more information on the Area Health Education Center grant, contact Karen Cruz, AHEC Program Director, at 735-2650 or kcruz@uguam.uog.edu.

 

September 28, 2010

Center for Gender Studies at the University of Guam to Open Oct. 8

 The University of Guam Women and Gender Studies program will open the new Center for Gender Studies at the University of Guam at 10:00 a.m. on October 8, 2010. Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Indonesian women’s activist Zohra Andi Baso will officially open the center which is located in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Room 205. The goals of the Center for Gender Studies are to:

          ·Provide supplementary instructional resources to all classes on the UOG campus such as books, documents and films on gender issues.

·         Establish mentoring activities for male and female faculty and students in the area of gender.

·         Serve as a repository for research and advocacy projects in the area of gender.

·         Maintain activities and projects that highlight the need for gender equality on the University campus, the island of Guam and the Pacific region.

·         Offer a venue for the University community, and local and regional organizations to meet and collaborate with the UOG Women and Gender Studies faculty.

·         Collaborate with regional institutions on research and education on gender.

The event is free of charge and open to the public. The celebration will run from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. For more information contact Dr. Helen Thompson at drhelent@gmail.com or 735-2885 or Dr. Seyda Turk Smith at stsmith@uguam.uog.edu or 735-2881.

 

UOG Receives $300,000 Grant

September 24, 2010

UOG Receives $300K Dept. of Justice Grant
The University of Guam's Violence Against Women Prevention Program received
a new $300,000.00 Federal Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office
on Violence Against Women. The grant was written by Dr. Iain Twaddle, Dr.
Seyda Turk Smith, Maira Rios, and Junelyn Hautea. The University will use
the grant for the following purposes: (1) Strengthen the campus and
community response to violence against women on campus; (2) Further develop
and implement campus policies, protocols, and services that more effectively
identify and respond to crimes of violence against women; (3) Expand
programs to train key University personnel to respond effectively in cases
involving violence against women; (4) Expand education programs for the
prevention of violence against women for students, faculty, and staff,
including a specialized prevention and education program for all incoming
students; (5) Create and disseminate new materials providing information
about victims' options on and off campus; and (6) Further develop a
comprehensive victim service program on campus providing assistance to
victims. While the University of Guam itself does not have high rates of
sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, these
crimes occur frequently in the community. This grant will help to educate
University of Guam students, faculty, and staff about issues related to
violence against women and to support the prevention of these crimes on our
campus and in the broader community.

September 23, 2010

Guam Department of Agriculture in Partnership with UOG Receives USDA Grant

 

A USDA specialty crop grant worth $183,112 has been awarded to the Guam Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the University of Guam, for propagating and making available to the public disease-resistant banana plants.

 

Many backyard farmers and commercial banana growers have to deal with diseases and pests of bananas in order to get any fruit production; there are banana varieties that are naturally resistant to many of these. The plan is to obtain disease-free plants of these varieties and then propagate them in tissue culture to make them available to the public. Growers can then obtain and plant these banana varieties to help them have fewer disease problems.

 

Dr. George Wall and his staff at the Plant Pathology Laboratory, in the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center will provide disease-free, tissue-cultured banana stock to the Department of Agriculture. They will also provide tissue culture training to GDA personnel to clone the disease-free stock ensuring purity and plant health.

 

The advantages to planting in vitro propagated plants are many:

• Since they are disease and insect free they will grow faster and more vigorously than suckers taken from the field
• All tissue-cultured plants are guaranteed to be of a particular variety
• They can be ordered in advance and available in large numbers at one time.  

These tissue-cultured plants will benefit growers through higher yields and retailers and consumers by a wider selection and an opportunity to buy local produce and enjoy fresher, tastier and more nutritious bananas.

 

“This is a wonderful opportunity for WPTRC researchers to support farmers and take part in making fresh, locally grown fruit available,” says Greg Wiecko, WPTRC associate director.

The University of Guam and Guam Department of Agriculture continue their longstanding tradition of working together for the benefit of Guam’s farmers and consumers.

 

Sept. 19, 2010

Global Tourism Book Published
UOG’s Fred Schumann Co-editor/Author

UOG professor Fred Schumann is the co-editor/author of the recently released book, Global Tourism published by Kumpul Publications of Tokyo. The book is primarily for students and researchers of issues concerning International Tourism. Dr. Munehiko Asamizu, Associate Professor of Tourism at Yamaguchi University in Japan is the co-editor of the book.

 

“Dr. Asamizu and I began working on this book project approximately two years ago. This books aims to show the dynamics of tourist mobility, especially in the Asia Pacific region. This is done through the compilation of writings from tourism researchers from around the region.  International Tourism has become an extremely popular subject at Asia Pacific universities and our goal is to provide an updated English language resource for everyone,” said Schumann.

In addition to editing the book, Schumann contributed a chapter on “Overall Guest Satisfaction versus Satisfaction from Varying Source Markets: A Guam Case Study” to the publication.

 

Sept. 14, 2010

New Species of Single-Celled Organism Named for MDA’s Pete Peterson

 University of Guam Biology Professor Chris Lobban and his colleagues at the University of Texas Austin recently published a paper on the diatom genus Climaconeis from Guam, in which they name two new species, one of them after Pete Peterson (Micronesian Divers Association). The new species was found at the commercial dive site called "Pete's Reef", and was named in honor of Peterson for his pioneering work in protecting reefs by establishing buoys so that dive boats can tie up and not have to anchor on the reefs.

Diatoms are single-celled organisms and one of the most common types of algae. Although most diatoms are unicellular, they can exist as colonies and are producers within the food chain. Diatom communities are a popular tool for monitoring environmental conditions, past and present, and are commonly used in studies of fresh and saltwater quality. The average person may have noticed diatoms collecting in their fish tank as brown slime.

The paper is the first in a series of articles on new species and new records resulting from The Western Pacific Diatoms Project, a collaboration between Lobban, Ed Theirot at the University of Texas, and Ric Jordan at Yamagata University.  The project includes development of an online atlas of the diatoms in our region on the Texas Natural Science Center's web site ProtistCentral. 

 For more information contact Dr. Chris Lobban at clobban@uguam.uog.edu.

Sept. 2, 2010

Baluyut Receives AGA Guam Chapter - Herminia Dierking Scholarship

The Association of Government Accountants Guam Chapter presented the Herminia Dierking Scholarship to Elisa Baluyut, an accounting major at the University of Guam, for the Fall 2010 semester. The $3,100 scholarship will support Baluyut in her efforts to complete her Bachelor of Business Degree in Accounting by the Spring of 2011. The scholarship is named in memory of Herminia Dierking who was a life-time educator and faculty member in UOG’s School of Business and Public Administration. Pictured from left are AGA-Guam Chapter officers and accounting faculty in the School of Business and Public Administration Elizabeth Foma; Dr. Anita Enriquez-Dean, School of Business and Public Administration; Helen Whippy, UOG senior Vice president; Baluyut; Julie Ulloa-Heath, UOG Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services;  Melba Cantoria; Doreen Crisostomo; and Venus Ibarra.

 

Sept. 1, 2010

3,639 Students at UOG

2.5% Increase for Fall 2010

The University of Guam certified enrollment figures for the fall 2010 semester show a 2.5% increase over the prior year with 3,639 students enrolled compared to 3,550 students in 2009.  This semester’s enrollment is the highest in the past 10 years and continues the trend of increasing enrollment at the institution. Enrollment by gender, load, and ethnicity continue to be similar to recent Fall semesters:

 

·         39% of students are male and 61% are female

·         74% of students are full-time taking at least 12 credits or more, and 26% of students are part-time

·         51% of students are Pacific Islander, 41% Asian, 4% White/Non-Hispanic, 0.5% Black/Non-Hispanic, 0.7% Hispanic, among other categories

·         The average age of undergraduates is 23,  and the average age of graduate students is 35

 “There are several factors that contribute to the continuing increase in enrollment at the University of Guam including our natural choice initiatives to reach out to local high schools and regional community colleges,” said UOG President Robert A. Underwood. “At the graduate level, over the last several years, we have offered our Professional MBA, Master of Education, and Master of Science in Clinical Psychology degrees on a cohort model with courses offered during the summers, in the evenings and on weekends. This model is ideal for working professionals, has made the programs more accessible, and has contributed to an increase in the number of graduate students at UOG. We look forward to launching our first online graduate program, a Master of Education in Reading, in the spring of 2011.”

 

August 26, 2010

UOG Student Obtains Internship at Military Sealift Fleet Support Command

 

University of Guam student David Robbins was selected to participate in the Military Sealift Fleet Support Command’s (MSFSC) Shoreside Student Education Employment Program. He is the first student hire for the MSFSC Ship Support Unit Guam under this program.

 The internship lasts for six months and will provide Robbins with experience in federal contracting and other areas. He is currently a part-time student at UOG and will work approximately 40 hours per week during his internship.

 “We will work with him to arrange his work hours around his course schedule and ensure that his education is a priorty,” said Patrick Dimla, contracting officer for MSFSC.

 “MSFSC contacted the Career Development Office last year to let us know about their program and their interest in working with University of Guam students,” said Leah Beth Naholowaa, UOG Career Placement Officer. “David was selected from a pool of 14 applicants after interviews held in July and August. David is certainly looking forward to his internship with MSFSC.” 

Military Sealift Fleet Support Command equips, crews, trains and maintains the more than 40 government-owned/government-operated ships of Military Sealift Command. The majority of ships supported by MSFSC operate in Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, replenishing Navy ships at sea with fuel and supplies. In addition, MSFSC supports ships within the Special Mission Program crewed by civil service mariners.

Ship Support Unit Guam, or SSU Guam, provides operational, engineering, logistics, contracting, medical and administrative support to all of Military Sealift Command's government-owned, operated and controlled ships and their associated crews operating in the Western Pacific. These ships support U.S. military interests in the region. Guam is a logistics hub for Military Sealift Command interest ships, which often call upon ports in the region including Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Palau.

Pictured from left are Commander Norm Maple, Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, Ship support Unit Guam; Patrick Dimla, MSFSC contracting officer; UOG student David Robbins; UOG President Robert A. Underwood; Leah Beth Naholowaa, UOG Career Placement Officer; and Norma Pillman, MSFSC Administrative Officer. 

 

August 25, 2010

UOG Participates in Documents without Shelves
Receives Approximately 1,500 Digital Materials Per Month

The Government Documents Collection at the University of Guam’s RFK Memorial Library is a one of 1300 depository libraries nationally that collects government publications from the Government Printing Office (GPO) in Washington, D.C. The UOG Library receives 51% of what is generated from the GPO. To augment the GPO initiative to migrate to digital format, the UOG Library has recently subscribed to a new service titled Documents without Shelves, which uploads library records with live links to the actual documents right into the UOG catalog system OCEAN.

This program, Documents without Shelves, provides a tremendous amount of information from the U.S. Government Printing Office to online users,” said Suzanne T. Bell, associate professor at the RFK Memorial Library.

The University of Guam collects materials to support its programs and usually receives about 2,000 to 3,000 documents per year. Thanks to Documents without Shelves, that number has expanded dramatically to include approximately 1,500 new digital materials per month.

“The trend shows a migration toward electronic documents,” said Bell. “We have set up additional computers so that students can access the materials in the library as well as off campus from the UOG Library Webpage www.uog.edu/libraryvia our Online catalog OCEAN . “Basically, students can find relevant information to support their research on just about any subject they can think of.”

Examples of full text materials retrieved from Documents without Shelves include:

1.(Search) CELL PHONES – (Results) Tumors and Cell Phones Use: What the Science Says. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Domestic Policy of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform House of Representatives, 110th Congress.

2.(Search) POVERTY (Results) – Poverty Determination in U.S. Insular Areas
    Gootnick, David.(2009).

3 (Search) HUMAN TRAFFICKING (Results) Human Trafficking: Recent Trends, Hearing before the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, 111^th Congress.

For more information contact Suzanne T. Bell at 735-2316.

August 20, 2010

Mighty predatory mite and oil sprays may save eggplant production in Micronesia

 

Many farmers in the region have had their eggplant production stymied by hungry mites, Philippine lady beetles and fruit borers feeding on their crops. Dr. Gadi V. P. Reddy of the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center, UOG has been awarded a $75,000 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service grant to assist eggplant farmers in their struggle against invasive insect pests, predominantly mites.

Guam has been an important military, communication, aviation, and shipping hub of Micronesia for many years. The importation of vegetables from Korea and the Philippines has resulted in the arrival of several invasive mite species.

Dr. Reddy and his team will develop, demonstrate and facilitate the adoption of farm pest management practices in eggplant farming that will enable growers to transition away from the use of high-risk pesticides including Dicofol and Carbaryl. An Integrated Pest Management system (IPM) will be developed and tested through the introduction of a predatory mite, Neoseiulus californicus and the use of petroleum spray oils. The expected results of implementing the IPM will be a measured reduction in the rate of pesticide usage by eggplant farmers in the region.

“This research is the second phase of the eggplant/mite/insect pests study. The first phase was funded by US EPA which allowed us to look at the effects of petroleum sprays on the predatory mite and now we can apply what we learned to developing a successful IPM,” says Reddy. The research results will be shared with other Pacific island farmers and places where tropical agriculture is practiced.

The study will examine economic comparison for growers using conventional practices and suggested IPM systems. Growers will be educated in the use of IPM practices as a way to assure improved eggplant production resulting in higher income for farmers. Consumers, farmers, and the environment benefit from Dr. Reddy’s work.

Dr. Reddy is co-author of the book Biological Control of Tropical Weeds using Arthropods, which was recently published by Cambridge University Press. For more information, visit www.wptrc.orgor contact Dr. Reddy at 735-2142.

 

August 20, 2010

PHOTOVOLTAIC AND WIND ELECTRIC SYSTEMS WORKSHOP       

For Small Farms

 A workshop on Photovoltaic and Wind Electric Systems for Small Farms sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the TASI Project will be held on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the University of Guam campus, Dean’s Circle, House #7. The workshop will cover general no carbon based energy production options for Micronesia with a focus on solar theory and applications, and participants will learn to assemble basic system components and connect loads. The cost is $10 for workshop materials. Coffee and sandwiches will be provided. For more information contact Antoinette at 735-2620/1. The class is limited to 25 participants.

 

August 19, 2010

Gate Teachers Learn About Solar Energy

Bruce Best of the University of Guam conducted a solar energy workshop for GATE teachers at the Department of Education on August 18. Each teacher was given a kit that contained items to use for a lesson on solar energy.

 

“The solar energy kits were distributed to every GATE teacher to provide them with the tools they need to teach young children about solar energy,” said Best. “I also have solar kits and solar pumping systems for DOE kindergarten through fifth grade teachers. Soon we will be doing outreach presentations at each of the schools to increase awareness of how solar energy works.”

 

“I thank Bruce Best and UOG for setting up the demonstration and for the solar kits,” said Lorelei Nelson, GATE teacher. “My students will be excited about it.” 

 

The solar energy kits were funded through a grant from the Office of Naval Research and the outreach effort is one of many planned under UOG’s Center for Island Sustainability.

 

Bruce Best of UOG distributed solar energy kits to DOE GATE teachers on August 18, 2010.

 

August 18, 2010

UOG and Guangxi Institute of Fisheries Collaborate on Selective Shrimp Breeding

In 2008, the University of Guam College of Natural and Applied Sciences signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Guangxi Institute of Fisheries (GXIF) to collaborate on research regarding a shrimp selective breeding program. In July a group from Guangxi Institute of Fisheries visited the University of Guam to meet President Robert A. Underwood, Lee Yudin, Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Board of Regents member Andrew Laguana, and other administrators and faculty members. The group reviewed progress on the joint research program, discussed mutual interests and issues related to the on-going program, and explored options for future collaboration. UOG faculty member Dr. Hui Gong and her team facilitated tours of the UOG Hatchery facility, a shrimp/tilapia farm in Guam, and they traveled to Saipan to visit a shrimp facility. Four exchange scholars from China have visited the University of Guam to participate the shrimp-breeding program. Additional research collaboration between UOG and GXIF is anticipated in the future.

 

Pictured from left are Donghuo Jian, Hui Gong, UOG faculty member; Xiaoli Yu, office manager of research programs in GXIF; UOG Board of Regents member Andrew Laguana; UOG President Robert A. Underwood; Xi Gan, director of GXIF;  Xiaohan Chen, deputy director of GXIF; Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences Lee Yudin; Yong Lin, manager of GXIF tilapia experimental station & hatchery;  and Daxiang Xie, manager of GXIF shrimp experimental station & hatchery.

 

 

July 29, 2010
UOG Receives Grant to Revive Pre-contact Chamorro Fishing Techniques
The University of Guam Sea Grant Extension Program received a $92,000 grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Region Program Office (PIRO) for reviving, demonstrating and teaching pre-contact indigenous Chamorro fishing techniques.

Senator Judith P. Guthertz, UOG President Robert A. Underwood, and P. Sonny Ada, Chairman of the UOG Board, will give opening remarks. UOG history faculty member Michael Clement will provide an historical overview of the event, and Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo will deliver the keynote address entitled: “Recollections of the First Lady”.

"This year marks the 35th Anniversary in which the U.S. military, Government of Guam, volunteer organizations and the people of Guam all mobilized to facilitate one of the largest humanitarian operations of the 20th century: Operation New Life," said Ada.

Three hour long panel sessions will follow the keynote address which will focus on Government of Guam, private business, and military involvement in Operation New Life. There will also be time for personal reflections from those in the community with a story to share about Operation New Life.

The symposium is brought to you by the Committee on the Guam Military Buildup, Homeland Security, the University of Guam, and P. Sonny Ada. If you are interested in participating in a panel, or would like more information on the symposium, please contact Captain Richard Wyttenbach-Santos, Ph.D., USN (Ret.) at 687-2983 or doc.wyttenbachsantos@gmail.com. The public is invited to attend.

-END-

On Tuesday morning, Tony Babauta, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Areas, signed off on a grant award of $300k to the University of Guam in support of its green initiative. The funding will allow UOG to expand and elaborate the efforts achieved through first-year funding on the green initiative, and support the launch of the Center for Island Sustainability (CIS) at the University of Guam. The CIS will conduct outreach programs, faculty curriculum development, and a green media campaign. Additionally, CIS will conduct a socio-cultural baseline survey to assist in identifying those issues that are of the greatest concern to island residents during the Guam Buildup.

“These funds ensure that the UOG Green momentum will continue as we build awareness, behavior change through education, and research ways in which we can become a sustainable island community,” said Robert A. Underwood, UOG President.

Pictured seated from left at that Grant Award signing are Robert A. Underwood and Assistant Secretary of the Interior Anthony Babauta; standing from left are Rebecca E. Zepeda, policy advisor; and Kristen H.L. Oleyte, senior policy advisor.   

The University of Guam’s College of Natural and Applied Sciences hosts its annual Summer Research Apprenticeship Program this month. Eleven students from Guam’s public and private high schools who have an interest in science and mathematics were selected to participate in this year’s program, which will end on July 30. The students are paired with faculty mentors and are working on a variety of projects from entomology to aquaculture to food science and nutrition.  Students work 40 hours per week and earn $7.25 per hour. Pictured from left are Maureen Palui, Emil Penafiel, James McConnell, UOG Ornamental Horticulture professor, Ashley Thundiyil, Paul Olivar, Hanna Jugo, Shanease Tudela, Kaleb Leon Guerrero, Chaunsi Cepeda, Cesar De Guzman, Paula Romias, and Annie F. Santos,  administrative assistant and Coordinator of Summer Research Apprenticeship Program. Not pictured is Justin Brown. 

In Yap, the cost of imported food is extremely high, so the more crops that can be grown on island the better for the island’s economy and the health of its people. The current work of a University of Guam research team is to partner with Yapese farmers to identify problem areas in crop production and sales, and find solutions to these issues. The UOG Team of Project Director Dr. Todd Ames, Co-Director Dr. Ann Ames and Technical Expert Dr. Harley Manner have just returned from their latest work on Yap proper and the Islet of Falalop in the Ulithi atoll.

For the last four consecutive summers, the professors performed fieldwork in Yap, FSM and worked with over 200 small-scale farmers on Yap proper and the outer islands of Yap state to identify crops currently being produced through subsistence activities on small and medium-sized farms. The team is also working to assess the current market values of subsistence crops being sold at farmers’ markets and at small local stores. The types of crops being produced include traditional crops such as: taro, sweet potato, breadfruit, banana, coconut and cassava. However, in the last few years many new varieties have been introduced which are gaining in popularity both for consumption as well as for market sales, including: tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, melons, cabbage and cucumber, to name a few. The government of the FSM sees this expansion of local agricultural production as critical due to the high prices of imported foods, and due to the health benefits of eating locally grown crops. The UOG research team worked in cooperation with the College of Micronesia’s Bob Yangerluo and Dr. Mura, the Agricultural Extension Officer at the College of Micronesia.

“The end result of this project is to increase crop yield and profits for small farmers, and to ensure that the people of Yap State have increased access to a variety of nutritious locally grown fresh vegetables and fruits. Traditional methods being employed by farmers in the region mean that their production is both sustainable and ecologically viable. We feel that our fieldwork is an important way to promote the UOG mission in the region” said Dr. Todd Ames, UOG sociology professor.

The team also worked with the Small Business Development Center in Yap proper to measure production and sales levels of members of the Farmer’s Market. Their project is titled: The Application of Innovative Marketing for Small and Medium-sized Farms. This is the fourth year of the project and the 2009 and 2010 research was funded by a U.S.D.A., Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) grant.

The team is currently seeking further funding to continue the work in Yap and conduct related work in Chuuk and Pohnpei.

Dr. Todd Ames is the University of Guam’s Fulbright Program Advisor. Fulbright Program advisors provide information and guidance to U.S. students interested in applying for IIE-administered Fulbright awards for study, research, or teaching assistantships abroad; convene a faculty committee to evaluate applications, interview candidates, and transmit applications electronically and in hard copy to IIE with written evaluations and ratings of each candidate.

The Fulbright Program is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to "enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."

Approximately six thousand grants were awarded in 2006, at a cost of more than $235 million, to U.S. students, teachers, professionals, and scholars to study, teach, lecture, and conduct research in more than 150 countries, and to their foreign counterparts to engage in similar activities in the United States.

Students interested in finding out more about the Fulbright Program can visit:http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html or contact:

**The deadline is early October so students should begin applying now.

Dr. Todd Ames, Fulbright Program Adviser,
Sociology Program
UOG Station
Mangilao, Guam 96923
671-735-2884
tames@uguam.uog.edu

When a Guam plant taps the services of a helpful insect, a double-dose of benefits comes its way. The plant is Guam’s native fadang, a member of a unique group of plants known as cycads, and the insect is a tiny moth that ensures seed production occurs by pollinating the plants. “What we have learned is the behavior of the moth also triggers the plants to reproduce more often,” said UOG Professor Thomas Marler.

The research conducted in the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center at the University of Guam breaks new ground because the findings reverse how biologists have viewed one component of the plant-insect partnership, and the results appear in the May issue of the American Journal of Botany. “When both organisms in a relationship obtain benefits from the other member of the relationship, the partnership is called a mutualism,” said Marler. In mutualisms where an insect provides the service of transporting pollen around so fruit or seed production is maximized, and the plant provides something that benefits the insect.

Cycads belong to an ancient lineage of plants that preceded the emergence of the World’s flowering plants, and they produce their seeds in cones rather than within fruits. With many cycad species, the plant offers their male cones as a nursery where the insect’s babies have food and a facility to grow. “This service has been portrayed for many cycad species as something the plant sacrifices in order to receive the pollination services from the insect,” said Marler. The Guam-based research followed many years of plant behavior to show that when the insects were allowed to use the male cones as nursery facilities, those particular plants produced new male cones more quickly in the subsequent months or years. So what was once considered a sacrifice by the plant to ensure receipt of a separate benefit from the insect actually turns out to be a second direct benefit received from the insect.

“Consider the parallels in human relationships,” said Marler. “Many needs in our lives, not just one, are met by each of our friends, relatives, and especially our intimate partners.” Marler contends that whenever they let us down in one area of the relationship, perhaps we could learn to appreciate each of them more by remembering the many other needs they meet each day.

This plant is considered endangered due to the devastation caused by recent invasions of alien insect pests to Guam and Rota. “So these findings that alter how scientists view mutualisms are timely as we try to learn as much as we can from this species before the population declines even more,” said Lee Yudin, Dean of UOG’s College of Natural and Applied Sciences.

The American Journal of Botany is among the top 10 most influential journals of the century in the field of biology and medicine, based on a recent survey by nearly 700 members of the Special Libraries Association.

On the web: http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/97/5/841

Photo Credits: UOG File Photograph

Second Lieutenant Martin Lizama Camacho, Jr.

Academic Major:  Criminal Justice

Branch:  Transportation Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  July 06, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Second Lieutenant Farin Malin Aguon Cepeda

Academic Major:  Criminal Justice

Branch:  Signal Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  December 05, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Guam Army National Guard

Second Lieutenant Daryl Batinggal Dela Cruz

Academic Major:  Business Administration

Branch:  Quartermaster Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  August 16, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Fort Hood, Texas

Second Lieutenant Kurt Cruz Diaz

Academic Major:  Exercise Science

Branch:  Quartermaster Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  July 06, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Camp Humphreys, Korea

Second Lieutenant Manuel Alejandro Cruz Diaz

Academic Major:  Exercise Science

Branch:  Medical Services Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  October 07, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Camp Casey, Korea

Second Lieutenant Joseph George Cruz Guerrero

Academic Major:  Business Administration

Branch:  Quartermaster Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  August 15, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Second Lieutenant Joshua Soliva Poblete

Academic Major:  Criminal Justice

Branch:  Quartermaster Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  June 13, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Second Lieutenant Howard Burt Santiago, Jr.

Academic Major:  History

Branch:  Quartermaster Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  October 05, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  United States Army Reserve

Second Lieutenant Jana Janielle Chong Tudela

Academic Major:  Criminal Justice

Branch:  Signal Corps

Basic Officers Leaders’ Course B:  September 26, 2010

First Duty Station Assignment:  Germany

 

A seventh generation navigator, Manny Ikea Sikau was born in 1958 in Polowat and began his formal training in canoe building in 1966, learning from his father master canoe builder Orhailam Sikau. He began formal training in navigation in 1962, learning the stars from his grandfather and master navigator Ikuliman. Ordained a master navigator in 1997, Sikau co-founded the University of Guam’s Traditional Seafaring Society in 1999. A member of Traditions About Seafaring Islands, Sikau teaches traditional navigation, canoe building, and canoe-house building to its members and other interested community members. He also served as master carver of the voyaging canoe Saina, the first traditional Chamorro sakman built in over 200 years. Importantly, Sikau has shared his knowledge and understanding of traditional navigation and is dedicated to its preservation.Sikau has also published articles about traditional navigation and seafaring in academic journals.

Typically, the University of Guam’s commencement stage showcases academics in formal robes which originate from practices at medieval European universities in the 11^th and 12^th centuries. This academic tradition will merge with the traditions of the Pacific as Sikau will weara traditional red thu (loin cloth) and a black and white lava lava, which are the traditional colors and dress of ocean-going canoe navigators. Sikau’s shoulders and chest will be draped with a terho, a woven net of beads that signifies honor. The beads are an important trade item and symbolize the trading ties between the Caroline and the Mariana Islands. The young coconut leaves tied on Sikau’s wrist indicate his pwo (master navigator) status. The hood with woven pandanus represents both the academic tradition of awarding hoods to master candidates and the Carolinian, Chamorro and other Micronesian outrigger canoe sails.

The Board of Regents adopted the Master of Micronesian Traditional Knowledge at their May meeting and voted to award the first honoris causa degree in this category to Sikau.This award will be limited to a maximum of one per academic year.

-END-

On May 30, 270 prospective graduates will receive their degrees during the University of Guam’s spring 2010 commencement ceremonies held at 2:00 p.m. in the Field House. Of the 270 graduates, 206 will receive their baccalaureate degrees and 64 will receive masters degrees. Undergraduate numbers include:

· 53 students who will receive their Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in areas of specialization ranging from entrepreneurship, finance and economics, and Human Resources.

· 42 students who will receive Bachelor of Arts in Education, with 9 of these graduates hailing from other islands in Micronesia including Yap, Pohnpei, and Chuuk.

· 23 students who will receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing

· 6 students who will receive Bachelor of Arts in Biology

· 12 students who will receive their Bachelor of Arts in English

· 16 students who will receive their Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Masters degrees will be awarded in the following areas:

· 8 Master of Social Work

· 8 Professional Master of Business Administration

· 12 Master of Arts in Counseling

· 22 Master of Education degrees

· 2 Master of Art degrees

· 1 Master of Science in Biology

· 11 Master of Public Administration

“This commencement is significant because the University shows a 30% growth in the number of graduates compared to the prior spring,” said UOG President Robert A. Underwood.

In additional to the spring 2010 numbers, 165 graduates received their degrees during UOG’s fall 2009 commencement ceremonies in December 2009 bringing the total number of UOG graduates for academic year 2009-2010 is 435.

The internship revolves around a variety of coastal environmental protection and measurement activities including marine monitoring, working with CNMI global information system programs, community outreach, collaborating with island fisheries, enforcing environmental rules and regulations and helping keep CNMI’s waters clean.

“I applied for the CRI because it’s a great opportunity to enhance and develop my knowledge about certain aspects of the environment, and it allows me to get more people involved in caring for our environment,” Palacios said.  “I will try to seek the most effective ways to increase the involvement of people to act upon improving and maintaining our environment’s health.”

The internship coincides with Palacios’s involvement with the UOG Green Initiative. As a UOG Green intern with the program, he actively participates in efforts focused on sustaining the islands environment and strives to influence simple positive environmental behavior change in the community.

On May 12, the University of Guam Cancer Research Center and Cancer Research Center of Hawaii presented an update on various research projects to the community funded under the U54, NIH-National Cancer Institute Grant. The presentations can be viewed on YouTube at the links below:

· Master of Ceremony - Gil S. Saguitan, MPA, CRCG program Manager

Elementary, high school, and college students, with the support of UOG Green interns, participated in a photo essay project designed as an expressive outlet for local environmental issues. “This workshop provides a good opportunity for young adults and children to learn about issues of environmental justice that a lot of people don’t really know about, especially here on Guam where these issues need to be addressed because of our position within the U.S.,” said UOG Green intern Alison Kerr.

Ultimately, the workshop will provide an avenue for students to understand the importance that, “everyone deserves clean air, water and a healthy place to live, work, learn, and play.” The workshop will conclude with student presentations of their photo essays on May 12, 9:30am at the Anthony Leon Guerrero Multi-purpose Room 129 in the Jesus S. and Eugenia A. Leon Guerrero Building. The media is invited to attend.

The University of Guam and the United States Environmental Protection Agency will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on May 10 at 10:00 a.m in the atrium of the Leon Guerrero School of Business and Public Administration Building. The purpose of the MOU is to increase cooperation between the University of Guam and the US EPA Small Business Program Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Initiatives in areas such as research, curriculum development, and internships, among others.

This MOU builds on UOG and EPA’s previous successful collaborations and is intended to help advance the development of the full human capital of Guam, promote equal opportunity in higher education, contribute to UOG and other Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions’ (AANAPISIs) capacity to provide high-quality education, and encourage the participation of AANAPISIs in EPA programs.

“The signing of this MOU is a singular and important event that will offer multiple opportunities for our students, our faculty and our island,” said UOG President Robert A. Underwood. “Currently, over 90% of UOG students are of Asian Pacific Islander ethnicity, therefore President Obama’s initiatives to increase the participation of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs resonates strongly with our institution and our island.”

Jeanette L. Brown, Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Small Business Programs and UOG President Robert A. Underwood will sign the MOU which outlines UOG and US EPA’s intention to enhance cooperation over the next five years in the following areas:

 The University of Guam College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences announces the launch of Pacific Asia Inquiry – Multidisciplinary Perspectives, a new online academic journal, on Thursday, May 6, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. in the Professional Development Room, 3rd Floor, Humanities and Social Sciences Building.

 “This journal will appeal to academics, policy makers, and both government and non-government professionals with an interest in the Asia Pacific Region,” said Editor Amy Owen, UOG Assistant Professor of Geography. “Pacific Asia Inquiry is a peer reviewed on-line journal dedicated to showcasing works on the Asia Pacific Region and to advancing knowledge and understanding of this region. The Asia Pacific has long been the focus of intense cultural, political and economic interaction with other world regions, and it is the central theme of this journal.  We are proud to present our first issue, which is accessible online at www.uog.edu/pacific_asia_inquiry.”

 “The editorial board accepted high quality works from multiple disciplines in the liberal arts and social sciences - including psychology, communication, language and literature, visual arts, music, drama, history, geography, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, political science and economics,” said UOG Professor of Psychology and Micronesian Studies Mary Spencer, who played a central role in the design of this first issue. “Several of the papers focus on the theme:  The Danger Inquiry: Travel Study in Dangerous Times,” and examine academic travel to various countries in the region.”

The journal also includes book reviews of two books by UOG art professor Ric Castro:

Island Spirit: Selection of Abstract Works and The Chase. An important new book analyzing Micronesia's history and social organization, Traditional Micronesian Societies: Adaptation, Integration & Political Organization by Glenn Petersen is also reviewed.

The Editorial Board includes: Amy Owen (Editor), Mary Spencer, James Sellmann, Troy McVey, Chris Schreiner, Jason Vest, Beth Somera, and Tide Pereira.

This seminar is sponsored by the Soroptimist Sigma Society (UOG student chapter).For more information contact 987-1887 or email uog.sigma@gmail.com.

UOG School of Business & Public Administration Multi-Purpose Room

Welcoming Remarks (9:00-9:10)

Dr. Anita Borja-Enriquez

Dean, UOG School of Business and Public Administration

Keynote Speaker (9:10-9:30)

Ms. Lou Leon Guerrero

President, Bank of Guam

 Net Worth(9:40-10:00)

 Dr. Roseann Jones, “Where are You Now: What is Your Net Worth?”

Professor of Economics, UOG School of Business & Public Administration

Budget (10:00-10:20)

Ms. Denise Mendiola-Hertslet, “How to Create a ‘Can Do!’ Budget”

    WIB Program Coordinator/Counselor, Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network

Building Credit (10:20-10:40)

Mr. Rodney Webb, “How Credit Ratings Build Financial Trust”

Business Counselor, Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network

Home Ownership (11:00-11:20)

Dr. Claret Ruane, “Home Ownership: Finding and Financing the American Dream”

Associate Professor of Economics & Finance, UOG School of Business & Public Administration

Compounding (11:20-11:40)

Ms. Siska Hutapea, “Time Value of Money”

 Vice President/Chief Appraiser, Captain, Hutapea & Associates

Closing Remarks (11:40-12:00)

Dr. Annette Santos

Advisor, UOG Soroptimist Sigma Society

Selection will be based the following:

1.      Project Description:

“My proposed Internship Project in Congresswoman Bordallo’s Office”

The Applicant is expected to describe a project that he/she hopes to complete within the 30 days allotted for completion of the internship. The project should be connected to an issue that draws attention to a problem or issue in Guam-Federal relations. The description should be no longer than 1,000 words. (25 points maximum)

2.      Letters of Recommendation. Only three letters will be accepted for review. (15 points)

3.      Record of public service and leadership. The Student will submit a resume that should highlight public service and activities that provide evidence of leadership and commitment to the community.

Complete applications must include:  student’s Internship Project description, three letters of recommendation, and student’s resume and official transcript from the University of Guam.

UOG's Island Theatre announces the final production of its 2009-10 Season.

UOG Tanom Horticulture Scholarship - University of Guam agriculture students Janelle Randall and Jerome Perez each received a $1000 Tanom Horticulture Scholarship to support their agricultural studies from the UOG Endowment Foundation. Pictured from left are Randall, Monica Wintterle, UOG Endowment Foundation, Inc., and Perez.

UPCOMING WORKSHOP
"GROWTH VENTURE PROGRAM: Using Financial Tools"
Thursday, April 29th (12noon-1:30pm)
$20 person (includes lunch)
Bank of Guam Headquarters Building in Hagatna 2nd Floor Conference Room
Presented By UOG Guam SBDC-Bank of Guam Women in Business Program.
 
How do you build a budget that supports your vision and strategies?  How do you know if your budget is accurate?  How do you use your financial statements to make financial decisions?  This workshop will help you begin your business financial planning process and/or improve your current financial model. 
 
To register, please contact the Guam SBDC 735-2590 or email Laurine Sablan at laurine@pacificsbdc.com or Natasha Cruz at natasha@pacificsbdc.com. Cash, check or major credit cards (AMEX, VISA, Mastercard, Diner’s Club & JCB) accepted.  If paying by check, please make payable to the University of Guam. Deadline to register is 5:00pm, April 28th. For more information, please visit our website at www.pacificsbdc.com or call Denise Hertslet (WIB Program Director/Trainer) at 735-2594 or email denise@pacificsbdc.com
 
Hope to see you there!
 
Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made 72 hours in advance. Services are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. The Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center is a program supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration under a cooperative agreement. SBA does not endorse any products, opinions, or services of any external parties or activities.

The Professional and International Programs is offering a 15-hour workshop on Introduction to Claims on April 8 - May 27, 2010, Thursdays only.   It will be held at the Julale Center, 2nd floor, Moylan's training room 214A from 6:00 - 8:00pm.  Cost per Person is $285.00.

This course is designed primarily for employees who are new to the study of claims.  This course is appropriate for newcomers to the insurance business as well as for more experienced employees with no formal claims education. 

It will increase your understanding of the functions of the claim department, your confidence in dealing with claim representatives, and your knowledge of claim management.

Course Topics:

*     The Claim Function

*     Claim Department, Claim Representatives, Claim Management

*     Claim Practices Controls

*     Auto First-Party Claims

*     Property First-Party Claims

*     Liability Claims

*     Workers Compensation Claims

*     Commercial Coverages

*     Principles of Insurance Policy Interpretation

The University of Guam, in partnership with First Net are the program sponsors. Students will earn 1.5 CEUs (Continuing Education Units).

Upon conclusion of the training, a Certificate of Completion will be awarded to each student.

You may download the registration form from our website www.uog.edu/pip.

We will continue to accept registrations until 12:00 noon, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Kindly print or type your name clearly.  

Should you have any other questions do not hesitate to contact our office at 735-2600/01/02. (Fax # 734-1233)

March 24, 2010

The UOG Guam Small Business Development Center cordially invites you to attend the following small business workshops:

Friday, April 2nd (8:30am-11:00am) "HOW TO START A BUSINESS":

This workshop will help individuals learn everything they will need to get started, including an introduction to business plans and the importance of preparing one; exploring the legal forms of business (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability partnership / company) and which one is right for your business needs; local or federal licensing requirements for the business.        

Participants will be able to obtain vital information and resources to start and own a business.

This training will take the mystery out of starting a business and help participants better evaluate their business idea!

Friday, April 09th (8:30am-11:00am) "How to Write a Business Plan":

This seminar will cover all of the elements to be included in a business plan, & explain with examples what is required in each section. The focus of the seminar will be the three M's - Money, Management & Marketing. Participants will also be provided with a sample business plan, sources of industry research information, and introduced to online business planning tools that are accessible at any time through an internet-enabled PC.

Fee is $20 per person per workshop.

Both workshops will be held at the Guam SBDC Room #148 located at the UOG Leon Guerrero School of Business & Public Administration Building.  Cash, check (payable to University of Guam) and major credit cards (AMEX, Mastercard, VISA, Diner's Club & JCB) accepted. 

Individuals interested in attending these workshops should contact the Guam SBDC at 735-2590 or email Laurine Sablan at laurine@pacificsbdc.com or Natasha Cruz at natasha@pacificsbdc.com  

For more information, please also visit our website at http://www.pacificsbdc.com/

University of Guam Marine Lab POETS

This week Ernie Matson will be speaking at POETS.
Please join us on Friday!

Indicator Bacteria and Recreational Beach "water quality": Whose poop is this, anyway?

Ernie Matson, Professor of Biology, University of Guam

March 26, 2010

4:00pm in Marine Lab classroom

"USEPA's indicators of choice (E.coli and Group D enterococci) occur in birds, pigs, chickens, snakes, pools of water in tree branches, and, yes, us.  But the culprit for gastroenteritis is most often a human-specific enteric virus.  Will you get sick after swimming in "waters that contain indicator bacteria above the acceptable limit"?  Your mother should know."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

March 8, 2010

Contact:

Dr. Helen Thompson, drhelent@gmail.com , 735-2885

Dr. Andrea Hartig, asant10@gmail.com, 735-2736

UPDATE:  EXTENDED DEADLINE

UOG Women and Gender Studies Program invites girls to take part in a Poster Contest

The UOG Women and Gender Studies program is extending the deadline for the its Portrait of a Scientist as a Young Girl poster contest.  The new deadline is March 25 and is open to middle-school and high-school girls in the public school system as well as freshman and sophomore women enrolled at UOG or GCC. 

Poster designs should contain only original artwork and be aimed at encouraging girls in middle school, high school and college to take science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) subjects.  Poster designs on 8 ½ x 11 paper and a completed application form must be submitted to the UOG Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences office (Second Floor of Humanities and Social Sciences Building) by Thursday March 25 at 5:00 p.m. or may be mailed to Dr. Helen Thompson, Division of SBS/CLASS, UOG Station, Mangilao, GU 96923.  Instructions, rules and application forms can be accessed at the UOG Women and Gender Studies website and the UOG news ticker at www.uog.edu.

Winners will be announced in 3 categories—middle school, high school, and college.  Prizes include science kits from KD Toys, memberships to American Association of University Women, and free summer workshop participation from 4H.   More prizes to be announced.  All participants will receive a UOG Women and Gender Studies AAUW CAP grant Certificate of Participation.

^7th ANNUAL CHAMORU LANGUAGE COMPETITION

March 09, 2010

LIST OF WINNERS

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Spelling – Kindergarten through Second Grade

1.      Gold:   Trinity Sablan, Sinapalo Elementary School, Rota

2.      Silver:  Nolon, Gatharngeg, G. T. Camacho Elementary School, Saipan

3.      Bronze:  Keith Villagomez, Kagman Elementary School, Saipan

Drawing – Kindergarten through Second Grade

1.      Gold:  Yejin Cheong, St. Anthony School, Guam

2.      Silver:  Joshua F. Miller, St. Anthony School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Amare’ S. Manibusan, St. Anthony School, Guam

Children’s Choir – Kindergarten through Second Grade

1.      Gold:  Inarajan Elementary School, Guam

2.      Silver:  Tinian Elementary School, Tinian

3.      Bronze:  Mt. Carmel School, Guam

Spelling – Third Grade through Fifth Grade

1.      Gold:   Uzelle Mendoza, Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School, Guam

2.      Silver:  Jenice Hernandez, Mt. Carmel School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Angelika Narvaez, G. T. Camacho Elementary School, Saipan

Drawing – Third Grade through Fifth Grade

1.      Gold:  Kai’l Bang, St. Anthony School, Guam

2.      Silver:  Ysabela Cadiz, St. Anthony School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Gabriel S. Cubacub, St. Anthony School, Guam

Storytelling – Third Grade through Fifth Grade

1.      Gold:  Breanna Camacho, G. T. Camacho Elementary School, Saipan

2.      Silver:  Bennen Iguel, Kagman Elementary School, Saipan

3.      Bronze:  Francesca Roberto, BP Carbullido Elementary School, Guam

Children’s Choir – Third Grade through Fifth Grade

1.      Gold:  Grace Christian Academy, Tinian

2.      Silver:  Merizo Martyrs Elementary School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Talofofo Elementary School, Guam

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Oratorical

1.      Gold:  Kimberly Camacho, G. T. Camacho Elementary School, Saipan

2.      Silver:  Carlyn Hofschneider, Grace Christian Academy, Tinian

3.      Bronze:  Konica Atalig, Rota Junior High School, Rota

Poetry Recitation

1.      Gold:  Arianne Narvaez, Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School, Saipan

2.      Silver:  Brandon Sanchez, Mt. Carmel School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Rhysanne Hizon, Rota Junior High School

Essay

1.      Gold:  Joey San Nicolas, Grace Christian Academy, Tinian

2.      Silver:  Wilhemina Cing, Grace Christian Academy, Tinian

3.      Bronze:  Mary Grace Atalig, Grace Christian Academy, Tinian

Choral Reading

1.      Gold:  Grace Christian Academy, Tinian

2.      Silver:  Oceanview Middle School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Rota Junior High School, Rota

Chant

1.      Gold:  Oceanview Middle School, Guam

2.      Silver:  Jose LG Rios Middle School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Mt. Carmel School, Guam

HIGH SCHOOLS

Oratorial

1.      Gold:  Maryann Ulloa, Rota High School, Rota 

2.      Silver:  Josephine Ada, Marianas High School, Saipan

3.      Bronze:  Rica Manglona, George Washington High School, Guam

Proficiency

1.      Gold:  Raena Cing, Tinian High School, Tinian

2.      Silver:  Albert Manglona, Rota High School, Rota

3.      Bronze:  Joshua Atalig, John F. Kennedy High School, Guam

Poetry Recitation

1.      Gold:  Joyce Camacho, Marianas High School, Saipan

2.      Silver:  Laura Manglona, Rota High School, Rota

3.      Bronze:  Mary Hocog, Tinian High School, Tinian

Male Singer

1.      Gold:  Jared Borja, Tinian High School, Tinian

2.      Silver:  Blaine Mesngon, Rota High School, Rota

3.      Bronze:  Augustin Naputi, Jr., Marianas High School, Saipan

Female Singer

1.      Gold:  Cloe Hofschneider, Tinian High School, Tinian

2.      Silver:  Maylyn Nauta, Southern High School, Guam

3.      Bronze:  Monica Greer, Marianas High School, Saipan

Song With Dance

1.      Gold:  George Washington High School, Guam

2.      Silver:  Marianas High School, Saipan

3.      Bronze:  John F. Kennedy High School, Guam

Dramatic Cultural Interpretation

1.      Gold:  Tinian High School, Tinian

2.      Silver:   Marianas High School, Saipan

March 11, 2010

March 11, 2010
The Association of Government Accountants-Guam Chapter, recently honored Mr. Brian Borja, Business Administration Major in Marketing, Finance and Economics Student and Ms. Elisa Baluyut, Accounting Major Student as the recipients of the Herminia Dierking Scholarship Program at the University of Guam’s Leon Guerrero Building.  The Scholarship program has a strict qualifying grade point average of 3.5. The Program covers the cost of the tuition, books and other fees averaging about $8,000 for both recipients.
Pictured from left are Dr. John Salas- International Business, David O’Brien- Acting University President,  Dr. Doreen Crisostomo-CGFM Regional Coordinator, Zeny Nace- RVP Pacific Rim and Scholarship Chair, Jojo Guevara- Guam Chapter President, Brian Borja-Spring 2010 recipient, Elisa Baluyut-Fall 2010 recipient, Dr. Anita Enriquez-Dean of School of Business and Public Administration, Dr. Julie Ulloa-Heath, Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services.

These funded projects will serve farmers and consumers in the region as well as introduce a new species of aphid to taxonomic keys.

Ross Miller, research entomologist with WPTRC was awarded $138,795 to continue investigating the morphometric, genetic and ecological variation of aphids in the region. His research team has recently demonstrated through DNA barcode and morphometric analyses, that what was once thought to be one species of aphid is actually two. This discovery is important to banana farmers as one aphid species, Pentalonia nigronervosa is the vector for the dreaded banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). “We will use these funds to examine the distribution of both aphid species throughout Micronesia, and examine their ability to harbor and transmit BBTV to banana and to other host plants as well as update taxonomic keys and management guides for these aphids that reflect their true status as independent species,” says Miller. This project involves collaboration with George Wall, WPTRC plant pathologist and several off-island experts including Keith Pike of Washington State University (Prosser), and Robert Foottit of Agriculture & AgriFood Canada (Ottawa).

Soil scientist, Mohammad Golabi received $146,135 to evaluate the environmental impact of utilizing composted organic waste for improving soil quality and agricultural sustainability. “The main goal of this study,” says Golabi, “ is not only to determine the effect of land application of compost for soil quality improvement, but also evaluate the environmental impact of its application on the porous soils of northern Guam.” Golabi’s on-going experiments have shown that under the unique climatic conditions of Guam, land application of composted organic waste enhances soil quality and, not only increases soil fertility and crop yield but also protects the soil against erosion and long-term degradation.

Food scientist, Jian Yang was awarded $160,338 for his research on noni (Morinda citrifolia), specifically to identify marker compounds and indicators as a measure to determine shelf life and quality control for noni botanical dietary supplements. Noni juice and powder are marketed as supplements for improving health. More than 200 phytochemicals (health-protecting compounds) have been identified from the noni plant. However, what exactly is in the packages consumers buy is not known.  “Based on marker compounds or phytochemicals, obtaining a reliable shelf life for noni products will ensure that consumers will receive the health benefits they are expecting,” says Yang.

 “WPTRC scientists in partnership with USDA continue to keep the needs of farmers, consumers, the ecosystems of Guam and the region on their research agendas,” says Greg Wiecko, associate director of WPTRC. For more information on WPTRC research activities visit: www.wptrc.org

March 5, 2010

HANKUK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS STUDY ENGLISH AT UOG
College students from Seoul's Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) will begin a 10-day English language program today at the University of Guam. “This is the fourth consecutive year that Hankuk students have come to UOG to improve their English language skills,” said Rita Edwards, acting director of UOG’s Professional and International Programs.
Today’s group of 50 students marks the second group to study English at UOG in 2010. The first group completed their program on January 28. “UOG and Hankuk University have developed a strong relationship over the years, and the students appreciate the unique experiences they have while on island.”

MARC Documents Available on Guampedia 
The University of Guam Micronesian Area Research Center and Guampedia have collaborated to post a series of MARC documents on the Guampedia website, an online encyclopedic resource about the history, culture and contemporary issues of Guam.
 
Several issues of the Guam Recorder from the early 70s and seven lectures given by UOG President Robert A. Underwood have been posted, and are the first of many MARC documents to be shared with a worldwide audience over the web. “This partnership with Guampedia allows people to easily access these specific MARC documents, and we plan to have many more available in the future,” said Dr. John Peterson, Director of the Micronesian Area Research Center.
“For now, we plan to digitize MARC’s most requested historical materials to appear in Guampedia's MARC publications, plus some working papers such as Dr. Alex Kerr's Y Santa Biblia Word List and the soon to come Non Nok Tha Archaeological report. This will give these works a much wider reach,” said Shannon Murphy, Guampedia managing editor.
Among the Guam Recorder articles posted on the Guampedia website are:
·         Liberation of Guam, by Paul Carano
·         Surrender of Guam, by George J. McMillin
·         Diary of  a Bishop, by Miguel Angel de Olano
·         San Vitores – An Introduction, by Paul Carano
·         Mariana de Austria, by Marjorie G. Driver
·         Guam – Spanish Overseas Empire, by M. Teresa del Valle, MMB
·         The Proas of the Marianas, by Thomas G. McGrath, SJ
·         The Manila Galleons, by Richard G. Doty
·         Chamorro Tools, by Emilie G. Johnston
The following lectures by UOG President Robert A. Underwood are also posted:
·         An Appeal for Recognition of Chamorros as an Indigenous People
·         The Changing of the Colonial Guard: What do the Guarded Have to Say?
·         The Liberation of Guam Across the Generations
·         Thinking Out Loud: Ideas for Crafting a New Federal Territorial Relationship
·         Unfinished Business: The Meaning of 1898