UOG delegation of students and faculty at 2017 SACNAS-The National Diversity in STEM Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah along with SACNAS Executive Director Dr. Antonia Franco (center left) and SACNAS President Dr. Lino Gonzalez (center right)

University of Guam students and faculty returned this week from 2017 SACNAS - The National Diversity in STEM Conference, one of the largest and most diverse gatherings in the U.S. for underrepresented minority students and professionals in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The 44th annual conference hosted by the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) was attended by nearly 4,000 students and professionals from October 19-21 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

UOG Student J Casila SACNAS 2017.jpg: Joseph Casila, UOG undergraduate student in the College of Natural & Applied Sciences, with his winning scientific posterJoseph Casila, a UOG undergraduate student in the College of Natural & Applied Sciences, plans to pursue a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering. Casila won an award for the best research poster in the Life sciences/Genetics category. He said, “winning at the SACNAS conference was confirmation that my training at UOG is preparing me for a successful career in science.” He added that the conference, “had endless resources and people willing to reach out and help you succeed.”

UOG was recognized at the conference for establishing one of the newest SACNAS Chapters to bring science to local communities through educational outreach events and scientific symposia year-round. UOG SACNAS Chapter Advisor, Dr. Austin Shelton, said “exposing and connecting our students to a national network of leading scientific organizations and mentors opens a wide door to STEM opportunities.” Dr. Shelton shared that the students represented Guam well, and, “they came away with an understanding of what it takes to get doctoral degrees and to eventually become leaders in science and technology careers.”   

Travel funding for the UOG delegation of 11 attendees was provided by the National Science Foundation-funded Guam Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) at UOG, the UOG College of Natural & Applied Sciences, SACNAS, the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard, and University of Hawaii Hilo PIPES.