UOG Land Grant releases impact report for 2024
UOG Land Grant releases impact report for 2024
UOG Land Grant releases impact report for 2024
8/8/2025
University of Guam Land Grant has released its 2024 Impact Report, offering an insightful snapshot of how UOG is addressing -- through both research and community outreach -- Guam’s most pressing challenges related to sustainable agriculture and food security, the island's natural resources, and health and wellness of island residents and families. The agInnovation Research Center and the UOG Extension Service were recently unified as UOG Land Grant, and this report marks the first combined report for the two units.
"Together, these teams pursued science-driven, community-focused solutions," said Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, director of UOG Land Grant. "Rooted in our island’s unique ecosystems and needs, the work we highlight this year reflects deep collaboration across disciplines, villages, and the region."
From the agInnovation Research Center, formerly the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center, the report features breakthroughs including the first documentations in Guam of a mangrove seed-infesting micromoth and a pathogen responsible for seagrass wasting disease, the postive impact of biochar on crop yield and soil health, and how the characteristics of feral swine meat compare to store-bought pork. Researchers also explored new possibilities for medicinal compounds from invasive plants.
On the outreach front, the UOG Extension Service continued its work delivering needs-based, informal education to the community. Initiatives included a training series for subsistence farming, a nutrition-focused cooking series utilizing local produce, and family resiliency programs addressing educational needs in teen financial literacy and ways to prepare for healthy aging.
Instruction and teaching, the third core function of the Land Grant institutions, is carried out by UOG's Division of Agriculture & Life Sciences and will be included in an upcoming annual report for the college.
The full Land Grant Impact Report can viewed at the link below. Further information on current research can be found on the agInnovation Research Center website, and self-education materials related to agriculture and home economics can be found on the UOG Extension Service website.
About University of Guam Land Grant
The University of Guam Land Grant system provides instruction, research, and community outreach specific to agriculture, food, natural resources, nutrition, and consumer science in order to improve life in Guam and Micronesia. Its two Land Grant units include the agInnovation Research Center and the UOG Extension Service, which operate within the College of Natural & Applied Sciences. The University of Guam was designated an “1862 Land Grant University” in 1972 and is part of a network of 106 Land Grant institutions nationwide supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.