UOG economics honor society welcomes three new members, announces officers
The University of Guam’s Alpha Chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society in economics, inducted three new members in a ceremony held Nov. 26 at the UOG campus.
The inductees included one faculty member and two students:
Since the chapter’s establishment in 2019, the society has grown to 59 members, including
students, alumni, and faculty who demonstrate excellence in economics and a commitment
to applying economic knowledge to island and regional issues.
Several ODE members have continued their academic journeys at prestigious graduate
institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, the London School of Economics,
Georgetown University, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Ritsumeikan University
in Japan, De La Salle University–Manila in the Philippines, and the University of
Guam’s Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA) program.
“Although UOG does not offer a standalone degree in economics, our students pursue
rigorous coursework equivalent to major or minor programs at U.S. universities,” said
Dr. Claret Ruane, professor of economics. “They become valuable contributors to our
local workforce and among the few trained economists in Guam.”
The ceremony featured remarks from faculty advisors Ruane and Dr. Kuan-Ju Chen, associate
professor of agricultural economics at the College of Natural & Applied Sciences.
They were joined by Dr. Sharlene Santos-Bamba, UOG senior vice president and provost;
Dr. Roseann Jones, dean of SBPA; Dr. Leila Kabigting, chair of the Business Division;
and Mr. Christian Valencia, ODE president, SBPA adjunct faculty member, and director
of tourism research at the Guam Visitors Bureau.
The evening concluded with a dinner reception sponsored by SBPA’s International Conference
on Business, Economics, and Information Technology (ICBEIT) series. During the general
membership meeting, Ruane highlighted the chapter’s recent contributions, including
co-sponsorship of the 2025 Guam Farmer Focus Conference and the upcoming ICBEIT conference
in Singapore in March 2026.
New officers were also elected for the upcoming term:
About Omicron Delta Epsilon
Omicron Delta Epsilon is one of the world’s largest academic honor societies, recognizing
outstanding achievements in economics worldwide. UOG’s Alpha Chapter is the only ODE
chapter in the Western Pacific, providing students with networking, graduate school,
and research opportunities.