A total of 20 students across both the University of Guam and Guam Community College will spend their year as undergraduate student research fellows for the Guam National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (Guam NSF EPSCoR) E-CORE (Optimizing Research Infrastructure on Guam)/ GECCO (Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans) and INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance programs.
The Student Research Experience (SRE) provides students with interest in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) the opportunity to work alongside a faculty research mentor and receive guidance for their own research projects, with the support of a monthly stipend. This program is designed to build sustainable research infrastructure cores within NSF EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions to improve the overall research ecosystem, foster innovation, and promote economic growth.
This year’s undergraduate student researchers include:
E-CORE:
- Leeana Jackson (GCC)
- Ashley Gim (GCC)
- Mykaila Charfauros (UOG)
- Reggie Waiti (UOG)
- Azer Bilimon (UOG)
- Paris Borja (UOG)
- Erica Garcia II (UOG)
- Jarome Scott (UOG)
- Juliana Valencia (UOG)
GECCO:
- Kåna Sgambelluri (UOG)
- Kiaza Jerao (UOG)
- Ariel Santiago (UOG)
- Sean Fabian (UOG)
- Cameron San Agustin (UOG)
- Jesse Carpo (UOG)
- Nicolas Ubaldo (UOG)
INCLUDES:
- Diego Quiogue (UOG)
- Shannah Solamillos (UOG)
- Allysa Calilung (UOG)
- Segundo Garrido (UOG)
Throughout the program, student researchers will meet with faculty mentors on a recurring basis to engage in various research projects. This includes lab and field work ranging from plant pathology, marine biology, entomology, civil engineering, and more. This year’s SRE cohort will be working under the following faculty mentors:
- Bastian Bentlage, Ph.D. – Bioinformatics (GECCO)
- Else Demeulenaere, Ph.D. – Biology & Social and Behavioral Sciences (E-CORE)
- Nestor Guades, Ph.D. – Civil Engineering (E-CORE, INCLUDES)
- Alfred Daniel Johnson, Ph.D. – Entomology (E-CORE, INCLUDES)
- Rob Lasley, Ph.D. – Crustacea, (GECCO, INCLUDES)
- Christopher Lobban, Ph.D. – Biology (E-CORE, INCLUDES)
- Michalis Mihalitsis, Ph.D. – Vertebrate Morphology (GECCO)
- Bindu Poudel-Ward, Ph.D. – Plant Pathology (E-CORE)
- Brett Taylor, Ph.D. – Marine Biology (GECCO)
- Wei Xiao, Ph.D. – Biology (GECCO)
- Rui Zeng, Ph.D. – Civil Engineering (E-CORE)
Throughout the year, the cohort will attend monthly Near Peer sessions. These sessions, overseen by Cheryl Sangueza, Ph.D., bring student researchers together to reflect on the program as it happens in real time. “We talk about your research experiences and how they impact your sense of belonging in science, your identity, and how that breathes into science communication, and just your place in space in science,” Sangueza explains. “We bridge what you’re doing with the research to who you are as scientists,” she says.
This year’s SRE iteration also introduces the first cohort for Guam NSF EPSCoR E-CORE, a project that holds a strong focus on creating self-sustaining research ecosystems. E-CORE RII ORIG (Optimizing Research Infrastructure on Guam) aims to build upon the foundation developed by the previous research project GECCO. The research project is a product of collaboration by UOG and GCC, working in synergy with the Guam Science & Technology Steering Committee (STSC) to expand Guam’s research ecosystem, diversify its STEM workforce, and advance science and technology initiatives.
Alongside working with faculty mentors on various research projects, student researchers will also be trained to present their work at STEM conferences. These primarily include the annual UOG Conference on Island Sustainability happening on Guam at the end of April, as well as the annual SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) NDiSTEM Conference happening in Long Beach, California at the end of October. Student researchers may also be chosen to present at other STEM conferences on Guam or abroad depending on their respective grant support. They will be trained to present their work in various ways, including poster presentations and/or panel participation, and will get the chance to network with like-minded STEM enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world.