From corals to crabs, a group of Guam NSF EPSCoR students are preparing to present posters of their research at the 2024 Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference.
The multi-disciplinary and multicultural event, scheduled for October 31 to November 2 in Phoenix, Arizona, aims to foster diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
A total of 46 attendees from Guam, including 34 students, will be participating in the conference.
The students are supported by various grants and scholarships from the Guam NSF EPSCoR, NSF INCLUDES SEAS, Navigating Home, SLOAN, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), as well as travel scholarships from SACNAS, Chapter Officer Leadership October Retreat (COLOR), and the Research Corporation of the University of Guam.
The students are supported by various grants and scholarships from the Guam NSF EPSCoR, NSF INCLUDES SEAS, Navigating Home, SLOAN, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), as well as travel scholarships from SACNAS, Chapter Officer Leadership October Retreat (COLOR), and the Research Corporation of the University of Guam.
During the conference, the participants will attend workshops, present research, and connect with officials from schools nationwide for research experience opportunities.
Mya Ngemaes, a senior biology major, is one of the nine students supported by Guam NSF EPSCoR.
Her poster presentation focuses on the impact of heat stress on the respiration and photosynthetic efficiency of Guam’s dominant shallow corals, Acropora speciosa and Porites cylindrica.
Ngemaes conducted a tank experiment to simulate heat stress conditions and compare the performance of corals under both ambient and elevated temperatures.
“I’m really excited because this is the work that I have been doing for a whole year,” Ngemaes said. “Being able to talk about it to other people and sharing what we do here at UOG is something I feel super excited about.”
Daniel Urbano, majoring in applied biology, will present his research on true crabs and macroalgae on Guam.
“We have been surveying macroalgae (sargassum) in the Pago Bay reef flat outside Marine Lab. There are very few surveys done of this type, and more so, all have been done in temperate waters. Guam’s waters are tropical, and they are full of life. So, we are recording this biodiversity,” Urbano said.
“We have been surveying macroalgae (sargassum) in the Pago Bay reef flat outside Marine Lab. There are very few surveys done of this type, and more so, all have been done in temperate waters. Guam’s waters are tropical, and they are full of life. So, we are recording this biodiversity,” Urbano said.
Urbano looks forward to his first SACNAS presentation. “I haven’t presented anything in a conference this size. The biggest one that I had was the CIS (UOG Sustainability Conference) early this year. This is a huge step up basically.”
Nicole Pineda, a senior majoring in biology, is excited to attend the conference and meet new people from different STEM disciplines and backgrounds. She believes that the conference will provide opportunities for networking and learning. “It is nice to see and be part of a conference that is so diverse and has a lot of different cultural aspects to it,” she said.
Anela Duenas, a Guam NSF EPSCoR Graduate Research Assistant, participated in the SACNAS conference twice. This year, she is coming back as a lead for the NSF Guam EPSCoR students attending SACNAS.
“It feels nice to help other students go through things that I went through,” she said. “Cause I have now some knowledge – like how I can help them prepare. How can I help them be better during the conference.”
“It feels nice to help other students go through things that I went through,” she said. “Cause I have now some knowledge – like how I can help them prepare. How can I help them be better during the conference.”
At the Near Peer orientation welcoming the student SACNAS delegation and their parents, UOG Senior Vice President and Provost Sharleen Santos Bamba emphasized the importance of the students’ participation in the conference. “SACNAS is an amazing opportunity,” she said. “You will be representatives of this institution. But larger than that, you will be representatives of the island.”
SACNAS was founded 51 years ago to foster the success of underrepresented Americans – from college students to professionals – in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and leadership positions in STEM.