GUAM

Hafa Adai from the island of Guam!

Hafa Adai ("Hello" in CHamoru, the native tongue and indigenous people of Guam)! Guam, an unincorporated territory of the United States in the North Pacific Ocean, is the largest, most populous, and southernmost island of the Marianas Archipelago. The Marianas is particularly known for its extensive and vibrant coral reef ecosystems.

The Navigating Home Guam Hub continues to grow its number of partnerships within the community to fit various fellows' goals. Since the Guam Hub’s launch in July 2023, we have 7 partnerships: 4 Government Agencies (Department of Agriculture/Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, Guam Environmental Protection Agency, Guam Energy Office, and Bureau of Statistics and Plans/Guam Coastal Management Program); 2 University of Guam Research Labs (Dr. Else Demeulenaere and Dr. Brett Taylor); 1 Non-Profit Organization (University of Guam Center of Island Sustainability/Sea Grant).

Katelyn R. Anderson, Guam Workforce Fellow

“My main goal as a new fellow for the NSF Navigating Home Early Career Program is to work with our partners and to spread awareness of all the conservation work that is ongoing and the potential for new conservation projects as our environment, our island, faces the ever-changing effects of climate change.”

— Katelyn R. Anderson, Workforce Fellow

Let’s create change together.

We are recruiting Workforce Fellows and Engaging Mentors.

Are you interested in becoming a Guam Workforce Fellow?

Annually, we are seeking 5 summer fellows and 2-3 annual fellows.

Fellows need to:

be experienced and interested in marine, environmental, sustainability science or engineering
be a current master's/PhD student or recent Master's/PhD graduate
show proof of local residency prior to post-secondary education (e.g. high school diploma) *
submit two recommendation letters

*Suggested but not required

Do you need more information on this program?

Contact us using the button below.

Apply To Be A Guam Workforce Fellow

Contact Guam

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Are you interested in hosting a Workforce Fellow?

Be part of an initiative that plays a crucial role in advancing diversity, inclusion, and participation in the geosciences field within the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our grant will fund airfare and an annual salary. We want you, the host agency, to help us gather students interested in marine, environmental sustainability sciences or engineering and give them the chance to start their career at home.

Apply To Host A Guam Workforce Fellow

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MEET THE GUAM TEAM

Featured

Austin J. Shelton III, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Austin J. Shelton serves as an associate professor and the director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant. A native of Guam, Shelton grew up observing environmental degradation and was inspired to become a marine and environmental scientist. Shelton is an Obama Leader, BMW Guam Electrifying Leader, Micronesia Conservation Coalition Tide Changer Educator, and one of 50 Under 40: Emerging Leaders in the Government of Guam. He led the team that earned the University of Guam its designation from NOAA as a Sea Grant Institute in 2022. Shelton works to revive island ecosystems and advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He is the steering committee co-chair of Guam Green Growth (G3), the island’s most comprehensive public-private partnership ever created to achieve a sustainable and prosperous future. Shelton leads projects focused on watershed and coral reef restoration, circular economy, food security, aquaculture, renewable energy, science communication, and building STEM capacity in Pacific Islander communities. Since starting his career at the University of Guam in 2016, Shelton and his collaborators built a portfolio of grants exceeding $54 Million, created more than 60 full-time jobs, provided over 260 paid workforce development experiences, and delivered thousands of community-focused impacts. His service roles include co-chair of the Climate Strong Islands Network, board treasurer of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and trustee for the Micronesia Conservation Trust. Shelton earned a B.S. degree in marine biology from Hawaiʻi Pacific University and both an M.S. and Ph.D. in zoology with a specialization in marine biology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio

Co-Principal Investigator

Cheryl R. Sangueza, PhD

Co-Principal Investigator

Dr. Cheryl Sangueza is the Co-PI in the Guam Hub NSF Navigating Home. Sangueza’s role includes being a member of the Steering Committee where she attends all alliance level meetings and oversees experience of fellows and Near Peer mentoring.

Sangueza is also an Associate Professor at the University of Guam School of Education. She serves as the Program Chair for the M.Ed in Innovations in Teaching and Learning and also serves on several unit and university level committees such as: curriculum, assessment, student success initiatives, and accreditation.

At the University of Guam, Sangueza is also on grant leadership teams with her role as lead in participant research experiences, Near Peer mentoring, and culture and identity in STEM for high school to early career participants.

Sangueza is deeply committed to designing experiences that illuminate authentic self in science and cultural communities and experiences that cultivate voice and identity in science communication. Sangueza has had the honor of doing so while partnering with the U.S Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as the PI for the Alfred P. Sloan project titled: Addressing the Hidden Curriculum: Strengthening Pathways to STEM Graduate Education and Co-PI and Steering Committee member for the NSF INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance, and as the lead for student experiences with Guam EPSCoR.