Merry Christmas from around the Pacific!

Merry Christmas from around the Pacific!

~Felis Pasgua (Chamorro)
~Maligayan Pasko (Tagalog)
~Peren en Krismas (Pohnpeian)
~Monono ilo raaneoan Nejin (Marshallese)
~Falang e Baynag (Yapese)
~Tok Tapeng (Kosraean)
~Ungil Kurismas (Palauan)
~Pwapwan Kirisimas (Chuukese)
~Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian)
~Ameseighil ubwutiiwel Layi Luugh me raagh fee (Carolinian)

242 Graduate During UOG's Fall Commencement Ceremony

The University of Guam celebrated the accomplishments of 242 graduates during Fanuchånan (Fall) 2016 Commencement Ceremony at the UOG Calvo Field House today. UOG conferred 185 undergraduate degrees and 57 graduate degrees.

In his welcoming remarks, President Robert Underwood encouraged the students to serve a higher purpose and quoted journalist Tom Brokaw:  “You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.”

UOG President Dr. Robert A. Underwood delivers welcoming remarks and unveils the Trident hand signal—a new tradition for UOG Tritons.

At the end of his remarks, Underwood revealed a new hand signal that is unique to the University of Guam. Mentioning the “shaka” of the University of Hawaii and the “Hook’em Horns” of the University of Texas, Underwood held three fingers up to symbolize the Trident of the University of Guam Tritons.

“We are all Tritons, and we know we are supposed to fulfill the mission of UOG in ina, deskubre, setbi (to enlighten, to discover, to serve), Underwood declared. “We know that our mascot the Triton carries a trident which represents this three-pronged approach to learning and meaning in our lives. But we must awaken that spirit in us with a hand gesture that unites us all as Tritons, especially as we look to the future and as we go our separate ways.”

The Trident hand signal was met with enthusiastic cheers from the graduates and audience.

Commencement speaker Brigadier General Tracy L. Smith, an alumna of the University of Guam, shared some of her lessons learned throughout her career in the U.S. Army Reserve. One lesson was on “212 Leadership.” She explained that water is hot at 211 degrees, but boils at 212 degrees.

“Water boils and creates steam and gets the engine going,” she said. “Find your passion, find what it takes for you to get to that boiling point. It takes that extra degree to get things done….strive for that extra degree. 

Class Valedictorian Sean Rios Rupley challenged his fellow graduates to give back. “The challenge…is to take everything we’ve learned from this experience—the formal lessons from the classrooms and the informal lessons from our interactions—and pay them back to everyone who has invested in us. What we’re doing makes Guam a better place to live.”

Rupley, who is from Agana Heights, double majored in Sociology and Communication.

The largest number of graduates came from the UOG School of Business and Public Administration, which conferred a combined  92 undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, Accounting, Public Administration and Criminal Justice and a combined 23 graduate degrees from its Professional Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration programs.

The School of Education conferred the most graduate degrees with a combined 29 in its Master of Arts in Counseling, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Education programs.

Source:  www.uog.edu

2016 UOG DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

The University of Guam is excited to announce the names of the winners for the 2016 University of Guam Distinguished Alumni Awards. The awards were handed out on Dec. 3, at the all-class annual UOG alumni reunion at the Lotte Hotel Club Lounge. Winners were selected by a panel of judges which included key UOG leaders, representatives of the UOG Alumni Association and notable community judges. One award was given to each graduate of the University’s schools and colleges as well as to an alum who is retired from the military or actively serving in the military. 

College of Natural and Applied Sciences 
Frank Ishizaki, Bachelor of Arts Chemistry, 1971 
Adjunct Faculty, School of Business and Public Administration, UOG 
Chief Criminalist Guam DPS, Retired FBI Special Agent, Senator, Chief of Police, Director of Corrections, and Homeland Security Advisor 

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences 
Maureen Maratita, Bachelor of Arts Communication, 2000 
Publisher, Glimpses Publications 

School of Business and Public Administration 
Sandra McKeever, Bachelor of Arts Marketing, 1999 
President/Financial Advisor, Asia Pacific Financial Management Group 

School of Nursing and Health Sciences 
Paul Pun, Bachelor of Science Social Work, 1989 
Secretary General, Caritas Macau 

School of Education 
Salvador Avilla, Bachelor of Arts Secondary Education & Sociology, 1973, Master of Arts Behavorial Sciences, 1975 
Department Chairperson – Social Studies, George Washington High School/Tiyan High School, former Principal, Agueda Middle School 

Military 
LTC(R) Renie “Rey” Llaneta, Army, Bachelor of Arts Psychology, 1984 
RE/MAX Asyenda Realty Corporation 

All nominees’ application packets were rated in the following areas: 1) Professional accomplishment in the field: has the nominee attained a high level of distinction and achievement through scholarship, research, teaching, creative contributions to the arts (comprising Humanities, Performing and Fine Arts, Social Sciences and Business) or sciences (comprising Science, Engineering and Health Sciences) and/or service to society? 2) Does the candidate exhibit a high degree of character and integrity? 3) Does the candidate show civic and University involvement, awareness and concern? 4)Does the nominee's achievements have local, national and/or international significance? 

The awards are expected to be given out in 2017 again. A call for nominations will take place starting in July of next year. 

For more information, please contact Norman Analista, Director, Development & Alumni Affairs, University of Guam at 797-3333 or email analistan@triton.uog.edu.

UOG Distinguished Alumni Awards - Dec. 3

TRITON NIGHT AT THE CALVO FIELD HOUSE - Tonight at 5:30 p.m.

October Triton Alumni Luncheon

29th Annual Regional Language Arts Conference - Nov. 18 & 19

The 29th Annual Regional Language Arts Conference (LAC) is an event in which Western Pacific educators are provided with opportunities for professional growth and enrichment in literacy.

The conference is organized by the Department of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL) at the University of Guam, and co-sponsored by the Guam International Reading Association. IRA members can register for the conference during their September and October meetings. Participation is limited to the first 300 registrants, so early registration is encouraged.

Educators can earn one (1) PD894 graduate credit/CEU for attending this conference. For additional information you can e-mail the instructor, Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, at mnrivera@uguam.uog.edu or mnrivera1@yahoo.com.

For inquiries contact Kathleen Duenas at 735-2725 or kduenas@triton.uog.edu.

Reading Writing Together: Collaborate to Calibrate

Friday, November 18, 2016 - 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 19, 2016 - 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Hyatt Regency Guam

Keynote Speaker:

Kevin Colleary, Ed.D.

Dr. Kevin Colleary is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University in New York. He teaches graduate level courses in educational foundations, philosophy and history of education as well as content area reading methods for science (STEM) and social studies. He works with elementary pre-service science, social studies and reading teachers in public and private schools including supporting them in internship and student teaching roles through supervision, mentoring and classroom instruction. In addition, he works closely with school administrators and classroom teachers on issues related to Common Core State Standards. He has also taught at Hunter College in New York and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dr. Colleary is an author for McGraw-Hill Education. He is a member of the senior authorship team, which conceptualizes and writes national and state specific K-6 elementary social studies programs. He creates and provides professional development support materials and seminars for state curriculum leaders, district leadership and classroom teachers on content area reading and social studies curriculum issues. He has also served as Director of National Marketing for Benchmark Education Company in New Rochelle, New York. He served in various positions for McGraw-Hill as Senior Marketing Manager of English, National Marketing Manager of Reading/Language Arts, Director of Social Studies Curriculum, National Social Studies Consultant, and Marketing Manager of Social Studies.

Sponsored by:

University of Guam
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Co-Sponsors:School of Education
International Reading Association, Guam Council

E-mail: uoglac@gmail.com

Invitation to Attend and Present/Call for Presentations and Workshops

Conference Registration Form

Presentation Proposal Form

**You can register and submit your proposals online. **Proposal Deadline is November 2, 2016.

**Registration Fees must be paid in person at the Division of English and Applied Linguistics, located on the second floor of the Tan Lam Pek Kim English and Communications Building, University of Guam campus.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE AND SUBMIT CONFERENCE PROPOSALS

-------------------------------------------------------------------

27th LAC Keynote Speaker: Dr. Margaruite Smith

Dr. Smith is the Manager of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), Hawaii and Pacific Sales and Service for McGraw-Hill Education. In that capacity, she is responsible for all aspects of teacher training, textbook and online learning sales, as well as Professional Development services for McGraw-Hill School Education educational materials, including SRA, Macmillan, Glencoe and Wright Group products to the Department of Defense Schools and to Guam, Marshall Islands, Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Federated States of Micronesia, American Samoa, and Hawaii.

She has degrees from Texas Tech University, Texas Southern University, and the University of Denver in education and in educational administration. She has taught in every grade level 1-12, and has been an elementary administrator. She has teacher certification in reading, English as a Second Language, as well as general studies K-12.

26th LAC Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nerissa Bretania Underwood

Dr. Nerissa Bretania Underwood is a former Superintent for the Guam Department of Education (GDOE). She served as GDOE's research, planning, and evaluation administrator. She holds a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Oregon, a master's degree in education, and a bachelor of arts degree in education. She has also served as the chair of the committee to develop Guam Department of Education's master plan relative to the increase in military presence. Dr. Underwood has been a leader in the local Filipino community organizations and an advocate of Guam's quest for self-determination and has served the community as a member of the Guam Memorial Hospital's board of trustees, the Guam Humanities Council, and St. Paul Christian School's board of directors. She is also the vice chair of the Democratic Party of Guam.

25th LAC Keynote Speaker: Efren Penaflorida, CNN Hero of the Year

Penaflorida is a Filipino teacher who won the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year award for his outreach teaching project known as, "Kariton Klasrum" (pushcart classroom). He received his award from American actress Eva Mendes at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

According to Penaflorida, "Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes, and sizes. We are one great tapestry...Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need."

If you are interested in presenting or attending, it is important that you return the forms with your check/payment immediately. We have a limit of 300 participants. Last year, many were turned away because we reached capacity before the registration deadline. Don't let this weekend go without signing up. We look forward to seeing you there!

Contact LAC Committee Chairpersons:

• Dr. Christopher Garcia: guamchrisgarcia@gmail.com
• Dr. Clarisa Quan: risaquan@yahoo.com
• Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera: mnrivera1@yahoo.com
• Dr. Catherine Stoicovy: stoicovy@guam.net
• Dr. Michelle Santos: msantos@uguam.uog.edu

Administrative Coordinator:

• Kathleen Duenas (Email: kduenas@triton.uog.edu, Tel: 735-2725
• E-mail: uoglac@gmail.com