Source: UNIVERSITY OF GUAM UOG STATION submitted to
BUILDING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN MICRONESIAN REGION FOR NEXT DECADE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031320
Grant No.
2023-70008-41051
Cumulative Award Amt.
$200,000.00
Proposal No.
2023-05543
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2023
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2026
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[AA-Q]- Resident Instruction Grants for Insular Areas
Project Director
MARUTANI, M. N.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF GUAM UOG STATION
(N/A)
MANGILAO,GU 96913
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This RIIA: Education/Teaching project will focus on increasing student experiential learning opportunities and re-connecting two insular institutions, the University of Guam (UOG) and College of Micronesia-FSM (COM) for enhancement of agriculture education. The project supports two Project Need Areas of RIIA FY2023: (a) Student Experiential Learning and (b) Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching. For (a) Student Experiential Learning, we will support two different student activities. First, we will provide UOG students off-island travel opportunities to visit two COM campuses on the islands of Yap and Pohnpei. During the trip, students will observe the unique culture and have hands-on experiences working in the islands' agroecosystem. The second activity is to provide a training program for students to gain experiences with research projects working under the PDs' supervision. Student trainees will develop scientific and professional competencies with opportunities to solve real-life problems.For Project Need Areas of RIIA (b) Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching, we propose to broaden and develop our skills in improving agricultural education curricula at UOG and COM-FSM by sharing and standardizing curriculum between our programs and developing student advisement and recruitment skills among our faculty. PDs will visit COM with students and offer workshops on sustainable agriculture on Yap and Pohnpei. Instructors and students of COM will also visit UOG to learn about the different agriculture practices in Guam. The proposed project will identify obstacles and opportunities in building stronger linkages among our higher education institutions by visitation of each island and continuation of on-line conversation for agriculture education improvement.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90374103020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
7410 - General technology;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Resident Instruction (RI) in Agriculture and Life Science Division (ALSD) of College of Natural and Applied Science at the University of Guam (UOG) offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and Life Science (ALS) and the Master of Science degree in Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (SAFNR). Previously granted USDA/NIFA RIIA projects have supported improvement of our Resident Instruction (RI) activities to create the only graduate (SAFNR) and newly modified 4-year undergraduate (ALS) degree programs in agriculture and food sciences in the Western Pacific islands at UOG. Most of the student population at UOG is composed of Pacific islanders and Asians according to the UOG FACTBOOK 2021-2022. Among Pacific islanders, we receive either transferred students from 2-year community colleges of other insular institutions or freshmen from island nations. One of the challenges of our RI program is that many transferred students or new students from other islands often have difficulty adapting to UOG's 4-year U.S. style university system in addition to the language barriers. They often struggle to meet the requirements for a bachelor's degree within the planned period. Moreover, the recent 2-3 years isolation due to the pandemic and changes in collaborating faculty/coordinators/administrators of RI program at UOG and other neighboring insular institutions, have created a need to re-establish linkages among educators from insular institutions in Pacific islands. This is critical for improving students' educational success and experience in our RI programs. The goal of the project is to rebuild linkages between UOG ALS programs and College of Micronesia-Federated State of Micronesia (COM-FSM) RI agricultural programs. The new linkage will focus on knowledge exchange and curriculum sharing on tropical sustainable agriculture practices. Our island cultures place a high value on interpersonal communications and relationships. Another goal of the project is to provide students hands-on research experiences practices in sustainable agriculture in the tropics.The proposed project has three (3) objectives:Objective 1: Increase opportunities for UOG students to participate in experiential learning programs in sustainable agriculture at College of Micronesia.The students will broaden their view, through hands on experiences, and start to recognize differences and commonality of issues surrounding tropical island agriculture systems between Guam, Yap, and Pohnpei islands.Objective 2: Increase in opportunities for faculty and coordinators of RI programs at UOG and COM to exchange knowledge and curriculum on sustainable agriculture practices to enhance the quality and relevance of our agricultural degree programs.This objective aims for faculty and coordinators engaging FANH science education at both UOG and COM to have better understanding of students through these intensive travel programs and learning experiences and to prepare the students for successful pursuit of their agriculture and food science studies. This objective also aims to link (start dialog on common curriculum) the instructors of UOG and COM in food and agriculture around a focus on sustainable agriculture.Objective 3: Increase opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to conduct agriculture and food science research projects at UOG:The objective will provide undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to engage and to conduct research project under supervision of ALS research and extension faculty. This objective aims to provide students hands-on research experiences practices in RI, research and extension of Sustainable Agriculture Training Program.
Project Methods
First, we will recruit a part-time Research Associate who will assist PDs in delivering the three proposed objectives as follows:For Objective 1 and Objective 2:Planning of visitation to COM by UOG faculty and students and COM faculty and students' visitation to UOGPDs and Research Associate will start with a series of on-line communication with COM collaborator (Mr. Steven Young-Uhk, Vice-president and Extension Director COM-FSM) and other instructors of COM to decide dates and the itinerary of our trip to Yap and Pohnpei campuses and Guam visit by instructors/students of COM.Recruitment of student participants to travel to Yap and PohnpeiPreparation (before the trips)Regular meetings with student participants and regular online Zoom meetings between facultyPreparation of teaching materials on sustainable agriculture for workshops in Yap and Pohnpei by PDs, facilitated by Zoom meetings prior to travel.Creation of survey questionnaire appropriate for contents of proposed student activities (Objective 1) and educators' development (Objective 2).Tour to Yap and PohnpeiPDs and student participants visit Yap and Pohnpei at separate occasions due to lack of flight schedules to visit both island during one trip.Visit and observe agricultural activities and island culture of Yap and Pohnpei, through tours guided by local agricultural professionals and farmers.PDs and UOG student participants offer workshops to local students for the sustainable agriculture program in Guam. Examples of topics are:Animal Science/Meat Science (Dr. Liu)Horticulture, Soil, Agroecology (Dr. Marutani)Sustainable agriculture, tropical soil and water conservations practices, agroforestry practices and subsistence farming for food security, Agricultural economics (differences between a cash economy and a subsistence economy) (Dr. Barber)Community Development and Agricultural Economics (enterprise budgeting) (Dr. Chen)PDs, UOG student participants, COM faculty and COM students will discuss the curricula of agricultural education at UOG and COM to identify curriculum modules needed to better prepare COM students to transfer to UOG following COM associate degree completion.Tour to Guam by instructors/students of COM.Educators and students of COM will visit UOG.Visit and participate in tours conducted by agricultural professionals and farmers on agricultural activities, various production systems, and island culture of Guam (will hold a workshop on differences between a cash economy and a subsistence agriculture based economy and adaptive strategies/available resources).PDs, UOG student participants, COM faculty and COM students will discuss the curricula of agricultural education at UOG and COM to identify curriculum modules needed to better prepare COM students to transfer to UOG following COM associate degree completion.Assessment of outcomes of activities for Objectives 1 and 2Evaluation of activities of Objectives 1 and 2 will be done by Dr. ChenReport writing (PD: Marutani)For Objective 3:Recruitment of Student traineesSend an announcement of research/extension training opportunities.Select student trainees by PDs.Conduct the training program.Regular meetings by research project advisor (ALS faculty) and student trainees. Anticipating research projects for student trainees are:Animal Science and Meat Science (Dr. Liu)Biochemical analysis and genetic studies of local vegetable crops, invasive weeds, and native plants (Dr. Marutani)Extension promotion of traditional agroforestry systems for subsistence agriculture and food security, Outreach of Federal programs promoting soil and water conservation, research on the level of food insecurity on Guam (Dr. Barber)Student presentation of their research findings at seminar or a local conferenceRegistration fees for students' presentation at conferences are budgeted.Evaluation of student performance.Student research advisors keep timesheet of students work hours.Stipend payment will be monthly with the base of the hourly payment ($12/hour)Student research advisors will have regular meetings with student trainees about their progress and any issues they have during the training program.Advisors shares progress of training program.Dr. Chen creates a survey questionnaire to evaluate students' performance and success of the training program.Report writing (PD Marutani)TimetableSeptember 2023 - November 2023:Recruit Research Associate (for all Objectives)Quarterly conference video call (Zoom), throughout the project, with educators from COM and UOG to establish a network and determine the dates and itinerary (Objective 1 and 2)Discussion and preparations for an upcoming conference from educators from their respective insular institutions. (Availability and venue location)Recruit student trainees in research and extension program (Objective 3)Create a draft of evaluation survey questionnaire for proposed activities (all Objectives)Contract an external evaluator to discuss about the proposed project.December 2023 to September 2024:Conference video call (Zoom) with educators from COM and UOG to continue a network and finalize the dates and itinerary if needed (Objective 1 and 2)Conduct preparation and implement island tours if the schedule is decided within this time frame (Objectives 1 and 2)Recruit student trainees and perform research and extension program (Objective 3)Discuss with an external evaluator about our performing proposed activities.Submit the first annual report to grantor.October 2024 or September 2025:Conference video call (Zoom) with educators from COM and UOG to continue a network and finalize the dates and itinerary if needed (Objective 1 and 2)Conduct preparations and implement island tours if the schedule is decided within this time frame (Objectives 1 and 2)Recruit student trainees and perform research and extension program (Objective 3)If schedule permitted, student participants will attend the local Conference in Guam in April (UOG regional conference)Self-evaluation of the proposed activities (all Objectives)Discuss with an external evaluator about our performing proposed activities.Submit the second annual report to grantor.October 2025 to September 2026:Continue conference video call (Zoom) with educators from COM and UOG to discuss plans to keep our network (Objective 2)Recruit student trainees and perform research and extension program (Objective 3)Summarize outcomes of proposed projectDiscuss with an external evaluator about our performing proposed activities.Submit the final report to grantor.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience: Undergraduate students in BS degree programs at the University of Guam, College of Natural and Applied Sciences. Graduate students in the MS degree program in Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Nature Resource (SAFNR) at the University of Guam, College of Natural and Applied Sciences. Associate degree students in College of Micronesia and students at high schools in Federated States of Micronesia. Faculty and instructors from the University of Guam and College of Micronesia - Federated States of Micronesia. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities for students to engage in agricultural research work and sponsored students to present their research at a regional conference. The project sponsored three ALS undergraduates, one recent graduate of the ALS program, and one SAFNR master's student to visit Yap as an experiential learning opportunity. Faculty from the University of Guam and COM-FSM engaged in online and face-to-face discussion leading to the exchange in agricultural education curricula. Discussions have resulted in the review of course alignment between UOG's BS in ALS Tropical Agriculture Production and COM-FSM's AS in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Student reserach activities were presented at the 2024 Conference on Island Sustainability in Tumon, Guam. PD presented the progress report at RIIA PD meeting in Kansas City in May 2024. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Ag faculty and students at the University of Guam will visit the Pohnpei campus College of Micronesia-FSM to offer a workshop on sustainable agriculture in tropical island and to interact with students and faculty/staff to discuss agriculture education system in Pacific islands. The project will recruit and support student trainees in agriculture research and will sponsor students' oral and poster presentation at local regional conferences.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Increase opportunities for UOG students to participate in experiential learning programs in sustainable agriculture at College of Micronesia. The project provided four UOG students with the opportunity to participate in an experiential learning program by visiting Yap from March 16 to March 24, 2024. Participants included two undergraduates majoring in Agriculture and Life Sciences (ALS), one recent graduate from the ALS program, and one master's student under the Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (SAFNR) program. During the trip, students were able to visit the College of Micronesia - Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM), Yap campus and learn about Yap's agriculture sector through site visits to four farmers' fields, agroforestry sites, and COM-FSM's aquaculture facilities. Students also learned about the mulching and growing practices of Yapese farmers. Students were also given the opportunity to present on topics relating to sustainable agriculture, including agroecology, virtual reality technology in agriculture, and cocopeat utilization as an alternative potting media. One undergraduate also conducted a market survey and learned about Yap's agricultural market through interviews as a special project under the ALS degree program. In addition, the project sponsored two agriculture undergraduates from COM-FSM, one from Yap and one from Pohnpei, to participate in an experiential learning program at UOG from June 9 to June 15, 2024. During their visit to Guam, the students visited UOG's agricultural research stations, a local farm, a non-profit organization's farm field, and the Guam Department of Agriculture's tissue culture facility. Students also engaged in agricultural research activities at UOG, producing cocopeat from start to finish, participating in genetics research by running gel electrophoresis, and hands-on learning for in-vitro culture of sweet potatoes. Objective 2: Increase in opportunities for faculty and coordinators of RI programs at UOG and COM to exchange knowledge and curriculum on sustainable agriculture practices to enhance the quality and relevance of our agricultural degree programs UOG faculty engaged in discussions with COM-FSM faculty regarding their agricultural education curriculum. UOG faculty and coordinators visited Yap from March 16 to March 24, 2024. A two-day lecture series was provided to COM-FSM students on topics relating to the "History of Land-Grant Institutions," "Crop Production in Guam," "Distance Education and the University of Guam's Agriculture and Life Sciences Program Offerings," "Pruning Fruit Tree Demonstration," and" Horticulture and Agroecology of Yap," "Opportunities in Agribusiness," and "Introduction to Animal Sciences." UOG faculty were also able to visit four farmers' fields, agroforestry sites, and COM-FSM's aquaculture facilities during the visit to Yap. During one of the discussions, it was discovered that COM-FSM transfer students take more than 4-years to graduate with their BS. Majority of discussions from then on focused on course alignment between UOG's 4-year BS program in ALS Tropical Agricultural Production and COM-FSM's 2-year AS program in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (ANRM). Two course alignment discussions took place during the visit to Yap on March 18 and March 20, 2024, resulting in the potential alignment of five equivalent courses. During June, two COM-FSM faculty supported under the project visited Guam from June 9 to June 15, 2024. During their visit to Guam, course alignment discussions continued with the involvement of additional UOG and COM-FSM faculty. After comparing course syllabi, the outcome of their visit led to the agreement from UOG faculty on the alignment of the five agriculture courses with potential course alignment of math and chemistry courses. Objective 3: Increase opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to conduct agriculture and food science research projects at UOG. Twelve undergraduate students were supported by the project during the reporting period. The program was offered to five undergraduates during the Fall 2023 semester, four undergraduates during the Spring 2024 semester, and three Agriculture and Life Sciences (ALS) undergraduates during the Summer 2024 semester. During the Fall and Spring semesters, the students were majoring in Mathematics, Integrative Biology, Forensic Chemistry, Chemistry-Biology dual major, and Biology. Students within the program were exposed to different research projects, including topics in field evaluation of local eggplant and hot pepper, chemical analysis of local hot peppers, genetic and phylogenetic analysis of local field corn and hot pepper, propagation of black pepper, in vitro culture of sweet potato, seed germination studies, cocopeat production and utilization as a potting media. The project also supported one ALS undergraduate student in conducting a research project of her design - ascorbic acid (vitamin C) analysis of local hot peppers - as part of the ALS degree program requirement.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Arciaga, K., Davis, S., Chen, K.J. 2024. Leveraging Virtual Reality Technology to Tackle Farm Labor Shortages and Foster Agricultural Interest: A Case Study from Guam. Oral presentation at the 2024 Conference on Island Sustainability on April 11, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: de Leon, E. and Aflague, T.F. 2024. PICCAH-PLUS: Breast Cancer Risk Study. Oral presentation at the 2024 Conference on Island Sustainability on April 12, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Greene, A., Fernandez, M., Marutani, M. and Takayama, K. 2024. Studying the Genetic Diversity of Guams Local Hot Peppers Using MIG-seq, a Novel Genetic Technique. Poster presentation at the 2024 Conference on Island Sustainability on April 10, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Pabunan, J., Desamito, C., Delfin, M., and Marutani, M. 2024. Hot Pepper Cultivar Evaluation for Guams Farming Community. Oral presentation at the 2024 Conference on Island Sustainability on April 11, 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Perez, K., Golabi, M., Galsim, F., Bateni, S. 2024. Utilization of Smart Irrigation Systems to Refine Water Management For Guams Farmers.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Santos, C. 2024. A Study of Local Agroforestry, Agricultural Systems through College of Micronesia-FSM in Yap. Oral presentation at the 2024 Conference on Island Sustainability on April 11, 2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Taiwerpal, R. and Marutani, M. 2024. Effect of Cocopeat Particle Size on Hot Pepper Yield Performance and Root Production of Calamansi (Citrus x microcarpa) and Black Pepper (Piper nigrum). Oral presentation at the 2024 Conference on Island Sustainability on April 11, 2024.