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ANNOUNCEMENT by the Research Corporation of the University of Guam

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: JA-RC-18-13 Graduate Research Assistant (WERI) - CLICK HERE for details.

WERI 2017 Research, Education, and Outreach Agenda

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The Second Conference on Water Resource Sustainability Issues on Tropical Islands

December 1 - 3, 2015 | Hilton Hawaiian Village | Honolulu, Hawaii

[Drs. Lander, Heitz, Jenson, Rouse, Senator Ada, Enriquez, Khosrowpanah, Denton, and Yudin]


The University of Guam Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) with other water resources research institutes in the Island Region of the United States (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands), which are part of the Geological Survey’s National Institutes for Water Resources Program sponsored “The Second Water Resources Sustainability Issues on Tropical Islands” that was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, December 1-3, 2015. The conference was a follow-up to a conference held by the institutes in November 2011 to provide a platform for discussion of existing water resources issues facing tropical islands and those issues that are likely to develop in the future, particularly due to the anticipated change in climate.

The objective of the Hawaii conference was to share among the participants via oral reports and posters the state of research and most current applications concerning water resources of tropical islands. The conference sessions were designed to provide a platform for the participants to address water sustainability challenges and find some common ground.

A total of 160 attended the Hawaii conference with 61 presenters from Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, US Mainland, Australia, and Canada. Our invited lunch speaker, Senator Tom Ada, did an overview of some of the water resource challenges and solutions that we have experienced in Guam, both operational and legislative, and our outlook for the future. It was well received. The University was represented by Dr. Anita Enriquez (Senior Vice President) and Dr. Lee Yudin (Dean College of Natural & Applied Science) who attended the conference. The conference was successful, well received and it will enhance communication and collaboration between island researchers that could provide a vital, synergistic link which would strengthen all the researchers’ programs.

Please check the following link for the photo albums:
Conference Photos
Shahram Khosrowpanah
WERI, Director
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 1(671)735-2694

The Second Conference on Water Resource Sustainability Issues on Tropical Islands

December 1 - 3, 2015 | Hilton Hawaiian Village | Honolulu, Hawaii

The Second Conference on Water Resources Sustainability Issues on Tropical Islands December 1 -3, 2015, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii Islands Region of the National Institutes for Water Resources (Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands) will convene a three days conference in Honolulu, Hawaii during December, 2015. The conference will provide a platform for discussion between water resources researchers and others on existing water resources issues facing tropical islands and those issues that are likely to develop in the future particularly due to the anticipated changes in climate. More detail information can be found at: http://www.wrrc.hawaii.edu/2015conference/index.shtml

WERI Advisory Meetings:

The tentative dates for this year’s WERI advisory meetings for Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Maria Islands (CNMI) and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) are:

• Guam Advisory Meeting: Friday- September 4, 2015 - Guam Hyatt Regency Hotel
• CNMI Advisory Meeting: Thursday September 11, 2015 – Saipan Pacific Island Club
• FSM Advisory Meeting: Thursday, September 24, 2015 – Pohnpei Cliff Rainbow Hotel

Institute Evaluation:

According to the provisions of section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended, during FY 2014, WERI was evaluated for their activities and eligibility for continued support under the Act. The result:

“We are pleased to inform you that the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific is performing at an outstanding level and is eligible for continued support under the Act. This decision is based on a recent report and recommendation by a panel convened to evaluate the activities of the 54 institutes or centers authorized by the Act during the period 2008 through 2010." William H. Werkheiser, Associate Director for Water, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of External Research, October 4, 2014.”

Good To Great – Program Evaluation and Prioritization:

In 2014, the University of Guam undertook a thoroughgoing assessment of its programs in preparation for a major re-prioritization and realignment of resources between programs, ranging from elimination of the weakest to heavy reallocation and investment in the strongest programs with the greatest potential. From among the 60 academic and research program units that were evaluated in terms of demand and quality, WERI was one of nine selected among 60 academic and research program units as the university's flagship programs. This will give the institute heavy additional support and expansion over the next several years. As the result, in early 2015, the institute hired a new faculty in the area of groundwater modeling. This will increase our research, training, and informational activities in a high priority area.

New WERI Technical Staff:

Search committees have recently been established for the hiring of two technical support staff at WERI. As a result of the Good to Great evaluation, the positions were opened to support WERI’s increase in research, training, and informational capabilities. Currently, WERI is looking to hire an Analytical Instrumentation Specialist for the WERI Water Quality Laboratory, and a Lab Manager for a hydrological computing, geospatial analysis and instrumentation laboratory. Job announcements for the Chemist II and Guam Hydrological Survey (GHS) Research Associate positions have been advertised on the University’s Website.

Link to:
http://www.uog.edu/administration/administration-finance/human-resources/job-opportunities

FY14 National Water Institutes Program Grants:

We have recently received word from the US. Geological Survey that Funding for our FY14 National Water Institutes Program Grants has been approved. Our proposal package included seven research projects, and four education, information transfer and training projects for a total funding of $277,005.

GUAM

• Estimating the Natural Limits of the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer: A First Step Toward Sustainable Management.
• Prediction of Flow Duration Curves at Ungaged Stream Sites in Guam.
• Expanding Guam Water Kids with Five Modules to Prepare HS Students for Service-Learning Opportunities Beneficial to Freshwater Resources.
• One-Day Field Course for Water Resource Professionals and Island Educators, with Educational Webpage on the Northern Guam Aquifer.

CNMI

• Impact of Stormwater Discharges and WWII on the Mercury Status of Fish from the Southern Section of Saipan Lagoon.
• Measurement of Groundwater Salinity for Selected Production Wells, Island of Saipan, CNMI.
• Optimizing Saipan's Water System Operation.
• Develop a GIS Model for Analysis of Groundwater Quality Data in Saipan.

FSM

• Sustainable Conjunctive Use of Groundwater and Rain Catchment Water under Variable Climatic Scenarios for Atoll Island Communities.
• Evaluating Rainfall Variability and Drought Thresholds for Atolls and High Islands of the FSM.
• Develop Community Based Watershed Management Programs to Improve Water Quality of Community Water Systems in Pohnpei, FSM.
• Pilot Study to Improve the Wastewater Treatment System in Yap.

Projects funded for Guam include:

• Teaching Teachers about Guam's Water Resources and 'Guam Water Kids': 1 Credit Hour Continuing Education Course with Guam Department of Education, Professional & International Program-University of Guam, and WERI.
• One-Day Executive/Professional Field Course, with Webpage on Sustainable Management of the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer.
• Spatial and Temporal Analyses of the Relationship between Groundwater Salinity and Rainfall Amounts, Timing, and Intensity in the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer.
• LiDAR-based Delineation and Hydrologic Modeling of Southern and Central Guam Watersheds.

Projects funded for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) include:

• Presenting CNMI Water Kids: Private Elementary/Middle Schools and Northern Marianas College of Education Outreach/Teacher Relations Program.
• Development of Water Usage Pattern (Diurnal Demand Pattern) for Saipan Water Distribution System.
• Environmental Impact of FUDS and Brownfields Sites in Watersheds on the Eastern Side of Saipan: Phase 2. Impact on Aquatic Resources.

Projects funded for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) include:

• Inventory and Assessment of Existing Sewage Treatment Facilities and Excess Sludge Handling Practices in the Federated States of Micronesia.
• Improving the WENO, Chuuk Water Distribution System Using Hydraulic Modeling and Geographic Information Systems.
• Identifying Sustainable Water Storage Infrastructure for Atoll Island Communities.
• Water System Leak Detection Training for Pohnpei Utilities Corporation (PUC), the Federated States of Micronesia.

Further information on each of these together with a complete update of all WERI research and teaching activities is available in this document:
WERI Annual Report 2016