The University of Guam College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS) held a community brainstorming session on November 4 to garner information on the environment-, family-, and resource-related issues Guam faces.

“At CNAS, we’re supposed to listen to the needs that are out there in the community,” said Jim Hollyer, associate dean and associate director of extension and outreach at CNAS. “This was a really good chance to get everybody together and ask questions that relate to our areas of research. What we received were very thoughtful comments on what’s important to our local community.”

Hollyer said more than 150 people including representatives from both public and private agencies, community members and the CNAS faculty spent the morning identifying issues within these four areas: agriculture and gardening; natural resource quality and use; families, youth, and community; and nutrition, health and food.

Being able to discuss these topics in such large groups helped created synergy between related agencies, Hollyer said, and the notes from the morning session will be sent to the various agencies that have oversight in those specific areas.

“These events are mandated by our USDA funding partners,” said CNAS Dean Dr. Lee Yudin. “As a land-grant institution, we welcome stakeholder input so we can better serve the community of which we are a vital part.”

The afternoon session revolved around the community and UOG students meeting the faculty and staff at CNAS to gain a better understanding of the college as a whole and the different and vast opportunities available for research and study.

Click here to see photos from the event.