The RCUOG core team pictured above, front row from left to right: Cathleen Moore-Linn, Executive Director; Gloria Travis, Accounting Specialist; Sable Sablan, Human Resources Specialist I; Precious Nagallo, Accounting Analyst I; Jammie Pamintuan, Accounting Analyst I; Enrique Villamor, Accounting Analyst I; second row: Michael Conner, Chief Business Officer; Raeanne Concepcion, Human Resources Specialist III; Danica Batac, Accounting Analyst II; Jennifer Tanghal, Human Resources Grant Assistant I; Heidee Bacani, Accounting Grant Assistant III; Anthony Agustin, Accounting Analyst I; and back row: Jayvee Cacal, Accounting Analyst I.

Today, RCUOG has 249 employees working on 171 different projects and more than $100 million in multi-year grant budgets.

The university commemorated RCUOG’s success with a “Zero to $100M” commemoration on Friday, Oct. 25, at UOG immediately following a regular meeting by its board.

The corporation serves as the fiscal agent for about 80% of the grants at UOG – managing the funds, hiring workers, buying equipment and allowing scientists to focus on their research.

UOG president Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez, who chairs the RCUOG Board of Directors, lauded RCUOG as a success story.

“The team has facilitated projects that have a direct, positive, and lasting impact on Guam and the region, and they’ve ensured that funds are managed wisely and appropriately. From zero to $100 million in 10 years is truly an accomplishment,” she said.

Executive Director Cathleen Moore-Linn was one of the original two employees when the corporation was formed 10 years ago. She’s seen growth each year, which means more research money for the university, more jobs for the community and more opportunities for students.

“We've grown each year. When we got to $10 million, I thought, ‘Oh, that's a plateau. We probably won't grow any bigger than that.’ And then we kept growing. And it has been double-digit growth ever since,” she said.

UOG Marine Laboratory Director Dr. Laurie Raymundo, who also serves on the board, was one of the first scientists to ask RCUOG to support a project.

“The Research Corporation is the institution that lets us shine,” she said. “It allows us to bring in money and spend it with so much more efficiency, which means we can do our work when we are supposed to do it, when we have promised we would do it, and it allows us to purchase the materials that we need and pay the people that we hire.”

“Efficient grant management helps researchers get more grants in the future,” she said. Some of the grants supported by the Research Corporation include the National Science Foundation funded Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) grant, the National Cancer Institute funded Pacific Island Partnership for Cancer Health Equity (PIPCHE) grant and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $10 million NextGen grant, which prepares students with the necessary coursework and job experience to be competitive for federal careers.

Since 2017, the Research Corporation has presented 103 travel awards to UOG students using mileage earned on credit card expenditures. These awards have allowed students to attend and present at off-island conferences and engage in research projects.

The Research Corporation has been the project lead in the construction of the University’s new WERI building and Nursing Annex. In 2021, UOG obtained a $12.8 million construction grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. That same year, RCUOG realized its first net reserve, and the money was used to support the architectural and engineering work for the WERI building and Nursing Annex.

In addition to Borja Enriquez and Raymundo, board members include Vice Chairperson Sharleen Santos-Bamba, Treasurer Randall Wiegand, Secretary Ryan Shook and members Dr. Artemio (Ricky) Hernandez,  Dr. Rachael Leon Guerrero, Joseph F. Ada, and UOG Board of Regents members Agapito Diaz and Joanna Chun.