UOG’s Kenneth Gofigan Kuper Announced as Pacific Academy of Sciences Fellow
University of Guam associate professor Kenneth Gofigan Kuper has been selected as a fellow of the Pacific Academy of Sciences (PAS).
The organization is led by and supports Pacific scholars across a range of disciplines
in promoting research-backed evidence and indigenous knowledge to help address the
most pressing challenges facing Oceania. According to their website, the Pacific Academy
of Sciences “marks the first time Pacific Island nations have created a regional mechanism
to collectively harness their knowledge for evidence-based decision-making.”
Kuper is one of 13 fellows that make up the 2025 cohort and was chosen through a rigorous
review process.
PAS fellows are selected based on their contributions to their respective fields,
as well as their leadership and service to the Pacific. The election of fellows is
the highest honor PAS can grant to Pacific scholars.
Kuper is an Associate Professor of Political Science, CHamoru Studies, and Micronesian
Studies at the UOG Micronesian Area Research Center. His research and area of expertise
is in geopolitics, security, and international relations, with a focus on Guam and
Micronesia. Kuper is the co-founder and board director of the Pacific Center for Island
Security, which maps and analyzes geopolitical activity in the region. He was also
chosen for the 2025-2026 Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leaders program.
Kuper earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UOG and a Master of Arts in Pacific
Studies and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.
As a PAS fellow, Kuper will join a network of Pacific researchers and experts committed
to advancing Pacific-focused knowledge and impact.
“Being in this cohort and under the wings of so many Pacific Island intellectuals,
to witness their expertise and institutional knowledge, is a very exciting and humbling
opportunity for me,” Kuper says. “I want to learn from the experience and bring back
that knowledge to Guam and help serve our community.”
Kuper will meet with the other fellows during PAS’ inaugural Congress in Apia, Samoa
next February.
For more information on the Pacific Academy of Sciences, visit https://www.pacificsci.org.