The University of Guam’s Alpha Chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society in economics, inducted three new members in a ceremony held Nov. 26 at the UOG campus.

The inductees included one faculty member and two students:

Dr. Edward Conrad, associate professor of accounting, School of Business & Public Administration
Mykaelah Janyne A. Sanchez, BBA student, Honors Pathway
Paul Antonio C. Sayama, BBA student, Professional Pathway

Since the chapter’s establishment in 2019, the society has grown to 59 members, including students, alumni, and faculty who demonstrate excellence in economics and a commitment to applying economic knowledge to island and regional issues.

Several ODE members have continued their academic journeys at prestigious graduate institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, the London School of Economics, Georgetown University, the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Ritsumeikan University in Japan, De La Salle University–Manila in the Philippines, and the University of Guam’s Professional Master of Business Administration program.

“Although UOG does not offer a standalone degree in economics, our students pursue rigorous coursework equivalent to major or minor programs at U.S. universities,” said Dr. Claret Ruane, professor of economics. “They become valuable contributors to our local workforce and among the few trained economists in Guam.”

The ceremony featured remarks from faculty advisors Ruane and Dr. Kuan-Ju Chen, associate professor of agricultural economics at the College of Natural & Applied Sciences.

They were joined by Dr. Sharlene Santos-Bamba, UOG senior vice president and provost; Dr. Roseann Jones, dean of SBPA; Dr. Leila Kabigting, chair of the Business Division; and Mr. Christian Valencia, ODE president, SBPA adjunct faculty member, and director of tourism research at the Guam Visitors Bureau.

The evening concluded with a dinner reception sponsored by SBPA’s International Conference on Business, Economics, and Information Technology series.

During the general membership meeting, Ruane highlighted the chapter’s recent contributions, including co-sponsorship of the 2025 Guam Farmer Focus Conference and the upcoming ICBEIT conference in Singapore in March 2026.

New officers were also elected for the upcoming term:

President: Steve Eric Terlaje

Vice President: Celia Anderson

Secretary: Keana Daudelil Mesubed

Treasurer: Paul Antonio C. Sayama