After nearly 40 years in the making, engineering education at the University of Guam is expanding its programs – with the addition of a building of its own – marking a major milestone for students, our workforce, and Guam’s future.

UOG's School of Engineering represents more than a new facility on campus – it’s a promise of opportunity that stays on the island. Decades in the making, it’s a major step toward building Guam's next generation of engineers.

Since 1981, UOG has supported aspiring engineers through a pre-engineering program – without a dedicated space of its own. Students shared classrooms, mostly in the Science Building, and while the university could provide foundational coursework, many had no choice but to leave Guam to finish their degrees.

President Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez said, “We are standing on the bedrock of a new era of self-determination and local ingenuity." She says the goal is to provide a place for minds to grow, while also creating pathways for careers that benefit island communities.

"There are those in the past that believed a program of this magnitude was impossible – that our island was too small, too remote, and that we should simply continue to send our kids to the U.S. to receive this critical training," she added.

In 2009, then-UOG president Dr. Robert Underwood reignited the push for a full, four-year accredited engineering program. Industry support followed, capital was raised, the UOG Board of Regents formally established the School of Engineering and approved the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering program – and in 2024, the program earned its ABET accreditation.

Through funding support from the USDA, the Office of the Governor of Guam, and additional sources through the UOG Endowment Foundation, the dream had finally become a reality. Now, students can earn a recognized, US-accredited, competitive engineering degree entirely on Guam.

The new building includes modern laboratories, classrooms, study spaces, and more -- all of them equipped with cutting-edge equipment designed to meet instructional, research, and workforce-development needs.

Enriquez added, “I’m really, really excited not only for our communities at large, but for the students who have had aspirations since they were in middle school, high school and we’re just happy to be here to support them and the industries that are in dire need of professionals.”

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero called the new school a symbol of progress, saying, “When we have an educated workforce, what do you think happens? We have a successful island. We have a successful community. We have a community that will be able to provide for the quality of life for their family, for their children because that’s what this is all about.”

Lieutenant Governor Joshua Tenorio pointed to the island’s roots – saying engineering has always been part of Chamoru heritage. “The first engineers in our heritage are those that established navigation," he stated.

“In a vast area of ocean, they were able to develop the best technology to navigate the deepest seas. That’s in our heritage. That’s what we bring to the table."

As the university looks ahead, UOG Board of Regents chair Agapito Diaz says the responsibility now falls on institutions to turn that legacy into opportunity, sharing,  “Engineering is the foundation to nearly every aspect of modern life.”

“With the opening of this facility we are strengthening UOG’s capacity to prepare engineers who are not only technically proficient, but are also deeply rooted in the values of service, integrity, and community.”

And for the School of Engineering’s dean, the moment belongs to the students – especially those who believed in the program long before accreditation became a reality. Dr. Hiroshan Hettiarachchi said, “They gambled on us, they trusted us and our plan.”

“And now its paying off.”

 (HH) 03:19 “These first-generation students and their parents did something remarkable by trusting us, and my hat’s off to them.” 03:27

And this is just the beginning. The School of Engineering is one of four new facilities opening at UOG – alongside the Student Success Center, Nursing Annex, and Water Environmental Research Institute – reflecting a broader push to expand STEM education, strengthen Guam’s workforce, and build long-term capacity for the region.

Enriquez said, “Biba School of Engineering! Biba UOG!”