Rate My Professor Michael Orr

Michael Orr, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor of Biology and Division Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences at the University of Guam. He holds a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of Victoria, Canada, and a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from the University of Calgary, Canada. Orr joined the University of Guam in the 2017-2018 academic year as Assistant Professor of Biology. On February 24, 2022, the University of Guam Board of Regents approved his tenure application in a regular meeting, following an executive session recommendation. His professional contributions are recognized through his listing in university research booklets and catalogs.

Orr's research encompasses marine ecology, shark nurseries, and condition-dependent behaviors in migratory fish species. Key publications on his ResearchGate profile include "Potential Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) Nursery on Seamounts Southwest of Guam" (April 2019) and "Condition-dependent migratory behaviour of endangered Atlantic salmon smolts moving through an inland sea" (May 2016), with a correction in August 2016 and supplementary data. These four items have accumulated 22 citations and 1,425 reads. He has presented prior work using acoustic telemetry in Pacific regional reports. Orr advises the UOG Predental Student Association and the Marine Opportunities/Nature Association (MO'NA), fostering student involvement in health and marine sciences. He commended the Class of 2020 valedictorian Megan Gimmen for her 12 medical school acceptances, including Harvard. Additionally, Orr supports the Guam Island Wide Science Fair by facilitating NOAA internship awards for student projects in marine science. As a biology faculty member, he contributes to courses such as EV510: Ecology and engages in premedical advising through the American Medical Student Association chapter affiliation.