The second quarter of 2024 has yielded quite a bumper crop for UPLB faculty members and researchers in terms of national awards and recognitions from reputable award-giving bodies.  

Announced very recently was the recognition of two shining lights in their field as new academicians of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Dr. Cleofas R. Cervancia and Dr. Joseph S. Masangkay.

Dr. Cervancia, professor emeritus of insect ecology, shepherded the UPLB Bee Program, a research-based extension program that champions the use and propagation of stingless bees through training and development of technologies.

Cervancia also led exemplary research that resulted in major discoveries and advancements in insect ecology, biology, entomology, and pollination biology.

Dr. Masangkay is a professor emeritus of veterinary pathology. He contributed in large measure to the field of veterinary medicine, specifically on laboratory animal genetics and wildlife animal pathology in the Philippines.

His research has provided valuable information on the protection, conservation, and proper use of animals as laboratory models in biochemical research.

The following young UPLB faculty members were also recognized as Outstanding Young Scientists by NAST:

Dr. Mark Joseph M. Desamero, PhD Veterinary Medicine, specializes in laboratory animal and biomedical science. His research interests are in animal modeling of human diseases, bioactivity testing, cancer research, and gene manipulation. He is working on cellular immunity vs. local isolates of African Swine Fever in the country. His research under the UPLB Bee Program has provided evidence on the therapeutic use of Philippine stingless bee-derived honey and propolis.

Dr. Ramon Christian P. Eusebio, PhD Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, specializes in environmental engineering and has contributed to the field of water and wastewater treatment. He focuses on seawater desalination using membrane technology. In wastewater treatment, he works on the removal of nutrients using a membrane bioreactor to meet the DENR effluent standards. He advocates the use of seawater as an alternative drinking water source.

Dr. Emmanuel P. Hernandez, PhD Veterinary Science, specializes in parasitology and vector and vector-borne diseases. He has advanced the understanding of tick biology and facilitated targeted approaches to tick and tick-borne disease control. His research methodologies have yielded clearer insights into tick embryology, enabling other researchers to pursue advanced studies on ticks such as gene manipulation, exploration of gene function and regulation in this important vector.

Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, MS Genetics, specializes in forensic and anthropological applications. He is a PhD candidate in molecular anthropology at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. For his thesis, he worked on the genetic history of the Sulu Archipelago to reconstruct the ancient origins and population history of this vital region in connecting Borneo and Mindanao. He worked with indigenous groups, conversing with a group of them in their local language.

Named career scientists on May 2024 under the Scientific Career System of the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are the following: 

Dr. Edwin P. Alcantara, promoted to Career Scientist II, National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH). His research interests cover the areas of insecticide toxicology, insect resistance management, computational biology, and microbial natural products.

Dr. Marita S. Pinili, Career Scientist I, National Crop Protection Center. Finished PhD in International Agricultural Development, major in Plant Virology at the Tokyo University of Agriculture. She completed both her BS (Agriculture) and MS (Plant Pathology) in UPLB.

Fides Marciana Z. Tambalo, Career Scientist I, current director of BIOTECH. She has been working on microorganisms and their diverse applications in biotechnology. She has developed safer alternatives to synthetic colorants and on enhancing animal feeds. 

Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr., UPLB chancellor and a professor of economics, was awarded the Doctor of Humanities honoris causa by the University of Cagayan Valley, Inc., Tuguegarao, Cagayan for being a man of science and action and a visionary leader in future-proofing UPLB and sustaining its relevance.

Four faculty members have been named new UP Artists under the UP Productivity System:

Dr. Laurence Marvin S. Castillo, associate professor of literary and cultural studies at the Department of Humanities of the College of Arts and Sciences (DHUM-CAS). He is the director of the UPLB Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts. Castillo is the author of Digmaan ng mga Alaala: Rebolusyon at Pagkakamali sa Talang-Gunita, which was named finalist for the Best Book on Literary and Cultural Criticism in Filipino at the 40th National Book Awards.

Dr. Katrina Ross A. Tan, associate professor at and chair of the DHUM-CAS, finished PhD in Film, Media and Communications at Monash University, Australia.  Her creative work and research interests revolve around short films, star and film studies, and regional cinema and film festival studies. She is a recipient of the University of Glasgow GCID Small Grants Fund in 2023-2024 and One UP Faculty Grants in 2019-2021 and 2016-2018. 

Jeremy Reuel N. Dela Cruz, assistant professor at DHUM-CAS. He teaches various subjects in theater arts including theater history, theater communication, acting, directing, children’s theater, and community theater. He studied traditional dances, in particular, Javanese Traditional Dance and trained in performing for the Japanese Noh theater. His areas of study are Philippine theater, Asian dance and theater, and contemporary dance.

Cris R. Lanzaderas, assistant professor at the UP Rural High School, CAS. He has been working on his PhD in Araling Filipino-Wika, Kultura, Midya. Lanzaderas is a multi-awarded artist who has co-authored 2 books, 9 journal articles, and produced creative works including anthologies in Filipino.

These new UP Artists are in addition to three faculty members who have retained their UP Artist I titles, namely: 

Dr. Layeta P. Bucoy, associate professor, has a PhD in Literature. She is a seven-time winner of the Don Carlo Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, won the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards, ABS-CBN Scriptwriting Contest, and the UP-VIVA Scriptwriting Contest. Her stage plays have been exhibited in six countries. She has written scripts for film and TV, novels, short stories, and the first collection of science-based plays in the Philippines, “Science Drama: five plays with emphasis on biotechnology and nanotechnology.”

Dr. Cheeno Marlo M. Sayuno, associate professor of communication, media, and children’s literature; recipient of various awards, among them two Carlos Palanca Awards for Literature; author of a number of children’s storybooks and textbooks. His fields of expertise are communication, media and technology, communication theory, research, discourse analysis, children’s literature and child studies, media studies, and Philippine cultural dances. 

Elmer D. Rufo, assistant professor, has directed 32 plays from 2009 to 2017. He finished MA Theatre Arts from UP Diliman in 2001. He was awarded the UPLB Outstanding Artist Award in March 2017.

Their appointments as UP Artists were approved by the UP Board of Regents at its 1390th Meeting on May 31, 2024.

To qualify as UP Artist, a faculty or a research and extension staff member must have publication, presentation, exhibition, and performance art works in high quality or density.

March 2024 saw four faculty members and one institute receiving awards from the DOST-National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) at its 2024 Annual Scientific Conference and 91st General Membership Assembly on March 12, 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

The Institute of Biological Sciences of the College of Arts and Sciences (IBS-CAS) was recognized as 2023 NRCP Outstanding Institution.

Dr. Renato SA. Vega was given the service award for his inspiring leadership and dedication to NRCP, having served as chair of its Agriculture and Forestry Division from 2023 to 2024. He is a professor of animal physiology at the Institute of Animal Science of the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science.

NRCP awarded Dr. Inocencio E. Buot, Jr., a professor of botany at IBS-CAS, with the 2023 NRCP Achievement Award for his exceptional contributions to the biological sciences. His research is in the field of botany and ecology. He has been mentoring students and faculty on doing the right research process for national development in the Philippines.

Dr. Maria Ana T. Quimbo, a professor at the College of Public Affairs and Development, was given the 2023 NRCP Achievement Award for Social Sciences. She conducts research on evaluation studies in education policy and practice, curriculum studies, learning analytics, e-learning, community education, communities in transition, and community development. Another recipient of the NRCP Achievement Award, this time for Veterinary Medicine, is Dr. Remil L. Galay, the director of the UPLB Zoonoses Center. He was recently recognized by the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines with the Outstanding Practitioner in Academe Practice Award. (Josephine M. Bo)