FOE FACULTY MEMBERS AWARDED RECOGNITION ON 2022

In 2022, several faculty members from the UST Faculty of Engineering (FoE) were recognized for their hard work and outstanding contributions to the field of Engineering.

Engr. Mark Elson C. Lucio, MS of UST Civil Engineering (CE) Department was appointed as the Vice President of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, Inc.’s (ASEP) Officers and Board of Directors for the year 2022-2023. ASEP’s known publications are the National Structural Code of the Philippines and Philippine National Building Code-approved referral codes.

Engr. Rajiv Eldon E. Abdullah, M.Eng., UST CE Department Chair, was proclaimed as the President of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) - Philippine Chapter. The Society is known to dedicate itself to the development of geotextiles, geomembranes, related products, and associated technologies.

Asst. Prof. Beatriz A. Belmonte, Ph.D., of the UST Chemical Engineering (ChE) Department was elected as one of the new PAASE full members of the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE) during the 2022 Annual PAASE Meeting & Symposium (APAMS) hosted by the University last October 11-14, 2022 via Zoom.

PAASE is a non-profit professional organization of distinguished Filipino engineers and scientists who have been recognized in scholarly and research-related activities. The organization held the 42nd APAMS with the theme “Engaging Next Generation Science and Engineering.”

Professor Maria Natalia Roxas-Dimaano, PhD, also from ChE and a Graduate School faculty member, was recognized as the Most Outstanding Professional (PRC MOP) in Chemical Engineering award at the 2022 Professional Regulation Commission Awards last July 29,

LAYOUT BY : Aubrey Mae Maula

and “katamaran”. Hence, students feel that institutions and/or instructors would become lenient in giving a much-needed break when a storm comes because its destruction is more quantifiable and visible than the academic burnout and mental health decline of the student body.

That being said, it is still problematic and alarming when students, despite their awareness, feel any sense of relief in periods of calamities. With about 150 dead, more than 200,000 displaced families, and billions worth of damaged crops after Typhoon Paeng5, there is simply no room for delight. Students must refrain from rhapsodizing catastrophes and realize that an “extra rest day” brought about by a storm is more than enough to ruin the lives of thousands.

The burden of this change in behavior does not solely rest on the students’ shoulders but heavily necessitates the cooperation of the institutions that set the systems that make them unable to react appropriately in the first place. Reform in the educational system that prioritizes mental health and mitigates academic burnout is a must if we hope to produce learners that see storms for what they truly are—a disaster.

After all, how can we expect students to show proper sympathy when they are too busy fearfully complying with the unreasonable demands of their education? The very education that was tasked with disaster awareness, no less.

2022. She was also recognized in 2021 by the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (PIChE) as an Outstanding Chemical Engineer for Research and Development.

Engr. Madecheen S. Pangaliman, MSc, from the Electronics Engineering (ECE) Department is one of the newly approved National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) associate members under Division VII - Innovation and Engineering Research who had their oath-taking last October 13, 2022.

NRCP of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) serves to promote the continuous development of an individual or group’s research capability and forms linkages with local and international scientific organizations. Further, the council aids in issues of national interest and promotes the scientific and technological culture in all facets of society.