UP Newsletter March 2011

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VOLUME X X XII NUMBER 3

DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY

MARCH 2011

Read UP Newsletter online at http://www.up.edu.ph/upnewsletter.php

CS Dean named new UPD Chancellor The UP Board of Regents (BOR) selected Dr. Caesar Saloma as the new chancellor of UP Diliman last March 2. The BOR made the selection during its 1,267th meeting at the BOR Room, Quezon Hall in UP Diliman, Quezon City. Later the same day, Saloma took his oath of office in a simple ceremony at the Office of the President in Quezon Hall. UP President Alfredo E. Pascual administered the oath. Saloma was chosen over four other nominees. They were Dr. Patrick Alain T. Azanza, Dr. Sylvia E. Claudio, Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara and Dr. Roland B. Tolentino. Saloma earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Physics from UP. He is a professor at the National Institute of Physics and currently holds the rank of UP Scientist III. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Science and Technology and was recently elevated as a senior member of the Optical Society of America. He has won local and international awards as a research scientist inclu-

Speedy probe sought by slain botanist’s family ARLYN VCD PALISOC ROMUALDO

“We have been suffering for a long time.” Dr. Lily Co-Austria, youngest sister of slain UP botanist Leonard Co, said this in an interview with the UP Newsletter (UPN) at a rally marking the 100th day since his brutal death in Kananga, Leyte. Joining her in the picket at the Department of Justice last February 22 was her husband, Dr. Roberto I. Austria, who said, “We are not doing this just because of Leonard. There were four others who were shot and two of them died. If our family is suffering, their families are suffering, too.” Austria was referring to guide Julio Borromeo and forester Sofronio Cortez who both died, as well as farmer Policarpio Balute and forester Roniño Gibe who (Continued on page 3)

BOR DECISIONS

UP System officials appointed

Saloma (fourth from left) taking the oath of office at Quezon Hall with (left to right) VP for Planning and Finance Lisa Grace Bersales, VP for Development Elvira Zamora, Pres. Pascual, and Saloma’s wife, Prof. Cynthia Palmes Saloma.

ding the 2004 Galileo Galilei Award from the International Commission for Optics and the 2008 ASEAN Outstanding Scientist and Technologist Award.

Saloma was serving his second term as dean of the College of Science when he was selected as UPD chancellor, which has a term of three years.

The Board of Regents (BOR), at its 1,267th meeting held on March 2 at the BOR Room, Quezon Hall in UP Diliman, approved the appointments of the following UP System officials: Prof. Teresita C. Mendoza as Assistant Secretary of the University and the BOR; Prof. Antoinette B. Hernandez as Assistant Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Director, Office of Institutional Linkages; Prof. Marilou G. Nicolas as Assistant Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Executive Director, University Center for (Continued on page 2)

UPOU will help remake UP—Pascual ARLYN VCD PALISOC ROMUALDO

“[The] UP [Open University] will accomplish so much more and contribute to the remaking of the University of the Philippines as a great university of the 21st century.” UP President Alfredo Pascual stressed this point in his keynote address during the 16th UP Open University (UPOU) Anniversary Program last February 28 at its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna. Distance education, he said, “has a vital role to play not only in broadening access to education but also in improving the quality of educational provision and administration. It is a groundbreaking approach to national development and social transformation through education.” UPOU Chancellor Grace Javier Alfonso said that with the UP System administration’s support, UP can “better fulfill its mandate of preparing the Filipino workforce for the challenges of today’s knowledge society.” She affirmed UPOU’s commitment to the continuous pursuit of excellence and maintaining its place at the forefront of open and distance

learning (ODL) in the country and in the region. Alfonso said that there is “global recognition of distance education as an indispensable option in higher education.” Because of this, she said UPOU is looking forward to overcoming future challenges because it will “always be guided by [the] continuing quest to bring quality UP education to people, who, for one reason or another, cannot otherwise access it.” UPOU’s anniversary program included the conferment of the Hon. Rolando R. Andaya Sr. Award for Open and Distance Learning, an honor bestowed upon those who have made significant contributions to the development of ODL in the Philippines. This year, the award was given to its fourth recipient, former Faculty Regent and former UPOU Chancellor Felix Librero who has been instrumental in the promotion and institutionalization of ODL in the country since the 1990s. The award was first given in 1999 to Prof. Asuncion San Juan, UPOU Learning

Center coordinator at the Catanduanes State College during the constituent university’s early years. In 2007, former UP President Emil Javier and former UPOU Chancellor Ma. Cristina Padolina were given the honor. Another highlight of the evening was the awarding of the 2nd Gawad Chancellor. First given in 2007 as the Gawad Chancellor for Outstanding Faculty, it was expanded to include Outstanding Administrative Staff and Outstanding Research, Extension, and Professional Staff (REPS). This year’s awardees were Prof. Patricia Arinto of the Faculty of Education (Outstanding Faculty), Human Resources and Development Office Chief Michael Lagaya (Outstanding Administrative Staff) and Larry Cruz of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (Outstanding REPS). Other awards given that night included the UPOU Foundation, Incorporated (UPOUFI) Professorial Chair which was given to Prof. Sheila Bonito, who heads (Continued on page 5)

I N S I D E

2

UP inaugurates National Science Complex

6

Four UP students win in poetry contest about Chile

8

UP ITTC holds 8th YCIT

9

Journal editors meet to help internationalize scientific journals


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