THIS WEEK IN SCIENCE
Words by Jianna Wee and Joe Manzano
Despite the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in certain parts of Luzon, several achievements continue to be accomplished by people from the College. #GalingScience.
IMPACT FACTOR: Faculty and Student Publications
Prof. Maria Claudette A. Agnes, Ph.D.
Asst. Dean Agnes and co-author Mary Jane M. Valero recently published their study entitled “Challenges of bank senior executives at midlife: a phenomenological case study” available online last January 2021 in the MOJ Gerontology & Geriatrics Journal.
Asst. Prof. Jaycee Paguirigan, Ph.D.
Asst. Prof. Paguirigan and co-authors recently published their study “Establishment of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of Cladonia macilenta, a Model Lichen-Forming Fungus” last March 26, 2021, in the Journal of Fungi.
Janine Tolod, MESD
Tolod and co-authors recently published their article “Latitude dictates plant diversity effects on instream decomposition” last March 26, 2021, in Science Advances.
Asst. Prof. Jolleen Natalie Balitaan, M.S., Prof. Karen Santiago, Ph.D., and Gloricel Anne Martin
Asst. Prof. Balitaan, Prof. Santiago, and Martin recently published their article entitled “Revamping squid gladii to biodegradable composites: In situ grafting of polyaniline to -chitin and their antibacterial activity” in the Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers last November 2020.
Academician Prof. Maribel Nonato, Ph.D. and Christina Tan
Along with their co-authors, Prof. Nonato and Tan published their article “Freycinetia quezonensis: A new species of Freycinetia Gaudich. (Pandanaceae; Freycinetoideae) from Quezon, Luzon Island, the Philippines’’ in Taiwania last February 21, 2021.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Grecebio Jonathan Alejandro
Prof. Alejandro and his co-author published “Medicinal plants used by the indigenous Ati tribe in Tobias Fornier, Antique, Philippines” in Biodiversitas last February 2021.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Edison dela Cruz
Along with his co-authors, Prof. dela Cruz published “Diversity and bioactivity of endolichenic fungi in Usnea lichens of the Philippines” in Czech Mycology last January 14, 2021.
Aldrin P. Bonto, Ph.D.
Dr. Bonto and his co-authors published the article “Impact of ultrasonic treatment on rice starch and grain functional properties: A review” last November 2020 in Ultrasonics Sonochemistry.
GALING SCIENCE: Faculty and Student Accolades
Margie Tenasas Parinas
Margie Parinas, a BS Applied Physics alumna of the College, was recently chosen to participate in the Global Wind Energy Council’s (GWEC) Women in Wind Program. This program aims to support women in the wind industry to further their careers and gain a “global network of mentorship, knowledge-sharing and empowerment.”
ZOOMING IN: Online Lectures and Webinars
The Department of Psychology concluded the webinar “Cultivating Psychological Safety in Organizations” on March 19, 2021, at 10:00 AM via Zoom and Facebook live. The event was moderated by Henmar C. Cardino, MP, RPM featuring guest speaker Karen Rose V. Vardeleon, MA, RPSY, RPM, the co-founding partner of ChildFam Possibilities Psychological Services.
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The Office of the Vice Rector for Research and Innovation (OVRRI) recently concluded a series of webinars last March 23–27, 2021, in celebration of Research Week 2021 with the theme “Advancing Research and Innovation in the New Normal.”
On the first day, the webinar featured several guest speakers from the College, including Acd. Fortunato B. Sevilla III, Ph.D., Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Allan Patrick G. Macabeo, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Bernhard Egwolf, amongst others.
The keynote lecture featured Acd. Caesar A. Salona, Ph.D. from the National Institute of Physics of the University of the Philippines Diliman. The event also included a talk by Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P., Ph.D., S.Th.D. who discussed “Academic Research During a Time of Pandemic.”
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Ahead of the 5th Innovation and Analytics Conference and Exhibition 2021 to be held on November 23–24, 2021, our dean Prof. Rey Donne Papa, Ph.D., faculty members from the Department of Math and Physics, and representatives from Universiti Utara Malaysia met to plan for the virtual conference.
This serves as a venue for the collaboration and discussion in research, quantitative sciences, applied mathematics, and analytics. The submission of abstracts and papers is still open until June 15, 2021.
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Co-organized by UST Chile and UST Philippines, the joint symposium under the first Science Technology and Society (STS) Summit with the theme “Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management in the Times of Change” will be held on April 20, 2021, from 8:00 to 11:00 AM in Santiago, Chile and from 7:00 to 10:00 PM in Manila, Philippines.
Environmental researchers from UST Chile and UST Philippines have been invited to discuss issues regarding the environment amidst the pandemic in order to promote their advocacies for a sustainable Earth.
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The Community Development Team and the Faculty Association organized a Webinar-Workshop Series on Service-Learning to be held on April 16 & 23, 2021, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM, intended for the faculty members of the College. It will feature Dr. Luke Terra, Stanford University’s Director of Community Engaged Learning and Research.
