8 scientists conferred title of 'Academician'

Eight outstanding scientists and professors have been conferred the prestigious title and rank “Academician.”

The title was conferred by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the government’s highest advisory and recognition body on science and technology.

The NAST, currently headed by Dr. Emil Javier, former University of the Philippines System (UPS) president, is an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Academician is a title given to Filipino scientists whose significant scientific works have considerably contributed to the progress of the country and the Filipino people.

The titles were presented to the scientists at a fitting program during the 2008 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) held at the Manila Hotel.

Of the new Academicians, six are from UP while the two others are from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC) and De La Salle University (DLSU).

Those from UP are Drs. Arsenio Balisacan, Carmencita Padilla, Jaime Montoya, Jose Maria Balmaceda, Gavino Trono and Gisela Concepcion.

The two others are DA-PCC executive director Dr. Libertado Cruz and Dr. Alvin Culaba of DSLU.

Dr. Balisacan, a UP Diliman professor in Economics, was named Academician for the studies in development economics, especially on poverty, economic inequity, and agricultural and rural development.

He is concurrent director of the UP Los Baños-based, government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. In 1992, he also received the Outstanding Young Scientist award from the NAST.

Padilla, a professor at the UP College of Medicine, was recognized for her invaluable contribution to the promotion of genetics and newborn screening. She is director of the Institute of Human Genetics at the National Institutes of Health and officer-in-charge of the Newborn Screening Reference Center, which monitors the implementation of newborn screening all over the country in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH).

Balmaceda, a professor of mathematics at UP Diliman and coordinator of UPD’s Graduate Programs and Research of the UPD Department of Mathematics, was named Academician for his research on the representation and structure theory of finite groups and related structures.

Trono, a professor emeritus at the UPD Marine Science Institute (MSI), was recognized for his contribution to the study and promotion of the field of psychology, particularly seaweed biodiversity, taxonomy and culture, and for his life’s work as researcher and professor.

His current projects include studies on the subsidence in Metro Manila, development of culture technology for seaweed species and screening of high-value natural products.

Concepcion, an associate professor at the UP-MSI, was recognized for her contributions to the field of marine natural products as team leader of various research projects, which aim to discover marine compounds with properties against cancer, bacteria, tuberculosis, malaria and inflammation and immunosuppressant.

Cruz was named Academician for his significant accomplishments in the field of animal science, particularly in reproductive biotechnology.

Culaba was cited for his work on Life Cycle Assessment Methodology.