By Josephine Asuncion R. Emoy
Research is considered an indispensable and vital mission of the University in its pursuit for technological, social, environmental and educational advancements. Being a facet of development and innovation, it gauges better opportunities for partnerships across a whole range of multi-disciplinary areas in the community and beyond.
With this, the Research and Development Unit headed by Dr. Angelie Rose Lumba, Research Director, and Dr. Joel A. Perez, Vice-president for Research and Extension (VPRE) conducted the first virtual conference via zoom for completed researches in various disciplines with the theme, “Embracing the New Normal with Resiliency through Strengthening Research and Development Initiatives Across Disciplines,” last October 15-16, 2020.
This is part of the annual research and development symposium that the Office regularly conducts to encourage and support researchers in the University as well as those from other SUCs and private learning institutions to share their research findings and innovations that has significant implications not only to the academic sector but also to the community.
The first day of the conference was graced by Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, a professor from the University of the Philippines – Los Baños, and the Director of SEARCA or Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. He gave a talk on the “Impacts of COVID-19 and Opportunities on Strengthening Research and Development Across Disciplines.” An open forum followed afterwards.
The Parallel sessions followed right after which was paneled by some of the brilliant minds in research such as Dr. Craig Refugio of Negros Oriental State University, Dr. Nicholas Banquero all the way from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, Dr. Mcwinner Yawman, president of the Yawman Research & training group and a research publication consultant, and Dr. Roden Troyo of Visayas State University. They served as the external experts who shared inputs and insights to the researches on the papers presented. Meanwhile, the internal evaluator was Dr. Perez, VPRE.
On the second day, Dr. Carlos Faerron Guzman, the Director of the InterAmerican Center for Global Health, Associate Director of the Planetary Health Alliance, and an adjunct faculty of Harvard University and the University of Maryland in Baltimore, gave a talk on the topic, “Getting to a Healthy and Just Future: Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic through R and D,” which was followed by an open forum. Afterwards, the parallel sessions continued for the second day.
Towards the end of the conference, best paper presentations were recognized. For the Governance, Policy Studies and Social Sciences Research Category, the awardees were Jeffrey Gil Lingamen (1st place), Marjon Malacapay and Reynaldo Tababa (2nd place), and Romnick Capuyan (3rd place). For the Basic and Teacher Education, Mathematics, Arts and Languages Research Category, the awardees were Riza Stephanie Alfaras (1st place), Karla SAlvallon (2nd place), and Josephine Asuncion Emoy (3rd place). Finally, for the Natural Sciences, Biological, Developmental and Technological Research Category, the awardees were Cecile Albay, Chester Cofino and Almira Segura (1st place), Rosemarie Gallardo (2nd place), and Chester Cofino (3rd place).
Indeed, this activity is a testimony of the University’s strong commitment for research through the support of the CPSU administration and of all the presenters and researchers.