Category Archives: News
DLSU Full Professor is 2018 Outstanding ASEAN Science Diplomat
DLSU Full Professor Dr. Michael Promentila
DLSU Chemical Engineering Full Professor and DLSU Laguna Campus Pioneer Research Faculty Dr. Michael Promentilla was recently named as one of the 2018 Outstanding ASEAN Science Diplomats.
Organized by the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute of De La Salle-Araneta University, the awarding ceremony was held during the 2nd ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly at Ritz Hotel, Davao City last April 23-27.
The summit gathered the scientists and engineers from the region. The participants were trained for scientific language communication in the context of climate change and energy for public and professional engagements.
DLSU’s first woman and lay president receives honorary doctorate from St. Mary’s College of California
DLSU Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Carmelita Quebengco
DLSU’s first woman and lay President, now Chancellor Emeritus, Dr. Carmelita Quebengco AFSC marked another milestone in her career and in the University’s history as she was conferred an honorary doctorate by St. Mary’s College of California during its Academic Convocation in the first quarter of 2018.
The first woman honoree of St. Mary’s College Academic Convocation, Quebengco was conferred the degree Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, honoris causa. It is her second honorary degree; she received her first honorary doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management in 2010 from St. Mary’s University in Minnesota, USA.
She was recognized for her pioneering work and leadership in education, specifically at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) where she served as founding Dean; the various innovations she introduced at DLS-CSB and DLSU; and her establishment of a culturally appropriate school for Mangyan children in the uplands of Southern Mindoro.
Furthermore, she was cited for her work at the Pacific Asia Regional Conference of the Lasallian Institute as well as the Lasallian Education Mission Office of the Christian Brothers Institute in Rome, where she is one of only two first lay women Lasallian Partners appointed by the Superior General to a leadership post.
In her speech, Quebengco shared lessons from her experience as a Lasallian teacher, researcher, and administrator. A University Fellow who has risen from the ranks, she spoke of the various challenges that she faced, such as the time she was still a teacher at La Salle Green Hills until she found her vocation, helping the Hanunuo Mangyans, an indigenous tribe in Mindoro and one of the most neglected sectors in the country.
She became a DLSU faculty and later administrator assigned to various posts, eventually becoming the first woman Executive Vice President/Chancellor of the University. During her watch as the first lay and woman University President in 2003, DLSU received the highest accreditation level in the Philippines and ranked as the top private university in the country in the THES-QS World University Rankings that year. She currently serves as Senior Consultant to the DLSU President, and likewise holds the position of one of three At-large Trustees of the International Association of La Salle Universities (IALU). There are only two women in the IALU Board. Quebengco is also a Trustee of some 20 schools and universities, national professional organizations, NGOs, and educational accrediting bodies.
DLSU international congress highlights innovation through action research
Focusing on the theme “Action Research for Innovations in Education,” the Lasallian Institute for Development and Educational Research (LIDER), together with the DLSU Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education hosted the 3rd International Congress on Action Research, Action Learning (ARAL 2018) last May 24-26 at the Henry Sy, Sr. Hall.
A pre-congress intensive lecture workshop was held on May 23 to orient researchers on the process of producing a clear Action Research Plan, from conceptualization of topics, brainstorming, and writing of the AR plan, to the presentation of output and critiquing of outputs by experts.
ARAL 2018 was formally opened on May 24, with DLSU President Br. Raymundo Suplido FSC delivering the welcome remarks.
The keynote lecture entitled, “Conducting Research, Dissemination of Knowledge and Building a Career: A Discussion from Different Perspectives,” was delivered by Prof. LO Sing Kai of the Education University of Hong Kong.
For the plenary lectures, the featured speakers were: Dr. Bronwyn Williams, professor of English and Director of the University Writing Center of the University of Louisville, who talked on “Joining the Conversation: Strategies for Publishing Action Research”; DLSU Management and Organization Department Professor Dr. Benito Teehankee, who delivered the lecture “Critical Realist Action Research”; and DLSU Science Education Full Professor Dr. Maricar Prudente, who shared her research on “Filipino Teachers’ Perceptions about the Principles, Attitudes, and Processes in Doing Action Research.”
The workshop series touched on action research in the fields of math, science, languages, educational technology, and educational leadership.
Speakers for the lecture seminars, aside from Williams, were: Dr. Mary Brydon-Miller, also from the University of Louisville ; Dr. Mimi Rojo-Laurilla, program coordinator of Speakers Bank and Innovative Business Programs of Annecto Inc. in Australia; Dr. Jerome Ouano, an Educational Psychology specialist; and Dr. Sterling Plata, an advocate of assessment reform for a growth mindset.
Lasallians win 2018 Philippine Inter-Collegiate Debating Championship
PIDC National Champions: DLSU students Kit Albert, Patrich Lozano, and Marina Lim
The La Salle Debate Society (LSDS) bagged the national championship for this year’s Philippine Inter-Collegiate Debate Championship (PIDC), which was held last June 8 to 13 at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mandaluyong City.
All three members of LSDS also bagged other major honors. Kit Albert (IV-Japan Studies and Legal Management), Patrich Lozano (III- Marketing Management), and Marina Lim (III- Development Studies and Management of Financial Institutions), were named Overall Best Speaker, 3rd Best Speaker, and 7th Best Speaker respectively.
120 debaters from 24 schools from all over the Philippines vied for the coveted title. The competition had 7 preliminary rounds and 4 rounds for the final series. Each round had different themes such as education, economics, health, social movements, international relations, powers of the state, religion, national issues, and environment. For the grand finals, the motion debated was about housing and development.
The PIDC is the largest national debate tournament in the Asian Parliamentary format.
DLSU CE PhD student won best presentation at 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
At the 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE 2018) held in Osaka, Japan last March 29 to 30, Engr. Erica Elice S. Uy was awarded “Best Presentation” for her paper entitled “Full-Field Estimation of Cyclic Threshold Shear Strain.” Engr. Uy is a PhD student of the Civil Engineering department and a scholar of the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT). She is currently at Nagoya University for her Sandwich Program which is also funded by the ERDT. The paper is co-authored by her adviser Dr. Jonathan R. Dungca, Civil Engineering Department and Sandwich Program supervisors Dr. Toshihiro Noda and Dr. Kentaro Nakai, Geotechnical Engineering Division Graduate School of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Nagoya University Geotechnical Engineering.
The ICSMGE aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.
Original article can be found here.
World Water Day 2018 at DLSU
Last March 22-23, 2018, the first World Water Day (WWD), with the theme “Answer is in Nature; Nature for Water”, was held in De La Salle University-Manila. It was organized by the Civil Engineering Department – Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering Division and the Civil Engineering Society. World Water Day is sponsored by Healthy Family Purified Water which is an advocacy by Manila Water Total Solutions. By celebrating World Water Day, the organizers promoted sustainability and awareness regarding the emerging technologies in water resources engineering and how nature is the solution to water-related problems.
On the first day of the celebration of the World Water Day, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in Velasco Bench 3 to officially open the booth. The Gokongwei College of Engineering Dean, Dr. Jonathan Rivera Dungca, the Vice Chairperson of Civil Engineering Department, Dr. Mario De Leon, alongside Dr. Marla Maniquiz-Redillas, Engr. Richard De Jesus, Engr. Joenel Galupino, Engr. Maria Emilia Sevilla, Engr. Paolo Ian Lucero, and Engr. Miller Cutora were present during the opening ceremony of the booth.
The booth design itself revolved around the theme, where numerous civil engineering students, and professors were wearing blue and were seen participating in the booth activities. After the ribbon cutting, videos about water resources from UNICEF and civil engineering students who took CIVWARE in the previous term were shown to the audience. Free bottled water were also distributed to students who posted photos or selfies online using WWD’s official hashtags.
A seminar on the second day of the World Water Day celebration was held in the Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall of DLSU-Manila. Civil Engineering students especially students taking up water-related subjects and students specializing in Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering actively participated in the discussion during the seminar. The invited speakers, Engr. Trevor Morrish-Hale from Royal HaskoningDHV, Engr. Anya Arguelles from CH2M, and Dr. Renan Tanhueco from the CE Department, each talked about their research and experiences in the water industry field.
Engr. Morrish-Hale, discussed the technologies behind land reclamation. He started the talk by asking the audience about what they know about the sea level rise, and expounded on the process behind reclamation and the challenges that can be encountered when conducting it. Dr. Tanhueco, on the other hand, shared his case study in partnership with other researchers who were also faculty members in DLSU, perceptions towards the use of eco-toilets in rural or low communities. The benefits of using eco-toilets, such as water conservation, nutrient supplementation for plants, and refined sanitation, were emphasized during his talk. The third and last speaker, Engr. Arguelles talked about the treatment of wastes, specifically industrial wastes.
DLSU Eco Car Team launches new eco cars for 2018 Shell Eco Marathon
As part of its commitment to advance sustainable and renewable technology, De La Salle University’s Eco Car Team (ECT) unveiled its latest eco vehicles last January 26.
The cars, “Bumakaya,” meaning “one load roar,” and “Imakadiwa,” which translates to “relentless warrior,” will take part in the upcoming 2018 Shell Eco Marathon (SEM) in Singapore.
According to the team, the cars are 30-40% lighter, makes use of more exotic materials, are more aerodynamic, and have improved weight distribution.
The student-led ECT has been competing regularly in Shell Eco Marathon since 2011. It has won two championships: for the category, Urban Concept Car (Battery Electric) in 2015 and the Drivers World Championship (Asia) in 2017.
ECT has also won several first runner-up awards: In 2014, for the Urban Concept Car (Battery Electric) and Urban Concept Car (gasoline); and in 2016, for Urban Concept Car (gasoline).
DLSU at the FDI International Arbitration Moot
De La Salle University College of Law (DLSU COL) was named the Top 3 Highest Ranked Team in the Global Finals of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) International Arbitration Moot competition held in Boston, Massachusetts last November 2 to 5.
104 schools worldwide were part of the competition. Two oralists from DLSU COL Julia Pineda and Rob Concepcion ranked 2nd and 3rd highest advocates respectively for the competition. The team received support and instruction from the DLSU College of Law and were coached by two international law practitioners Foreign Attorney Dr. Harald Sippel and New York Attorney Amanda Lee.
The FDI Arbitration Moot is an annual competition organized by the Center for International Legal Studies in cooperation with the following founding institutions: Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts (FDI 2017 Host School); Pepperdine University Law School Malibu, California; Centre of European Law, King’s College London; and the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS), Frankfurt/Cologne, Germany.
Jack Ma shares thoughts on success, social advocacy with DLSU students
Alibaba Group Founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma encouraged De La Salle University students to continue finding opportunities despite constant failures in an open dialogue last October 25 at the University’s Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium.
Sharing that he was not a great student as he failed a number of times in his entrance exams, from primary school to middle school to college, he said that they should pursue the dream they are most passionate about. He likewise shared his insights and experiences about success and failures, the future of entrepreneurship, and his advocacy on social development.
“How can young people have opportunities? We should enable them by technology and we should improve the education system,” he said, as he noted the importance of constant learning and development.
In his conversation with DLSU students, he highlighted the importance of UN social development goals and mission and responsibility. He also shared some words of encouragement with the audience, which was comprised of students, educators, and leaders in the business sector.
Best known for his innovation in e-commerce, Ma has received numerous awards from prestigious global institutions such as the “2015 Entrepreneur of the Year” at the Asian Awards and the “2009 CCTV Economic Person of the Year Award: Business Leader of the Decade Award.” In addition, Ma was named 30th Most Powerful Person in the World” by Forbes Magazine in 2014, “Business Person of the Year” by Business Week in 2005, and “World’s 100 Most Influential People” by Time Magazine in 2009.
As a leader and philanthropist, he has supported and served in various advocacy and socio-civic organizations which include: being the Founder of the Jack Ma Foundation, Co-Chairman of Paradise Foundation, Special Adviser to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for Youth Entrepreneurship and Small Business, United Nations Special Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals, and Member of the Global Board of Directors of The Nature Conservancy.
During the event, DLSU honored Ma by awarding him an honorary degree in Technopreneurship, honoris causa. “This is a great university with a long history and a great mission, and the thing that I feel most excited about is that this university carries the SDG or the Sustainable Development Goals. As one of the UN’s advocate for that, I feel extremely happy for our school to continue this mission,” he said.
Other notable personalities who have received honorary degrees from DLSU in the past years include Nobel Laureate for Physics David Jonathan Gross, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Richard Heck, former Timor-Leste President and Nobel Laureate for Peace Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Laureate for Economics Eric Maskin, Nobel Laureate for Economics Robert Mundell, Nobel Laureate in Literature Mario Vargas Llosa, former President of Poland and Nobel Laureate for Peace Lech Walesa, Nobel Laureate for Medicine Torsten Wiesel, former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Ada Yonath.
Civil Engineering Faculty at the PICE NCR 14th Regional Technical Conference
Prof. Andres Winston C. Oreta delivered a lecture on “Learning Seismic Retrofitting Methods and Practices from Japan” at the 14th Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) NCR Regional Technical Conference held on Oct. 6-7, 2017 at the AVR, Valenzuela City Hall, Vallenzuela City. The conference, hosted by the PICE North MM Chapter with Prof. Dr. Victor Macam, Jr as president had a theme, “Civil Engineers: Serving the Nation & Sustaining Development.”
Engr. Frederick Sison, CE Dept. Professional Lecturer and past president of Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) also delivered a lecture on “Updates on the National Structural Code of the Philippines.
The conference was attended by PICE members from various MM chapters – Manila, Makati, Quezin City and East and North Metro Manila. There were 15 lectures on various topics – CPD, BIM, Codes, Retrofitting, Construction Management, Pile Dynamics, Gender Sensitivity, Transportation Engineering, Fire Technology Occupational Safety and Water Resources.
Original post can be found here.
