MMSU hosts confab of Phil-Am scientists, engineers

March 08, 2013

THE MARIANO Marcos State University hosted the 33rd Annual Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE) Meeting and Symposium (APAMS) held at the Plaza del Norte Hotel and Convention Center in Laoag City, Jan. 30-Feb. 1.

The university joins the ranks of prestigious schools in that have so far hosted this international gathering of Filipino and American scientists and engineers. The University of the Philippines in Diliman was the first to host the event in 1998.  The University of San Carlos in Cebu City took its turn in 2005; De La Salle University in 2007; Ateneo de Manila University in 2009; and the National Institute of Physics of the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 2011. The first meeting was held at the Silahis Hotel in Manila in 1983. From 1982-1999, the APAMS were held in various locations in the United States except in 1993 and 1998. Starting 2003, it has been held alternately in the US and in the Philippines in venues of choice by PAASE officers.

With the theme “Advancing Science and Technology for Inclusive development”, the conference featured a keynote lecture on climate change by Dr. Josefino C. Comiso of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Science Division in Greenbelt, Maryland, as well as around 100 papers presented orally in parallel and poster sessions covering climate change mitigation/adaptation, nanotechnology, urban forestry, natural products, bioenergy, biochemistry, genomics, food/agriculture, forest products technology/geology, science and the public, extension programs, biology/microbiology, chemical engineering/bioengineering, networking, and grantsmanship.

In addition to the paper presentations and poster sessions, there were three plenary lectures on the following topics: “Philippine Universities’ Spectral Observer” by Mark Boies of Research Support Instruments, Lanham, Maryland; “Increased flooding in Metro Manila and Central Luzon” by Kelvin S. Rodolfo of the University of Illinois at Chicago; and “Basic and Applied Sciences with Rural Economies in Mind: land-grant Model at Kansas State University and its Ability in other Contexts” by Peter Dorhout, Gregg Hadley, Ronaldo Maghirang, Allen Featherstone, and Praveen Vadlani of Kansas State University.

The conference also featured a lecture (“From molecular to microbial to global: Engineering research and work at multiple scales”) by Prof. Francis L. De los Reyes III of the North Carolina State University, this year’s recipient of the Severino and Paz Koh Award in Engineering.

In her message, President Miriam E. Pascua considered the hosting of the event by MMSU as a distinct honor. She said this comes at a time when the university is making strides for space and recognition in global academic and professional pursuits.

Dr. Catalino A. Blanche, 2013 PAASE president, thanked MMSU for the “excellent organization and coordination” of the conference.

PAASE is an association of Filipino and Filipino-American scientists and engineers, many of whom are renowned as leading researchers in their respective disciplines.

Founded in 1980, it is actively engaged in activities to help improve the state of science, engineering, and technology in the Philippines.