Puno
NEWSMAKER
Puno
Supreme Chief. Justice Reynato S. Puno (Law ’62) was recently appointed as the 22nd Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. In his first statement as head magistrate, he pledged to “do what is expected of me: to espouse no ideology but constitutionalism; to uphold no theology but the rule of law.”
Puno obtained his Bachelor of Science in Jurispurendence and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of the Philippines in 1962. During his college days at UP, he became editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian and chairman of the editorial board of the The Law Register, the official student paper of the College of Law.
He received the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award in the field of law in 1977, Most Outstanding Law Alumnus of UP in 1997 and the Consumers Union of the Philippines’ Most Outstanding Jury Activist in 2004. He is the first Filipino recipient of the Outstanding Global Alumnus Award, given by Dedman School of Law, Dallas, Texas, for 2003-2004.
Cariño
Filipina first. Professor Ledivina V. Cariño of the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) has been elected to the board of directors of the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTSR) for a 4-year term, starting January 1, 2007. This is the first time a Filipino has been made a member of the board of the prestigious organization.
The ISTR is a major international association committed to building a global community of scholars and interested others dedicated to the creation, discussion and advancement of knowledge pertaining to philanthropy, civil society and the non-profit sector. Cariño holds the rank of University Professor, the highest in the University of the Philippines, where she has served since the 1960s. As an academician, Cariño had been recognized for her outstanding works and accomplishments in the fields of public administration, political science and sociology.
Cruz
National Genius. By virtue of Proclamation No. 1167 signed last November 10, 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred on Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz the rank and title of National Scientist, the highest honor given by the government for exemplary and significant contributions to science and technology.
Cruz was recognized for her work in the chemical sciences and expertise in marine toxicology “that is reflective of the national genius that contributes to science and technology and to the progress of the Philippines and the world.” Her studies involving the venom of fish-hunting Conus marine snails led to the development of conotoxins as biochemical probes for examining the activities of the brain.
Cruz is currently a professor of biochemistry at The UP Marine Science Institute and holds the highest rank of UP Scientist III under the UP Scientific Productivity System.
Olivera
World’s topnotch. Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera, a Filipino scientist and a professor of biochemistry and neuroscience at the University of Utah, was chosen as the 2007 Scientist of the Year by the Harvard University Foundation. According to Harvard Crimson <http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=517791> , the university’s news portal, Olivera’s research on the deadly cone snails found in the Southeast Asian island has “led to a better understanding of the nervous system and the development of new commercial drugs, such as potent painkillers that are administered to patients who do not respond to morphine.”
Olivera graduated summa cum laude from the UP Class of 1960 with a BS degree in chemistry. He earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology under a Fullbright scholarship. For the last 25 years, Olivera returns to UPD twice a year to give seminars and to pursue projects with Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz and other scientists at The Marine Science Institute. According to Dr. S. Allen Counter, Foundation Director and an associate professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School, Olivera’s work “has the potential to explain some behaviors…[and] help us treat and cure any diseases.”
Licaros
Form and substance. Another UP coed was crowned as the country’s representative to this year’s Miss Universe pageant slated for May in Mexico. Anna Theresa Licaros, a 22 year-old BA Broadcast Communications summa cum laude and sophomore at the College of Law, bested 27 other women in what observers say is the most brilliant batch of contestants in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant in recent years.
Licaros, who delivered the graduating class’ valedictory address at the 94th Commencement Exercises, is not shy to admit that she has political plans, believing that the genuine desire to serve the people and commitment are important when running for public office. “Coming from UP, the desire and commitment are instilled in you.”