Once in a lifetime winners. The centennial Gawad Chanselor Natatanging Guro
recipients with UPD Chancellor Sergio S. Cao (center, from left) Dr. Cedric Festin;
Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano Jr.; Dr. Jose Y. Dalisay; Dr. Rosario L. Torres-Yu;
Dr. Cynthia P. Palmes-Saloma; and Dr. Susan Pancho-Festin.
The new grant is commutable, cumulative and takes effect on October 25.
UP Diliman’s plum award just got better.
In what is to be the most intimate Gawad Chanselor ceremony to date, this year’s recipients had an added bonus when UPD Chancellor Sergio S. Cao increased the cash incentive by 50 percent.
The Gawad Chanselor is UPD’s most coveted award. It was instituted in 1992 as a reward and incentive mechanism to recognize the achievements of the faculty, students, REPS (research, extension and professional staff) and administrative staff in their fields.
Six faculty, two REPS, three administrative staff and two students received the plum award in a gathering at the Malcolm Theater in February. The much smaller venue (as compared to former venue, Abelardo Hall Auditorium, which is undergoing renovation) turned out to be more to the liking of the audience most of whom knew the recipients well.
Two students received the Gawad Chanselor Natatanging Mag-Aaral: Carla Kathryn D. Co, a BS Chemical Engineering major of the College of Engineering (CoE) and Gabriela M. Francisco a BM Voice major of the College of Music.
Recipients this year for Gawad Chanselor Natatanging REPS were Charita S. Kwan of the Natural Science Research Institute and Rosemarie G. Rosali of the School of Economics Library.
Romelda P. Azores of the Institute of Chemistry, Ester A. Bautista of the National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development and Benjamin C. Tobias of the Student Disciplinary Tribunal were bestowed the honors Gawad Chanselor Natatanging Kawani.
The event’s highlight, the awardoing of the Natatanging Guro did not disappoint with this year’s choice of six recipients, three from CoE, two from the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) and one from the College of Science (CS). From CoE, awarded this year were Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. and the husband and wife tandem of Dr. Cedric Angelo M. Festin and Dr. Susan Pancho-Festin. The other honorees were Dr. José Y. Dalisay Jr. and Dr. Rosario L. Torres-Yu, both from CAL and Dr. Cynthia P. Palmes-Saloma of CS.
Dr. Cedric Festin was cited for his leadership in uplifting the academic standards of the CoE Graduate Studies and realizing its vision of academic excellence and being at par with international institutions of higher learning through innovative means. Dr. Susan Pancho-Festin was honored for her being the lead expert in computer network security in the country and for her contributions to the Computer Engineering curriculum. Marciano, for his part, was recognized for his expertise and innovative and imaginative teaching of electromagnetics in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, which is known as a difficult subject.
Equally honored was Palmes-Saloma for her contributions to molecular biology and her tireless effort of honing future scientists and educators of science. In addition, she was recognized for spearheading the establishment of the UPD Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory.
On the other hand, Dalisay was cited for his excellence in teaching and for inspiring creativity in the new breed of writers. Meanwhile, Yu was honored for her dedication and tireless efforts in bringing forth fresh knowledge and information through her researches and for inculcating love of country to her students.
The Gawad Chanselor was initiated by then UPD Chancellor Emerlinda R. Román in 1992 to recognize the best of UPD’s faculty, students, REPS and administrative staff. The Gawad’s categories have been changed over the years, without losing its original purpose—a dual reward and incentive mechanism for UPD’s best.
—Mariamme D. Jadloc