Sunday, March 14, 2010

DOST council fetes best thesis, dissertation winners

by Framelia Anonas

The Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) of the Department of Science and Technology awarded winners in the 2009 PCASTRD Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Awards in Advanced S&T on Dec. 18, 2009 at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City.

Clinching the awards in the dissertation category are Proceso L. Fernandez, Jr. of the Ateneo de Manila University for “On the complexities of the block sorting and Poset cover problems” (Computer Science and IT) and Gay Jane P. Perez of the University of the Philippines Diliman for “Understanding the dynamics of unassisted group egress” (Physics). Advisers are Dr. John Paul C. Vergara and Dr. Caesar A. Saloma, respectively. Fernandez and Perez received a plaque and P75,000 each while their advisers received P25,000 each. Meanwhile, all finalists received P25,000 each.

In the thesis category, winners are the following: Banyuhay P. Serrano of the University of the Philippines Los Baños for “Isolation and Partial Characterization of Prolamin-like Proteins and Molecular Analyses of Its Genes in Storage Roots of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)” (Biology and allied fields); Kevin B. Dagbay of the University of the Philippines Diliman for “Polyhydroxylauric acid maleate-co-sebacic anhydride : synthesis, characterization, in vitro degradation and drug release behavior (Chemistry/Biochemistry); Lawrence Phoa Belo of the De La Salle University-Taft for Measurement of the sediment oxygen demand in selected stations of the Pasig River using bench-scale benthic respirometer (Earth Science and Space Technology Applications). Advisers are Drs. Antonio C. Laurena, Florentino C. Sumera, and Pag-asa D. Gaspillo and Jose Marie U. Lim, respectively.

In Microelectronics/Mechatronics, Oliver Jay B. Viloan of the De La Salle University-Taft bagged the award for “Decision support system for agricultural process management” with Dr. Elmer P. Dadios as adviser. Meanwhile, in the Physics category, Jesus Felix B. Valenzuela of the University of the Philippines Diliman bested other entries with “Segregation and aggregation in a convecting bidisperse particle suspension” under the advisership of Dr. Christopher P. Monterola.

Sharing the award in the Mathematics category are Alva Benedict C. Balbuena of the University of the Philippines Diliman for “On stable sets, orbits and digital topologies” with Drs. Evelyn L. Tan and Eduardo R. Mendoza as co-advisers; and Wemer M. Wee, also of the University of the Philippines Diliman, for “High order multi-level methods for Helmholtz-type equation arising in image denoising” with Dr. Jose Ernie C. Lope as adviser.

In Statistics, two winners bagged the plum, namely Nellwyn M. Levita of the University of the Philippines Los Baños with “Empirical analysis of the statistical properties of NEI's standard genetic distance and Cavalli-SFORZA and Edward's distance” and Ruby Anne E. Lemence of the University of the Philippines Diliman for “Testing for the presence of structural change and spatial heterogeneity in spatial-temporal model.” Advisers are Drs. Consorcia C. Reaño and Erniel B. Barrios, respectively.

Winners in the thesis level received a plaque and P60,000 each, except in case of ties wherein winners received P37,500 each. Advisers received P15,000 each, except in the case of ties wherein advisers shared the prize equally. Meanwhile, all finalists received P15,000 each.

PCASTRD launched the Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Awards in Advanced S&T in 2001 to encourage graduate students to undertake researches in fields relevant to PCASTRD's priority areas. The annual award also serves to recognize researches that have potential impact to the society, said Ms. Ermie Bacarra, PCASTRD’s Human Resource and Institution Development chief.

PCASTRD is the lead agency in the Philippines that develops, integrates, and coordinates the national research systems for advanced science and technology. For more information on PCASTRD, its awards and services, please log on to http://www.pcastrd.dost.gov.ph

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