USC: Civil Engineering Faculty Updates

Engr. Ramon Gitamondoc
Department Chairman
Email:
cedept@usc.usc.edu.ph
rgitamondoc@yahoo.com

Erwin Calo [currently in Japan for his PhD]
MS Hydrology Engineering-IHE (Delft, The Netherlands)
Hydrology Engineering

Pericles Dakay
MSCE, PhD- University of Missouri-Rolta (USA)
Operations Research, Engineering Management

Mario De Leon [currently in Japan for his PhD]
MEng Environmental Science and Technology-TU Delft (The Netherlands)
Environmental Science and Technology

Giovanni Enecio [currently in Dubai]
MSCE- De La Salle University, Philippines
Structural Engineering

Ruperto Faelnar
MEng - University of San Carlos (Philippines)

Ricardo Fornis
MS-IHE, PhD Candidate – TU Delft (The Netherlands)
Hydrology, Erosion and Soil Loss

Ramon Gitamondoc
MEng – University of San Carlos, Philippines
Structural Engineering

Geoffer Gonzaga
MS Soil and Water – Wageningen University (The Netherlands)
Soil Erosion

Janice Jamora
MEng - University of San Carlos (Philippines)
Solid Waste Management

Nenita Jumao-as
MS Integrated Water Resources and Management-IHE (The Netherlands)
Water Resources Management

Frederick Larida
MEng Candidate - University of San Carlos (Philippines)
Transportation Engineering

Jerry Maratas
MEng University of San Carlos (Philippines)
Structural Engineering

Alex Melchor
MEng Candidate - University of San Carlos (Philippines)
Water Resources and Environment

Ruena Mendoza
MS Geological Engineering-ITC (The Netherlands)
Geological Engineering

Brian Reroma
MEng – University of San Carlos (Philippines)
Transportation Engineering

Ronilo Saguit
MA Urban and Regional Planning – UP Diliman
Urban and Regional Planning

Eric Ariel Salas [currently in the U.S. for his PhD]
MS Geo-Information Sciences – Wageningen University (The Netherlands)
GIS and Remote Sensing

Nestor Sy, MSCE-DLSU, PhD Candidate-TU Delft (The Netherlands)
Hydrologic Processes

Inocito Trinidad, MS Geotechnical Engineering –AIT (Thailand)
Geotechnical Engineering

Xavier Veloso, MS Water Resources and Environment – USC (Philippines)
Water Resources and Environment

Faculty Highlight: Engr. Luis Cabatingan

Engr. Luis Cabatingan
Chemical Engineering
Faculty

Faculty Profile

Academic Qualification
M.S. Chemical Engineering
University of the Philippines - Diliman
1995

B. S. Chemical Engineering
University of San Carlos
1993

Teaching Experience
Teaching undergraduate (chemical) engineering students in USC since June1995. Courses taught include transport phenomena, chemical engineering thermodynamics, separation processes, process equipment design, chemical engineering laboratory, applied mathematics for ChE and differential equations. Graduate course taught include advanced engineering mathematics, advanced transport phenomena and downstream processing.

Administrative Assignment/s
Graduate Program coordinator Department of Chemical Engineering, USC
April 2003 - March 2006

ChE Review Program coordinator Department of Chemical Engineering, USC
Jan 2004 - Nov 2005

Publications
* Cabatingan, L. K., Agapay, R. C., Rakels, J. L. L., Ottens, M., van der Wielen, L. A. M. (2001) Potential of Biosorption for the Recovery of Chromate in Industrial Wastewaters. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 40, 2302-2309.

* Van der Wielen, L. A. M., Cabatingan, L. K. (1999) Fishing products from the sea - rational downstream processing of marine bioproducts. J. Biotechnol. 70, 363-371.

Scientific Presentations
Oral

* “Potential of Biosorption for the Recovery of Chromate in Industrial Wastewaters” 1st Chemistry Research Symposium, Sept 13, 2003, SMED-AVR, USC-TC, Cebu City

* “Integration of Sodium Lactate Conversion and Lactic Acid Product Purification in a Simulated Moving Bed Equipment” 63rd PIChE National Convention, Feb 7-9 2002, UP-Los Banos, College, Laguna USC Charter Day Research Forum, Jul 1 2003, SMED, USC-TC, Cebu City

Poster

* “Simultaneous Conversion and Purification of Organic Acids in a Simulated Moving Bed Chromatographic Reactor” SPICA 2000 Conference, Oct 9-11, 2000, Federal Institute of Technology-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

* “Studies on the Mechanism of Cr(VI) Sorption by Sargassum sp.” International Seaweed Symposium, April 12-17, 1998, Cebu Plaza Hotel, Cebu City

* “Biosorption of Cr(VI) by Biomass of Marine Algae” 2nd Asia-Pacific Marine Biotechnology Conference and 3rd Asia-Pacific Conference on Algal Biotechnology, May 7-10, 1997, Phuket Arcadia Hotel and Resort, Phuket, Thailand

Research Project Supervision
M.S. Thesis

* Acidification of Organic Salts through Fixed-Bed Cation Exchange (2006)

B.S. Project Studies

* Sorption-based Separation of Water-Ethanol Mixtures using Iota-and Kappa-Carrageenan (2006)
* Separation of Water-Isopropanol Mixture using Carrageenan (2005)
* Decolorization of Yeast Fermentation Wastewater using Dried Biomass of Sargassum sp. (2004)
* Development of a Unit Operations Laboratory Equipment for Studying the Kinetics of Extraction of Sugar from Sugarcane by Water (2004)
* Biosorption of Iron by Sargasssum polycystum (1998)
* Selection of Marine Algae for Biosorption of Chromium (VI) (1998)

Awards and Recognition

* CHED 2004 Regional Republica Award (Region VII)
May 18, 2004, Century Park Hotel, Malate, Manila

* Corazon J. Cabahug Award for Outstanding Teaching Performance in the Field of Chemical Engineering.
November 28, 2003, Grand Convention Center, Cebu City

* Best Research Paper (USC Charter Day Research Forum)
July 1, 2003, SMED AVR, University of San Carlos, Cebu City

USC law professor off to Stockholm, Sweden

Law professor pursues exchange program at Stockholm, Sweden

Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap, law alumna, presiding judge of Regional Trial Court of Mandaue City, and law professor of the College of Law leaves for Stockholm, Sweden as exchange professor under the school’s Staff Exchange Program with the Department of Law, Stockholm University, Sweden.

Judge Yap will stay in Sweden for 21 days and will hold lecture amongst students and faculty of law on the topic Anti-Trafficking in Persons Laws in the Philippines.

The College of Law is the only one in the country with staff and student exchange program with Department of Law of Stockholm University.

Author: J. J. Largo
18 / April / 2008

Faculty: College of Architecture and Fine Arts

The College confers degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Advertising Arts, and Painting. In June 2006, it has also opened graduate programs in Architecture, with majors in Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, and Architectural Science.

Faculty
Architecture Department

Alcordo , Richeto--- MA Arch
Aliño , Benjamin John--- BS Arch
Atega , Socorro --- MA L Arch
Avila , Josephine--- MA Socio
Diano , Imelda Charito--- BS Arch
Dinglasa , Raymundo --- BS Arch
Elizaga , Troy Dino --- BS Arch
Espina , Omar Maxwell --- MURP
Flores , Antonio Andres --- MA Arch
Java , Melva ---MA Antrho
Lanyl , Bela ---MA Arch
Lara , Eleazar ---MTE
Manalo , John Jiffer ---BS Arch
Maninang , Mara ---BS Arch
Migallos , Maxcel ---BS Arch, BFA
Muaña , Norman ---BS Arch
Muego , Andres ---MS UEM
Ong , Andrew ---LLB, BS Arch
Puerto , Ellis ---BS Arch
Raagas , Sergio Jr. ---BS Arch
Racho , Jensen ---BS Arch, CE
Rafanan , Roberto ---BS Arch
Ravina , Danilo ---BS Arch
Rosales , Joel ---BS Arch
Rosario , Margret ---BS Arch
Seno , Vicente ---BS CE
Solis , Carmencita ---MS UPHD
Uy , MA Lizeta ---BS Arch
Valenzona , Antonio ---MS EM
Vallejos , Bernadette ---MBA, BS Arch
Walag , Fe ---BS CE
Yung , Kimberly ---BS Arch,BS-ID
Zafra , Carlos Pio ---BS Arch


Fine Arts Department
Abellana , Gabriel ---BFA-PA
Aliño , Mary Felma ---PhD-TE, MMBM
Castro , Ivy Miriam ---BFA-AA, CPE-BSEd
Cruz , Alexander Charles ---BFA-AA
Culibra , Araceli Jayne ---MMBM, CPE-BSEd
Del Monte , Adrian ---BFA-ID
Enoveso , Orven ---BFA-AA
Lao , Jorge ---BFA-PA, BSC
Loyola , Marie Suzette ---BS Arch
Mah , Ma. Daisy ---BS Arch
Mangura , Michael ---BS Arch, PS ID
Montebon , Cheryl ---BFA-ID
Muaña , Efren ---BS Arch
Oncada , Junald ---BFA-AA
Paredes , Radel ---MA Philo, BFA-AA
Sagayno , Lucilo ---BFA-PA
Seno , Brenda ---MS Ad
Tabotabo , Marie ---MBA, BFA-AA
Vega , Paul Lawrence ---BFA-AA
Villalonga , Tyke John ---BFA-AA
Yap , Jose ---BS Arch

Atty. Joan Largo completes training at Georgetown University Law Center

Law prof completes training at Georgetown University Law Center

In Fall 2007, Assistant to the Dean Atty. Joan Largo attended the Second Annual Academy of World Trade Organization (WTO) Law and Policy at Georgetown Law's Institute of International Economic Law (IIEL) in Washington, DC.

The Academy brought close to eighty professionals from different countries for an intensive instruction in the legal obligations and policy underpinnings of the WTO and its agreements.

The participants were trade policy officials, international trade lawyers, and academics from developed, developing countries and transition economies who were taught by international trade law experts, many of whom negotiated the WTO Agreements at issue.

Atty. Largo took the training in connection with her doctoral dissertation entitled “Transnational Practice of Law” for the degree Doctor of the Science of Jurisprudence.

Author: J. J. Largo
19 / December / 2007

Professor Lucilo Sagayno wins Excellence Award in ASEAN art tilt

Fine arts prof wins Excellence Award in ASEAN art tilt

Lucilo Sagayno’s scroll paintings entitled “Childhood Memoirs” won the Excellence Award in the recently-concluded 2nd China ASEAN Youth Art and Creativity Contest held in Nanning City, Guangxi, China.

An instructor in the painting program of the USC Fine Arts Department, Sagayno will receive a cash award of RMB 10,000 and a certificate. His entry joined other winning works in the exhibit held at the Guangxi Provincial Museum during Nanning City’s hosting of the China-ASEAN Expo between October and November this year.

The international contest was open to all artists below 45 years old from China and the ASEAN. A total of 400 entries were submitted for this year’s contest which was limited to oil paintings only.

Other Cebuano painters who won the contest are Jun Impas and Savier Palanca, whose works were selected as among the finalists. The winning works will be featured in a hardbound catalog to be published and circulated shortly in China.


Author: Radel Paredes
06 / December / 2007

Cheryl Dalman Montebon, wins Metrobank national design tilt

Fine Arts faculty wins Metrobank national design tilt

Cheryl Dalman Montebon an interior design instructor at the Department of Fine Arts (DFA) captured the Special Prize in the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Awards in ceremonies held last September 21 at Metrobank Plaza. The award, one of only two in the interior design category, carried a P150,000 cash prize. Montebon was recognized for her design of a condominium unit at the Oritental Garden Makati which she titled “Filtempo”, short for Filipino Contemporary.

A pre-selection process reduced the number of contestant to only two, pitting her with Grand Prize winner Wilhelmina S. Garcia of Manila in the contest which was entitled “Your Environment Shapes You”. The two contestants were given space to design the interiors at the cost of P299,000 each, charged to Metrobank. The actual design was carried out between the first week of July and until the deadline of July 24, with Montebon shuttling from Cebu to carry out her winning design.

Jose Jubilla, chair of the Professional Regulation Commission’s Board of Interior Designers, led the judges which included heritage architect and Philippine Star columnist Paulo G. Alcazaren, and educator and interior designer Cynthia Belleza, among others.

This is not Montebon’s first victory as she also won in the Bedroom Category of the International Furniture Fair in Singapore last March 1-5, 2006, with the Philippines participating for the first time.

Montebon teaches part-time in the DFA as she also works as furniture and home accessories designer of JLQ International Inc. She is a licensed interior designer and a member of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID).

Montebon will open her first design firm in Talamban called M+E Design Concept thie coming October 15. It will be a mini showroom and an office for services like architecture, interior design and furniture design.

Author: J.E. R. Bersales
04 / October / 2007

Education dean named International Statistics Educators Association VP

Education dean named International Statistics Educators Association VP
Dean of the College of Education Enriqueta D. Reston, Ph.D. was recently elected as Vice President of the International Association for Statistics Education (IASE). She took office during the IASE General Assembly during the 56th Session of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) in Lisbon, Portugal on August 22–29, 2007.

Dr. Reston’s term of office runs from August 2007 through to August 2009. Dr. Reston’s trip to Lisbon was funded by the IASE.

Aside from attending to her function as vice president during the IASE General Assembly, she attended an organizational meeting for the ICOTS–8 in Slovenia in 2010 during the IASE Executive Meeting.

Dr. Reston also presented a paper at the ISI 2007 entitled “Models of Student Learning in Graduate Statistics Education: Towards Statistical Literacy and Research Competence.”

ISI is an international professional association of statisticians and statistics educators. Membership to the organization is by election based on one’s distinguished contributions to the fields of statistics and statistics education. Currently, there are only 10 ISI members in the Philippines. Dr. Reston is the lone representative from the Visayas–Mindanao region.

Author: P. J. Lim
13 / September / 2007

Dutch linguist Fr. Verstraelen passes away

Dutch linguist Fr. Verstraelen passes away
Fr. Verstraelen from a file photo taken during his arrival at USC in the late 1950s

Father Eugene Verstraelen, SVD passed away at 8 o'clock in the evening of September 7 due to cerebral hemorrhage. He was 85.

A Dutch anthropologist who specialized in Sanskrit and Javanese variants of the language, Fr. Verstraelen returned to Cebu from his current mission assignment in the District of Surigao as a special guest at the launching of the yearlong Philippine Centennial Celebrations of the SVD the following day.

Fr. Verstraelen marked his 60th year of ordination on August 17 this year and was doing parish work in Dinagat Island for years now prior to his untimely demise. He was a member of the pioneer faculty of the Department of Graduate Anthropology (later, Department of Sociology and Anthropology) at USC.

His body now lies in state at the USC Main Chapel. The Resurrection Mass will be held on Wednesday, September 12, at 2 oclock in the afternoon at the Main Chapel. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Talisay City, Cebu.

May Fr. Verstraelen rest in Peace!

Author: J.E. R. Bersales
11 / September / 2007

Judge Francisco A. Seville Jr., named outstanding MTC judge

Law professor named outstanding MTC judge
The Society for Judicial Excellence of the Supreme Court of the Philippines has recently named Judge Francisco A. Seville Jr. as the Outstanding Municipal Trial Court Judge in the 2007 Search for Outstanding Judges and Clerks of Court.

Judge Seville is the presiding judge of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Branch 7. He was cited specifically for his exception performance in the judiciary. Judge Seville is professor of law in the USC College of Law, handling Problem Areas in Legal Ethics and Practice Court.

Author: J. J. Largo
07 / September / 2007

Marine Algae Taxonomy Workshop in Malaysia

Bio chair represents Philippines in Marine Algae Taxonomy Workshop in Malaysia

A training workshop on the taxonomy of marine algae was recently held by the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from August 15–22. The workshop was originally intended to train young phycologists from all over Malaysia but the invitation was extended to phycologists from other Asian countries including Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Hongkong–SAR to foster exchanges of information and camaraderie among the region’s young phycologists.

Danilo B. Largo, Chair of the USC Department of Biology, who is actively doing research on marine algae, was invited to represent the Philippines.

Dr. Largo explaining to a group of workshop participants about the characteristics of “gozo” (Eucheuma) – an important world source of carrageenan from the Philippines.

The participants were given hands-on training on how to identify algae based on morphological approach using materials they brought from their respective countries. They were also introduced into the use of molecular approach in algal taxonomy and constructing phylogenetic tree as a tool to analyze evolutionary history of certain algal taxa.

While most of the materials used in the workshop were from their own country, the participants had a chance to collect seaweeds at Port Dickson in the state of Negeri Sembilan located in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and some 80 km from Kuala Lumpur. The exercises enabled them to compare the richness of Southeast Asian biodiversity on marine algae (or seaweeds) which is perhaps unsurpassed by the rest of the world.

Participants of the seaweed taxonomy workshop; Dr. Largo is 4th from the left (2nd row).

Serving as facilitators of the workshop were the leading phycologists from Japan (Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Kawai, Kobe Univ.), Korea (Prof. Dr. Sun Ming Boo represented by Dr. Kim Myung Sook and Dr. Eun Chan Yang), Thailand (Prof. Lewmanomont Khanjanapaj) and Malaysia (Dr. Lim Phaik-Eem and Prof. Dr. Phang Siew Moi). An Annotated Checklist of Marine Algae of Southeast Asia will be the main output of this workshop. This will be the first of a series planned by the organizer, Prof. Phang Siew Moi, head of the University of Malaya Maritime Research Centre (UMMReC).

Dr. Largo’s travel and accommodation expenses were graciously provided by the workshop organizer.

Author: D. B. Largo

Political Science professor returns from U.S. study tour

Political Science mentor returns from U.S. study tour

Prof. Jiah Sayson, the lone Filipino participant in the 2007 Study of American Politics and Political Thought, returned from the United States last July 30. She and 17 other political science academicians from other countries were hand-picked by the U.S. State Department from a long list of applicants to attend the annual program administered by the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst from June 15 to July 29, 2007.

The six-week academic program focused on the political development of the American nation---a historical, institutional, and qualitative approach to the study of American government and politics.

Sayson (seated first from left) with the other program participants.

Program participants went through a coursework that included topics such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as the founding principles and design of the nation’s governance and politics; liberalism and republicanism as the major public philosophies of the Enlightenment era; race, religion and citizenship as the centralizing themes of American life; and capitalism and the free market competition as organizing concepts of the nation’s economy.

The three-week academic residency program was accompanied by a study tour where lectures were held in various institutions such as Simmons College, Boston; City University of New York; Messiah College, Harrisburg; and University of Virginia.

Sessions with U.S. State Department officials, lobbyists and think-tanks in Washington D.C. were also organized.

Sayson also visited the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, National Civil War Museum, Gettysburg Battlefield, Jefferson’s Monticello, Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., Capitol Hill, among others. She is scheduled to deliver separate lectures to senior students and faculty members of the USC Department of Political Science in September to engage with them the knowledge and insights she gleaned from the program.

Author: J.E. Bersales
11 / August / 2007

GIS training at Larenstein

SoAn, History professors begin GIS training at Larenstein

Six professors from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (SoAn) and one from the Department of History began their six-week training on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in archaeology at Larenstein University of Professional Education in The Netherlands last March 26, 2007.

The participants with Engr. Pakes (rear) of Larenstein pose in front of the university's lone building, from left: Ocasiones, Aguilar, Amper, Gaid, Nolasco, Aure, Bersales.

Led by SoAn chair Jose Eleazar R. Bersales, the seven are expected to spend six weeks in The Netherlands as part of a Tailor-Made Training Project of the Netherlands Fellowship Program (NFP), with funding from the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic) and addition support from the University of San Carlos.

The team was met at the airport by Engr. Ubo Pakes of the Larenstein University Training and Consultancy group. Pakes is the main training officer of the project. Other than Bersales, the participants include Dr. Fiscalina A. Nolasco, Dr. Leny G. Ocasiones, Dr. Elmira Judy T. Aguilar, Zona Saniel-Amper, Bonn L. Aure and Boy Riel M. Gaid.

Part of the training includes visits to archaeological projects both in Holland and Germany, as well as applications in Cebu upon the return of the participants on May 6. Geoplan Foundation, Inc., which provided the pre-Netherlands phase of the project by providing basic GIS training last March 12-16, is also expected to provide a two-week follow-up to the project in Cebu.

Already there are plans to negotiate for a possible heritage-related project between USC and Larenstein for possible funding by foundations in The Netherlands.

Author: J.E. R. Bersales
27 / March / 2007