UMA Erasmus+ KA107-2019 Calls for Application, open to USA Law Faculty Members The Universidad de Malaga (UMA) in Spain has opened for application this year’s Erasmus+ KA107-2019 mobility grant to its partner universities, one of which is the University of San Agustin (USA). While for USA are limited to the field of law at present, partner universities can apply for grants in other thematic fields in future calls. Faculty members of the College of Law are encouraged to apply for a 7-day staff training grant in Malaga. They may submit their applications until October 11, 2020 (23:59 GMT+1). A previous grantee is Dean Jose Mari Tirol of the College of Law who went to UMA from December 1-7, 2019. While in Malaga, he attended an international scientific conference on shared parenting organized by the Facultad de Derecho of UMA and opened the conference with his inaugural message, “Protecting tomorrow’s hope today: The Philippine legal perspective, from the tender age presumption to the shared parenting”. It is hoped that linkages such as these will spark more personal and institutional collaborations between USA and UMA, and further enhance the capacity of USA to provide relevant, quality, and global education to its students. For full details about Erasmus+ KA107, please see: https://www.uma.es/icm/info/123714/staff-in/ For information on the other partner universities and thematic fields: https://www.uma.es/icm/info/121495/partner-universities-and-thematic-fields1922/?set_language=en
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Dr. Jonel P. Saludes recently received the prestigious 2020 Gregorio Zara Award for Basic Research given by the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PhilAAST) during its Virtual Annual Conference on September 8, 2020. This recognition was given to Dr. Saludes for his extensive research track record in drug discovery, significant contributions to boost the science, technology and innovation in the countryside and an excellent role model for the next generation of scientists and researchers. There were seven awardees from different academic and research institutions in the country who were chosen for their excellent contributions in the field of medicine, engineering, agriculture, and environment. Dr. Saludes was the only awardee from the Visayas and Mindanao area. This is the first PhilAAST award received by a professor from University of San Agustin. ![]() The Gregorio Y. Zara Award for Basic Science Research was established by the Zara Family and PhiAAST in 1968 to honor one of the most outstanding National Scientists of the Philippines and to serve as an inspiration for Filipino scientists and researchers. It is named after National Scientist Gregorio Y. Zara, who was known for his advances in aeronautics, and engineering. He is best known for inventing a two-way videophone in 1955, contributions to solar energy technology, and is credited for discovering the "Zara effect," or the physical law of electrical kinetic resistance, among others. The PhilAAST is a non-stock and non-profit scholarly organization aimed to promote and broaden the base of scientific advancement in the country. Dr. Jonel P. Saludes earned his basic education at University of Mindanao and then graduated with a Bachelors degree in Chemistry from University of San Agustin (Cum Laude). He earned his MS Chemistry from University of Santo Tomas (Summa Cum Laude) under the mentorship of Dr. Alicia M. Aguinaldo, where he was dubbed the “Noni guy” for his original contribution in the molecular level understanding of the antitubercular benefits of Morinda citrifolia. He was awarded a fellowship by UNESCO under the supervision of Dr. Mary J. Garson at University of Queensland, Australia, then received further training in marine natural products drug discovery from Dr. Ted Molinski at University of California San Diego. At University of California Davis, Dr. Saludes earned a PhD in Organic Chemistry under the mentorship of Dr. Jacquelyn Gervay-Hague, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Using extensive 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and computational structural biology, he demonstrated the stable structure of new peptides that serve as biomarker of several human cancers. He pursued a postdoctoral training in chemical biology at University of Colorado under the supervision of Dr. Hubert Yin, where he studied synthetic peptides that detect nanoparticles involved in cell signaling and cancer metastasis. He pursued his independent academic career at Washington State University, where he developed ExoCAR, a nanoparticle capture technology, and SialoPen, a new class of drug delivery agent. Dr. Saludes returned to the Philippines in 2015 as a DOST Balik Scientist Awardee assigned at University of San Agustin, where he is currently a Professor of Chemistry, and then became the Director of the Center for Natural Drug Discovery and Development (CND3) in 2018. As the Project Leader of 5 and Co-Investigator of 7 research projects supported by DOST (PCHRD, CRADLE, and NRCP) as well as by USAID STRIDE, his research projects have received substantial grant awards for the past three-and-a-half years. Reviving his passion for natural products from Philippine resources in combination with peptide science expertise that will benefit the Filipino people, the long-term goals of his research program are the following:
Dr. Saludes also serves as the Associate Vice President of University of Dr. Saludes also serves as the Associate Vice President of University of San Agustin’s Office of Research and Global Relations (ORGR) since November 2015, where he created Global Initiatives 2020 (GI2020), the road map for sustainable R&D program of the university. In a period of three years, he established the following: Center for Chemical Biology, Biotechnology (C2B2): the hub of life science, chemical biology, and biotechnology research; Center for Natural Drug Discovery and Development (CND3): the home of DOST Tuklas Lunas Center in Western Visayas; and the Center for Heritage and Indigenous Culture (CHIC): the resource in the preservation and enrichment of Filipino culture, heritage, indigenous identity and Augustinian heritage and legacy. In response to the 4th Industrial Revolution, he opened the Center for Informatics (CFI) in July 2019, the first research center in the Philippine countryside solely dedicated to data analytics and medical and bio- and chemo-informatics. The above 4 research centers are led by experts who earned their doctorate degrees abroad and are highly respected by their peers. Further, through the leadership of Dr. Saludes, 42 formal partnerships were established by University of San Agustin with universities in the Philippines, Asia, Europe, and North America, as well as with leading corporate brands including Del Monte, Shimadzu Corporation, Merck Inc., Waters Corporation, Herbanext Laboratories, Maridan Industries, RainPhil Inc., Omnibus Biomedical, The Medical City-Ortigas, and The Medical City-Iloilo. The University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, Philippines, exhibits resiliency during this CoVid-19 pandemic as its administrators decided to change the learning modality to flexible learning. Over the nearly 116 years of its existence, this is the first time that the University will operate online - may it be on admission, enrollment, instruction, religious activities, student services, and activities. Although the University adheres to the "new normal" set for schools, it does not forget to acknowledge that disparity exists among its student population. Thus, the University provides alternatives for students who have limited to no connectivity in transactions and modes of learning. The faculty members in all levels are now preparing for the new norm in teaching. The academic personnel underwent training and workshop for them to accustom themselves with online educational tools that will be helpful for them to deliver synchronous and asynchronous classes. In terms of facilities, some of the usual classrooms are now being prepared as e-classrooms. They will be used by faculty as virtual learning rooms as they facilitate classes if, they, too, have limited or no connectivity at home, and if they lack personal devices. Health protocols are in place to ensure decontamination of facilities and work areas. As part of its quality assurance of its flexible learning, the University established a Center for Information Support Services (CISS) and an Educational Technology Office to assist the academic units in the smooth delivery of instructions to its learners. As the University of San Agustin celebrates its 116th foundation anniversary this July 15, it is hopeful that it can exist for another 116 years or even beyond. /hbangero Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay, Director of the Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology of University of San Agustin (USA) is the recipient of the prestigious 2019 NRCP Achievement Award for the Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The award was given today, June 30, 2020, during the virtual NRCP Annual Scientific Conference and 87th General Membership assembly that was attended by nearly 1000 NRCP members from various parts of the country and the world. Further, this award is a milestone for USA because this is the first time that the Department of Science and Technology – National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) recognized the quality and national competitiveness and of the research achievements of a USA faculty member. Created in 1933, DOST-NRCP is the oldest collegial body in science, technology, and the arts in the Philippines and in Asia. Dr. Dalisay is renowned for her pioneering work on biodiversity, chemodiversity, and bioactivity of marine sediment-derived actinobacteria collected from as far north as Batanes to Davao Oriental in the southeastern tip of the Philippine archipelago. Her NRCP-funded research project produced a library consisting of more than 3,000 diverse marine sediment-derived actinobacteria that serves as a biobank of natural compounds for development into antibiotic and anticancer agents. Dr. Dalisay is also a DOST Balik Scientist Awardee and the current Chair of NRCP Visayas Regional Cluster. The NRCP Achievement Awards, which began in 1979, honor many outstanding Filipino scientists and researchers based on their productivity and quality of scholarly work. The research field must fall under the following categories: government, educational and international policy, medical science, pharmaceutical science, mathematical science, biological science, agriculture and forestry, engineering and industrial research, chemical science, humanities, earth and space science, and veterinary medicine. The other recipients for this year’s awards come from Philippine Normal University, UP Diliman, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Cebu Technological University, and UP Los Baños. The two-day CoVid-19 Testing Kit Training is now on its second day at the University of San Agustin Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology (C2B2). Having the facilities and expertise on handling the machine, the University of San Agustin hosted said training which would prepare the West Visayas State University Medical Center that is yet to acquire the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine and set up its laboratory to be considered as the second CoVid-19 Testing Center in the region. The training is spearheaded by the staff and volunteers sent by Dr. Raul Destura, the main developer of the low-cost COVID-19 Detection Kit, and assisted by two Augustinian Balik Scientist Awardees - Dr. Christopher Caipang and Dr. Doralyn Dalisay. In the spirit of unity, the training was made possible through the collaborative effort of the Philippine Genome Center-Visayas, West Visayas State University Medical Center, University of San Agustin-Iloilo, Dr. Destura and his staff and volunteers from Manila HealthTek, Inc., the Department of Science and Technology, and the Local Government Unit of Iloilo City. The heart of this initiative is to create a new COVID-19 Testing Center in WVSUMC equipped with proficient staff and necessary equipment. Participating in this are eight (8) medical technologists from WVSUMC and one (1) University Researcher from the PGC-Visayas. The content includes the proper utilization of the PCR machine and the Bio Safety Cabinet (Class II A2). “This training is not only about the proper usage of testing kits, but it also tackles molecular biology laboratory principles from the most basic to the most complicated,” explained Mr. Julius Aaron Mejia, a Science Research Specialist II and one of the main developers of the Filipino-made test kits who spearheaded the training. The end goal of the training is for the MedTech-participants to pass on their learning and train their fellow practitioners at WVSUMC for efficient use of the testing kit. Furthermore, to ensure proficiency, this two-day training will be followed by another five-day training next week, 20-24 April 2020 which will be handled by PGC-Visayas headed by its Director, Dr. Victor Marco Emmanuel Ferriols at the same venue. Certainly, with the collaborative effort of the Ilonggos through expertise and facility-sharing, Iloilo will be a victor in this battle against this pandemic. “Any individual can make it in the real world with the right education and training,” said Dr. Henry O. Chusuey. The University of San Agustin held the blessing of its newest building - the USA Dr. Henry O. Chusuey International Center yesterday, 7 March 2020, at the Hotel Sta. Monica, University of San Agustin, Jalandoni St., Iloilo City. The event was graced by the benefactor of the building, Dr. Henry O. Chusuey, and his family and friends. Chusuey is an internationally-acclaimed hotelier in the country being the chairman of the Hennan Group of Resorts in Boracay, Bohol, and Palawan. “I want to do all I can to contribute to the improvement of our educational facilities. This is how confident I am with the belief that the Filipino can make it in any industry as long as they are educated and trained the right way,” shared Dr. Chusuey during his speech. Being a graduate of the University of San Agustin in the Bachelor of Science in Commerce program, Chusuey earned his way to be where he is today. In 2013, he was conferred with a degree Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his contribution to the hospitality and tourism industry in the Philippines. “Together with my family, I am happy to see the realization of my dream to help provide the Filipino and Augustinian youth with the best learning environment in the pursuit of their career goals. This center is a testament of my commitment to the belief that the best way to help our young people, particularly those coming from the underprivileged families, is to provide for their education,” he added. Chusuey’s donation gave the seed money for the construction of the University of San Agustin of the international center where he earned the naming right to. “Having been in the hospitalization and tourism industry for over 20 years, I know that actual practice and training are vital to be competent individuals working in the industry. And with this international center, a teaching hotel and restaurant, it is my goal to bridge the gap between the academic curriculum and the realities of the hospitality and tourism industry. I share the objective of the University to make the graduates of the University of San Agustin ready and well-equipped to apply with competence and professionalism what they have learned in school,” he further mentioned. Seeing that tourism is a major economic driver, he believes that it is what makes jobs as it creates employment opportunities for thousands of graduates produced every year by the institutions like San Agustin. According to him, jobs in tourism and hospitality, generally, has a higher compensation compared to other industries because they have a service charge, incentive bonus and of course, tips from tourists. USA’s benefactor emphasized that this building(USA Dr. Henry O. Chusuey International Center) is named as an international center with an emphasis on the word international because he desires to help his Alma Mater to meet global standards. That through this modern facility, his fellow Augustinian graduates will be competitive in the international arena and that they will stand out because they have been given the best training with strengths, competence, and character of virtue and science. He further hoped that this building will be used optimally for its intended noble purpose. He also mentioned that he has great trust in the responsible stewardship of the university administrators to ensure that this facility will be taken care of so that it will benefit not only this generation, but many more generations in the future. The University of San Agustin President, Fr. Frederick C. Comendador, OSA, thanked on behalf of the Augustinian academic community Dr. Chusuey and his family for the generous donation and assured them that this will not be put to waste for it will serve as a laboratory for the hospitality and tourism management students and allied courses. Particularly, he also acknowledged those who have largely contributed to the establishment of this newest facility. On the other hand, Dr. Chusuey publicly expressed this continued support to his Alma Mater, the “great” University of San Agustin. The blessing rite was led by the Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, Fr. Alejandro Moral Anton, OSA, who is in Iloilo alongside with other English-speaking prior provincials in the world for their assembly, as well as Mr. Ramon Cua Locsin, Member of the Board of Trustees for the University, and Augustinian friars from the different communities in the country, as well as the management council of the University and the benefactor’s family and friends. The international center will operate in the future as Hotel Sta. Monica, named after the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. Mrs. Rhoda Garzon Campillan, Academic Supervisor of AB Communication of the College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education won the EXCELLENT PAPER AWARD in the recently concluded International Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Management: International Conference on Social Science and Humanities on July 4-5, 2019, at Seoul, South Korea. She triumphed over other researchers from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, University of Guam, Tokushima University Japan, Arizona State University, and National Taipei University of Education. Mrs. Campillan presented her paper on Difficulties in Research Writing Among Communication Students in a Private University. She received a certificate, trophy, and medal for this meritorious award. According to Conferences Asia, “The award reflects the endless efforts of the winners in the academic arena.”
The goal of IASTEM Conference is to promote and enhance the dialogue in education among the institutions devoted to Science and Engineering fields through the promotion of best-practice standards in the service of international education; facilitation of relevant forums, training, and information exchange; creation and dissemination of knowledge; exert an influence in public policy and production of publications used as a database document for research works, projects and innovation activities held on the international education field. Campillan is just one of the faculty members of the University of San Agustin who is pursuing research for the common good. Recognizing the active role of mass media in Western Visayas, the University of San Agustin held the 1st SanAg Media Awards last Saturday, May 18, 2019. The award is given to ten media outfits which the University has been partners with to bringing Iloilo City and Western Visayas to the forefront of being a provider of an excellent education. This year’s recipient of the SanAg Media Awards are The Daily Guardian, ABS-CBN TV-10 Iloilo, Manila Bulletin, DYSI Super Radyo, Panay News, Manila Bulletin, GMA Network, Inc. - TV 6, Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, Bombo Radyo Iloilo, and Radyo Pilipinas Iloilo. The awards were received by media personalities during the awarding ceremony at the Dolce Garcia Conference Room, University of San Agustin, Iloilo City. Other representatives from the Iloilo Metropolitan Times, Philippine News Agency, and USA Publications were in attendance. One of the best features of SanAg Media Awards is a Talk on Stress Management among Media Men delivered by an expert in psychology and psychotherapy - Dr. Alda Perlita Polestico. Salient issues confronting the members of the fourth estate were discussed and given utmost attention. SanAg Media Awards is a project initiated by the Philanthropic, External and Alumni Relations Office in cooperation with the AB Communication program of the College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education. SanAg Media Awardees , Guests and Organizers
After stages of screening, evaluation and final selection of the qualified nominees, Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay was named the “2019 Outstanding Professional of the Year in the field of Pharmacy”, a recognition awarded by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). She brought honor and pride to the University of San Agustin as she is the first Augustinian Pharmacist to receive the award. The “Outstanding Professional of the Year Award” is the highest award bestowed by PRC upon a professional for having sufficiently demonstrated competence of the highest degree, professional integrity, significant contribution to the advancement of the profession and with a meaningful contribution in society and country. The conferment of this award began in 1997 and is the highlight of the PRC Anniversary Celebration and the Professional Regulation Week is observed every year from June 16 to 22. Dr. Doralyn Dalisay graduated from the University of San Agustin, Iloilo with a degree in Pharmacy (Cum Laude) and earned her Master of Science in Biology at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas. She obtained her Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of New South Wales, Australia. She received a postdoctoral fellowship to specialize on marine natural products chemistry at the University of California, San Diego, USA. Dr. Dalisay has been engaged in several drug discovery scientific research undertakings at University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA. Her research leads to the discovery of 25 novel antifungal and anticancer compounds from rare marine invertebrates and marine sediment-derived microorganisms. These compounds have attracted the interest of the scientific community because of their novelty and potential as drug leads. She also holds two US patents on the use of a marine natural product for fungal infections and cancer. Dr. Dalisay returned to the Philippines as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Balik Scientist in June 2015 to establish a research program on natural products drug discovery at the Center for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology (C2B2) in University of San Agustin. She is a pioneering pharmacist and scientist to work on the biodiversity, biological activities, and chemistry of marine sediment-derived actinobacteria from Philippine archipelago that could one day help to find new antibiotics and potentially address the problem of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Dr. Dalisay has worked extensively on the development of culture dependent strategies to access the vast biodiverse actinobacteria from different environmental samples in the Philippines. Her research group explored the Philippine archipelago for the presence of promising actinobacteria found in the marine sediment samples collected in different islands in the country. Her laboratory at C2B2 now houses a library of more than 3,000 highly diverse marine sediment-derived actinobacteria isolates that serves as “BioBank for Drug Discovery Research” in the country. Dr. Dalisay has published research on drug discovery in high impact journals. Her publication received more than 2000 citations. She has won a number of awards in recognition for her research, publications, and patents. She was awarded as The Outstanding Pharmacist, TOP Award in Research by Philippine Pharmacists Association in 2016. She was recently conferred as Diplomate of the Philippine Academy for Microbiology. Her research program on drug discovery at the University of San Agustin is supported by the National Research Council of the Philippines-Department of Science and Technology (NRCP-DOST), Philippine Council for Health Research and Development-Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST), United States Agency for International Development, Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (USAID-STRIDE) Program and the University of San Agustin. Dr. Dalisay will receive the Outstanding Professional of the Year Award on June 20 at Fiesta Pavilion, Manila Hotel during the PRC Anniversary Celebration. Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay, first Augustinian Pharmacist to receive the Outstanding Professional of the Year Award in the Field of Pharmacy. With the Screening Committee for Final Selection and Deliberation last May 9, 2019. (L-R) Dr. Maria Liza C. Centeno (Foundation of Outstanding Professionals, FOP), Hon. Paraluman R. Giron (Philippine Association of Professional Regulatory Boards, PAPRB), Hon. Yolanda D. Reyes (PRC Commissioner), Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay (University of San Agustin, USA), Hon. Mildred B. Oliveros (Professional Regulatory Board of Pharmacy, PRB) and Hon. Reynaldo Umali (Professional Regulation Commission, PRC).
![]() Join the University of San Agustin College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education (CLASE) and Graduate Program in collaboration with Third Wave Health and Education Specialists, Inc., in a seminar-workshop entitled: “Teaching Difficult Topics and Skills in English, Science, and Mathematics” (with 15 CPD Units) on May 16-18, 2019 at the University of San Agustin. For reservations, kindly fill up the attached Word document and contact Mr. James V. Pedregosa, Academic Supervisor of Education and Graduate Programs at 09165257599 or jpedregosa@usa.edu.ph, Dr. Rhodora A. Cartagena, Academic Supervisor of Mathematics at 09178280185/ 09096207595 or rcartagena@usa.edu.ph, and Dr. Ma. Delsa P. Gange, Academic Supervisor of Biology at 09209659451 or mgange@usa.edu.ph. |
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