Women in STEM: Dr. Maria Corazon A. De Ungria

Women in STEM: Dr. Maria Corazon A. De Ungria

Many Filipino scientists, with their different fields and expertise, have been presented with many opportunities throughout their careers. Many have proven their skills and knowledge in countries that offer greater and more advanced technologies and capabilities. Although pursuing scientific careers abroad may be fulfilling for some, many are still heeding the call to serve their own countries and become instruments, themselves, for the country’s scientific advancement.

 

Microbiologist and forensic geneticist Maria Corazon “Cora” A. De Ungria, Ph.D. exemplified this patriotic gesture when she went home to the Philippines in 1998, armed with a doctorate degree in microbiology from the University of New South Wales and more than 10 years of training abroad.

 

Since her return, Dr. Cora has been the head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory of the Natural Sciences Research Institute in UP Diliman. Concurrently, she is the director of the Program on Biodiversity, Ethnicity, and Forensics of the Philippine Genome Center. She is the highest-ranking REPS in UPD who currently holds the sole University Researcher V position. In 2013, Dr. Cora was conferred a Scientist II rank by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Science and Technology in the Scientific Career System that both agencies maintain for full-time researchers serving in government institutions.  

 

Dr. Cora reiterates the importance of opportunities and the right kind of support such as competitive salary and benefits in molding a capable scientist like her. “[These] allowed me to focus my mind and passion toward research and service. Working in an enabling environment allows career scientists to focus on generating knowledge through research and serving the community in the best way we can,” she says.

 

Her research endeavors lean on human genetic diversity and maximizing the use of DNA as a tool for human identification in criminal investigations. Generally, her work revolves around discovering how science can help in addressing societal concerns in the Philippines through forensic DNA technology. With this line of research, her laboratory has received recognitions such as the 2019 Outstanding Institution Award from National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) for its pioneering work in promoting the use of forensic DNA technology and in exploring the genetic diversity of Philippine communities, including those of indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs). 

 

A more notable result of Dr. Cora’s research was the implementation of the Rule on DNA Evidence that was promulgated by the Supreme Court in 2007 and is now being used by all trial courts in the whole country. Having spent almost 30 years in research work, she boasts a long list of achievements and recognition such as the Outstanding Woman Researcher in the Life Sciences (organized by the Third World Organization of Women Scientists and Elsevier in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) in 2009; a National Fellow of the L’Oreal – UNESCO Women in Science Program in 2011; ​​the Most Outstanding Alumni (awarded by the Australian Embassy in the Philippines) in 2017; and one of two Filipinas featured in “Profiles of Women Scientists in Asia” (published by the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences) in 2019. In 2017, she also received the Dangal ng Bayan award from the CSC for her exemplary service to the country while observing the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees” or RA 6713. 

 

She also advocates for the effective communication of research findings to stakeholders in order to create more concrete results. “Being in UP enabled me to present my research findings in local and international conferences that have opened opportunities for diverse collaborations,” Dr. Cora adds. Sharing her research also gave her chances to contribute to discussions on national policies and to the drafting of national and institutional guidelines for research involving human samples as well as in legislating laws that may help promote genomics and forensics in the Philippines.

 

As a woman in science who has managed to bring herself to the top of her field, Dr. Cora hopes to inspire more young girls to pursue a career in science through her own life story. She reminds fellow women scientists to partner passion with purpose, to be determined and not to give up easily because every scientific journey has its own challenges. Many times, she reiterates the value of taking risks—‘suntok sa buwan’—which could either result in ‘pagbagsak sa lupa o pagyakap ng langit.’

 

She hopes that opportunities specially designed for women scientists to participate in scientific research should be made available. Particularly, she is hoping to see changes for women who have chosen to build a family and career at the same time. “Many female scientists find it challenging to return to active research after starting their families. Professional societies should strengthen their networks in order to facilitate different platforms for research collaborations. In recognising and crediting the contributions of female scientists during different periods of their careers, we will foster an enabling culture for women to continue pursuing rewarding careers in science.”

 

Dr. Cora believes that it is essential for the development of the Philippines as a scientifically and technologically savvy country. Future leaders should form data-driven policies and laws, and support science by providing financial security to government scientists and funding for research. More importantly, Dr. Cora believes that leadership is best done by example. According to her, “A leader should be able to inspire others to be their own catalysts for change.”

 

#womeninSTEM
#BreakTheBias

 

To know more about Dr. Cora A. De Ungria, you may visit and read her story in “Profiles of Women Scientists in Asia” through this link:

https://www.interacademies.org/sites/default/files/publication/profiles_of_women_scientists_in_asia.pdf

Women in STEM: Dr. Mayzonee Ligaray

Women in STEM: Dr. Mayzonee Ligaray​

Dr. Mayzonee “Mei” Ligaray is an associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) in the University of the Philippines Diliman. She teaches courses related to environmental science and heads the HydroEcology Laboratory in IESM.

 

In high school, Dr. Mei developed interest in research and wanted to be a scientist. This encouraged her to take up a bachelor’s degree in engineering in UPD and became a licensed

 

Metallurgical Engineer. She then took her master’s in Environmental Engineering as her passion in STEM grew toward the environment. This gave her the opportunity to do her MS thesis in Taiwan where she also had the chance to be immersed in a science-directed culture. Dr. Mei focused on studying water and wastewater treatment during her master’s.

 

Dr. Mei focused on studying water and wastewater treatment during her master’s. And when she took her doctorate degree in Environmental Science and Engineering at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, her research interest further expanded to more aspects of water research such as the water cycle, the distribution and movement of water in our environment. Currently, Dr. Mei also ventures into water quality monitoring, fate and transport modeling of micropollutants and bacteria, artificial intelligence applications on environmental science, and watershed management and modeling.

 

Before deciding to pursue higher studies, Dr. Mei had doubts about her choices as she felt that society still has reservations against women who pursue higher education. She often heard traditional advice (“You should marry first because it’s hard for women to find partners while doing science”, “Your time is running out, “Your biological clock is ticking”). She realized that these were gender-based discriminations because she has seen men in her field getting married late in life with no one batting an eye.

 

Dr. Mei successfully finished her Ph.D. in 2017 despite these incidents. She did her postdoctoral fellowship in UNIST for two years before coming back to the Philippines in 2020 to become a professor in IESM. And just last year, she was married to LCDR Neil Eric Narzabal PN, whom she proudly considers as her supportive and understanding husband.

 

“Since I graduated, I can also see that more women are now going to graduate schools. Although women are still pressured to marry and have children, society is generally kinder to us compared to before,” says Dr. Mei. “But we should still remember that not everybody is privileged enough and are still expected to conform to traditions,” she adds. 

 

This is also why she believes that we need leaders that build programs and systems that encourage women to engage in science. “More women in science would be good because studies have shown that they are better at multitasking, keen in details, and gender sensitive.” 

 

Dr. Mei likes to remind younger generations who plan to pursue higher education to always prioritize their mental and physical health before anything. “Madaming negativities ang matatanggap nila as they go through life and it will likely affect their performance in school. I always tell them to consider physical and mental health as their first priority because it will provide them the strength to continue their scientific journeys.”

 

Click here to know more about Dr. Mei: 

https://iesm.science.upd.edu.ph/mayzonee-ligaray-ph-d/

Call for Abstract Submissions for 3rd Graduate Student Research Conference

Call for Abstract Submissions for 3rd Graduate Student Research Conference

The College of Science, with its primary mission to contribute to the advancement of science and technology in the Philippines, invites and encourages our graduate students and recent graduates to showcase their research work on their respective fields.

For those interested, please submit your abstracts on this link http://bitly.ws/p8uJ on or before April 15, 2022.

Women in STEM: Dr. Marienette Morales Vega

Women in STEM: Dr. Marienette Morales Vega

Dr. Marienette “Moe” Morales Vega is an associate professor and director of the Materials Science and Engineering Program of the College of Science, UP Diliman (UPD). Having years of training in materials science and spectroscopy, her current research endeavors include nanoparticles in environmental monitoring and biological sensing.

During the time when the Materials Science program was still being instituted in UPD, Dr. Vega already found interest in this interdisciplinary field. It appealed to her because of its broader application and the unlimited areas that can be explored such as nanotechnology. Her foundations and techniques learned in physics can also be applied in material science.

Dr. Moe finished both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Physics in UPD and decided to pursue advanced studies abroad in 2005. She did another MS Physics in the University of South Florida before venturing into Nanotechnology for her doctoral studies at the University of Trieste in Italy.

Like most of the women who pursue higher studies abroad, Dr. Vega also had her fair share of discriminatory encounters with regard to her gender. She met Filipinos in Italy who were surprised to learn that a pinay is there for advanced studies. “Nowadays, we see more and more Filipinas pursuing science studies abroad and I am proud to be counted in the statistics of Filipina who did so. I hope that someday, people will not be shocked to learn that Filipinas are abroad for science,” Dr. Moe says.

Dr. Moe is married to a Dr. Michael Francis Ian Vega who is currently a professor at the National Institute of Physics in UPD. They pursued their higher studies and postdoctoral fellowships together in the US, Italy and Canada, all while raising their two children. Dr. Moe considers this a very challenging part of her life, but she is thankful not just for her very supportive husband but for the inclusive and accepting environment they experienced abroad.

Apart from having the scientific resources needed for her research accessible, affordable childcare was her savior during these times. As a mother of 2 young kids and a doctoral student, being unable to be there 24/7 for her children was difficult. She had doubts at first, but daycares in the countries they have been in were reliable and safe. She learned that it was the best option since her children can be with and interact with other children. “This is what I want to see in the Philippines soon. I hope we can build a nurturing environment like childcare centers for children whose parents are working, especially mothers,” Dr. Moe says as she observed these differences when her family came back to the Philippines.

The nanomaterials professor who is now teaching in UPD for 4  years emphasizes the importance of having a role model in the path one has chosen. She considers renowned scientists Dr. Cristine Villagonzalo and the late Dr. Maria Victoria Bernido as her career role models. And now, being a mentor herself, she also aspires to inspire the youth to be passionate with their dreams and encourage them to pursue their scientific goals.

Dr. Moe hopes that the country’s next leaders will reflect more support to scientists and researchers. “I hope they also continue to provide more conducive environments and present opportunities for women so they will not have doubts in getting involved with a science career. If women are given the right support, they can become role models themselves.”

Click here to learn more about Dr. Moe Vega:

https://msep.science.upd.edu.ph/?page_id=546

https://monetmoralesvega.wixsite.com/main

Women in STEM: Dr. Marian P. Roque

Women in STEM: Dr. Marian P. Roque

Dr. Marian P. Roque is a renowned Filipino mathematician who has been teaching in the UP Diliman Institute of Mathematics for more than 35 years. She is also currently serving in the College of Science Administration as the Associate Dean for Facilities and Resources Management.

Her road toward a career in Math started when she found herself in between Mathematics competitions in grade school including the first ever National Quiz Bee. Although she lost during the Regionals, this paved the way toward the field that will define who she is today.

Dr. Roque is a true-blooded iskolar ng bayan as she earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in UP. Her PhD was under a Sandwich Program  of UP and funded by Germany, and gave her the chance to do her dissertation at the University of Essen. This opportunity opened her eyes to the discrimination that some women in STEM experienced at that time. She, herself, had become the subject of these prejudices as some of the people she met assumed that she was in Germany to look for a husband. “I faced a lot of challenges being a Filipina so I needed to be assertive, which was hard at first when I was still learning  their language,” she adds. With the support of her German adviser, Prof. Bernd Schultze, she was able to overcome all hurdles. 

Even with the discriminatory treatments she received while doing her dissertation and post-doctoral fellowship abroad, Dr. Roque continued to prove herself. Her mantra was to appear strong and not fall under the stereotypes. “I just had to prove to myself that I can do mathematics too, like men, or even better.”

Dr. Roque has authored and co-authored publications on partial and ordinary differential equations including “Analytical and numerical solution for wave reflection from a porous wave absorber” (with I.Magdalena) and “On the deficiency index of even order symmetric differential expressions with essential spectrum” (with B. Schultze). She received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) in 2015 as recognition for her outstanding contributions in Mathematical Sciences, particularly her research in ordinary and partial differential equations. She also co-authored (with Doina Cioranescu and Patrizia Donato) the book, “An Introduction to Second Order Partial Differential Equations  (Classical and Variational  Solutions).”

Despite her struggles as both a scientist and a mother, Dr. Roque managed to successfully raise a daughter who is now a medical doctor. She found this an extra achievement to her scientific journey as the stereotype that women should stay at home and take care of the family  is still rampant in society. “During the pandemic, it has been observed that the publications of female Mathematicians and scientists in general have decreased. I guess one reason for that is because mothers, daughters, sisters had to stay home and take care of their families’ physical and mental health which is a full-time job for some. This has made it more difficult for female mathematicians to continue with their research,” Dr. Roque says.

Dr. Roque believes that visibility is key to having more women in STEM fields. We need more female scientists to inspire the younger ones, we need to celebrate the achievements of women in the field, especially those who are breaking the bias. During this election season, she also reminds society, especially women voters, to choose someone who will strive for genuine equality and will also put an end to gender-based violence.

As we celebrate women’s achievements, we must also remember the true essence of Women’s Month, which is to raise awareness against stereotypes and continue taking actions toward equality.

#BreakTheBias #womeninSTEM

Click here to know more about Dr. Marian Roque: https://math.upd.edu.ph/faculty/roque-marian