Over 160 ongoing and completed research projects by faculty of the UP Diliman (UPD) College of Engineering (COE) were featured in the latest edition of the Professorial Chair Awards (PCA) public colloquium on Nov. 25 at the COE Institute of Civil Engineering building.
Organized by the COE and the UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation, Inc (UPERDFI), in collaboration with the UP National Engineering Center (UP NEC), the colloquium continues the theme FAST TRACK (Filipino Engineers for the Advancement of Science and Technology Through Research and Collaborative Knowledge Sharing): Engineering Research Towards Achieving Philippine Sustainable Development Goals. The first FAST TRACK was held in January this year.
The research projects were grouped into eight categories among the 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations: good health and well-being; quality education and strong institutions; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; industry, innovation, and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; and climate action.
All the presented projects were partially or fully funded by PCA from the COE and the UPERDFI.
According to the 2023 UPD Faculty Manual, a professorial chair is “a form of recognition for achievement in the academe, established to advance knowledge and learning in various fields or disciplines. Chairs are positions supported by special endowments and awarded to members of the faculty at the tertiary level who have distinguished themselves in the fields they represent.”
Welcoming participants and interested parties were UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, COE Dean Maria Antonia Tanchuling, UPERDFI Vice President Patrick Vincent G. Peña, UPERDFI Chair Manuel Torres, and former UPERDFI President Rafael Nestor Mantaring.
Some of the projects presented were Renewable Energy-Powered Methane Production using LCES in Luzon, Philippines: A Techno-economic Study by Rizalinda L. de Leon, PhD of the Department of Chemical Engineering; Impact of Demographic Shifts and Geographical Bailwicks in Modeling future Presidential Elections by Philip Christian Zuñiga of the Department of Computer Science; Right of Way Acquisition Using Geospatial Technologies by Florence A. Galeon of the Department of Geodetic Engineering; and CCTV on Steroids: The Design and Implementation of BantAI, a Robbery Prediction System for Edge Devices by Isabel M. Austria,PhD of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute.
FAST TRACK concluded with a plenary panel discussion with Romeo Gilbuena Jr., consultant at the Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and World Bank and a,researcher at the Aston University (UK), and Federico Monsada, Chairman and CEO of Minercon International Inc. and President of the Philippine Technological Council.
After a whole day of presentations, all colloquium participants including donors and their representatives gathered at the Executive House for a fellowship dinner hosted by UP President Angelo Jimenez, where PCA donors and host training establishments (partners for COE student internships) were recognized for their contributions to the University.
