(DEC. 23)—Chemistry professor Eva Marie A. Ratilla., PhD passed away on Dec. 14 due to chronic myeloid leukemia and complications of diabetes. She was 59.
“Ever the scientist, she kept abreast of the latest research and advances on the molecular aspects of treating her condition and sought to obtain these latest medical treatments, even joining in experimental drug trials. Through it all, Eva performed her duties and responsibilities as professor at the institute to the fullest, where she taught Advanced Inorganic Chemistry courses too undergraduate and graduate students,” the UP Diliman College of Science (CS) posted in its Facebook page.
She was instrumental in the establishment of KKP-DICAF (Kapisanan ng mga Kimika sa Pilipinas – Division of Inorganic Chemistry and Allied Fields) where she served as its first Chairperson. KKP-DICAF hosted the 10th EURASIA Conference on Chemical Sciences in Manila in January 2008.
Ratilla also contributed in the early development of the Materials Science Program of the UPD CS and College of Engineering. Her areas of specialization are in Inorganic Chemistry, Chiral and Molecular Recognition and Discrimination, and Computational Chemistry. She had numerous researches published in ISI journals and presented in local and international conferences.
Ratilla earned her PhD in Chemistry from Iowa State University in 1990. She was a post-doctoral fellow at the Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan in 1998.