One hundred forty-five days after her appointment, Rhea Rowena U. Apolinario had her oath-taking on Nov. 20 at the UP Diliman (UPD) School of Labor and Industrial Relations auditorium.
Apolinario is the 11th dean of the UPD School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) whose appointment was approved by the UP Board of Regents at its 1382nd meeting on June 29.
In his message to the SLIS constituents, UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II said the school plays a pivotal role in shaping UPD’s future.
“Aligning with my three-point agenda for UPD, we recognize the expertise of its community of faculty, students, administrative staff, and REPS (research, extension, and professional staff) in fostering the culture of persistence and innovation in teaching and research,” he said.
Vistan also put his confidence in Apolinario’s leadership in steering the SLIS to become the premier information school in Southeast Asia.
With Apolinario the first dean appointed under his term as chancellor, Vistan said Apolinario’s deanship will undoubtedly play a crucial role in preparing the SLIS students navigate the complexities of an ever-changing information landscape.
“Dean Rhea has demonstrated exceptional qualities throughout her academic and professional journey and I am confident that her vision and dedication will elevate the SLIS to even greater heights. She brings with her a wealth of experience, her brand of leadership, and a vision for the future that aligns with the University’s commitment to academic excellence,” he said.
For her part, Apolinario said she has always been guided by her vision and plans for the SLIS as well as the school’s priority areas and flagship programs.
Apolinario summarized her threefold vision as “equip, engage, and excel.” She also shared her proposal for the creation of a Diliman Information Governance Office.
According to her, the office “would enable effective records management, efficient data management and resource optimization, improve data protection and risk mitigation, digital transformation and enhance collaboration, and shall function as the overarching unit or office that will see the effective and efficient information management.”
Apolinario also introduced to the audience the SLIS Executive Board composed of Mark Anthony Santos (college secretary), Iyra Buenrostro-Cabbab, PhD (graduate program coordinator), Jonathan Isip (information officer), Yhna Therese Santos (quality assurance officer), Elijah John Dar Juan (general education coordinator), Dan Anthony Dorado (National Service Training Program coordinator), and Janny Surmieda (alumni coordinator).
The oath-taking ceremony also saw the unveiling of the SLIS Library mascot, GABI or Guide to Access Books and Information. GABI is a representation of the SLIS library.
The ceremony was also attended by UPD officials including UPD Asian Institute of Tourism Dean Giovanni Francis A. Legaspi and UPD School of Archaeology Dean Grace Baretto-Tesoro.
