By: Albino C. Gamba Jr.

(AUG. 7)—The UP Board of Regents (BOR) at its 1309th meeting on July 22, 2015 approved the appointments of five UP Diliman (UPD) faculty members as professors emeriti.

They are Dr. Grace J. Alfonso from the College of Mass Communication (CMC), Dr. Raul V. Fabella from School of Economics (SE), Dr. Emerlinda R. Roman from Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business (VSB), Prof. Nestor O. Vinluan from College of Fine Arts (CFA) and Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu from the College of Arts and Letters (CAL).

Professor Emeritus, a title for life, is conferred upon retired faculty members in recognition of their exceptional achievement and exemplary service to the University.

Alfonso, a professor at the Film Institute, is the current chancellor of UP Open University (UPOU) and president of the Philippine Society for Distance Learning. She also chairs the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Technical Panel for Transnational and Distance Education.

She is also a painter and a sculptor. Alfonso sculpted the UPOU Oblation erected in Los Baños, Laguna in 2005, as well as the trophies for the CHED Republica Award in 2005 and 2007. She is a recipient of the 2015 Concepcion Dadufalza Award for Distinguished Achievement and the UP Arts Productivity System as Artist 1 in 2011.

Meanwhile, Fabella whose fields of interest are in economic theory, agricultural economics and international economics, served as SE dean from 1998 to 2007.

For his pioneering works in “novel analytic constructs which turn out to be useful for problems in economics,” he was conferred the Order of National Scientist in 2011. The Order of National Scientist is the highest honor given by the Philippine president to an individual who has made significant contributions in the field of science and technology in the country.

Roman, on the other hand, served the UP administration in various capacities. She is the centennial and first woman president of the University (2005 to 2011). She also served as UPD chancellor from 1991 to 1993 and from 1999 to 2005, UPD Vice Chancellor for Administration from 1985 to 1988, and Secretary of the University and of the BOR from 1988 to 1991.

Roman received numerous awards, among them: the Lingkod Bayan Award (2007) from the Civil Service Commission and the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines; Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur, au grade de Chevalier (National Order of the Legion of Honour, Rank of Knight) from the President of the Republic of France through the French Embassy in Manila (2009); and The Outstanding Filipino Award (TOFIL) in Education in 2011 from the JCI Senate Philippines and Insular Life.

Vinluan, a multimedia artist working on paintings, sculpture and installation works, served as CFA dean from 1989 to 1998. Vinluan is a recipient of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists award in 1974. He has represented the Philippines in various art festivals and exhibitions abroad such as Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and USA, among others.

Completing the awardees is Torres-Yu from the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas. She is an award-winning author, editor and translator of books on language, literature, gender, labor movement and children literature.

Her creative writing and scholarly works in literature were recognized by the University through the following: UP Arts Productivity System Award (2009-2011), Gawad Chanselor para sa Natatanging Guro (2008), UP Centennial Professorial Chair (2008 and 2010), UP Centennial Faculty Grant (2009 and 2011), International Publication Award (2009 and 2010) and Gawad sa Natatanging Publikasyon sa Filipino (2001).

Torres-Yu served as CAL dean from 2000 to 2003. She was also appointed as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs from 1993 to 1996 and director of Sentro ng Wikang Filipino from 2012 until her retirement in October 2014.

Professors emeriti remain in the faculty roster of the University, thus giving the current students, junior faculty members and researchers the chance to be mentored by the esteemed teachers and scholars.

Professors emeriti receive one-time monetary award of P150,000. The honorees are also accorded lifetime library privileges, UP Health Service privileges and free admission to cultural shows in UP, among others.