For UST College of Science dean Rey Donne Papa, the conferment of the prestigious 2021 Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) award is both a dream and a challenge to conduct quality research in the field of biology.
“It is also a proof that dreams do come true,” Papa said in a statement.
“This award is a validation that the scientific community in the Philippines sees the value of the researches I had been able to conduct since I started my career,” he added.
The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) announced on June 3 the full list of Filipino scientists who bagged the award, which is given among those who have “made significant contributions to science and technology.”
But for Papa, it wasn’t just merely a dream come true— it was also a noble yet difficult challenge.
“This award also serves as a challenge for me to be able to continue to do good quality researches in the field of freshwater biology,” he said.
Specializing in limnology or the study of inland freshwaters, Papa led the Zooplankton Ecology, Systematics and Limnology research group of the university and has been studying different freshwater ecosystems in the country.
The need for more young scientists
Highlighting the need for future Filipino scientists, Papa continued: “[A]nd in the process mentor more students in order to further build up the number of freshwater scientists in the country,”
“I hope that more young Filipinos would consider a career in science. We need a critical mass of scientists to cover many uncharted disciplines or sub-disciplines in the sciences,” he said in an interview with Pinoy Scientists.
Having collaborated with local and international scientists, Papa believed that all sciences are important and that it is essential to nation-building.
“As science and national development go together, a scientifically literate society would also be a sure indicator of future economic prosperity for our country,” he said.
Papa, who is the first Filipino representative to the International Society of Limnology, also stressed the importance of academic publishing, and at the same time encouraged science undergraduates to “aim for quality research outputs.”
He is set to officially join the list of Thomasian scientists — which includes, Alicia Aguinaldo, Christina Binag, Allan Patrick Macabeo, Bernard John Tongol, Mario Tan, John Donnie Ramos, Grecebio Jonathan Alejandro, and Thomas Edison Dela Cruz — awarded with OYS on July 15.
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