Dr. Alumanda Dela Rosa - Nuclear Scientist, Director, Civil Servant Par Excellence
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Dr. Alumanda Dela Rosa - Nuclear Scientist, Director, Civil Servant Par Excellence
*This article and tribute was written in the advent of the retirement of PNRI Director Dr. Alumanda Dela Rosa effective on June 30, 2016.
Forty-eight years spent in public service is truly a feat of fortitude and excellence, and more so when devoted to the advancement of one’s field and profession.
Indeed, for most of the history of the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), now the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), its stalwart Director, Dr. Alumanda Dela Rosa, has borne witness to how far the agency, and the Philippines in general, has gone in the field of nuclear science and technology.
She started from being an aspiring student in the provinces to serving beyond retirement age to be among the most respected scientists in the field of nuclear and radiation technology here and abroad. Director Dela Rosa’s journey serves as an inspiration not only to civil servants and administrators alike, but also among the youth, who will one day follow in the footsteps of the highest ranking career scientist in the country.
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IAEA International Essay Competition on Nuclear Security for Students and Early Career Professionals
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IAEA International Essay Competition on Nuclear Security for Students and Early Career Professionals
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is holding the first IAEA International Essay Competition on Nuclear Security for Students and Early Career Professionals.
Students and early career professionals, aged 35 years and under, are invited to submit an innovative and original essay on the future of Nuclear Security: Commitments and Actions.
3 winners will be presented with cash prizes of €2000 and a certificate signed by the Director General of the IAEA. In addition, all 3 winners will receive flight tickets, accommodation and daily living expenses to attend the International Conference here in Vienna and to present their papers as a side event to the International Conference on Nuclear Security: Commitments and Actions to be held in Vienna, Austria from December 5-9, 2016.
Deadline is on Friday 12 August, 2016 at 11:59pm, Vienna Time (CET).
Please refer to the link below for more details.
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Meetings/PDFplus/2016/cn244/cn244EssayCompetition.pdf
PCAARRD eyes other uses for carrageenan plant-growth promoter
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This article was published in Business Mirror on May 12, 2016
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) said developers of the carrageenan plant growth promoter (PGP) are looking into expanding its use to other crops aside from rice.
Dr. Joy Eusebio, director of PCAARRD Crop Research Division, said the agency will meet with the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and other partners to come up with a concept proposal to experiment on the use of the growth promoter for other crops.
“We need to meet with the PNRI and other partners to discuss what will be our priority crop and which regions will be involved in the study,” Eusebio said in a phone interview.
She added that PCAARRD and the PNRI are considering the application of the PGP to corn and vegetable crops.
The plant growth promoter was developed by the PNRI in cooperation with the National Crop Protection Center of the University of the Philippines-Los Banos and the Philippine Rice Research Institute. It was formulated from radiation-processed carrageenan—an extract from seaweed processed into powder.
Carrageenan PGP was tested for three years in rice farms in Nueva Ecija, Laguna and Bulacan, according to PCAARRD, an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Read the rest of the article at Business Mirror
IAEA Invites Students to Learn Nuclear Science Through Play
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This article was published in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Website on May 12, 2016
Students from the Philippines participate in group discussions.
Students in the Philippines measure natural radiation using the ‘Hakaru-Kun’ instrument, a handy‐type survey‐metre developed for education purposes.
IAEA Invites Students to Learn Nuclear Science Through Play
By Laura Gil, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication
Teachers have reached almost 10 000 students in four Asian countries through a guidebook designed to bring nuclear science and technology closer to young adults. The compendium, which is being tested by the IAEA and education experts from several countries, collects unique teaching strategies and materials to introduce science and technology in education systems.
Once final, the compendium will be available for interested policy-makers and middle and secondary school teachers across the region. It has been tested in four pilot countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, and the IAEA plans on testing it in more countries, including Jordan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, at their request. It was developed with technical inputs from Australia, Finland, India, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the USA.
“We want to challenge students’ curiosity and show them the important role nuclear science and technology play in everyday life,” said Maria Violeta Tupas, Education Programme Supervisor at the Department of Education in the Philippines, who has used the compendium. “And we want to do this during the students’ formative years, so that they realize what it is that motivates them before they choose their career path.”
By generating interest in science among young generations, the compendium aims at contributing to the sustainability of the nuclear industry and related technologies in the future. With populations growing, applications of nuclear technology rapidly expanding, and active nuclear scientists ageing, a new generation of professionals will soon need to step up.
Read the rest of the article at the IAEA Website
