UST reaps bountiful harvest at NAST Annual Scientific Meeting


The University of Santo Tomas (UST), represented by academic researchers, students and alumni, won several awards during the Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in July 2024 at the Manila Hotel. The NAST is the highest and most prestigious award-giving body of the Philippines in the fields of science and technology.

Leading the awardees is asst. prof. Reuel M. Bennett, Dr.rer.nat., chair of the Department of Biological Sciences under the College of Science, who received the Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) Award in Biology for his work on Philippine aquatic fungi-like protists. The OYS Award is given to a scientist not older than 40 years old during the time of the award and is chosen based on their scientific productivity and research contributions. 

For the NAST Talent Search for Young Scientists, asst. prof. John Andrew C. Albay from the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the College of Science won 3rd prize. Likewise, Katherine Yasmin M. Garcia, M.Sc. from the College of Science and Jame Monren T. Mercado, MA from the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management were given Special Citations. The NAST Talent Search for Young Scientists is given to a scientist not more than 35 years old after presenting a published paper in a public forum in front of a panel of judges.

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Dr. Bennett (third from left) with UST College of Science dean prof. Rey Donne Papa, Ph.D. (fourth from left) and NAST representatives

Biology alumni Joe Anthony Manzano, M.Sc. and Aemer Sultan together with their co-authors along with chemistry alumnus Dr. Henley Galiga and co-author academician professor emeritus Fortunato B. Sevilla III, Ph.D. were recognized with the NAST Outstanding Scientific Awards. Their papers were all published in the Philippine Journal of Science. 

The Best Scientific Poster awards given at the end of the two-day event were likewise dominated by Thomasian scientists in the Biological Sciences, Engineering Sciences and Technology, and Mathematical and Physical Sciences Category. The research works titled “Formulation of a Phage Cocktail Prototype for Biocontrol Applications against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica var Typhimurium in raw beef” by Ramon Arvin Noriel Santos, M.Sc. and co-authors from the College of Science, Graduate School, and Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences; “A Rule-based Model for predicting the changes in soil pH after subjecting to biochar application” by Louie Alfredrich Ducusin and co-authors of the Faculty of Engineering and Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences; and “Innovative fabric-based supercapacitors with biochar integration: A sustainable approach for environmental-energy nexus in the Philippines by Paul Jhon Eugenio, M.Sc. and prof. Christina A. Binag, Ph.D. of the Graduate School, College of Science and Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences all brought home the top prizes in their respective categories.   

The 46th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) with the theme "Beyond Farm Productivity: Transforming the Philippine Food System to Address Equity, Consumer Health and Environmental Issues" gathered national scientists, academicians, and experts for dialogue and in-depth discussions on critical topics influencing food systems.