WITH THE INSTITUTE’S priority of ensuring that the engineering and technology academic programs of MSU-IIT will be optimally relevant to industry practices, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, through FAB LAB Mindanao, hosted the Industry Lecture on Design for Manufacturing on August 29, 2019 at the Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics.
The industry lecture was conducted by the founder and CEO of Vaquform, Mr. John Truman Tan. An industrial designer and a lecturer at the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Fine Arts, Tan introduced the first digital desktop vacuum former which is now widely used by various maker spaces and industries.
He also shared his mass production experiences in Shenzhen, China along with discussions on the importance of achieving an effective prototype production open for the market, how to make these prototypes ready for manufacturing, as well as the challenges faced by hardware innovators and proposed solutions in transforming prototypes ready for manufacturing and production lines.
The highlight of the lecture was the unboxing of Vaquform, a desktop thermoformer, in FAB LAB Mindanao, which gave individuals and businesses open access to thermoforming.
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, Dr. Feliciano B. Alagao concluded the day’s activity by reiterating the Institute’s priority in research and innovation while challenging MSU-IIT constituents to integrate design for manufacturing in the development of relevant research outputs.
The industry lecture was attended by faculty members, researchers, students from the College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Computer Studies, MSU-IIT’s industry partners and institutions from Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Bukidnon, and Marawi City.
Dr. Roland Neil Perry, a faculty of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences of the School of Life and Medical Sciences of the University of Hertfordshire, delivered lectures during his two-week stay in the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology.
In his first week, he lectured to Biology graduate students about plant-parasitic nematodes, including life cycle biology, behavior, physiology, and aspects that are relevant to crop protection.
The visiting professor believes that learning about plant-parasitic nematodes are economically important. He said that any crop plant is parasitized by plant-parasitic nematode and results to yield loss since this nematode causes severe damage to crops worldwide including the Philippines.
He added that rice-growing areas have pests that need to be controlled. According to Perry, “the only way to control them effectively is by understanding their biology.” He further said that because a lot of chemicals that have been used in the past are either banned or restricted, one has to think in terms of control so the contribution of education is to make people understand the pest problem, how to help increase the crop yield, at the same time, be environmentally-friendly in detoxifying the land that has been contaminated and know how best to use it again.
On October 18-19, Perry had a two-day lecture and workshop with undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Science and Mathematics, as well as students from other universities within the region on Research Ethics and Techniques in Scientific Writing at the Institute Mini-theater.
As editor of a journal, he discussed on the best way to write a paper, the publication process and writing grants, selecting a journal for publication, exercise in critically evaluating a published paper and exercise in evaluating data sets to focus on main findings.
“To get the university status increased, nation-wide and especially internationally, what my aim was to try and get the students to understand that they have to publish and they have to publish papers in good quality journals,” said Perry, in an interview.
He stated further that the way forward is to publish good quality papers that reflects credit on the individual and credit on the university thereby increasing their international status. “That’s the way forward for the university and it’s (MSU-IIT) certainly going in the right direction,” he commented.
When asked to give a message to MSU-IIT before he leaves, he said “Keep on the track you’re going. Improve international collaborations, international status by improving your research outputs and that way you’ll improve your status worldwide. Make sure the university evolves on that basis to become an internationally renowned university which is based on teaching, publications, and research.”
Institute scholars from the Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) were treated to art and music lessons as wellness promotion and empowerment exercises on Saturday (October 8) at the College of Science and Mathematics building.
The Lecture-Workshop on Therapeutic Intervention in Various Forms consisted of lessons in drawing/painting, dancing, and music. It also included spoken word poetry – an oral art that includes the popular Hugot Lines.
The activity was conducted by the Department of Psychology of the College of Arts and Social Sciences in partnership with the ESGP-PA Coordinating Team.
Prof. Odessa May D. Escalona of the Department of Psychology served as the resource person for art therapy, while her daughter, Kim Ashley, an AB English alumna, handled the session for spoken word poetry and hugot lines.
The other resource persons for the lecture-workshop were Prof. Rebecca Alcuizar of the College of Education for ballroom and classical dances; consultant Mr. Jobe Aiko S. Acas for hiphop and modern dances; and Mr. Joshua M. Paquingan and Mr. Christian Romeo Kyle B. Cada from the Cultural Development Office for guitar playing and singing, respectively.
The objective of the Saturday activity, according to Special Order No. 1911 issued on October 6, is to “provide closure and promote safe and secure mental wellness, and to develop resiliency and student empowerment to properly address aggression, violence, and harassment.”
Prof. Priscila B. Cada, chair of the Department of Psychology, served as the activity’s coordinator.
The activity was supervised by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (OVCAA), in coordination with the ESGP-PA Coordinator, Dr. Gaudencio Petalcorin, and the program’s Personal Enrichment Program (PEP) Coordinator, Dr. Evelyn I. Dominguez, head guidance counselor.
The ESGP-PA is a government program that provides funding for the education of poor but deserving college students belonging to indigent households under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Visiting professor Dr. Hong-Yi Huang of the National Taipei University in Taiwan gave a week-long lecture series at the College of Engineering’s Electrical Electronics Computer Engineering (EECE) Department on July 4-8, 2016.
His lectures focused on emerging technologies in the integrated circuits (IC) design attended by the EECE students and faculty members, and students and faculty members from MSU-Marawi; La Salle University – Ozamiz; Mindanao University of Science and Technology – Cagayan de Oro; Xavier University; and University of Mindanao and high school students from the Philippine Science High School – Central Mindanao and Central Visayas campuses.
The participants were likewise updated on the latest in energy harvesting, biomedical circuits, spread spectrum technology, layout considerations, and techniques for a successful test chips.
Huang was the mentor of the COE Microelectronics faculty members of the Electronics Engineering who studied for their masters degrees at the National Taipei University in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Huang has 58 patents and published 39 papers in journals, and has delivered 85 international conference papers and 36 local conference papers.
Huang’s lectures at the COE were made possible through funding from the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT).
