Endowment funds UP engineering faculty research

Thirteen outstanding teachers of the University of the Philippines College of Engineering (UPCE) are the first beneficiaries of an endowment from property developer DMCI Homes, through its corporate foundation, Kaakbay.

Most of the beneficiaries, who are recent graduates, will receive research grants totaling P4 million over a period of five years, beginning in  2014.

Civil engineer Christian Orozco, one of the teacher-grantees, said  engineering education and practice could be improved by investing more on research projects and through stronger collaboration between the academe and the industry.

Orozco, a full-time teacher at the UP Institute of Civil Engineering, is doing research and extension work on water quality monitoring and modeling, road applications of cement, condition evaluation of reinforced concrete structures, assessment of environmental engineering structure, exploring sustainable construction materials and solid waste management for construction waste.

Electrical and electronics engineering instructor Edwin Umali hopes to design better communication systems using various signal processing techniques. Chemical engineering teacher Jhud Mikhail Aberilla’s study is on the lifetime prediction of fiber-reinforced polymers, which can include exploring the use of the material as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

Ergonomics, as it applies to the specific profile and needs of workers in the Philippines, will be the focus of industrial engineer Benette Custodio’s research. Computer science teacher Kevin Buño will develop algorithms and theoretical computing models to help advance the country’s research and development capabilities.

Metallurgical engineering instructor Marie Angelynne Fabro is interested in the corrosion of common metals in construction to improve structure and fixture life spans.

Mechanical engineering instructor Jennifer Fabular’s focus is the design of residential rainwater entrapment for landscaping and nonpotable indoor use.

Geodetic engineer Mark Edwin Tupas will explore crowd-sourced geographic information for disaster risk reduction. Fellow geodetic engineer Anjillyn Mae Cruz-Perez will do a suitability mapping of residential areas in Leyte province using remote sensing and geographic information systems.

John Carlo Garcia of the mechanical engineering department will review ventilation systems in hospital wards in the Philippines.

Also studying ventilation systems is Hannah Erika Ducusin, a mechanical engineering instructor who will devise a system to ensure the heat load in the kitchen will not overwhelm a room.

Samiel Louie Arrojado, also a mechanical engineering teacher, will design a water heating system using conventional, solar and waste heat sources to reduce operating costs and increase efficiency.

Karl Ezra Pilario of the chemical engineering department will study safety control systems, with many manufacturing plants located near residential and commercial establishments.

DMCI Homes is part of DM Consunji group of companies.