People Features — Page 22 of 23

Dr. Belinda Aquino, Renowned Filipino Academic and first Dr. Jose Rizal Award for Peace recipient – Putting PH on the Intellectual Map

Dr. Belinda Aquino further cements her place in Filipino academic history. The first-ever awardee of the prestigious Dr. Jose Rizal Award for Peace and receiver of the University of the Philippines (UP) Alumni Association Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award, Aquino is one of the most distinguished and renowned Filipino academics and experts of her time. Aquino…

Shooting for the stars

Lloyd Manglapus’ work is literally out of this world. The 42-year-old Manglapus is one of two Pinoys part of NASA’s historic and newest Mars rover called “Curiosity,” as it roams the red planet. Manglapus works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in La Cañada. He’s been at JPL for the past 12 years, with six…

The ‘Outstanding’ Doctor

FILIPINO physician Dr. Edsel Maurice Tanghal Salvana might as well have “outstanding” as his middle name. Recently elected as one of the 2012 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP) for his contribution in healthcare, Dr. Salvana was also awarded by President Noynoy Aquino as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in…

A Steadfast Passion

On August 31, 2012, Asia’s Nobel Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, was presented to six Asians during the Presentation Ceremonies on at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The only Filipino awardee was DOST Academician Romulo G. Davide, 78, who was cited by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, for “his steadfast passion in…

Teaching is His Life’s Mission

THERE comes a time in everyone’s life when you wonder about your purpose. What is your mission in life? Fil-Am Michael Vea recalls when this burning question creeped inside of him. He was sitting inside his New York city apartment wondering what to do next. At 32 years of age, Vea has already accomplished what…

A Lesson About Essentials

A few weeks ago, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell appointed multi-awarded Filipina writer, Sofia Molina Starnes, as the new Poet Laureate of the state of Virginia, reported the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. The prolific writer is the daughter of historian-lawyer Antonio M. Molina (former Vice Rector of the University of Sto. Tomas) and Carmen Gomez de Arnau….

Learning from Life’s Lessons

Who knew that a former University of the Philippines (UP) student with a 2.56 undergraduate grade point average would one day become one of the school’s most distinguished alumnus and president of a US University? For Dr. Luis Calingo, the new president of Woodbury University in Burbank, life has certainly been an adventure. “Yes. Life…

‘Face of Defense: Siblings Showcase the Navy’s Diversity’

SEVERAL months ago, a Filipino brother and sister team made history in the United States Navy, when they became the first and only siblings of Filipino descent to hold flag-officer ranks simultaneously. The Naval Public Affairs department has dubbed Rear Admiral Raquel Cruz Bono and her brother Rear Admiral Anatolio B. “AB” Cruz III as…

A Life for Others

FILIPINO-American George Samson has dedicated his life to helping the poor, the sick and the needy, but has never sought fame and honor for his work as the President of World Medical Relief Inc. Yet, that is exactly what he has been getting the past years — honors, awards, accolades, salutes and standing ovations from…

A Role Model for Public Servants

Retiring a few days ago, Anita Sanchez is the highest ranking and longest-serving government employee of the city and county of San Francisco. She lives to serve people, to empower them so that they can contribute in making the world a better place. Former Mayor Art Agnos praised Anita by saying that ” her greatest…

Living The American Dream

IT STARTED out simple. A local restaurant was up for sale near their home so Flores, then a commercial real estate agent in 1976, purchased it. It was a gift from a son to a mother — a gift to fulfill her immigrant dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and owning a restaurant one day. The…

The Rice Expert

WHAT started out as a possible excuse to go back to the Philippines brought international recognition and honor for a Filipino-American instead. A scientist, genetic engineer, professor, researcher, and evolutionary biologist, Dr. Michael D. Purugganan has uncovered the secrets of rice that has made him a leading authority on the subject. His work documented the…

Going Above and Beyond

FIL-AM Shella Condino’s philosophy in teaching is similar to how she lives her life: Dream big, work hard and be the best that you can be, because as she says: “Dreams really do come true.” Condino, a physics and chemistry teacher at Presidio High School in the small town of Presidio, Texas, was given the…

Dr. Elizabeth Eugenio-Fildes, 2011 Healthcare Hero and Director of The Nevada Tobacco Users Helpline

THERE are people who are meant to live a life of altruistic service. They are people who dedicate their entire lives to helping and serving others, making vital contributions for the betterment of society. One such individual, who has been making an impact in the lives of her fellowmen, is Dr. Elizabeth Eugenio Fildes Ed.D,…

Eric Cruz, Internationally Acclaimed and Multi-awarded Advertising Creative Director

In the world of advertising, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking is key. There are a lot of excellent copywriters and art directors in the industry, but the creative director strikes the balance — ensuring that the creative output meets the objectives of a client’s business strategy. The creative director is also the head of the creative…

Mary Rose Peralta, 2012 Administrator of the Year (ACSA Region 18) Awardee – Middle Grades Principal Category

THE largest umbrella organization for school leaders in America, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) is made up of more than 16,000 school leaders. One of ACSA’s priorities is to ensure that school leaders are recognized for their excellence. Thus, each year, a handful of educators are honored for outstanding job performance based on…

Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize

FOR Father Edwin “Edu” Gariguez, the environment of Mindoro (his hometown province) is worth dying for. Gariguez (better known as Fr. Edu) has long been recognized as the man leading a decade-long campaign, which culminated in an 11-day hunger strike in 2009 to stop the large-scale nickel mining in Mindoro. On April 16, Gariguez was…

Dr. Rommel G. Bacabac, Multi-awarded Scientist and Professor

EVERY two years, from around the world, the European Society of Biomechanics (ESB) gives its most prestigious award, the S.M. Perren Research Award, to the first author of the best scientific paper submitted to the Chairman of the Award Committee. The largest Biomechanics society in Europe with almost 500 members from different countries in the…

Cora Basa Cortes Tomalinas, Multi-Awarded Community Activist

Dealing with rebellious children amidst a drug epidemic in the 1980s, Corazon “Cora” Basa Cortes Tomalinas knew she had to do something or lose her children for good. She lived in a seedy part of San Jose where drugs and gangs were prevalent. Her daughter fell victim to the surroundings, and began using drugs. Rather…

Rigoberto C. Advincula, Ph.D, World-Class Pinoy Scientist

HERE is a highly elite group of intelligent and gifted scientists, whose breakthrough achievements have made an impact on the lives of people — both at present, and for future generations. Filipino-American professor and scientist Dr. Rigoberto C. Advincula, Ph.D belongs to this select few. Advincula is an internationally known world-class scientist, who is acknowledged…

Nové Deypalan, Two-time Fil-Am Conductor at Carnegie Hall

FOR musicians across the globe, performing in New York City’s Carnegie Hall is the ultimate dream. It is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music. Only a very select number of choirs, bands, and orchestras have the opportunity to perform in this world-renowned hall. Thus, it…

Chef Sally Camacho, Top Chef: Just Desserts Finalist and Pastry Chef at Wolfgang Puck

WHEN it comes to desserts, there’s nothing sweeter for Chef Sally Camacho. She is, after all, a pastry chef surrounded by yummy desserts every day. As executive pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck’s WP24, Los Angeles, life has been sweet to this 32-year-old Fil-Am. Lately, Camacho has been receiving a lot of attention for her savory…

Dr. Amelito G. Enriquez, US Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring

ON DECEMBER 12, 2011 at the White House Oval Office, President Barack Obama honored nine recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. One of them is Filipino-American Dr. Amelito G. Enriquez, an Engineering and Mathematics Professor at the Cañada College in Redwood City, California. “It was like an out-of-body…

Lorna Schofield, One of National Law Journal’s 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers and Nominee for Federal District Court Judge, Southern District of NY

She’s been hailed as a Super Lawyer, referenced as one of the top trial attorneys in the nation, and the National Law Journal named her as one of the 50 most influential minority lawyers in the US. Fil-Am Attorney Lorna Schofield, a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, has pretty much done…

People

Dr. Ben de Lumen, 2010 AAAS Fellow and UC Berkeley Scientist who discovered an Anti-Cancer Soy Protein

IN 1999, Dr. Ben de Lumen and a team of scientists at UC Berkeley were working on a project to improve the nutritional quality of soy proteins when they discovered what they believe and hope is a miracle. The team found that a specific protein in soy, when isolated, may have anti-cancer properties. The…

Gregory G. Villar III, NASA Engineer at age 24

ON NOVEMBER 26, Saturday, NASA launched the biggest and best-equipped robot ever sent to explore another planet from the Kennedy Space Centre. Dubbed Mars Curiosity but more formally called the Mars Science Laboratory, it is expected to reach Mars by August 2012. If all goes according to plan, the rover will be abseiling down from…

Dr. Gregory L. Tangonan, COMSTE Executive Director, 2-time R&D 100 Awardee and Distinguished Inventor Awardee

A FEW years ago, a joint resolution of the 13th Congress of the Philippines created the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) to create, amend, or repeal laws and propose budgets that will make the Philippines competitive in science and technology. The country could not have chosen a better man to be…

Peter Jamero, Fil-Am Community Leader, Professor and Author of ‘Growing Up Brown: Memoirs of a Filipino American’

Society has certainly changed a lot since Fil-Am Peter Jamero was growing up. Today, Filipino-Americans aren’t pigeonholed into a certain profession — they are able to date whomever they like and have more opportunities to succeed in general. But for Jamero, a child of one of the first Filipino pioneers, the manongs that were recruited…

People

Lawrence Que Jr., RSC Inorganic Mechanisms 2011 Awardee and Scientific Expert on Iron-containing Enzymes

IN A University of Minnesota news feature, Professor Lawrence Que Jr. was referred to as “Iron Man” when he was awarded the prestigious Inorganic Mechanisms 2011 Award in May of this year from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) for his contributions to the mechanistic understanding of dioxygen activation, by nonheme iron enzymes. The Royal…

Alex Niño, Renowned Comic Book Artist

FILIPINO comic book artist Alex Niño doesn’t get the credit most of his peers receive. When you think of the Filipino pioneers that entered the US comic industry in the 1970s, you’d automatically think of Tony DeZuniga (the creator of Jonah Hex), Nestor Redondo (an illustrator for Swamp Thing and Tarzan) or the late Alfredo…