Three plenary lectures by Malaysian, Dutch, and Filipino professors highlighted the 30th Father Heinrich Schoenig Biosymposium held last March 3, 2018 at the Buttenbruch Hall in the Downtown Campus.
After a welcome address from USC President Fr. Dionisio M. Miranda, SVD, plenary talks by Dr. Nur Leena Wong Wai Sin (Universiti Putra Malaysia), B. J. A. van Bueren (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan), and Dr. Hazel O. Arceo (University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute) addressed the theme of the symposium which was “Environmental conservation and restoration for sustainable development.”
Dr. Sin spoke about “Humans and Marine Molluscs,” while Taiwanese-based van Bueren, who is Director of Dutch Design Post, shared his work on “Floating Gardens: Ideas and Experiments from a Water Architect.” In the afternoon session, Dr. Arceo talked about “Marine Biodiversity Conservation” in the Philippines.
Eight oral papers from undergraduate and graduate students were also presented along with 35 poster presentations from Senior High School, undergraduate, and graduate students from different high schools, colleges, and universities in Cebu and neighboring Bohol province.
The best oral presentation award was given to Garren Cortes, Bianca Louise Fuentes, Joseph Cabrera, and Dr. Frances Edillo (USC Department of Biology) for their paper “Effects of Temperature Regimes on Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culcidae) from Cebu Highland and Lowland Sites, Philippines: Implications to Climate Change and Public Health.” The best (undergraduate) poster was awarded to Kurt Bryant Bacharo, Nico Brian Uy, Antonio Ayop, and Dr. Filipina Sotto (USC Department of Biology) on their study “Some Commensals Found on the Branched Black Coral Antipathes spp. (Antipatharia: Antipathidae) from Two Sites along the Eastern Part of Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines.” The Senior High School category best poster award, meanwhile, went to Aime Lamoste, Denver Dalman, Nikko Salomon, and Benito A. Baje (adviser, Philippine Science High School, Central Visayas Campus, Argao) for their study “Arduino-based Soil Moisture and Temperature Sensor as a Tool for Physical Soil Analysis.”
by Ann Clowee J. Hurboda
Tags: Biology, Events