Riza Faith de Luna, (BSND batch ’07) ranked 9th place among the 273 passers of the recently conducted Nutritionist-Dietitians Licensure Examination last July 29-30, 2008 in Manila and Zamboanga City. She got an overall rating of 83.05%. Ms. Barcebal is the first USM BSND alumna to land in the top ten.

Other board passers are:
Castillon, Kreizl Anne
Fermin, Darlyn
Ipong, Cherry Mae
Loredo, Kristeen
Peñaredondo, Jeany Rose
Umagap, Irene

The pool of lecturers of the USM Review Center Class 2008 was headed by Dr. Urduja G. Nacar along with the following invited reviewers: Dr. Adela J. Ruiz (from PUP, Manila), Dr. Violeta P. Bello, Dr. Tessie G. Viloria, Prof. Leila S. Moscoso, Ms. Hazel V. Paclibar and Ms. Jigzcel Divine F. Basoy. (jigz f. basoy)

Congratulations!

The College of Agriculture, accredited as one of the seven centers of excellence (COE) for agriculture education in 2001, and the College of Veterinary Medicine have readied themselves for the ocular visit/evaluation slated August 18, 2008 by a team of evaluators from the Commission on Higher Education-Technical Panel for Agriculture Education (CHED-TPAE) regarding the two colleges’ bid for center of excellence. Specifically, USM-CA gears itself as the center of excellence for biotechnology in the south while CVM for research.

The Commission on Higher Education has chosen the University of Southern Mindanao as the new zonal research center for Regions IX, XII, and the Caraga for three years beginning July 2008, USM President Oliva announced during the administrative council meeting on Tuesday, August 12. USM received this distinction for her outstanding record for research excellence and leadership especially in agriculture. It succeeds the Notre Dame of Marbel University which has been chosen as the zonal research implementer with focus on peace and development studies.

As zonal research center, USM will be the lead institution for research in the three regions and will receive a grant from CHED to finance the operation of the center and fund the conduct of approved research proposals. Nationwide, CHED has named about ten zonal research centers.

Meanwhile, CHED has named the USM Review Center as the only accredited review center in Region XII. Dr. Riceli Mendoza heads the center.

In another development, the Department of Science and Technology Region XII has spearheaded a new research consortium, Health Research and Development Consortium, and has named the USM as a major institution included in the consortium.

USM President Virgilio G. Oliva called for a two-hour meeting of the members of the administrative council on August 12 to make plans for the 54th University foundation day celebration on October 1. The council members have come up with suggestions on possible guest of honor and speaker and theme of the celebration. Overall chair of the celebration is VP for administration and finance Palasig U. Ampang.

Among the plans the council has proposed are: search for Miss USM 2008, floral offering of council members will be replaced by monetary offering to the Bai Matabay Plang Foundation in support to its scholarship project for the poor but deserving students; holding of the alumni day on September 28 ; the students’ pasiklaban to be held only at daytime; and a convocation program in the morning of October 1. Other activities will be announced after the various committees shall have finalized their plans.