USM President Dr. Francisco Gil N. Garcia was appointed as academic community representative to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Board of Trustees for two years.

Dr. Garcia obtained his BS in Agricultural Engineering in 1987, MS in Professional Studies major in Rural Economics in 1997 both from USM, and his PhD in Agricultural Economics in 2004 at University of the Philippines Los Baňos. After he was elected as President of USM in 2014, he introduced innovations and reforms making USM as one of the best state universities in the Philippines. Dr. Garcia was sworn into office by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in Malacaňang last year.