2023 And Me: Pinoy Scientists’ Year In Review

1. We’ve expanded the team! 

At Pinoy Scientists, one of our key aims is to connect Filipino STEM professionals across geographies, career stages, and disciplines. This includes connecting more established researchers and experts with their early-career counterparts. 

Mirroring the platform’s growth, this year, we added 14 new members to the team! Our interns and campus ambassadors come from institutions all over the Philippines and the world, such as the University of the Philippines, Far Eastern University, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Holy Angel University, and University of Washington.

2. What was I made for? 

To commemorate four years of Pinoy Scientists on Instagram, we hosted our first-ever online event last August called P.S. Pathways to Science. The event was a two-part panel discussion featuring six Pinoy Scientists contributors who discussed their experiences pursuing the traditional and not-so-traditional paths in STEM. 

In the first panel tackling traditional careers in the academe, our Founder and Executive Director Reina Reyes, PhD was joined by Chona Abeledo, PhD, an Associate Professor in Biology from De La Salle University; Aimee Dupo, PhD, an entomology Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños; and Jerome Pitogo De Leon, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tokyo. 

Meanwhile, the second panel moderated by Pinoy Scientists Co-founder and Managing Director Kami Navarro explored alternative careers in STEM. The speakers on the panel consisted of: Matthew Go, PhD, a forensic anthropologist at SNA International; Tara Abrina, a marine economist affiliated with the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies; and Aissa Domingo, an artist and illustrator at the National Museum of the Philippines

3. Drum roll, please! Introducing the Pinoy Scientists website 

Solidifying our digital presence, we also officially launched our Pinoy Scientists Website in August! Our new online platform features an extensive database of past and present contributing scientists, more information about our current team, as well as editorial features by the team (like this one!). 

Interested in contributing to Pinoy Scientists or sending over some feedback (and perhaps love)? We have you covered—sign up here to contribute or just send us your thoughts. We’d love to hear ‘em! 

4. Your monthly dose of Pinoy science updates! 

Last April, we launched the first edition of our monthly Substack newsletter. Delivered straight to the inbox, subscribers can expect a quick recap of the most recent Pinoy Scientists takeovers, a rundown of the latest research publications from Filipino scientists here and abroad, and a list of upcoming opportunities and events in the realm of Philippine science.

5. This year’s partners in STEM:

In line with our mission to highlight Pinoy Scientists from all over the world, we partnered with both local and international organizations to showcase a few of their brilliant talents. These organizations include: 

• The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST – PCIEERD) Balik Scientists Program (Syrus Gomari, PhD; Deborah Tangunan, PhD; Chosel Lawagon, PhD; Ramuel Tamargo, PhD; Lawrence Limjuco, PhD; Noel Tan, PhD)
• Philippine Space Agency (Leur Labrador, Keziah Bartilad, Mark Jayson Felix)
• British Council Philippines (Joan Talubo, PhD)
• GradMAP (Alyssa Gimenez, Princess Cabotaje)