Location (during time of takeover)
School/Institution
| Undergrad | University of the Philippines Tacloban College Social Sciences major in Political Science |
|---|---|
| Masters | University of San Jose-Recoletos Political Science |
| Teaching | Leyte Normal University College instructor |
| PhD | Chulalongkorn University Environment, Development, and Sustainability |
Featured on May 11, 2025
A happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere. Bringing us her perspective as a scientist-mother, for the second month of May, we’re featuring Pinoy Scientist Ara Joy Pacoma, a Science and Technology (S&T) Fellow at the Department of Science and Technology and a soon-to-be PhD graduate from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand for Environment, Development, and Sustainability.
Ara graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College with a degree in Social Sciences major in Political Science. During her undergraduate years, she was a research enumerator for the University of Nottingham and UK Aid, as well as a research assistant for the University of Guelph, Canada. Her responsibilities included surveying disaster-affected households after Typhoon Haiyan. She moved to the University of San Jose-Recoletos for her Master of Arts in Political Science, working as a college instructor at Leyte Normal University. After a time as a junior researcher at Stockholm Environment Institute, Thailand, lead enumerator for the University of Sydney Anibong Resettlement Project, and junior researcher at York University, Canada throughout 2020 to 2021, she began continuing her education.
Ara began her PhD in Environment, Development, and Sustainability in 2021 at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Throughout her time there, she was a research associate at the Stockholm Environment Institute Asia Center where she carried out several collaborative projects. She is now set to officially graduate in October 2025. At the moment, Ara is an S&T fellow at the Department of Science and Technology, Tacloban working on the Community Empowerment Thru Science & Technology Program and the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program.
Some fun facts about Ara:
- She’s been an athlete since elementary school and continues to enjoy playing badminton.
- She has an identical twin sister who works in the medical field.
- She is the first in her immediate family to travel abroad, receive an international scholarship, and study overseas.
