Genea Nichole Cortez

Featured on January 21, 2024

This week, we’re welcoming Pinoy Scientist Genea Nichole Cortez into the fold with a brand new takeover! A licensed teacher, she is a faculty member at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Santo Tomas. In her free time, Ney is the artist behind Neymatophores, an online and print project depicting the beauty of mangroves.

Ney graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education majoring in Biological Science from the University of Santo Tomas. While preparing for her board exam in 2018, she also took up a Master’s degree in Biology with a scholarship under the Department of Science and Technology Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program – National Science Consortium (ASTHRDP-NSC) program. Her Master’s research focused on unexplored mangrove ecosystems in Siargao Island, Philippines.

Since then, she has been teaching at her alma mater under the Department of Biological Sciences. She also took on a research assistant role for Project AsES: Assessment of Ecosystem Services and Key Economic activities and Livelihoods, returning to Del Carmen, Siargao Island to assess mangrove health in the region. Her passion for mangroves has since also translated to her artistic endeavors, through which she hopes to promote preservation through her illustrations on Neymatophores.

Some fun facts about Ney:

1. She was an academic delinquent in Grade 4 and used to hate science. She even used to keep her failed test papers in her locker, an ironic turn of events for someone who is now teaching.
2. She was in Cartagena, Colombia when she first saw mangroves that were not found in the Philippines. They were of the species Laguncularia racemosa.
3. The name of her mangrove art account @neymatophores is a combination of her nickname, Ney, and pneumatophores, the breathing roots of mangroves.