Invited Speakers

Rico Ancog is an assistant professor and UP Scientist III at the School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM) of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB).

He serves as the Head of the Ecosystem Services and Environmental Policy (ESEP) Research Laboratory of SESAM, while also working as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Environmental Science and Management (JESAM), an ISI-indexed journal based in UPLB. He likewise sits as the Board Secretary of the Philippine Network of Environmental Educators (PNEE) and as District Chair of the Environment Protection Committee of Rotary District 3820.

With specialization in environmental science and environmental economics, his research projects are focused on systematic understanding of socio-ecological systems for efficient resource conservation and resilience. He has served as a consultant of National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in the initial development of the Philippine Mangrove Systems Account under the program, Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES). Currently, he handles two on-going projects in NEDA. One, focuses on the development of a Supplemental Manual on the integration of DRRM/CCA in the project evaluation system of NEDA Board’s Investment Coordination Committee (ICC), while the other project looks into the efficiency, financing gap, and potential funding sources of the the Coastal Resources Management (CRM) programs of selected 24 local government units (LGUs) around the country.

He finished his PhD in 2011 in UPLB complemented with a sandwich program in Nagoya University. He was awarded the Dr. Elvira O. Tan Award for Best Published Paper (2017) and the Asian Young Professional on Water Research (2009).

Dr. Lin Mei-Hua is a Associate Professor in Sunway University, Petaling Jaya, Selangor D. E., Malaysia January 2016 – present Duties: Teaches psychology subjects and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students. Manages research projects and supervises research assistants. Manages consultancy projects. Develops of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.

Senior Lecturer: Sunway University, Petaling Jaya, Selangor D. E., Malaysia July 2011– December 2015 Duties: Teaches psychology subjects and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students. Manages research projects and supervises research assistants. Manages consultancy projects. Develops of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.

Lecturer: Sunway University, Petaling Jaya, Selangor D. E., Malaysia April 2009 – June 2011 Duties: Teaches psychology subjects and supervises students’ thesis. Manages research projects and supervises research assistants. Manages consultancy projects. Develops of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.

Graduate Research Assistant: Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA September 2001 – September 2008 Duties: Performed research in the area of cross-cultural cognition. Organized research projects, performs data collection, and supervised research assistants. Used SPSS to perform statistical analysis. Supervisor: Helen Altman Klein, Ph.D. Research Assistant/Lab Coordinator: The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA May 1999 – June 2001 Duties: Organized research projects, performed data collection, developed coding systems, coded child developmental data and supervise.

Dr. Renato G. Reyes is the Director of International Affairs Office of Central Luzon State University from January 18, 2016 up to presnt. He is recognized for his important contributions in the field of He is a man of outstanding qualifications. Such words aptly define the 2007 Most Distinguished Alumnus Awardee in the field of Science and Technology - Post Doc Prof. Dr. Renato G. Reyes. He is one of the many competitive alumni of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU). True enough, his alma mater lives up to its mission of producing quality graduates every year. And in return, he continuously shares his expertise to CLSU as he now leads the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). He handles eight departments which are comprised of 128 faculty members with 1825 students. Moreover, he teaches subjects in microbiology, botany and mycology and supervises research studies related to mushroom science and biotechnology in the university. Aside from being a Dean, he also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Biological Sciences Graduate Studies, University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna. With all these noteworthy undertakings, he continues to gain academic acclaim through the years. Becoming ahead of the pack Dr. Reyes never dreamt of becoming a teacher or an agriculturist. ``It is my father`s dream for me to be an agriculturist. I took agriculture just to fulfill that dream but I eventually enjoyed it,`` he revealed. He graduated cum laude at CLSU with the degree of BS Agriculture, major in Crop Science. Then, he was immediately hired as a faculty member at the Department of Crop Protection, College of Agriculture (CAg). The college became an ideal venue for him to further harness his potentials. With his intense passion to succeed, he simultaneously finished two MS degrees in 1990 in the field of Crop Protection : Plant Pathology in CLSU and Biology in La Salle University. He was also granted with scholarships abroad earning him the title Post Doc Prof. Dr. Renato G. Reyes after finishing his Ph D in Forest Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture and two Post Doctoral Fellowships, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture and InWent Training Fellowship on Modern Industrial Biotechnology at University of Braunschweig, Germany. When asked how he achieved all these prestigious feats, he shared ``Enjoy what you are doing and you will succeed. ``Making a breakthrough in science At 43, this young scientist has already made significant contributions to science. His research interests include mushroom science and biotechnology, fungal ecology and taxonomy and fungal plan pathogens. Dr. Reyes` researches have won several recognitions making him one of the most sought-after presenters on local, national and international symposia. He bagged the 2006 Regional Winner-CHED HEI Best Research Program, Best Paper Award in Development Category (Mushroom Pharming of Local and Imported Strains of Medicinal Mushrooms), Best Paper in Crops Category (A Pioneering Cultivation Technology and Nutritive Value of Schizophyllum commune, a newly cultivated culinary and medical mushroom in the Philippines) and Best Oral Paper Award (Morphogenesis of Kudit) among others. Added to his rooster of credentials is his knowledge to scientific and technical publications including his published books co-authored with Post Doc Prof.Dr. Udo Rau, his host scientist in Tokyo, Japan.

Research interest:

· Mushroom science and biotechnology

· Mushroom nutraceuticals

· Fungal ecology and taxanomoy

· Fungal plant pathagens