Student Research Themes

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Jaderick has mentored students whose research problems fall into one of the following research themes. These themes are not formal university programs but rather student-centric research clusters that naturally emerged from the independent proposals of students. Each project was conceived and initiated by the student, while still intersecting with Jaderick’s broader research activities in artificial intelligence, systems, and applied computing. Over time, these works have formed identifiable clusters that reflect both the evolving interests of students and the changing technological landscape.

🌱 AgriTech AI: Smart Farming & Environmental Intelligence

Agriculture and environmental science have increasingly benefited from computer vision, machine learning, and automation. This theme focuses on AI-driven tools for crop monitoring, precision farming, biodiversity identification, and water quality management. Students have used aerial imagery, image processing, and autonomous vehicles to address pressing challenges in Philippine agriculture and environmental stewardship.

Representative projects:

ARNEJO, Zenith (MSCS 2018) — Automated detection and counting of coconut trees in aerial images
QUELISTE, Miyah (MSCS 2020) — Development of an autonomous surface vehicle for water quality monitoring

🏛 Crowd in the Machine: People, Mobility & Complex Systems

Complex systems such as pedestrian flow, traffic congestion, and information spread can be modeled through agent-based and microsimulation approaches. This theme applies computational intelligence to understand how people move, interact, and respond under various conditions, from everyday commuting to panic-induced evacuations, even extending to the dynamics of misinformation on social media.

Representative projects:

ARADA, Marian (MIT 2013) — A microsimulation study on the effects of infrastructure developments and traffic policies in the Roundabout Junction in Upper Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines
REY, John Carlo (BSCS 2014) — A multi-agent simulation of crowd egress dynamics from the New UPLB Administration Building

🖥 Virtual Worlds, Real Impact: VR/3D & Serious Games

Interactive 3D environments and VR platforms are used to enhance education, cultural preservation, and public engagement. Student works under this theme have built digital classrooms, immersive campus maps, virtual museum tours, and serious games that raise awareness about the environment. These projects demonstrate how virtual technologies can have tangible social and educational benefits.

Representative projects:

LAGGUI, Lordwin (BSCS 2020) — ViRTouA - UPLB MNH: A virtual reality tour application of the UPLB Museum of Natural History
RELANO, Julieanne (BSCS 2014) — 3D virtual classroom environment of the Biological Sciences Building using Open Wonderland

🧬 Bio+Health AI: From Species to Patients

This theme sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, biology, and healthcare. Student projects span diagnostic tools, anthropometric systems, and species recognition through vocalizations or imagery. Such works advance both biodiversity conservation and human health, aligning with the “One Health” perspective of interconnected ecological and medical systems.

Representative projects:

BONDAD, Rachelle (BSCS 2013) — A Practical comparison among neural networks, Bayesian networks, and collaborative filtering in classifying diabetis mellitus patients
MILANO, Angelo (BSCS 2024) — A computational workflow for the discrimination, identification, and counting of mosquitoes

🌐 Mining Meaning: NLP, Social Media & Civic Data

Text mining and natural language processing form the core of this theme, enabling students to design systems that analyze sentiment, detect events, generate educational content, and support civic engagement. Many projects draw from social media as a real-time data source, while others focus on building tools that improve governance, transparency, or education.

Representative projects:

MONTOYA, Anne Kristine(BSCS 2017) — Illegal drug event detection via Twitter
PEREA, Sarah (BSCS 2018) — Plaggregator: A plagiarism checker aggregator

🔐 Code, Trust & Security: Networks, Privacy & Systems

Trust and resilience in computing systems require rigorous analysis of security threats and innovative solutions. Projects in this theme involve secure communication protocols, traffic anomaly detection, and civic transparency tools. Student projects highlight the balance between technical protection and social accountability in digital systems.

Representative projects:

DE ROBLES, Marie Betel (MSCS 2020) — Detection and classification of malicious traffic over the Tor Network using machine learning approaches with packet payload and statistical data features
RAMOS, John Mel (BSCS 2024) — QRSMS: A Short Message Service (SMS) Client with End-to-end Encryption via Quick Response (QR) Code

🤖 Robots with a Human Touch: Assistive & Interactive Systems

Robotics research here emphasizes human-centered applications, from mobility aids to interactive promotional systems. Students have designed visual-processing modules for robots, artificial eyes for the visually impaired, and gesture-sensitive systems for human–machine interaction, illustrating the potential of robotics to improve everyday life.

Representative projects:

ESTREMOS, Clarissa (BSCS 2015) — Real-time obstacle detection techniques for forward-located feature-based artificial eye for supporting the mobility of people with visual impairment
POSADAS, Tricia (BSCS 2014) — Artificial intelligence for real-time object tracking of a mobile robot in a dynamic environment

⚡ Parallel & Distributed Systems: Scale, Scheduling & HPC

A strong foundational area in computing, this theme includes work on distributed grids, parallel scheduling, and large-scale graphics rendering. Though many of these projects are earlier, they showcase the depth of computational systems research and remain relevant in today’s era of cloud computing and high-performance systems.

Representative projects:

AYCO, Ramon (BSCS 2011) — Implementation of various loop scheduling algorithms on desktop grids
MAGA, Bernadette (BSCS 2006) — Parallel stream delineation

📡 Sensors, Localization & Smart Sensing

Sensor-driven applications and IoT prototypes are at the heart of this theme. Projects have developed localization systems, tracking applications, and automated sensing for farms and public spaces. These works highlight the integration of hardware and software for real-world monitoring.

Representative projects:

PADERES, Irvin (BSCS 2017) — Operational feasibility of Bluetooth beacons for improving indoor localization of location-based service applications
PANOL, Maria Christina (BSCS 2014) — Automated tracking of farm pigs using IP cameras

🕸️ Connected Worlds: Network Science & Graph Insights

Networks are everywhere: from citation graphs and software dependencies to social media diffusion. Students explored the structure, dynamics, and ranking methods of networks, uncovering patterns that shape technology and society. Their works bridge theory and practice in understanding connectivity.

Representative projects:

BALANDRA, Rene James Jr. P. (BSCS 2012) — A Software for inferring citation networks from research papers and journals
VILLANUEVA, Kayvee D. (BSCS 2009) — Structural characterization and dynamics of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas (SPP) collaboration network

🗂 Systems in Action: Information Systems for Organizations and Communities

Students have designed and deployed information systems to manage data, streamline operations, and support decision-making in organizations. These projects highlight how everyday processes—whether in schools, libraries, or businesses—benefit from reliable, student-built information systems.

Representative projects:

BENTILLO, Daryl (BSCS 1998) — Ortigas Online: A WWW-Based Business IS of Ortigas Commercial Complex
OCAMPO, Rodel Jr. R. (BSCS 2012) — Multi-library system with ISBN search implemented online via Google App Engine Java

📚 Learning by Code: Educational Tools & Simulations

Learning can be enhanced by software that simulates concepts, automates practice, and makes abstract theories tangible. In this theme, students built web-based lessons, translators, and learning apps that bring computer science and engineering principles to life for peers and educators.

Representative projects:

DURAN, Lanie A. (BSCS 1998) — NFA2DFA: A finite automaton translator
SAHAGUN, Ferdinand O. (BSCS 1998) — Joints Online: A WWW-based lessons on analysis of trusses using the methods of joints

⚙️ Thinking Machines: Computational Intelligence & Optimization

Applying algorithms inspired by nature and cognition, students experimented with neural networks, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic, and ensemble learning. These projects showcase the creative use of computational intelligence in solving optimization, classification, and real-world decision problems.

Representative projects:

DE JESUS, Theodore John F. (BSCS 2007) — Learning spam: Genetic algorithm vs. backpropagation
DE LEON, Gelanie T. (BSCS 2004) — Solving the static single runway aircraft landing problem using ant colony algorithm

✨ Emerging Technologies & Ideas

Some student projects are exploratory, interdisciplinary, or simply ahead of their time. These works showcase creativity and innovation beyond the usual categories — spanning digital heritage, interactive art, visualization, and computational humanities. They emphasize intellectual breadth and curiosity, which have been equally nurtured in mentorship.

Representative projects:

ACAL, Winnah Gwen (BSCS UP Cebu 2019) — Preserving the visual information of ancestral houses in Cebu City
NAVARRO, Adrian (BSCS 2010) — Characterizing literary authorship using fractal dimensions

Together, these student-initiated works demonstrate how mentorship can unlock diverse directions of research that intersect with broader computing challenges. From food security to cultural preservation, and from human mobility to digital trust, the themes reflect the dynamism of students who have ventured into problems both timely and timeless. While not formal university programs, these clusters reveal the breadth of inquiry and innovation nurtured under Jaderick’s mentorship.

Student ideas, guided mentorship, shared curiosity — this is how research grows.

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