NORSUAA names four outstanding alumni

Maria Margarita NarvasaMaria Margarita Narvasa

THE NEGROS ORIENTAL State University Alumni Association (NORSUAA) has chosen a business manager, a researcher, a psychologist, and an educator as this year’s outstanding alumni of NORSU.

The 2007 NORSU outstanding alumni are Mr. Gilberto Fuentes, Dr. Evelyn Grace T. d e Jesus-Ayson, Mr. Mario C. Catan, and Engr. Antonio C. Paalan.

Fuentes, outstanding alumnus in the field of Consumers Product Distribution Business/Entrepreneurship, finished his secondary education at East Visayan School of Arts and Trades (EVSAT), now NORSU, in 1975. He finished his tertiary education at the University of the Visayas in Cebu City in 1979 and was employed in an international company in 1980. He ventured on a small-scale food production and marketing, Pinasugbo, from 1987 to 1990 and became a marketing business distributor of fish cracker products in Negros Occidental from 1991 to1992.

Fuentes is presently a distributor of Kraft Foods, Baguio Oil, Red Bull and Bobbie Cosmetics. He also owns and manages the Brotherhood Marketing Company, a conglomerate and prime commodity distribution base system. He is the president of EVSAT-Alumni Batch 1975.

Meanwhile, Ayson, outstanding alumna in the field of Fish Endocrinology Research, graduated as the class valedictorian in 1979 at Negros Oriental Agricultural School (NONAS), now NORSU Bayawan-Sta. Catalina Campus. She has major interests in Marine Fish Hatchery, Fish Physiology, Endocrinology and Marine Biotechnology. Her expertise and skills are focused on research training about Marine Fish Hatchery Operation. She is currently a member of Asian Fisheries Society, Asia Oceania Society for Comparative Endocrinology, International Federation of Comparative Societies and National Academy of Science and Technology-Philippines (NASTP). In 2003, she was awarded as an Outstanding Young Scientist by NASTP.

Ayson is currently the research division head of Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department and the head of the Biotech Laboratory Facilities. She is also the manager of Finfish Hatchery Facilities and consultant of Integrated Services for the Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries.

The psychologist, Catan, outstanding alumnus in the field of Clinical Psychology, finished his secondary education at EVSAT in 1977. He finished his BS Psychology degree at La Salle College in Bacolod City in 1981. He obtained his license in Psychology (Clinical, Social, Educational) at the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland in 1993.

Catan has been employed as administrator, animator, editor, guidance counselor, research officer, and technical officer within and outside the country from 1982 to the present. Catan has also contributed research works and articles such as Case Study on Mental Disorder; A Comparative Study on Children’s Drawing and Folk-Art; Insomia in General Practice; International Classification of Diseases; and Burden of Disease, among others.

On the other hand, the educator, Paalan, is the outstanding alumnus in the field of Physics Education. He finished his secondary education with honors at EVSAT in 1959. He graduated BS Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Silliman University in 1996. He was also a member of the Radioisotopes Society of the Philippines and Philippine Physics Society in 1970 and 1979, respectively.

Paalan earned several awards as a municipal vice mayor and councilor, teacher, and active member of civic organizations he had joined in. Among the awards he received are the Vice Mayor Lingkod Bayan Award in 2005; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) award as delegate to the International Physics Conference and Seminar Workshop in Madras, India in 1981; and Most Outstanding Rotary President in 1999.

One of Paalan’s achievements is his design and production of the multi-experimental sets for electricity and magnetism such as battery holders, electromagnets and accessories. He also designed and produced a torque apparatus. His improvised apparatuses like the film-strip and slide projector gained him an award in the Invention of Apparatus Contest organized by SPPS Convention, ITI, MSU, Illigan City. Paalan is currently a part time instructor of NORSU.

The awarding of the outstanding alumni will be on December 2 during the Alumni Homecoming.

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