Philippines DOST names Prof. Bergado 'Balik Scientist' Awardee for 2004
The Philippines Department of Science and Technology (DOST) recently named Prof. Dennes T. Bergado, faculty of SCE GTE FoS as 'Balik Scientist' Program Awardee for 2004.
The 'Balik Scientist' award -- coined from Tagalog word 'balik' that means to come back and the English word scientist -- is a government initiated program wherein Filipino science and technology experts residing abroad are encouraged to return or reside in the Philippines to share their expertise to accelerate the scientific, agro-industrial and economic development of the country.
The Balik Scientist Program also aims to strengthen the scientific and technological human resources for academic, public and private institutions in order to accelerate the flow of technologies and stimulate the development of new or strategically important technologies that are vital to national development and progress.
During the program Prof. Bergado will be away of AIT as a short-term expert and will be contracted by the government of the Philippines to return and work in the Philippines along his field of specialization for a period of one month.
As a Balik Scientist, Prof. Bergado will be given the opportunity to share his expertise to students, researchers and fellow engineers in the field of geotechnical engineering especially in Soil Engineering and Geosynthetics. Presently, Prof. Bergado has made significant contributions in his area of specialization such as:
- New system of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) using Steel and Hexagonal Grids Reinforcements
- New Economical Method for Deep Cement Mixing Technique
- New Courses and New Test Equipments Introduced in AIT:
- Soil/Ground Improvement Techniques
- Designing with Geosynthetics
- Waste Containment Lining Technology
- Vertical Band Drain Model Test Apparatus
- Laboratory and Field Pullout Test Apparatus
- Laboratory Equipments for Geotextile Tests
During his stay in the Philippines, he will give lectures and seminars at DOST in Cebu City as well as at different universities in the Philippines. He will also assist in the development of curriculum for graduate programs in Geotechnical Engineering at Angeles University.
Prof. Bergado will conduct lecture on Applications of Soil/Ground Improvement and Geosynthetics for Waste Containment Structures at Angeles University (AU) in Angeles City, Pampanga; Baguio Colleges Foundation (BCF) in Baguio City and Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Nueva Ecija Province. He will also give lecture and one-day seminar at DOST in Manila and will be a Visiting Consultant at PGA Tech Co., Ltd. advising on related topics on research and development.
AIT congratulates Prof. Dennes T. Bergado for this endeavour and proudly shares his recognition as one of the means of promoting AIT to the Philippines.