(From left) Dr. Jillian Aira S. Gabo-Ratio, NIGS Deputy Director for Academic Affairs; 2026 Bacuta Undergraduate Thesis Grant awardees Andrei Mark P. Calma, Jemimah Caryl C. Abalajon, and Jared R. Dolarte; and Dr. Noelynna T. Ramos, NIGS Director. (Photo by Anna Marie S. Olavides)
The National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) of the University of the Philippines Diliman awarded on 22 April 2026 the Dr. George Bacuta Undergraduate Thesis Grant to three (3) undergraduate geology students, recognizing their academic excellence and research potential in the field of geosciences.The 2026 recipients and their respective thesis advisers are:
The 2026 recipients and their respective thesis advisers are:
๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ซ๐ค ๐. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ (Cluster 1)Thesis Adviser: Mario A. Aurelio, Ph.D.
๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฅ ๐. ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ง (Cluster 2)Thesis Adviser: Noelynna T. Ramos, D.Sc.
๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐. ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ (Cluster 3)Thesis Adviser: Jillian Aira S. Gabo-Ratio, D.Eng.
The Dr. George Bacuta Undergraduate Thesis Grant is administered through the UP Foundation, Inc. and is funded through a donation by Ms. Evelyn Magsino-Bacuta, established in 2023 to support undergraduate thesis research in geology at UP NIGS. The grant is awarded annually to qualified students enrolled in the BS Geology program and is intended to provide financial assistance for the completion of their undergraduate thesis projects.
Dr. George Cuario Bacuta, Jr. (1954โ2020) was a UP geology graduate and geologist who built a distinguished career in both the Philippines and the United States, including service with the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he worked on geoscience and water resource management projects. The undergraduate thesis grant established in his honor fulfills his expressed wish to support deserving UP geology students and promote research in a field he was deeply committed to.
Recipients of the grant are selected based on academic standing and their readiness to undertake thesis research, in line with University guidelines. The initiative also underscores the role of mentorship, with faculty advisers guiding students throughout the research processโfrom proposal development to final thesis completion.
Through this initiative, UP NIGS continues to reinforce its commitment to academic excellence, research development, and the cultivation of future geoscientists who can contribute to addressing geological and environmental challenges in the Philippines and beyond.