91³Ô¹Ï

Research Days Closing Ceremonies award outstanding IITian researchers

by Kasssandra A. Buenafe, OfCom | May 04 2026

Concluding the three-day event of knowledge and inquiry, the Research Days 2026 closed with an awarding of IITian researchers at the CED Amphitheatre on April 22, 2026. Throughout the three-day celebration, IITians engaged in various research discussions and activities. The final gathering at the CED Amphitheatre provided a formal platform to honor the dedication and significant contributions of these researchers to their respective fields.

Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, Dr. Ephrime Metillo, said in his welcome message that this annual research endeavor served as a culmination of 91³Ô¹Ï-IIT’s “one-year cycle of research and enterprise life.”

Different scholars in the University were recognized for their research publications, totaling 667 Scopus-indexed papers. Dr. Hernando Bacos led the list of distinguished scholars, having authored 29 publications. Bacosa also received the Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award, an award given to a faculty member who produced high-impact work in Scopus-indexed journals.

He was followed by Dr. Carlito Tabelin, who recorded 19 publications, and Dr. Arnold Alguno, who contributed 16 publications to the university's research output. These achievements heavily help in sustaining the recent recognition of 91³Ô¹Ï-IIT in the THE World University Rankings 2026, where it remained as the number one university in Mindanao and third in the Philippines.

Research and Innovation Expo Awards were also presented–Best Booth Exhibits, People’s Choice Award, Highly Collaborative Research Center, and Most Productive Research Centers–acknowledging the various research exhibits, research centers, and colleges, one of the highlights during the Research Days.

The Center for Energy Research and Technology emerged as the top winner in the Best Booths for Research Centers, followed by Sustainable Resource Engineering Research in second place and the Center for Sustainable Polymers in third. In the Best College Booth Exhibits category, the College of Health Sciences secured first place, with the Gender and Development Center placing second and the College of Computer Studies third. For the People’s Choice Award for Research Center Booth Exhibits, the Center for Integrated Circuit Design took the top spot, followed by Sustainable Resource Engineering Research in second place and the Center for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System in third. 

Meanwhile, the People’s Choice Award for College Booth Exhibits was awarded to the College of Economics, Business, and Accountancy as first place, with the College of Health Sciences as second, and the College of Arts and Social Sciences as third. In the Highly Collaborative Research Center category, the Center for Biodiversity Studies and Conservation ranked first, followed by the Center for Energy Research and Technology in second place. Lastly, the Center for Biodiversity Studies and Conservation also topped the Most Productive Research Center category, with the Resource Processing and Technology Center placing second and the Center for Energy, Research, and Technology in third.

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