Institute of Biological Sciences Associate Professor and Museum of Natural History Curator for Mammals Phillip A. Alviola is set to be given the prestigious 2017 Outstanding Young Scientist Award by the National Academy of Science and Technology this coming July.

Prof. Alviola is one of three awardees from the University of the Philippines System and the lone awardee from the UP Los Banos campus. A wildlife biologist with an experience of over 20 years, Prof. Alviola has substantially contributed to the fields of mammalian ecology and taxonomy, cave biology, conservation biology, and bat virology.

MNH Director and ornithologist Dr. Juan Carlos T. Gonzalez recently was in Kuching City, Sarawak, Malaysia last 16-18 May 2017 as the only Filipino delegate presentor during the 2017 International Hornbill Conference (IHC).

Dr. Gonzalez delivered a paper on "Revisiting the Co-evolution of Hornbills and Mallophagan Lice" which he co-authored with Nathaline P. Fabrigas of Far Eastern University and Perry Archival Buenavente of the National Museum of the Philippines.

LAGUNA – Photography courses usually do not come cheap. So, it really came as a surprise when the university’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (OVCRE) and the Museum of Natural History jointly offered something better than cheap last 25-28 April 2017 -- free biological photography courses for two batches of information officers.

The OVCRE partnered with the Museum to hold the course for the members of its Information Officers Network. The participants came from Center for Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship (CTTE), Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA), National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), and the OVCRE.

LAGUNA - For seven days, 20 young participants from various organizations braved the outdoors of Mt. Makiling and learned more about biodiversity conservation during the UPLB Museum of Natural History’s annual Summer Short Course on Biodiversity for Beginners last 17-23 April 2017.

Fifteen Biology students from Adamson University, three Environmental Management majors from Ateneo de Naga University, one Environmental Scientist from consultancy group AECOM, and one Senior High School Biology teacher from Agusan del Sur comprised the latest batch of MNH Short Course “alumni” after they presented the results of their simple biodiversity surveys during the course’s closing program last 23 April.

CAGAYAN - As part of its public service activities this year, the UPLB Museum of Natural History has taken up the request of Sta. Teresita town Mayor Lolita Garcia here in Cagayan for help in gathering baseline data on the town's cave and karst areas.

A composite assessment team spearheaded by the Museum travelled to Sta. Teresita, almost 20 hours by land, on 24-28 February to conduct ocular and collection surveys in three identified caves and the town's lake. The visit, coordinated through municipal environmental officer Nida Dela Cruz, was made part of the town's 5th National Ecotoursim Festival/2nd Namunit Festival.

The UPLB Museum of Natural History continues its tradition of producing and nurturing outstanding researchers, extension and administrative personnel. This 2017, a junior and Curator from the Museum have been chosen as the best in their respective categories by selection committees composed of distinguished and accomplished faculty and staff.

James DV. Alvarez, University Extension Associate I of the MNH's Zoological and Wildlife Collection, will be given the 2017 Outstanding Researcher Award in the Natural Sciences (Junior REPS Category) for his active research collaborations with local and foreign researchers and scientists in the documentation and protection of biodiversity; and prolific publications in high-impact journals early in his career.