Dr. Alvin Culaba
Conferred AY 2006-2007
Academician Prof. Dr. Alvin B. Culaba is a multi-awarded scientist and Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at De La Salle University Manila. He is currently the Vice President of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Philippines, the highest scientific body which serves as advisory to the President of the Philippines on matters that relate to science and technology. In 2024, he was also appointed by the Philippine President as Commissioner on Science and Technology of the UNESCO National Commission in the Philippines (UNACOM).
His passion for science to sustain the earth’s system earned him as amongst the Top 2% of the World’s Scientists in 2023 by Stanford List on the account of his over 200 scientific publications and close to 5,000 citations on his scientific papers related to energy systems and environmental sustainability, and acknowledged as the top energy scientist in the Philippines. He was conferred the Title of Academician to the elite National Academy in recognition of his outstanding and significant contribution on the theory of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and its application to industrial processes. His streamlined-approach has been utilized to assess more than 50 environmentally-sustainable Filipino products through the seal of Green Choice Philippines under the National Ecolabeling Program. A World Bank-DOST scholar, Dr. Culaba earned his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1996 at the University of Portsmouth in England, United Kingdom. He pursued 2 post-doctoral study fellowships on Management of Technology at the Science Policy Research Unit of the University of Sussex, U.K. and Advanced Power and Energy Systems at the Abdul Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. He travels around the world as a Visiting Scholar at various prestigious universities in the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia giving talks and lectures as well as mentoring of countless research students around the world, including the Philippines.
He received numerous prestigious awards, both internationally and nationally, including the first Filipino to receive the Hui-Sun Lecture Award 2023 in Taiwan, the 2018 Koh Lectureship Award in Engineering by the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering USA, elected Fellow of the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology in 2021, and the 2022 Outstanding World Leader in Education. His other notable recognition includes the NAST Umali Medal for Outstanding Science Administrator, Lifetime Achievement for engineering and industrial research by the National Research Council of the Philippines, two-time national finalists in the Metrobank Outstanding Teacher and Philippine Jaycees’ The Outstanding Filipino Awards, winner of CHED National Republika Award, among others. Over the years, Dr. Culaba has built an illustrious career having served as Philippine Energy Adviser, Independent Board Member of the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation, Energy Expert in the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering, past Presidents of the National Research Council of the Philippines, the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering, the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology and other professional organizations. Dr. Culaba’s exemplary works in science is summed up when the 16th Congress of the Philippines presented to him the congressional commendation through House Resolution 146, highlighting his meritorious and significant achievements in science and technology that has benefited the Philippine society and the world.
He was appointed by the then PGMA as representative of the scientists and engineers in the Presidential Coordinating Council for Research and Development under the Office of the President of the Republic. Serving in various capacities in CHED, DOST, DOE, DepEd, ASEAN University Network (AUN) and other agencies, Dr. Culaba has demonstrated his long-term commitment to upgrading the quality of STEM education in the country. His consultancy to over 150 firms had spurred the innovation mindset of industrial companies in the country. He is effectively accomplishing his altruistic mission by sharing his knowledge and skills to many farmers and fisherfolks, including students in local Universities and Colleges. He led the development of the Parina Micro-hydroelectric Power Plant which lights up 350 remote Indigenous Peoples in the Apayao Mountain Range. He is also the prime mover of the DOST’s innovation, science and technology-based regional economic development. Foremost of this ST&I-based solutions are the Leyte Farms Agri-Innovation Global Hub, an indoor intelligent vertical farming technology serving over 3,500 farmer associations in the province of Leyte, the alleviation of the flooding problem in Palo, and the rehabilitation of the seaweed industry in Dawahon island, Leyte. He succeeded in institutionalizing the Science, Technology and Innovation Framework in the Provincial Development Plans, which is now used as a framework for community- and barangay-level development projects. Dr. Culaba did these during the height of the pandemic where every 4 weeks he would fly to Leyte to meet with LGU, industry, and community leaders to ensure success and sustainability of these projects. He has adopted the “Whole of Community”, “Whole of Province”, four-helix model multi-stakeholder approach to inclusive socio-economic development in the province.
A former Executive Vice President for External Relations and Internationalization, he is a Distinguished University Professor, a University Fellow, and co-Founder and Director of the Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development Research at De Salle University Manila. His groundbreaking work as an academic, consultant, researcher, and problem-solver, along with his engagements in the national government and private sector, has not only transformed the industry and education sectors but has also had a profound impact on many lives of the Filipinos.