With its commitment to fostering excellence, Saint Louis University (SLU) held the annual Innovations in Creatives, Research, Extensions, and Technology (iCREaTe) spearheaded by the University Research and Innovation Center (UnRIC) at the Fr. Francis Gevers Hall from 2 to 4 April 2025 that included the presentation of research papers from different schools.
The School of Nursing, Allied Health and Biological Sciences (SONAHBS), School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA), School of Accountancy, Management, Computing and Information Studies (SAMCIS), and School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) each had series of colloquiums where presenters can discuss their research papers to the audiences and panelists. Each group was given 10 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for the Question and Answer portion.
After the paper presentations, the closing ceremony followed with an inspiring speech from the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Felina P. Espique, PhD. She underscored the impact of iCREaTe and Louisians’ efforts to contribute to the community beyond the gates of SLU. “Your continued support helps us advance knowledge, solve real-world problems and empower our University to make meaningful contributions, not only within our academic community, but also to the larger society that deserves our contributions. So together, let us continue to build a culture of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration,” she remarked.
The awarding for the top two research papers per school for their outstanding research efforts was then conducted by Dr. Laarni B. Natividad, UnRIC Research Services Officer. Winners were awarded cash prizes while their research promoters were given a manuscript writing grant to support and aid them in publishing their papers. The top researches were:
SONAHBS:
1st Place – “Adolescent Health Risks Behaviors and the Mediating Effects of Family Dynamics and Socio-demographic Factors”
2nd Place – “Psychosocial Adaptation and Quality of Life of Visually Impaired Individuals”
STELA:
1st Place – “Green Media Text: Its Visibility on Official Facebook Pages of University Student Organizations”
2nd Place – “Student Engagement and Lifelong Learning of Saint Louis University Undergraduate students”
SAMCIS:
1st Place – “Deep Learned Model Classification of Benguet Pine (Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon) Health Conditions with QGIS Mapping of Benguet Pine Forests Degradation”
2nd Place – “The Relationship Between Financial Literacy and Financial Behavior with Financial Well-being and Retirement Planning of the Workforce in Baguio City”
SEA:
1st Place – “Evaluation of Husk-derived Biochar as an Effective Electrode Material for Lead Removal through Electrocoagulation”
2nd Place – “Spatiotemporal Analysis of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Change and its Correlation to the Water Quality of Asin-Galiano River”
The winners of the Food Upcycling Digital Poster Slogan Contest were also presented by UnRIC Director Dr. Richel L. Lamadrid, PhD. The champions were also given a cash prize, funded by Belgium’s development cooperation, VLIR-UOS, and Ghent University.
Food Upcycling Digital Poster Slogan Contest Winners:
1st Place – Geoffrey B. Raymundo (BMMA, SAMCIS)
2nd Place – Rea Kyla Gabriel Rañola (BSBA, SAMCIS)
3rd Place – Zuleika Ashleigh M. Nandin (BSMLS, SONAHBS)
Engagement Champ – Cyren Joy E. Ruiz (BSMLS, SONAHBS)
In his closing remarks, University Registrar Mr. Andrew S. Macalma, PhD encouraged everyone to apply their learnings and knowledge in their professional careers and make an impact on society. “Let us carry forward the spirit of iCREaTe– the spirit of curiosity, innovation, and collaboration as we continue to strive for excellence in all that we do. May the seeds of creativity planted here today blossom into groundbreaking discoveries and impactful contributions to society,” he stated.
With the iCREaTe paper presentations, the University provided the Louisians a platform to showcase their excellence and creativity through academic outputs. Their insightful discussions and hard work served as a testament to the core values that a Louisian upholds.
iCREaTe further affirms SLU’s commitment to promoting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 3 (Good health and well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent work and economic growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), 12 (Responsible consumption and production), 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions), and 17 (Partnerships for the goals). (Article by Ydelvess Faith Morales, UIO Intern | Photos by Kyla Moreno, UIO Intern)
