Eureka! Prof makes math cool, wins int’l science award

MANILA, Philippines— For inspiring popular interest in science and math through her weekly column “Eureka!” in the Inquirer Learning section, Queena N. Lee-Chua is the first winner, jointly with Malaysia’s Mahaletchumy Arujanan, of the Regional Prize for Public Understanding of Science in the East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific from the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

“I am honored that scientists themselves have recognized the worth of the column,” said Lee-Chua. “I know that the general public appreciates the column, from the volume of mail I receive, but to get validation from internationally renowned scientists and a prestigious science organization is certainly an honor, and I am humbled.”

Arujanan, a trained scientist with degrees in microbiology, biochemistry and biotechnology, is the executive director of the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre.

Lee-Chua was notified of the award by phone but the awards were announced at last week’s TWAS 21st annual meeting of almost 1,000 scientist-members in Hyderabad, India.

Awarding will be held soon in a chosen country in the region, possibly China. The two winners will share the prize and take home $2,000 each.

Lee-Chua, a professor in math and psychology at Ateneo de Manila University, has been writing “Eureka!” for the Inquirer since 1991. The column appeared in the Science and Health section before it was moved to the Learning section, which comes out every Monday.

“I thank the Inquirer for hosting the column and giving it the space and freedom it needs to evolve to meet readers’ expectations,” said Lee-Chua. Another column of hers, “Homework,” appears in the monthly magazine Working Mom.

The other Sunday, Lee-Chua launched the latest of her books published by Anvil. “Learning: What Parents, Teachers and Students Should Know” is a compilation of 50 education-related issues discussed in the column.

She has written 24 other books, mostly on mathematics, popular science and information technology, and education.

Scientific excellence

Founded in 1983 in Trieste, Italy, by a group of scientists led by the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan, TWAS is envisioned to promote scientific excellence and capacity “for science-based sustainable development” in developing countries.

In 1991, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) took over the administration of the academy’s funds and personnel and, in 2004, the Italian government enacted a law ensuring it of funding.

Among the 942 members of TWAS are eminent scientists elected by their peers, including several Nobel Prize winners. Of its current membership, 85 percent are TWAS fellows who live and work in developing countries. Scientists who come from already developed nations are included as associate fellows.

Among the Filipino TWAS fellows are National Scientists Fe del Mundo (pediatrics), Ricardo Lantican (plant breeding) and Dolores Ramirez (agriculture), National Academy of Science and Technology president Emil Javier, and botanist Filomena Campos.

The late Dr. Paulo Campos, also a National Scientist, was also a TWAS Fellow.

Ateneo alumna

Lee-Chua obtained her master’s degree in counseling psychology and her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Ateneo, where she also received her bachelor’s degree in math with highest honors.

She has been teaching math at Ateneo for 21 years. She also handled popular science for several years before switching to the double load of psychology and math.

Lee-Chua said she was also thankful to Ateneo’s outgoing president, Fr. Ben Nebres, S.J., “for encouraging excellent research and teaching on and out of campus.” An example is the Ateneo study on how public and private school students excel in school nationwide, which Lee-Chua headed.

“I specially thank Corazon de Ungria for having enough faith in me to nominate me for the award when she was invited by the academy to submit a nomination,” said Lee-Chua. “A person can only win the TWAS Prize once, so the award is practically a lifetime achievement award.”

De Ungria, who was a TWAS young affiliate in 2007, is the director of the DNA Research Laboratory in the Natural Sciences Research Institute at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Other Filipino young affiliates include, in 2009, Christian Camagun, an agriculturist doing postdoctoral studies in Kobe University, and, this year, Maricor Soriano of the National Institute of Physics.

Awards galore

Among Lee-Chua’s many awards are The Outstanding Young Filipinos, The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service, the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teachers, the Outstanding Young Scientists, and the Jose Rizal Awards for Excellence.

She was also named one of the Department of Science and Technology’s Great Men and Women of Science in 2008.

Lee-Chua has won a Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature for an essay on popular math. She has also received the National Book award, the National Science and Technology Journalism award, and Outstanding Science & Technology Columnist award.

A governing member of the National Book Development Board, she specializes in math and science education, psychology, and communication, especially in math and science. She is a former Philippine representative to the governing board of the Southeast Asian Centre for Mathematics and Science Education based in Penang, Malaysia.

The prize for Public Understanding of Science is awarded every three years by TWAS regional offices “to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to improving public understanding and appreciation of science and technology.”

Past awardees include Pervez Hoodbhoy (Pakistan), Roberto Lent (Brazil), Adnan Hamoui (Kuwait) and Christina Scott (South Africa).

TWAS also awards regional prizes every three years for the Development of Educational Material and School Science Curricula and for Scientific Institution Building.

Lee-Chua gave credit to Inquirer president Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, publisher Isagani Yambot, editor in chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, associate editor Rosario Garcellano, Learning editor Chelo Banal-Formoso and Science and Health editor Cesar Mangawang, as well as former Sunday Inquirer Magazine editor Lorna Kalaw-Tirol for their “advocacy of education in print.” –Philippine Daily Inquirer