Pamana awardee Dr. Earnani Guingona Meñez, Botanist Emeritus of the Botany Department of the Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington , DC , USA , received a recognition from Silliman University in a simple ceremony held recently.

Meñez was recognized for his contribution to the University's Marine Science program during the last 30 years.

Meñez first visited Dumaguete in the 1960s as a student at the University of Hawaii . His first introduction to Silliman was when he was a member of the Smithsonian Institution Expeditions to the Philippines in 1978 and 1979.

He popularized the study of seaweeds in the Philippines by holding Psychology (the study of algae) Symposia-Workshops, giving short courses on it in various universities, training Filipino students at Smithsonian, assisting Philippine scientists with references and specimen identification, publishing on Philippine seaweeds and facilitating the exchange of information between US and Filipino scientists.

He has also hosted Sillimanians visiting the Smithsonian.

Among those from Silliman who trained and collaborated with him are Institute for Environmental and Marine Sciences Director Dr. Hilconida Calumpong, with whom he co-authored papers, including the “Field Guide on Common Mangroves, Seagrasses and Algae of the Philippines”, which won the National Book Award for Science, IEMS Assistant Director Dr. Janet Estacion, IEMS researchers Pablina Cadiz and Jacinta Lucañas, and former Chemistry faculty member Chester Dumangcas.*JG

back to top