The UPD Department of Geography Proudly Presents its 30th Anniversary Activities

[ARANGKADA@30] Grand Alumni Homecoming

Dear Geography Alumni,

Warm greetings from your esteemed Department!

Being a graduate of the only Geography Department in the country, you are one of those who continue to bring significant contributions to our discipline and to other related fields, whether you are directly practicing geography or indirectly using your geographic training to be where you are now. What you have accomplished is in large measure responsible for the growth and development of our institution.

We are happy to inform you that our Department will celebrate 30 years of being part of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy this November 2013 and will be holding a grand celebration to mark this milestone in our existence. With the goal of strengthening alumni relations, the Department would like to invite you to attend in our Grand Alumni Homecoming on November 30, 2013 at AS Lobby,  Palma Hall at 6PM. You may find other details at Facebook events page or at our department website.

You can also become part of the alumni homecoming by providing financial support. Your contributions will not only help in making the event successful but also in augmenting the Department’s resources for its programs and services. Your support will go a long way in strengthening our efforts at achieving academic excellence and professionalism and eventually reaching our goal of becoming the country’s Center of Development in the field of geography. For your contributions you may contact me or Ms. Rocelyn De Vera at rocelyndevera@yahoo.com. Sponsors will be entitled a space in the Homecoming's souvenir program (see details below).

We appreciate your support and honor your continued involvement with your geography family of faculty, students, staff, and alumni. We look forward to seeing you in the alumni homecoming!

Very truly yours,

DARLENE J. OCCEÑA-GUTIERREZ, Ph.D.

CHAIR

darlene.gutierrez@upd.edu.ph

djogutierrez@gmail.com

Click to enlarge

[ARANGKADA@30] A-RUN-KADA: Geography Fun Run 2013

Last September 14, 2013, the A-RUN-KADA: Geography Fun Run 2013 was successfully carried out amid heavy downpour. The event was attended not only by students but also by alumni of the Department and running enthusiasts.  Out of the 189 registered runners, 161 competed in all the three events: 2.2 km, 4.4 km, and 8.8km.  The following are the winners in each category and event:  

8.8km	MALE	FEMALE
1st Place	Kimbert Sarmiento	Janette Lumidao
2nd Place	Raul Benjamin Mendoza	Chai Abundo
3rd Place		Loren Gal

4.4km	MALE	FEMALE
1st Place	Wilson Maningkil	Mary Grace Parcon
2nd Place	Lowemer Estrella	Saki Niiyama
3rd Place	Alain San Miguel	Acer Jian Figueroa

2.2km	MALE	FEMALE
1st Place	John Michael Marfil	Maria Alexandria Kundert
2nd Place	Noel Ricamunda	Inna Valera
3rd Place	Mark Jefferson	Maria Deandra Andal

The program during the fun run was hosted by Prof. Ony Martinez and Alumni Mr. Jayson Cruz and a performance was rendered by the percussion group White Tazandra.  Aside from the cooperation of the students, faculty, and staff who made the event possible, the Department recognizes the efforts of Mr. Willy Domingo who acted as guide and marshal of the fun run. 

A-RUN-KADA: Geography Fun Run is part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Department of Geography under the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.

You can view the pictures taken from the event HERE. 

[ARANGKADA@30] Colloquia on Spatial Technologies in Advancing Research Techniques

Everyone is invited to

The Geography Lab Core Group Technical Colloquia’s

Spatial Technologies in Advancing Research Techniques (START)

Date: September 12, 2013

Time: 5:30-7:30pm

Venue:  Palma Hall 207, Roxas Avenue, UP Diliman, Quezon City

Topics:

Session 1: Modeling Geographic Distributions with MaxEnt 

Discussant: Mart Geronia, MS Geology student

MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) is a java-based free software that is capable of producing ecological models of the geographic distributions of species based on variables using the maximum entropy method of probability. The maximum entropy method ensures that the probability distribution the model estimates is closest to uniform and the most spread out, subject to the constraints set by the variables; i.e., the model assumes that a species can be found uniformly across space subject to the constraints set. This software is written by Steven Phillips, Miro Dudik and Rob Schapire, with support from AT&T Labs-Research, Princeton University, and the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History. This software generates models of a species’ geographic distribution using the constraint features or the environmental variables describing the background landscape and by using the collection of presence-only data of the distribution of the species in question. It can also integrate both categorical and continuous data for the variables and will not diminish its capability to produce a good model.

  

Aside from its application in modeling the geographic distributions of species habitats in ecology and biogeography, the maximum entropy method has been used in the fields of linguistics (for natural language processing), economics (mainly in game theory), climate research (modeling a species habitat based on future climatic scenarios), and in political science and sociology (application of ecological inferences or drawing conclusions about individual behavior from aggregate data).

Session 2: Grid Analysis and Display System (GrADS) for Earth Science Data Processing and Visualization

Discussant: Robert Badrina, MS Meteorology student

Grid analysis and display system (GrADS) is an open source, interactive desktop tool that is used for easy access, manipulation and visualization of earth science data. It can handle various data file format such as binary (stream or sequential), GRID, NetCDF, HDF and BUFR (for station data). GrADS has been implemented worldwide and currently being used by researchers around the globe, it has an online group forum where community of users exchange information about the software.

Outputs of climate models (Regional Climate Model (RegCM) and Global Climate Model) are

can be utilized using GrADS. It uses four convention environmental dimensions: longitude,

latitude, vertical level and time. There are also data available for free such as resources

from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) which can provide rainfall estimates

that can be processed using GrADS. Data can be displayed using variety of graphical

technique: line and bar graphs, scatter plots, smoothed contours, shaded contours,

streamlines, wind vectors, grid boxes, shaded boxes and station model plots. GrADS is

supported by the Institute of Global Environment and Society dedicated for climate research

in the service of the society.

S.T.A.R.T. aims to provide a venue for young researchers to present various techniques for visualizing and analyzing spatial data using recent technologies and data processing software to aid in further enhancing social science research methodologies.

As spatial information is integral in addressing the pressing environmental and social issues we deal with at both local and global scales, these colloquia seek to facilitate exchanges among young academics on the potentials of available technologies to deliver useful information to the public for more informed decision-making.

The Lab Core Group of the UP Department of Geography was formed in 2009 by student

volunteers who wanted to help manage the then small GIS laboratory of the institution. 

Beyond serving as the lab technical assistance team, it initiated other projects such as the Geography1 Open Lab which rovided introductory training on Google Earth image interpretation, GIS, and GPS, and the drafting of he GIS laboratory user guidelines and its file management and data security scheme.

[ARANGKADA@30] Rummage Sale

To fund our upcoming anniversary activities,we are going to have a rummage sale on September 15, 2013, 7:30am-6:30pm, at the Infirmary Open Area (UP Health Service), UP Diliman Campus. 

You can join us in three ways:

One, donate items to the Department to be included in the rummage sale.  Just bring them to the Department Office at 4th floor Bulwagang Silangang Palma; 

Two, buy items from the rummage sale; 

Or do both!

For inquiries call Ms. Ever at 9818500 local 2222 or email us at up.geography@yahoo.com

[ARANGKADA@30] Geography Fun Run 2013

Run around the Acad Oval, once, twice, thrice!

As a kick-off activity for the 30th anniversary of the Department of Geography, we invite everyone to run with us, have fun, and win prizes!

DATE AND VENUE

September 14, 2013 (Saturday)

Time: 6-8PM

Venue: Academic Oval (University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City)

Assembly: AS Steps

REGISTRATION

Registration is at 5PM at Palma Hall 104

or you can pre-register at 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pU2yvrC7FtTYSw-k60GLw8vZ7MvzzPzlXfedyvv4q1M/viewform

Registration fee includes singlet, glow sticks, baller, and water.

Category	with singlet	w/o singlet
2.2 K	P300	P150
4.4 K	P400	P200
8.8 K	P500	P250

  

PROCEEDS 

will go to the Scholarship Fund of the Department

Department of Geography Logo-Making Contest

As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, we would like to give the department logo with a new look.  

For those who are interested in joining, aside for the whooping P5,000 cash prize, this is also a chance for your design to be immortalized!

MECHANICS:

• The contest is open to all UP students and alumni, except for the current faculty members and staff of the Department of Geography.
• Participants may submit only one (1) entry. Artists are required to provide their names, contact number, affiliation and email address.
• Entries should be submitted in the following formats: 

          (1) illustrated in A4 size in a .jpg format with a minimum of 600 dpi and

          (2) in its original raw file

          

[Revised from: Entries should be in digitized format (vector file, at least 600 dpi with a file extension of .jpg). The raw file of the digital artwork should be drawn/illustrated in A4 size.]

• The logo should not carry the name of the artist. 
• The design of the logo should be in accordance with the Department's official colors (blue, green, maroon).
• The logo design should be built around the theme, "The discipline of Geography and / in the University of the Philippines" 
• A brief description or rationale (not more than 300 words) explaining the components of the logo should also be included in the entry. 
• The deadline of entries is on 11:59pm of August 15, 2013.
• All entries must be sent to: up.geography@yahoo.com

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

• By entering the competition, the participants declare that the logo submitted is their original work, have not been submitted to any other competition, and does not infringe on any third party's existing copyrights.  Any complaints that may arise due to similarities, likeness, or comparison of the design would be the accountability of the participants s/he would be responsible for proving its authenticity.
• By entering, the participants acknowledge, agree, and understand that the winning design will become the exclusive property of the Department of Geography which retains exclusive rights to edit and reproduce the design. 
• The logo-making competition shall be judged according to the following criteria:

            Concept / Relevance – 40%

            Originality – 20% 

            Creativity and Impact – 40%

• The winning entry will be chosen on August 22, 2013 by the members of the Department of Geography's 30th Anniversary committee. The decision of the judges is final. The winner will be notified by telephone call, email or text message.
• Upon the request of the Committee, the winner shall do possible revisions of the new logo.