Gordon College Explores Exchange Program in Science

A professor of conservation biology from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts in the United States arrived on campus to explore opportunities for student exchange with the Silliman University.

Dr. Gregory Keller, who is Department Chair of Biology at Gordon, arrived on campus on March 9 to discuss an exchange program between the two universities in the areas of marine science, environmental science, and health science.

He was received by Vice President for Development Prof. Jane Annette L. Belarmino and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Betsy Joy Tan. He also had had separate meetings with representatives from academic units through which the potential partnership with Silliman may be operationalized: Dr. Janet Estacion, Acting Director of the Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences, Asst. Prof. Teodora Cubelo, Director of the Institute of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Asst. Prof. Cyflor Putong, Acting Director of the Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences, Asst. Prof. Florenda Cabatit of the College of Nursing and Mr. Leandro Cabrera of the Biology Department and the Center for Tropical Conservation Studies.

Gordon College was among higher education institutions visited by the two Vice Presidents during their trip to the US in May 2014 as part of the initiative of the Silliman Association of New England, headed by Prof. Priscilla Lasmarias-Kelso, an Outstanding Sillimanian Awardee, and Dr. Richard Elphick. The same initiative brought Dr. Tan and Professor Belarmino to 15 other US institutions in the East Coast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas to learn more about their systems and discuss areas of potential cooperation.

Apart from the distinguished reef-to-ridge conservation program of the University, the academic areas the proposed linkage with Gordon College seeks to cover are among those rated high by the Commission on Higher Education and have produced topnotchers in licensure exams.

(On campus tour: Dr. Gregory Keller of Gordon College, first from left, inside the Simulation Laboratory and Resource Center of the University. [Photo by Chesca Marie Figueroa])