Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay
Professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences
University of the Philippines Diliman
AsianScientist (July 8, 2015) – Dr. Mahar Lagmay, a professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences, The University of the Philippines Diliman, is the executive director of Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment Hazards), a flagship program for disaster risk reduction and management by the Department of Science and Technology. Project NOAH is an early warning system for natural hazards (e.g. typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes), providing at least six hours lead time against impending floods to vulnerable communities.
Lagmay was recently awarded the 2015 Plinius Medal by the European Geosciences Union for his work on hazard research and natural disaster engagement in the Philippines.
1. How would you summarize your research in a tweet?
My research seeks to advance global knowledge on natural hazards to empower communities with planning tools that reduce disaster risk.
2. Describe a completed research project that you are proudest of.
When I returned to UP Diliman, I received grants from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for local research and the UNESCO International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP) for international collaboration and conferences. The topic was on the effects of basement and structural and stratigraphic heritages on volcano behavior and the implications for human activities.
The projects contributed to the understanding of volcano behavior in different places of the world from a poorly known perspective. Previously, scientists investigated volcanoes only by studying the composition of the lavas and rocks they erupt. Now we realize the interconnection between eruptive behavior of volcanoes and the character of the land where they have grown.
For example, a volcano may be triggered to erupt, or to collapse catastrophically because of underlying fault movement. Conversely, earthquake activity can dampen because the weight of a growing volcano can inhibit fault movement. A good understanding of these geological hazards is crucial for preventing disasters.
The two projects were fully interdisciplinary and international and included geophysicists, structural engineers, landslide engineers, seismologists, volcanologists and tectonophysicists. The research collaboration generated numerous research articles, several Master’s theses, an active international network of colleagues and a DOST-Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) Outstanding Research and Development award in Advanced Science and Technology. Further, it exposed me to the different perspectives of tackling a problem and honed my skills in field observation and scientific reasoning.
3. What do you hope to accomplish with your research in the next decade?
There is only so much that an individual scientist can contribute because we can only gather so much knowledge in our lifetime. Educating and training younger researchers can extend one’s own career beyond its end, of course, and I take great pride in my graduate students who publish their theses in indexed journals. Collectively, we can build upon what have already been discovered and advance that knowledge to heights upon which the next generation can build.
4. Who (or what) motivated you to go into your field of study?
I am not a person who plans years in advance. I labor to do the best in whatever comes my way and wait. With some influence of friends in the environment I grew in, my life unfolded into what it is today.
5. What is the biggest adversity that you experienced in your research?
There were many instances when I thought to stop doing research because the learning never ends–life can be so much easier without the hassles of studying. This is a continuous struggle against oneself and must be overcome. Everything has purpose in this world. For me, this purpose is to be able to improve people’s lives in the little way one is capable of doing.
Never think of a university degree as the ultimate goal. In fact, it is just the beginning of your contribution to the body of knowledge and discovery of things bigger than yourself. Active science research keeps you abreast of the scientific literature and sharpens your science because you become part of the community that builds it. Such qualities are critical for effective mentoring and necessary for teaching excellence.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the academic research community today and how can we fix it?
Scientific research in the Philippines is very challenging but possible. Never think otherwise. Though we have meager resources compared to other countries, world-class research can be performed here. Resourcefulness is key! Request copies of useful articles from their authors; mine the internet by using Google Scholar, academia.edu and other online resources. This approach partly rectifies the difficulty of obtaining important literature.
When all financial and logistical hurdles to do world-class research have been overcome, the bigger challenge is how to use the opportunity to build knowledge with global impact, creating world-leading research that asks the big questions of our time and beyond.
7. If you had not become a scientist, what would you have become instead?
A painter and sculptor!
8. Outside of work, what do you do to relax? Do you have any interests and hobbies?
I used to play tennis but have now changed to playing badminton. Spending time with my children is the most relaxing.
9. If you had the power and resources to eradicate any world problem using your research, which one would you solve?
Evil in this world.
10. What advice would you give to aspiring researchers in Asia?
Do not push yourself to do scientific research if you do not love it. Find your joy. And should you find it in scientific inquiry, you are ripe and ready to learn.
This article is from a monthly series called Asia’s Rising Scientists. Click here to read other articles in the series.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: UP Press Office.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
