RESEARCH DIRECTORATE – Dr. Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, research director of the university, is currently in the United States, particularly at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, for a month-long training on remote sensing and application which started on Oct. 18.

The travel was upon the invitation of Dr. Josefino C. Comiso, a Filipino-American scientist working at NASA, who has been visiting the university as a DOST balik scientist.

Dr. Alibuyog’s attendance in the training is expected to strongly enhance his ability to implement the projects he has been working on and, at the same time, facilitate the completion of the analyses and publication of its eventual results.

His visit will also entail collaborative work, consultation, and interaction with Dr. Comiso and his staff that will enable him to acquire ample knowledge on how satellite data are processed and analyzed at NASA by some of the top scientists in the field.  In his letter of invitation, Dr. Comiso expressed interest in doing a collaborative research with Dr. Alibuyog to study clouds and albedo.

The NASA financed Dr. Alibuyog’s round trip airfare and the associated supplementary funds for the payment of his lodging and other needed expenses. The organization is also providing him with an office to enable him to be as productive and efficient as possible.

Meanwhile, back in 2009, Dr. Comiso came to the university under the DOST Balik Scientist Program along with other Filipino scientists from abroad where he delivered lectures and seminars on satellite remote sensing and its applications to help MMSU establish itself as a model for energy self-sufficiency.  From then on, he has been visiting the university and has trained some of its personnel including those from other SUCs in the country.  He also served as consultant on how to package research proposals on harnessing GIS and remote sensing for agricultural productivity.