The School Board has officially announced the appointment of Dr. Catherine Q. Castañeda as the Vice-President for Academics and Research/OIC, College Dean for School Year 2023-2024 (Term: 01 June 2023 – 31 July 2024) last June 24, 2023.
Dr. Catherine Q. Castañeda is formerly the Vice President for Academic Affairs of a University in Manila. She retired as a Career Service Officer (CESO III) on March 2014 from government service that has spanned 42 years. In the last five (5) years, she was Director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)- National Capital Region tasked with the implementation of plans, policies, standards, and guidelines of CHED to all the higher education institutions. Prior to this, she was director of the Office of Program and Standards for eight (8) years tasked with policy formulation and standard setting for higher education for all degree programs and also director of the Office of Student Affairs that dealt with scholarships and student concerns.
She was formerly connected with the Department of Science and Technology as Scientist II of the Scientific Career System. As such, she has conducted qualitative research and has published 30 scientific papers in nutrition education and anthropology. In the last twenty (20) years, she has lectured extensively, close to eight hundred (800) lectures locally and in twenty (20) scientific symposia internationally on specific topics in nutrition education research, nutrition anthropology and educational management. She was also a sought-after commencement speaker throughout her stint in CHED.
In recognition of her contributions to strengthening the curriculum in nutrition and dietetics, she was awarded “Professional of the Year” by the Philippine Regulations Commission (PRC) in 2008. In 2013, as the College of the Holy Spirit, Manila celebrated its 100th year; she was awarded as one of the outstanding graduates of her Alma Mater. She was likewise featured in the book on Outstanding Women Scientists of the National Research Council of the Philippines in the late 1980s. The Nutritionist-Dietitians’ Association of the Philippines selected her, too, as the recipient of the Clara Ruth Darby Professional Lecturer Award for excellence and trailblazing efforts in the nutrition education field.
She was an active member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC) for twelve (12) years; took charge of the faculty development program in science and engineering in CHED; and advocated nutrition research with media practitioners.
She has taught in various academic institutions (all on a part-time basis) for forty-five (45) years in UP Diliman, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Centro Escolar University, the Philippine Women’s University, the Philippine Normal University, the University of Makati, and the College of the Holy Spirit, Manila.
A graduate of nutrition of the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila, she obtained her MS (Nutrition) and Ph.D. (Anthropology) degrees from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City and holds a Diploma in International Nutrition (with honors) from the Netherlands. She is well-travelled having been to all parts of the Philippines and in 75 countries mainly because of her research and lecture invitations.
