A tribute to exemplary science teachers

Our parents and teachers have a great influence on our pursuit of science. Parents, who have knowledge of science, provide explanations for everyday natural phenomena to nurture the inquisitive mind of a young child. Teachers then continue and extend the scientific education of a budding scientist. Teachers may even provide the spark that ignites the student’s interest in science. Teachers may also serve as inspiration to do good science. Here are examples of such teachers. 

Two years ago, I heard Dr. Baldomero Olivera pay tribute to Dr. Dolores F. Hernandez, who was his science teacher at the old UP Prep. Dr. Hernandez, whose primary interest was science education, started NISMED, the training center for science and math teachers at UP Diliman. Dr. Olivera described how Dr. Hernandez’s lecture on solubility so aroused his curiosity that he was soon engaged in testing the solubility of all sorts of substances he could lay his hands on. “Because Dolly Hernandez was my first teacher in Chemistry and Zoology, I have been intensely interested in both fields ever since — so, in a very real sense, I owe my entire scientific career to her”, said Dr. Olivera in an e-mail to NISMED (http://www.upd.edu.ph/~updinfo/archives/janfebmar06/articles/inmemoriam.htm). And we all know that Dr. Olivera went on to pursue a very illustrious scientific career and is one of our most productive and prominent Filipino scientists.

I don’t remember any teacher igniting my scientific curiosity, but I had one who is an excellent example of a good scientist-teacher. He is the late Professor Francisco Nemenzo Sr. of the old Department of Zoology in UP Diliman. 

Professor Nemenzo did not pursue a formal doctoral training, yet he was an internationally recognized expert on coral taxonomy. He studied hundreds of different Philippine corals and identified 135 new species (the reader is referred to http://www.msi.upd.edu.ph/coenomap/NEMENZO%20COLLECTIONS/The%20NEMENZO%20Collections.htm). He compiled his work in an 18-volume set called Systematic Studies on Philippine Shallow-water Scleractinians (1967) and in Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna, Vol. 5: Corals (1986). For his research and expertise, he earned the title of Father of Philippine Coral Taxonomy. In recognition of his outstanding work, Professor Nemenzo was conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) by UP in 1981. 

Professor Nemenzo was also an excellent teacher. I took his course on Comparative Anatomy (after I had already gotten a bachelor’s degree in physics and when I decided to pursue a career in biophysics instead) and I was very much impressed by his logical approach to the teaching of the subject, the clarity of his presentations, and the precise organization of his lessons — all hallmarks of good science. To this day, I still remember a lot of the science that I learned from Professor Nemenzo’s lectures.

There is no doubt in my mind that Professor Nemenzo had a tremendous influence on his other students. I am also sure that he inspired many to become productive scientists, who, in turn, would teach and nurture the younger generation(s) to be good teachers and scientists themselves. 

Professor Nemenzo did not have the customary doctoral training, but that did not prevent him from being a very productive scientist and exemplary science teacher. 

There are many examples in the world, who did not have earned doctoral degrees, but who also became excellent scientists and teachers. I know of one, for example, who had a master’s, but could not pursue her PhD for personal reasons, and who years later would win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her research work. A local example is the recently deceased Leonard Co, who was a world-recognized botanist, but who did not have even a bachelor’s degree until late in his (short) life.

I’m sure there are many other examples of exemplary science teachers in the Philippines. Most of them may not even be known outside their schools. They could be primary school teachers, high school teachers like Dr. Ramirez, or college teachers like Professor Nemenzo. We cannot know at what point in life a student would be inspired by a teacher. Let us hope that those exemplary science teachers will continue to inspire their students to be good scientists and good science teachers also.

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Eduardo A. Padlan is an adjunct professor at the Marine Science Institute, UP Diliman, and is a corresponding member of the NAST. He can be reached at [email protected].