08 March 2005 --  The Philippine Consulate General in Chicago reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that a Filipino professor of Agronomy and Plant Breeding at the University of the Philippine (UP), Dr. Emil Q. Javier, received the Madhuri and Kagdish N. Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement, given by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UI), during an International Achievement  Awards Banquet tendered in his honor on 02 March 2005 at the university’s Krannert Center for the Performing Arts lobby.

“I congratulate Dr. Javier for his work and achievements as a scholar, administrator, leader and science policy maker both in the Philippines and abroad,” Consul General Blesilda Cabrera said.  She attended the ceremony along with Vice Consul Roberto T. Bernardo.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Javier mentioned that former President Fidel V. Ramos and former UP President Onofre D. Corpus, who are both UI alumni, are far more deserving of the award. He added that he intends to ‘reinvigorate the University of Illinois Club of the Philippines.’

Dr. Javier received the Madhuri award for his work and achievements as a scholar, administrator, leader and science policy maker both in the Philippines and other countries.   He served for four years as chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Consultative Group on international Agricultural Research (CGIAR), after serving from 1993 to 1999 as the 16th President of the University of the Philippines.   Prior to this, served as Director-General of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center in Taiwan and Minister of Science and Director-General for the National Science and Technology Authority of the Philippines. He also served as Chancellor of  UP Los Banos in 1979. He completed his M.S degree in Agronomy in 1964 at the UI and Ph. D. in 1969 at Cornell University (CU); and his M.S. degree in Agronomy in 1964 at the UI and Ph. D. in 1969 at CU. END
 

/jay