From the Falcons’ Nest: An Adamsonian soaring to space
Date Posted: March 1, 2021 at 09:28 AM
Home is where the heart belongs, and for Asst.Prof. Mark Angelo C. Purio, it is the Falcons’ Nest at Adamson University.
In just eight years since being with AdU, the youthful engineer, mentor, and academician has evolved from a newly-minted professional to one of the country’s leaders in Space Science and Engineering highlighted by his role in the BIRDS Maya-2 project.
The Maya-2 Cube Satellite (CubeSat), launched to the International Space Station (ISS) last February 21 aboard the S.S. Katherine Johnson Cygnus NG 15, is the Philippines’ fourth satellite to be launched to space after Diwata 1 and 2, and Maya-1. It is the second version of a Filipino-made cubesat named after one of the more endemic birds in the country.
This historic feat for the country’s Space Science and Engineering endeavors received recognitions from all over the country, punctuated by Senators Cynthia Villar and Nancy Binay’s Senate Resolution 657 acknowledging the team’s monumental achievement.
But behind all the fanfare, media frenzy, and credits, there remains a humble, yet proud Adamsonian educator who has always looked back to his roots, and to the people who had supported him from his struggles as a startup, to his rise as one of the sought-after personalities in his chosen field.
In the Falcons’ Nest
Asst. Prof. Purio’s journey as an Adamsonian began in May 2012, with him being the last job interviewee of the College of Engineering’s then new dean, Engr. Evelyn Raguindin, who fondly recalled the moment she talked with an Electronics Engineering (ECE) graduate from Batangas State University, armed only with an ECE license, aspiring to get his first teaching position while taking up his Master’s Degree in the same field at De La Salle University.
“I remember a bespectacled young man in my office in 2012, applying for a teaching position in the ECE Department, very shy yet full of enthusiasm,” Dean Raguindin described Asst. Prof. Purio during his job interview with her.
After a few years as Instructor II with Adamson, then Engr. Purio has become a frequent face in the Dean’s Office, both for work-related purposes or simply to have short chit-chats with anyone in the office, forging strong bonds not just with everyone in their department and college, but also with the Adamsonian Community, especially with his students, resulting to three straight Most Outstanding Campus Student Adviser awards from 2016 to 2018. He eventually became an Internal Quality Auditor of the University, and was promoted to Assistant Professor III in 2017.
“Mark, back then, had the potential, the goodness of heart, and the willingness to learn. I think he saw a mother hen in me, thus, he followed me even when I moved up to the second floor for my new office,” Dean Raguindin further recalled of Asst.Prof. Purio’s fondness of her.
Also embracing the Vincentian identity of Adamson, he has become a regular participant in the University’s community immersion projects organized by the Integrated Community Extension Services (ICES) Office.
He taught a wide array of subjects under the ECE Department, namely Electromagnetics, Advanced Electromagnetics, Electronic Devices and Circuits, Electronic Circuit Analysis and Design, Electronics Shop work, Digital Communications, Digital Logic Design, Instrumentation and Control Systems and Microelectronics, and has served as thesis adviser for students whose research fall under the field of intelligent systems (fuzzy logic, neural network and artificial intelligence), renewable energy, and agriculture, biomedical engineering and electronics design.
He also secured a position as Intellectual Property Officer and Technical Expert at the University’s Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) in 2013 where he performs patent searches and patent drafts, assists University research outputs through start up incubation and Intellectual Property (IP) services, and provides trainings, consultations, assets/labilities identification and other IP services to AdU, and its ITSO customers and stakeholders. He also held a position as Continuous Quality Improvement Assessor for outcome-based education under the office of the Dean of the College of Engineering.
Outside the University, he has held positions as Board of Director (2016), and Vice Governor for Education (2017) of the Institute of Electronic Engineers of the Philippines – Manila Chapter, and has been an ASEAN Engineer since 2015.
His dedication led him to be lauded by University administrators, namely ITSO Manager, and Vice President of Administration, Dr. Venusmar Quevedo.
Dr. Quevedo had high praises for one of her top auditors, and colleague in the College of Engineering.
“Mark has the passion to learn and stay childlike while being immersed into many things. He exhibits excitement and willingness to work hard when given a task. He may be shy but he forces himself to stand out when the occasion calls for him to show and express what he knows as an educator, a researcher, a mentor, a leader or a performer,” she said.
Asst. Prof. Purio was also a prolific researcher, having presented and co-written published studies under Scopus-indexed Journals, as well as local and international journals, including those of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Region 10 Annual International Conference (2015, 2016, 2017), the 8th International Conference on Humanoid, Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Communication and Control, Environment and Management (2016), and the 2nd Regional Conference on Campus Sustainability 2015 (2RCCS 2015).
Yet, being a true academic, and staying true to the Adamsonian core value of sustained integral development, he never ceased searching for knowledge, and has continued to participate in local and international seminars, trainings, and conferences in Technopreneurship, Technology Development, Campus Sustainability, and Intellectual Property while representing, and with assistance from, AdU.
He also underwent several trainings under the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and the Intellectual Property Organization of the Philippines(IPOPHL) as a patent agent in training. He was given scholarship by WIPO to enroll in courses leading to patent drafting.
Soaring with BIRDS
Medical Science was Asst. Prof. Purio’s interest as a child growing up in Oriental Mindoro – a reflection of his innate passion of helping the disadvantaged. But given their family’s meek financial stature, and college education being almost out of reach, he decided to seek financial grants and scholarships, ending up with an ECE degree.
“Even with a dream to be a doctor, I became an engineer. But this did not stop me to reach my childhood dream. I took my master’s degree and earned a teaching stint in the academe where I not only teach but also inspire my students that they can be beyond what they expect them to be,” he said, reflecting on his academic journey. Asst. Prof. Purio also has units in Master of Arts in Education from AdU.
To further improve his teaching foundations and techniques, Asst. Prof. Purio has taken a Pre-Masteral Program for Teachers where he focused on Educational Sociology, Measurement and Evaluation, Principles of Teaching, Curriculum Development, and Foundations of Education. He also has academic units for a Master of Arts in Education, major in School Administration and Supervision degree from AdU.
“I believe that learning is interminable therefore learning became a way of life for me. When there are opportunities to build capacity and improve myself, I always grab that chance to learn more and do more,” he continued.
True enough, along with the scholarship assistance from AdU initiated by its President, Fr. Marcelo V. Manimtim, CM, Dr. Quevedo, and Dean Raguindin, he was chosen as one of only three Department of Science and Technology (DOST) grantees, through the Stamina4Space program of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD), for a Doctor of Philosophy in Space Engineering Degree from Kyushu Institute of Technology (KyuTech) in Japan, and a slot as one of the members of the Philippines’ cube satellite project, along with UPD’s Izrael Zenar Bautista and Mapua University’s Marloun Sejera.
Asst. Prof. Purio has also been a consistent scholar throughout his campaign as a student, being a DOST-Science Education Institute (SEI) recipient for his undergraduate degree, and an Engineering Research and Development for Technology grantee for his Master’s.
The said initiative was under the fourth leg of the Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite Project, also known as the Birds (BIRDS-4) Project— a cross-border interdisciplinary satellite project for non-space faring countries supported by Japan and conducted in KyuTech.
BIRDS-4 is a two-year project that aims to design, develop and operate three units of identical 1U CubeSats (1kg, 10 cubic cm) belonging to the Philippines, Paraguay, and Japan that will be operated from various ground stations to form a constellation of three CubeSats operated in various networked ground stations from the said member countries.
“As I remember, Dean Evelyn Raguindin received a call expressing an invitation to apply for a Space Engineering Program in Japan. At that time, I was in the office and Dean asked if I am willing to apply for the said program. Since I am looking for a PhD stint, I willingly agreed and went through the screening and selection process. With this, I accomplished several documentary requirements and under[went] series of panel interviews,” Asst. Prof. Purio shared how he initially applied for the program.
He also revealed he was already interested in Space Science and Engineering-related topics even before he was offered the said opportunity, sharing he already got a first-hand experience about knowing small satellites when AdU sent him to a two-week course held at the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing in Dehradun, India.
“[The experience] stirred my curiosity and has drawn my interest to space and space technology. Given the opportunity to study space engineering is a dream come true for me, so I was very happy and nervous at the same time,” he said.
Asst. Prof. Purio was put as the project’s Camera Mission in-charge, responsible for putting camera payloads in the three BIRDS-4 CubeSat for its mission to capture images of the member countries and transmit them for further processing. He also supervised the media outreach of the satellite project and assisted in the design and development of a standardized backplane board (BPB).
Reflecting on the project, he remained grounded on his academic roots, saying the program has really developed his skills which he could impart to his students, and that it shows how eager the Philippines is to push for space and space technology.
“[BIRDS] will allow more researchers to gain interest in space and space technology while utilizing available resources to innovate and provide solutions to some of the problems our country is facing. This will also encourage young Filipinos to pursue this field therefore increasing the pool of people interested in studying space-related topics,” he shared.
“With the establishment of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), with the help of DOST space-related technology development will be given more attention and funding. On the part of Adamson University, this will open doors to more linkage in both the government and private sector as the institution supports this kind of endeavor,” Asst. Prof. Purio continued.
The young space scientist is also optimistic their accomplishments could inspire a new generation of Filipinos interested in the field of Space Science and Engineering.
“I believe this is a small leap to what the Philippines will achieve in the future in terms of space and space technology. Our work here may inspire and kindle the desire for young aspiring Filipinos who wish to pursue a career in this niche. With previously built satellites, it is this endeavor that proved that Filipinos can also do it,” he said.
“With the clamor to use space technology as part of solutions to solve not all but some problems encountered by our country, knowing our capability as a nation will stir innovation and creativity among future space scientists and engineers in our country.”
Back to The Nest
Although Asst. Prof. Purio is still not expected to be back at AdU in the near future as he is still finishing his Doctorate degree, administrators have already expressed great pride and outlooks from his achievements.
Dean Raguindin has already expressed interest and mentioned possibilities of offering space-related courses as electives or fields of specialization of undergraduate and graduate Engineering and programs.
“With the DOST- PCIEERD (Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development) and PhilSA’s creation, the Philippines has the potential to develop its [own] satellite, and hopefully, Adamson students and graduates are at the forefront: FALCON,” she added.
This echoed Asst. Prof. Purio’s comments on the Philippines’ and the University’s positive stances on space-related education, also mentioning that AdU’s recent membership to the Philippine Chapter of the University Space Engineering Consortium (UNISEC-Global) would be a definite boost for such endeavors.
“I am excited to see more students being trained, supported, and funded in these kinds of careers and projects,” he said. “I also believe Adamson University will begin to see this discipline as an important field.”
Beaming with pride for her faculty member, Dean Raguindin greeted him, practically, adopted son, for his achievements, assuring to always welcome him as he continues to embark on his journey.
“As you continue to explore and soar high, remember that you have your home at San Marcelino waiting for you. Adamson University is so proud of you,” she said.
Dr. Quevedo, meanwhile, applauded Asst. Prof. Purio’s modesty and perseverance to continue ‘soaring high’.
“His humility is apparent whenever he narrates his humble beginnings and unknowingly showing that he is one who will go far, for he has a vision of what he wants to be in the future. He is a young professional who is willing to invest time and talent in pursuing growth without expectations of immediate material reward,” she said.
“True enough, with this attitude, his return is boundless opportunities and bountiful blessings. He is a free-spirited, loyal and cheerful soul. I love Mark because he makes me feel fulfilled as a mentor and proud as one of his so-called mothers in the University.”
Asst. Prof. Purio returned the admiration, posting in social media an image of an online meeting with University administrators while thanking them for taking him in and believing in him.
“I am grateful [Adamson] saw potential in me and nurtured my capabilities until now. No words can express how happy I am to be surrounded by people who saw my worth and reinforced my weaknesses,” he wrote, also mentioning Adamson’s efforts in sending him to a myriad of seminars and trainings, and leading him to conference presentations and research publications in local and international journals – all while teaching in the University’s ECE Department.
“Your baby Falcon has now had wings to fly and will still soar high until I return to my nest again.”
