Twenty SEARCA scholars from Cambodia (1), Indonesia (3), Lao PDR (5), Malaysia (1), Myanmar (1), the Philippines (4), Thailand (3), and Vietnam (2) have completed their graduate programs (12 MS, 8 PhD) during the School Year 2008/2009.

Of the new SEARCA alumni, 17 obtained their graduate degrees at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB); one at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM); one at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia; and one at Kasetsart University (KU), Thailand.

Graduate Alumni from UPLB

The 17 SEARCA alumni who obtained their graduate degrees at UPLB, their
nationality, degree program, field of specialization, and title of thesis/dissertation are:

Cambodian:

• Mr. Nov Vatthanak, Master of Public Affairs in Local Governance and Development, "Administrative Simplification as a Route to Local Administrative Reform: The Case of the One Stop Shop Window Service (OSWS) in Battambang District, Battambang Province, Cambodia." Mr. Vatthanak is Executive Assistant to the Deputy General Director of the Ministry of Rural Development;
  

Indonesians:

• Ms. Rahmawaty, PhD in Forest Resources Management, "Participation Land Use Allocation in Besitang Watershed, Langkat, North Sumatra, Indonesia." Ms. Rahmawaty is Permanent Lecturer and Department Head at Sumatera Utara University, Indonesia;
  • Mr. Rully Rahadian, PhD in Entomology, "Structure of Collembola Community and Its Nutrient Mineralization as Affected by Application of Different Organic Manures and Effective Microorganisms." Mr. Rahadian is Lecturer at Diponegoro University, Indonesia;
  

Laotians:

• Mr. Souvanthong Namvong, MS in Community Development, "Farmer Driven Approach and Its Contributions to Farmer Empowerment in the Village Extension System of Lao PDR." Mr. Namvong is Agricultural Extension and Planning Official at the National Agricultural and Forestry Extension Service;
  
• Mr. Keopeth Phoumphon, MS in Environmental Science, "Influence of Land Use Change and Watershed Degradation on Irrigation System in Sasaythong District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR." Mr. Phoumphon is Lecturer at the Irrigation Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos;
  
• Mr. Bouthsakone Inthalangsee, Master of Management in Development Management, "The Certification Process in Organic Rice Production: The Case of Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR." Mr. Inthalangsee is Technical Officer, Department of Agriculture Technical Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry;
  
• Mr. Bounmi Phommakone, MS in Environmental Sciences, "Impact of Climate Variability on Traditional Upland Rice Production and Farmers' Adaptation Mechanisms in Luangprabang Province, Lao PDR." Mr. Namvong is Agricultural Extension and Planning Official at the National Agricultural and Forestry Extension Service;
  

Myanmar:

• Mr. Kyaw Wai Naing, MS in Horticulture, "Seedling Tolerance of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Varieties to High Soil Aluminum Levels." Mr. Kyaw Wai Naing is Assistant Supervisor at the Vegetable and Fruit Research and Development Centre of the Myanma Agricultural Service;
  

Filipinos:

• Ms. Jane B. Tranquilan, PhD in Animal Science, "4-Methyloctanoic Acid and 4-Methylnonanoic Acid in Goat (Capra hircus L.) Meat as Affected by Castration and Nutrition." Ms Tranquilan is Instructor, Mindanao State University, Marawi City, Philippines;
  
• Mr. Ruel M Mojica, PhD in Agricultural Engineering, "Development, Evaluation, and Optimization of a Micro-controller-based Mechanical Coffee Roaster for Small-scale Roasting." Mr. Mojica is Instructor, Cavite State University, Philippines;
  
• Mr. Jupiter V. Casas, PhD in Forest Resources Management, "Local Governance as a Determinant to Sustainable Forest Development of Two Community Forestry Projects in the Province of Bukidnon, Philippines." Mr. Casas is Assistant Professor at Central Mindanao University, Philippines;
  
• Mr. Jay Ronel V. Conejos, MS in Animal Science, "Comparative Efforts of Mannan Oligosaccharide (MOS) and Doxcycline on the Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Intestinal Morphology of Swine (Sus domesticus)." He is Instructor 2 at UPLB;
  

Thais:

• Ms. Suwisar Ketin, MS in Agricultural Economics, "Economic Assessment of Mangosteen Farmers' Adoption of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) in Rayong Province, Thailand." Ms. Suwisar is Subject Matter Specialist, Office of Agricultural Extension and Development, Region 3, Tambol Noenpra, Amphoe Muang, Rayong Province, Thailand;
  
• Mr. Pattarawat Jeerapattanatorn, PhD in Community Development, "Sufficiency Economy Policy and Agricultural Extension Service in Phrae Province, Thailand." Mr. Pattarawat is Lecturer at KU, Thailand;
  
• Ms. Phikun Nuchnuanrat, PhD in Plant Pathology, "The Efficiency of Medicinal Plant Extracts for the Control of Crown Rot Fungi on Banana Fruits (Musa spp.)." Ms. Phikun is Lecturer at Queen Rambhai Bharni Rajabhat University, Thailand;
  

Vietnamese:

• Mr. Nguyen Duc Tung, MS in Entomology, "Efficacy of the Predatory Mite, Neoseiulus longis-pinosus (Evans) (ACAR: Phytoseiidae) to Control the Two-Spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (ACARI: Tetranychidae) on Green Bean and Acceptability of the Technology to Farmers in Hanoi, Vietnam." Mr. Tung is Lecturer at Hanoi Agricultural University (HAU), Vietnam; and
  
• Mr. Do Truong Lam, MS in Agricultural Economics, "Determinants in the Choice of Contract Arrangements in Swine Production in Hung Yen Province, Vietnam." Mr. Lam is Lecturer at HAU.

Graduate Alumni from Other Study Posts

Mr. I Wayan Budiasa, Indonesian, obtained his PhD in Agricultural Economics at UGM. The title of his dissertation is "Optimization of Groundwater Irrigation-based Farming System Towards Sustainable Agriculture in North Coastal Plain, Bali." Mr. Budiasa is Lecturer at Udayana University, Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Ms. Leng Min See completed her MS in Animal Genetics at UPM. Her thesis is titled "Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Loci in Giant Freshwater Prawns, Macrobrachium rosenbergii."

Mr. Chittakone Sisanonh, Laotian, obtained his MS in Soil Science at KU. His thesis is titled "Responses of Corn to Different Rates of Applied Phosphorus in Dystric Cambisols (CMd) ay Saenedine Village, Lao PDR." He is a Teacher at Dongkhaxang Technical Agriculture School, Lao PDR.

The 20 scholars who graduated during the period July 2008-June 2009 bring to 1,056 (448 PhD, 608 MS) the total number of SEARCA graduate alumni.