Dr. Maria Victoria O. Espaldon is UP Scientist I and Professor 12 at the School of Environmental Science and Management or SESAM, UPLB. She is Chair of the UPLB Climate and Disaster Risks Study Center and Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension from 2011-2014, Dean of SESAM from 2006-2011 and member of CHED Technical Committee for Environmental Science since 2007. She is at the forefront of research in the area of climate change adaptation, human dimensions of environmental changes; social safeguards and impact assessment and ecosystem assessment. She has over 80 scholarly publications along these themes. She is Program leader of DOST-PCAARRD funded SARAi (Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry) which aims to address climate change risks to agriculture production using state of the art science and technologies. At present, her efforts are focused on making S&T contribute to environmental restoration, climate change and disaster risk reduction and pursuit of climate resilient communities.
