New Vice President for Higher Education (Memo # U2526-067)

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I am pleased to announce that at its meeting on 7 February 2026, the Ateneo de Manila Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr Czarina A Saloma-Akpedonu as the next Vice President for Higher Education (VPHE) for a 3-year term from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2029.

Dr “Bopeep” Saloma-Akpedonu is the current Dean of the Dr Rosita G Leong School of Social Sciences, a position she has held since 2021. A seasoned administrator, she joined Ateneo de Manila in 1994, serving as a researcher, faculty member, and leader across various departments. She is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (2005-2010; 2017-2018) and served as Director of the Institute of Philippine Culture (2007-2013). From 2019 to 2021, she chaired the University Committee on Decorum and Investigation.

Dr Saloma-Akpedonu earned her Doctorate in Sociology from Universität Bielefeld, Germany (2002), an MA in Population Science from Peking University, PR China (1994), and a BA in Sociology from the University of the Philippines Diliman (1991).

Outside the University, Bopeep actively engages in leadership roles and consultancy work for local and international institutions. She currently serves as Trustee of Ateneo de Naga University, member of the Commission on Higher Education Technical Panel for General Education and for Sociology, member of the Steering Committee of the ASEAN University Network on Ecological Education and Culture, and corporation member of the John J Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues. She served as president of the Women’s and Gender Studies Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Sociological Society, and as vice president of the International Sociological Association Research Committee on the Sociology of Science and Technology. Bopeep held visiting researcher positions and professorships at Universität Bielefeld, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Universidade do Porto.

An accomplished scholar working across academic and applied contexts, Bopeep has received various awards for her scholarly publications. She was named “Outstanding Young Scientist” by the National Academy of Science and Technology in 2007. Her work focuses on knowledge mobilization in relation to the built environment, responsible consumption and production, and social development. She promotes a problem-solving mode in social science engagement.

On behalf of the University, I thank Bopeep for her magnanimity in accepting this critical responsibility and mission. With her academic credentials, leadership experience, and ability to convene, listen, and validate people, I am confident that she will foster a culture of inclusivity and excellence in Higher Education.

As we welcome Bopeep, we express our profound gratitude to Dr Maria Luz “Marlu” C Vilches for her Ignatian generosity in shepherding the Higher Education community as Vice President for Higher Education since June 2023, and for serving as Vice President for the Loyola Schools from June 2016 to May 2023.

I would also like to thank the Search Committee for their dedication and thorough conduct of the search process: Dr Fernando T Aldaba (Chair), Dr Maria Resurreccion P Alejo, Mr Joselito C Olpoc, Fr Francis D Alvarez SJ, Dr Priscilla Angela T Cruz, Dr Erees Queen B Macabebe, Dr Oscar G Bulaong Jr, Dr Lourdes Bernadette S Tanchanco and the Office of the Vice President for University Human Resources led by Dr Maria Victoria T Cortez for providing secretarial assistance.

Let us support Dr Saloma-Akpedonu with our prayers as she embarks on her new role as the next Vice President for Higher Education. May the Holy Spirit provide her with light and wisdom to be a faithful steward in this shared mission we call Ateneo de Manila.