Carmen Camacho Velasquez: A Pioneer in Parasitology
Dr. Carmen Camacho Velasquez was born in Bayambang, Pangasinan on August 7, 1913.
In 1934, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Under the guidance of helminthologist George R. La Rue in 1937, Velasquez earned her Master of Science in Zoology from the University of Michigan.
She returned to the Philippines in 1939, initiating a teaching career at her alma mater, UP Diliman.
While earning her Ph.D. in Parasitology from the University of the Philippines in 1954, Velasquez focused her groundbreaking research on the spread of ascaris eggs and their resistance in the Philippines, making her the first person to receive a Ph.D. in parasitology from the university.
By 1958, Velasquez became a member of the American Society of Parasitologists, receiving recognition for her dedication and achievements through Guggenheim Fellowships in 1957-1958 and in 1963.
In 1966, she assumed the role of assistant professor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
From 1973 to 1977, Velasquez held the Professional Chair in Zoology and chaired the Department of Zoology at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
Velasquez published "Digenetic Trematodes of Philippine Fishes," the first monograph dedicated to Southeast Asian fish parasitology in 1975. This work served as a guide for aquaculture and fisheries management, solidifying Velasquez's legacy in the scientific community.
Eventually, she is mainly known for her work on the taxonomy of Digenea and was the first to describe the parasitic nematode Capillaria philippinensis, which causes intestinal capillariasis in humans.
All in all, Dr. Velasquez discovered 32 new species and one new genus of digenetic trematodes from 13 Philippine food fishes, two from birds, and five from mammals, plus a new species of parasitic copepod in the goby fish, Glossogoblus giurus.
These discoveries are important not just in the natural sciences of zoology and parasitology, but in the applied science of aquaculture, fisheries, and fishery management, and in the fishery industries in general.
Recognizing her outstanding contributions, Velasquez received the title of National Scientist of the Philippines in 1983.
Furthermore, she received the following equally prestigious awards and honors: Presidential Distinguished Service Medal and Diploma of Honor (1965), Special Award of the Biology Teachers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (1975), and Outstanding Woman in Science in the Philippines (1975).
What’s more, Dr. Carmen Velasquez is recognized in the American Men and Women of Science. She is known in the International Who’s Who of Intellectuals and World Who’s Who of Women and International Scholars Directory because of her abundant discoveries.
In 1994, Dr. Velasquez passed away on October 16 in Quezon City, leaving behind a legacy of scientific excellence that continues to inspire and shape the field of parasitology in the Philippines and beyond.
Velasquez had three daughters with husband Gregorio T. Velasquez, a phycologist.
References:
http://www.famousfilipino.com/scientists-inventors/carmen-velasquez/
https://philippineculturaleducation.com.ph/velasquez-carmen-c/
https://philippineculturaleducation.com.ph/velasquez-carmen-c/
Anon. Apr-Sept 1989. In Memoriam. The Carillon Newsletter, p. 8.
Anon. Carmen C. Velasquez. http://www.nast.dost.gov.ph/pro_velasquez_c.htm. Retrieved: April 16, 2009
https://www.coursehero.com/file/83284228/Filipino-scientistdocx/
https://members.nast.ph/index.php/list-of-national-scientist/details/3/39
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1734821503335008&set=a.622337777916725
https://personalmemoir.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/carmen-c-velasquez/
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