Dr. Maripet David joined UA&P in 1992 when it was still CRC (Center for Research and Communication), four years after it established the College of Arts and Sciences. She taught at the Department of Philosophy until 2009, after which she moved to the Department of Natural Sciences. She was a member of the Biology Teachers Association of the Philippines as well as the Philosophical Association of the Philippines. She retired from UA&P at the end of the academic year in 2020, having finished half a semester of emergency remote teaching called for by the pandemic.
Colleagues remember Dr. Maripet David, who returned to her Creator three months ago.
“You had to have been a friend of Maripet to see her real self,” wrote Dr. Florencio Gaa, dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE).
“Maripet” was Biology professor Dr. Sofia Maria Perpetua A. David, who passed away on October 22, 2021.
“To many students, she seemed to be a stern and exacting task master, but she was nothing like that to her friends. Her mentees, of course, knew her differently. To them and to us, her colleagues in SSE, she was a very dear person, always thoughtful and ready to help.”
This readiness to help was seen in her many acts of service to the University. From 1995 to 2002, Dr. Maripet David held administrative positions in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), beginning at the departmental level and lastly serving as assistant to the Dean. During those years, she saw and took part in the organizational and curricular changes that the College underwent, as it tried out ways of carrying out more effectively its mission of providing liberal education. Those were also the years that CRC became UA&P, which grew in size in terms of academic programs, student population, and therefore in faculty. CAS being the gateway to the specialization programs, the volume of Dr. David’s work also grew in volume and complexity.
When Dr. David moved to the Department of Natural Sciences, which eventually separated from CAS to form part of the newly established School of Sciences and Engineering, she was able to start in earnest her doctoral studies in which she chose to focus on biology education. Having devoted her energies to both the arts and the sciences, she was known for her efforts to integrate written, oral, and visual communication instruction in science courses. Students remember her comments posted on the online Freedom Wall, particularly those that corrected ungrammatical posts.
Underneath this preference for precision in words was a genuine concern for her students.
“Before the pandemic, I approached her concerning one of her mentees,” recalled Ms. Shirley Tolentino, a member of the SSE administrative staff. “During our conversation, I felt that she was truly a sincere mentor, willing to go out of her way to help her mentee. After that, she shared an inspirational video about life and made a short explanation about it, with a very optimistic and encouraging tone. That was unplanned. I really appreciated that kind gesture from her.”
SSE faculty member Ms. Mary Chona del Castillo looked back on how Dr. David cherished the moments she spent with her students. “She appreciated simple things, like observing her students while they work in the laboratory – at times taking photos of them – or tasting the ice cream that my chemistry students made. We used to share a good laugh during our free time in the lab.”
Even colleagues felt Dr. David’s warmth and kindness.
“Perhaps it was her age that made her a bit of a mother and she acted the part,” Dr. Gaa recollected. “She used to tell the younger male teachers that they needed a haircut, or that their clothes did not match, or something to that effect. She had a sense of humor and could give off a hearty and uninhibited laugh when someone made a joke or even pulled her leg.”
Ms. del Castillo narrated, “I met Ms. David for the first time on my first faculty meeting in the Science Department in 2008. She approached me and casually asked about the subject I would be teaching that semester. She then smiled and informed me that I would enjoy teaching at UA&P since the students are fantastic, and that I need not be concerned because she and the other science instructors will be there to help me if I need it. She didn’t realize it, but her words of encouragement boosted my confidence as a new instructor and inspired me to give it my all.”
Ms. Tolentino shared, “If there were opportunities to see each other in UA&P, especially in the CAS elevator, she would always ask ‘Kumusta naman?’ I also remember her giving me a pair of shoes in 2011, and on another year a Christmas card with a personalized message.”
“Also, working with her and his brother Dr. Panfilo David, I knew that she was a loving and thoughtful sister,” Ms. Tolentino added. Dr. Maripet’s younger brother, Dr. Panfilo Amadeo David, also teaches Biology at SSE.
“Ms. David’s absence will leave a void in the Science Lab,” Ms. del Castillo concluded. And in the hearts of those whom she touched.#
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