ANNOUNCEMENT
The Department of Biology, College of Science, UP Baguio warmly welcomes our new Department Chairperson, Assoc. Prof. Liezel M. Magtoto, PhD! 
Assoc. Prof. Magtoto earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from UP Baguio, an MS Biological Sciences, ππ’π πππ’ππ, from Saint Louis University, and a PhD Botany from UP Los BaΓ±os, where her dissertation examined the taxonomy of Philippine π΄ππππ ππ species.
Over two decades of dedicated service at UP Baguio, she has risen through the ranks to Associate Professor and since 2022, has been the Director of the Office of Student Affairs in charge of student welfare, scholarships and financial assistantce, and student-related programs across campus.
As a field botanist and plant taxonomist, Assoc. Prof. Magtoto leads projects on urban biodiversity, invasive species, and nativeβplant conservation. Her work includes the discovery of several new Philippine plant species, such as π΄ππππ ππ πππππππβππ and π΅ππππππ ππππππ. She is also a member of several academic and professional organizations such as Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, Inc., Lichenological and Bryological Society of the Philippines, Association of Systematic Biologists of the Philippines, Philippine Society for the Study of Nature, and the National Research Council of the Philippines.
Join us in congratulating Chair Liezel on this wellβdeserved appointment. We look forward to her rooted leadership as she helps our department flourish! 
