Assistant Professor Frances Anthea R. Redison of the Division of Social Sciences is the new director of the Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her three-year term will start on 16 August 2022.
Redison, who hails from Ibajay, Aklan, teaches historiography, gender, and history courses at UP Visayas. She holds a Master of Arts in History degree from the Ateneo De Manila University (2017-2019) and a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science-History) from the University of the Philippines Visayas (2009-2013).
She was a Research Grantee of the Center for Japanese Studies’ Incorporating Southeast Asian Perspectives into Japanese Studies and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa in 2018. From 2017-2018, she was a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) K to 12 Scholar and recipient of the Sumitomo Foundation Research Grant.
Redison was the project leader of “Bridging the Past, Sailing the Future, History to the (and by) the People under the Tourism Studies on Island-Based Opportunities for Growth (TSIBOG) in Western Visayas (2021-2022) Program implemented by CHED and UPV.
She has presented papers at local and international conferences. She has published in internationally-refereed journals on topics such as women and gender studies, local history and traditions, Japanese occupation, and the colonial Philippines, among others. Moreover, Redison handled research and public service projects in various capacities as the main researcher and project leader. She has also served as a resource person at various training programs and fora.
Recognizing the role of CWVS as a repository, research hub, and catalyst of knowledge and activities geared towards the preservation, promotion, and dissemination of West Visayan historico-cultural heritage, Redison will focus on the following programs of action: actively involve the UPV community in the CWVS research mandate, improve democratization of research and knowledge production, provide technical assistance to and foster partnerships with various sectors, increase engagement with indigenous cultural communities in the region, and enhance office operations, competence, and staff development. (Mr. Sasha Dioso, CWVS)
