04/08/2026
Can science change the way you see life?
In this inspiring Graduation Message, Dr. Joel Tiu Maquiling reminds us that more than formulas and equations, science is a way of understanding the world and using knowledge to serve others.
He shares how science has the power to create, innovate, and transform industries, businesses, and communities. But with that same power comes responsibility. Science can also destroy, which is why it must always be used for the good of society.
As our graduates begin a new chapter, Dr. Maquiling leaves them with a timeless reminder: the only constant in this world is change. Life will continue to move from simple to complex, and through every transition, the goal is to find your equilibrium.
This is a message not just for our graduates, but for anyone navigating change and searching for purpose.
Watch the full Graduation Speech and be inspired.
Dr. Joel Tiu Maquiling is a tenured faculty and resident geophysicist at the School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University.
He holds a PhD in Geophysics (Universita degli Studi di Padova, Italy), MSc in Physics (Ateneo) and BSc in Physics (PNC). He is currently Chair and Associate Professor at the Ateneo Department of Physics. He concurrently holds the position of Head of the Ateneo Geophysics Research (Geo-R) and the Manila Observatory GeoDynamics Research (GDR) Laboratories.
He mentors and advises both undergraduate and graduate students in research dealing with geohazards and modeling, modeling the behavior of geophysical fluids (including the aerosolization of the SARS-CoV-2), granular matter behavior and dynamics, rheology, theoretical and computational fracture mechanics, seismology, soil physics, and soil stability analysis.
He is a member of the Disaster Science research team of the Ateneo Research Institute of Science and Engineering (ARISE) and is a consultant of the OML Climate Center for building resilient communities. He is also an active member of the Ateneo Science Education program. He publishes in international ISI- and SCOPUS-indexed scientific journals in geophysics, pure and applied physics, disaster science, and physics education.
He is a member of several learned societies and organizations, notably the European Geosciences Union (EGU), the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), the European Physical Society (EPS), the American Physical Society (APS), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Optical Society of America (OSA), and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).
