Amando Kapauan
Encyclopedia
Amando Kapauan was a chemist and researcher. He graduated magna cum laude from University of the Philippines, Diliman
in 1952, with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry
. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Southern California
in 1959.
In the Ateneo de Manila University
Department of Chemistry, he worked on inorganic and physical chemistry, particularly on radioactive bromine. With other colleagues, he initiated investigations in the 1970s on heavy metals analysis in our environment. He was among the first to look into the problem of mercury
in the environment, and he designed the appropriate equipment for mercury analysis in water, fish and soil.
Kapauan linked with international groups, taught one of the first environmental chemistry courses in the country, and involved himself in policies on urban-rural planning.
He later went into the field of electronics, specifically chemical instrumentation. Together with Fr. William Schmitt, S.J., they pioneered the maintenance, design and modification of instruments.
Kapauan’s first publication appeared in the Journal of Chemical Education
in May 1973.
He also started to interface traditional instruments with the increasingly popular PC. By the 1980s, his students were designing software for them, including Fourier Transform of signals. He redesigned a spectrophotometer with vacuum-tube technology into one with solid-state technology, run by a PC with software written by his students.
He designed and built new electrochemical systems, which merited publications in Analytical Chemistry (the leading journal of analytical chemistry worldwide). This was an honor considering that these were the few, if not the only, international publications done by one Filipino, entirely in the Philippines
.
He continued to find applications for these electrochemical systems, dreaming that they might be distributed to data stations all over the country for trace analysis of metals and for mapping of water quality.
He was one of the founders of the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and one of the architects of the Ph.D. program of the UP-Ateneo-DLSU Chemistry Consortium. He moved into environmental concerns and microelectronics in the infant stages of their applications in chemistry.
He wrote a college textbook, “General Chemistry,” with Amando Clemente and Antonio I. de Leon. He made “Cardboard Orbital Domain Models” and published this in J. Chem. Ed. in August 1966.
His 1967 Unesco stint in Thailand
brought together a series of innovative experiments for “lab-less” high schools, which was eventually published as a book, “Creative Chemistry.”
Kapauan replaced expensive equipment with materials he bought from the grocery, hardware, photo supply and the drugstore. He taught his students to do audio-visuals, including 8-mm animated films, molecular models, and computer-aided instruction.
Kapauan died on October 12, 1996.
University of the Philippines, Diliman
The University of the Philippines Diliman , is a coeducational and public research university located in Quezon City, Philippines. It is the flagship university, seat of administration, and the fourth oldest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System...
in 1952, with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1959.
In the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
Department of Chemistry, he worked on inorganic and physical chemistry, particularly on radioactive bromine. With other colleagues, he initiated investigations in the 1970s on heavy metals analysis in our environment. He was among the first to look into the problem of mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
in the environment, and he designed the appropriate equipment for mercury analysis in water, fish and soil.
Kapauan linked with international groups, taught one of the first environmental chemistry courses in the country, and involved himself in policies on urban-rural planning.
He later went into the field of electronics, specifically chemical instrumentation. Together with Fr. William Schmitt, S.J., they pioneered the maintenance, design and modification of instruments.
Kapauan’s first publication appeared in the Journal of Chemical Education
Journal of Chemical Education
The Journal of Chemical Education is a monthly peer-reviewed academic journal available in both print and electronic versions. It is published by the Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society and was established in 1924...
in May 1973.
He also started to interface traditional instruments with the increasingly popular PC. By the 1980s, his students were designing software for them, including Fourier Transform of signals. He redesigned a spectrophotometer with vacuum-tube technology into one with solid-state technology, run by a PC with software written by his students.
He designed and built new electrochemical systems, which merited publications in Analytical Chemistry (the leading journal of analytical chemistry worldwide). This was an honor considering that these were the few, if not the only, international publications done by one Filipino, entirely in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
He continued to find applications for these electrochemical systems, dreaming that they might be distributed to data stations all over the country for trace analysis of metals and for mapping of water quality.
He was one of the founders of the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and one of the architects of the Ph.D. program of the UP-Ateneo-DLSU Chemistry Consortium. He moved into environmental concerns and microelectronics in the infant stages of their applications in chemistry.
He wrote a college textbook, “General Chemistry,” with Amando Clemente and Antonio I. de Leon. He made “Cardboard Orbital Domain Models” and published this in J. Chem. Ed. in August 1966.
His 1967 Unesco stint in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
brought together a series of innovative experiments for “lab-less” high schools, which was eventually published as a book, “Creative Chemistry.”
Kapauan replaced expensive equipment with materials he bought from the grocery, hardware, photo supply and the drugstore. He taught his students to do audio-visuals, including 8-mm animated films, molecular models, and computer-aided instruction.
Kapauan died on October 12, 1996.