A son of a well-respected physician of Baguio City is one of this year’s 12 Outstanding Young Scientists for his works crucial for the next generation of quantum computing technologies.
Dr. Francis Norman C. Paraan, son of ophthalmologist Ronald Paraan and grandson of the late former Baguio mayor Francisco Paraan, is one of the recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Young Scientists Awards given by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).
The award is given annually to young Filipino scientists who have made significant contributions to science and technology in the field of Agricultural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Chemical, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Engineering Sciences and Technology; Health Sciences; and Social Sciences.
The NAST said the 37-year-old Paraan is a theoretical condensed matter physicist recognized for his scientific contributions to the fundamental understanding of how quantum effects can be used to measure and enhance an elusive quantity called entanglement, which is an important phenomenon for the next generation of quantum computing technologies.
Paraan has entered the fast-developing field of machine learning and is investigating image processing algorithms to improve computer vision.
He is currently working as associate professor at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman.
He is a member of the Structure and Dynamics Research Program of the National Institute of Physics where he served as coordinator from 2013 to 2017.
He has also served as the editor-in-chief of the Sama-hang Pisika ng Pilipinas (Physics Society of the Philippines) conference proceedings and took charge of integrating its submission, review, and publication workflow into a single web platform.
Paraan obtained his Bachelor of Science in Physics as summa cum laude in 2006 and Master of Science in Physics in 2007 from UP Diliman. He obtained his MA Physics in 2010 and PhD Physics in 2012 from the State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Paraan was born, raised, and spent his early education in the city. He studied elementary at Maryknoll Baguio and secondary at the Baguio City National High School Science Class.
“I hope the award inspires other young students of science to study and work harder to achieve their scientific goals,” Paraan said in a social media account post of NAST. – Hanna C. Lacsamana
April 23, 2024
