ISAAA, Inc. Announces New Appointments to Boost the Global Knowledge Center on Biotechnology

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, Inc. (ISAAA Inc.) is proud to announce the new appointments of two long-serving staff members who will further strengthen the organization's efforts to advance knowledge-sharing initiatives on agricultural biotechnology: Ms. Kristine Grace N. Tome as the Manager of the Global Knowledge Center on Biotechnology (GKC) and Ms. Clement Dionglay as Program Officer II.

In her new role as the GKC Manager, Ms. Tome will oversee the design and implementation of local and international projects, spearhead communication research, and cultivate donor care initiatives to strengthen partnerships. Since 2010, she has honed her skills in project management and science communication at ISAAA Inc., where she has been involved in several capacity-building and knowledge management programs and projects with partnering organizations, including the John Templeton Foundation, 2Blades Foundation, and the Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Biotechnology Program of the Department of Agriculture.

Ms. Tome is an award-winning writer and an accomplished author with over 40 publications specializing in GM crops, animal biotechnology, and science communication. She serves as the Principal Investigator for a comprehensive 24-year longitudinal study on Philippine media reportage of biotechnology, as well as research into the science communication perspectives of Southeast Asian academics and cartoonists' visual representation of biotechnology.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) with a degree in Biology, Ms. Tome is currently advancing her expertise through Master of Development Communication at the UP Open University. Her specialized training includes a certificate in Designing Effective Science Communication from the University of Colorado Boulder, as well as a series of regulatory workshops hosted by the ASEAN, APEC, and Murdoch University. Beyond her technical proficiency, she brings a collaborative and strategic leadership style to ISAAA, dedicated to amplifying the impact and global reach of biotechnology across Asia and beyond.

As Program Officer II, Ms. Dionglay will lead and oversee high-impact projects with key partners, supporting the organization's mission to advance knowledge sharing across the agribiotech landscape. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Project Associate at ISAAA Inc., where she played a key role as a publications designer, writer of Biotech Updates and Science Speaks blog, and a social media manager, where she helped design communicationcampaigns on crop biotechnology, climate change, Filipino farmers, and women in science. Ms. Dionglay is an award-winning journalist, a recipient of the Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism in 2015. Her articles have been published in local newspapers and international newsletters. She pioneered the use of infographics, illustrated booklets, and magazines to share the benefits of biotech crop adoption and enhance the learning experience of multiple stakeholders. Ms. Dionglay studied Development Communication at UPLB and finished a degree in English at the Asian Institute for Distance Education. She is currently studying to become a lawyer.

ISAAA Inc. highlighted that Ms. Tome and Ms. Dionglay's appointments build on their distinguished careers as science communicators. Ms. Tome and Ms. Dionglay have been active members of the Science Communicators Philippines (SciCommPH), the country's leading organization for promoting science-based discourse. Their new appointments will enhance ISAAA's knowledge-sharing efforts, ensuring the efficiency and impact of its initiatives.

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