Prof. Elvira A. Zamora, DBA
From being the first woman Dean of the UP Diliman College of Business Administration, as well as consultant and project leader of various development projects, Dr. Elvira A. Zamora is taking on a new challenge – that of working with UP President Alfredo E. Pascual and his executive team as the Vice-President for Development.
“I feel challenged [about the work],” says Zamora. “Even before I took over, I was already meeting with the people involved, like former Vice-President Armin B. Sarthou, and I already knew at the time that the job won’t be easy. I think the main charge for all of us Vice-Presidents is to pick up from and sustain whatever [our predecessors] have accomplished, then add on to these accomplishments.”
The job, according to Zamora, will involve extensive networking with individuals and sectors within the UP System, and with external stakeholders including the alumni and potential investors. “The main role of my office and the offices under me would be to find new sources of revenue, specifically by looking at how existing resources of the University could be optimally utilized.”
Another responsibility of the Office of the Vice-President for Development is to ensure and enhance the interconnectedness of all the University’s constituent units (CUs). “That will probably be one of our major projects—how to ensure connectedness in order to create a central or shared database so that decision-making would be quicker.”
Just like the other Vice-Presidents, Zamora knows the need for seamless coordination and mutual support among the members of President Pascual’s executive team. “Most of the things we plan to do we cannot do by ourselves. I have to work closely with the Vice-President for Legal Affairs, with the Vice-President of Administration, with the Budget Office, with the Office of the Secretary of the University, with Public Affairs and especially with Academic Affairs. Team work is definitely a must.”
Zamora is well-prepared for the job due to her training, experience and expertise in management education, specifically in the fields of project management, operations management, management of innovation, management of emerging technologies, operations research/management science and technology-based entrepreneurship. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in 1976, her Master of Business Administration degree in 1981 and her Doctor of Business Administration degree in 1989, all from the UP College of Business Administration. She also completed the Manufacturing Executive Program of the Michigan Business School (Hong Kong Training Center) through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Engineering and Science Education Program. She also trained under the Faculty Development Program under the UP-RDBA/ADSGM supported by the Canadian International Development Agency. She was involved in the Exchange Program in Japanese Management and International Relations of the Institute for International Studies and Training in Japan.
Besides the deanship of the UP College of Business Administration from August 1, 1998 to July 31, 2001, Zamora also served as Director of the UP Diliman Technology Management Center from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1999, and as Chair of the UP CBA’s Department of Business Administration from October 1989 to December 1996. She currently serves as consultant for the Business Processing Association of the Philippines and the Science and Technology Institute.
She is a member of the UP Diliman Committee on Scholarships and Financial Assistance. She is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Future Business School in Kolkata, India, and of the Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She is associate editor of the Journal of Asia Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, a member of the Asia Pacific Roundtable on Cleaner Production and a member of the Board of Editors of the St. Paul University Quezon City Research Journal.
She has published papers on technology management, technology education and training, and operations management in Philippine industries, among others, in respected publications like the Philippine Review of Economics and Business, Philippine Management Review, Asia Pacific Management Review and Journal of Operations Research.
She has been a full-time faculty member of the UP CBA for the past 31 years. She teaches one undergraduate class, one MBA class and one class at the TMC this semester, which coupled with her work as VP for Development means a tight schedule at least for the remainder of the semester. “It will be a challenge of time management,” she admits, “but after that, I’ll revise my schedule so I can focus on the work here. I’m required to just teach one course a year at my college, and at the TMC I have already committed to teaching one course a year, so I’ll have more time [after this semester].”
If she is not working, Zamora, a resident of Area 2, UP Campus, spends time with her husband and visits her mother, her three sisters and their families.
When asked about her outlook for the next six years, Zamora relates an experience she had during the February 10 turnover and inauguration ceremony. “While President Roman delivered her valedictory speech, I was thinking that six years from now, that person is going to be President Pascual. He’s going to enumerate his accomplishments, so I have to make a contribution to that speech. That was what was playing in my mind.”
With all her credentials and qualifications, for Zamora the most important qualities she brings to the job are her sincerity and ability not just to work hard, but to work smart. “I tell my students, ‘don’t think of it as working hard. Think of it as working smart.’ And in fact, if you like your job, then it’s not work at all. You should enjoy what you do.” And while it might be a little too soon for her to enjoy her work as Vice-President of Development, she adds with a smile: “I plan to enjoy it, so that work will not be so hard.”
She joins the rest of the executive team in calling for the support and cooperation of the UP community. “Based on the vision of President Pascual, we would like to ensure that the concerns of all stakeholders of the University are addressed—and this means the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and all the communities that play a role in the University.”
