August 3, 2026
UST Technovation Society bags four awards in inaugural year
by Aku, Nitya
[2 min read] — The UST Technovation Society (TechSoc) capped off its inaugural year with major recognitions at the Office for Student Affairs (OSA) Student Leadership, Excellence and Dedication (LEAD) Awards 2026, earning the Best New Organisation Award and the Pope Leo XIII Award for its flagship community development initiative, Civitas: Design Thinking for Change. Several members of its executive board were also honoured for their outstanding leadership and service, marking a milestone for the University's newest innovation-driven student organisation.
UST Technovation Society receiving the award/UST Office of Student Affairs
The UST Technovation Society (TechSoc) received the Best New Organisation Award at the Office for Student Affairs (OSA) Student Leadership, Excellence and Dedication (LEAD) Awards 2026 in its very first year of operations. Together with this, the organisation also clinched the Pope Leo XIII Award for its first community development event, Civitas: Design thinking for change, headed by former members of the society: President Castañeda, Wilmargherix M., Vice-president De Guia, Jasmine Aubrey U., Executive Associates: Jao, Shayne Luhmen B., Masiglat, Alea Grasha M., and Pangilinan, Jaiddie B.
Organised in partnership with the Interact Club of Kaunlaran High School, Civitas welcomed high school students from Grades 7 to 12 to an immersive, hands-on design thinking workshop conducted in three phases. In addition to the awards mentioned above, members of the executive board were also recognised during the event.
The Society’s outgoing President, Wilmargherix M. Casteñada of the College of Information and Computing Sciences (CICS), received the Organisational Leadership Excellence Award in recognition of his exceptional governance and leadership. Meanwhile, former TechSoc Auditor Mikyla Janelle S. Trinchera from the College of Accountancy received the Service Award for her dedication to student leadership and significant contributions to the organisation and the wider university community. According to the Office for Student Affairs (OSA), the awards recognise the organisation's meaningful activities that contributed to a richer campus life experience for the Thomasian community.
The UST Technovation Society is a University-wide organisation that aims to bridge industry gaps by focusing on Thomasian entrepreneurship and innovation. It also serves as a partner organisation to the Tomasino Centre (TIC), UST's official technology business incubator, which connects student innovators with mentors and industry experts. In its inaugural year, Technovation Society mounted several notable events, most recently the Hackathon 2026, where champions from the College of Education took home P15,000 in prize money.
READ: UST Technovation Society empowers student innovators in Hackathon 2026
UST Technovation Society is thankful to all its members and to the Thomasian community for their support. The organisation will remain committed to fostering more impactful events and contributing to excellence.
