Dr. Ester B. Ogena was elected as the 10th PNU President and officially assumed office on 1 January 2011. She was Director of the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology. She served both the science and education communities in various capacities.

Dr. Ogena is an educator, researcher, writer, and editor. She has written more than 77 technical papers and authored books in mathematics education, science education and gender, among others.

She earned her PhD in Educational Research and Evaluation and Masters degree in Mathematics Education from the University of the Philippines in 1990 and 1978, respectively. She holds a BSE degree in Mathematics, Magna Cum Laude, from the Philippine Normal University (1976). The eldest daughter of Juan Villezar Ogena, government employee, and Benigna Balating Ogena, teacher, Dr. Ogena was born in Muntinlupa on January 23, 1955.

Dr. Ogena made significant contributions in the sectors of science and education and in human resource development that have lasting impact for the country. For this, she has been recognized by various award giving bodies, among these are: One of the The Outstanding Women for Nation’s Service (TOWNS)-Award for Education in 1998, the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award in 2003 and the Most Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Philippine Normal University in 1992 and the Golden Award as Woman Achiever in S&T by the National Council of Women in the Philippines in 1996. She was also cited as one of the Champions of the Philippine Book Industry by the National Book Development Board in 2006. In 2007, she received the National Research Council Achievement Award. Recently, she received the Leadership in Education Award from the UP College of Education Alumni Association, Inc. She was also recognized by an honor society Pi Lamda Theta, Philippines area chapter, for her demonstration of excellent leadership in education.

Dr. Ogena sits in various agencies providing contribution to national development efforts, among them are: Member of the International Council of Science Review Panel on Science Education, Member of the Science and Technology Committee of the UNESCO National Commission, Member of the Board of the College of Education at De La Salle University, and Member of the Steering Committee of the K-12 Program of the Department of Education, and others. She previously sat as member and Vice-Chair of the Governing Board of the Regional Center for Science and Mathematics in Penang Malaysia, for two terms, member of the Standing Committee of the International Association on the Assessment Educational Achievements (IEA) based in the Netherlands, and was the former APEC International Coordinator for Human Resource Development for Industry and Technology (HURDIT). Dr. Ogena was the Program Manager of the Science Education Component of the DOST-World Bank “Engineering and Science Education Project.” Moreover, she was a consultant of World Bank-DepEd on the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) and the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta for the assessment of its gender program.

Dr. Ogena has taught at UP College of Education.  At present she is a lecturer at PNU and the UP-Open University.