Click HERE to register using code CP2023

Additional Information

Dr. Luis “Louie” Madamba Tupas

It is with great sadness that the family of Dr. Luis “Louie” Tupas announce his passing. Louie, age 61, of Vienna, VA passed away on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. Dr. Tupas was a member of the Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) and graduated in the second cohort of AAGEN’s Leadership Development Program, May 2014.

Louie was born and grew up in the Philippines thru his college years. He went to Ateneo de Manila Elementary School from 1968 to 1975, and to the Philippine Science High School Main Campus from 1975 to 1979. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1982 from the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus, majoring in Marine Sciences. He went to the University of Tokyo Ocean Research Institute for his Master of Science in Marine Science (1988) and his Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Science (1991). His Ph.D. dissertation was a joint advisory with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of Hawaii.

Louie started his professional career as a researcher at the Marine Science Institute (1982 – 1985), then as an instructor in the Department of Zoology (1983 – 1985), both at the University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus. He then served as a faculty member at the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 1991-2002. He began his federal government career in 2002 as a program director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). In 2004, he joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), now the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). He served at NIFA as a national program leader, division director, and deputy director for Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment. He joined the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 2020. His responsibilities included being the NRCS Research and Scientific Integrity Officer and co-executive leader of the USDA Climate Hubs.

At the time of his passing, Louie was serving as the Deputy Chief for Soil Science and Resource Assessment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). He provided leadership for various conservation and sustainable agriculture programs. He provided national leadership to address global change and climate impacts on agriculture, forestry, and other landscapes, and also developed and implemented strategies for sustainable natural resources utilization and environmental systems management. The work he supervised also promoted domestic and international partnerships and engagement through collaborative research, education, and outreach programs.

In 2005, Louie was awarded the Philippine Science High School Gawad Lagablab Award for Excellence and Distinguished Achievement in International Research (Oceanography). He was active with the University of the Philippines Alumni Association DC/MD/VA and served as Chapter President at the time of U.P.’s Centennial Celebration in 2008. He was also a member of Philippine American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE).

Louie was predeceased by his father, Mateo (1983), and his mother, Filonila (1992). He leaves behind his wife of 32 years, Jermelina, his son, Mishail (Miko), and his sister Maria Isabel (Marisa) Tupas-Morgan. He will be remembered most as an academic and for his public service, and he will be dearly missed by family, friends, and colleagues alike.