The 16th President of Universidad de Manila

Ma. Felma Carlos-Tria, Ed.D. is currently the University President and Chief Academic and Executive Officer of Universidad de Manila (UDM), following her unanimous election by the UDM’s Board of Regents in August 2021. 

The Universidad de Manila (UDM), formerly known as City College of Manila, was established in 1995 pursuant to Ordinance No. 7885 enacted by the City Council of Manila during the administration of Mayor Alfredo S. Lim. It pioneered free tertiary education for the underprivileged but deserving youth who did not have the financial capabilities to obtain a college education so they can improve their lives in a holistic manner. The University offers Senior High School, Undergraduate, Graduate, Micro-credentialing, and Industry Training Programs. 

Dr. Tria has been an academician for 20 years — Professor – Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), Southville International School and Colleges (SISC), Southville International School Affiliated with Foreign University (SISFU) – Pearson, International College of Hospitality Management, Australia, and International Hotel School, Isle of Man; Administrator – Dean, Undergraduate, Graduate, and International Programs Director.

Dr. Tria has been active in local and international linkages such as partnerships between UDM and the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) for its Green Environment Advocacy programs, the formulation of UDM’s Barangay Governance Program sponsored by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) – Manila, and forging partnerships with Huawei-ICT Academy/Talent Alliance and other Universities in Asia. She is also part of extension services and outreach activities through the SEED Foundation and Asian Federation of Student Leaders (AFSL).

Dr. Tria is a Team Leader, Assessor, and Ambassador of  the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Competitiveness Bureau’s Philippine Quality Award and one of the panelists for its 4th Annual Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Academic Symposium under the Professional category, an Accreditor of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), and a member of the Association of Local Colleges Universities (ALCU). 

She was instrumental to Southville College Division having been  granted the Autonomous Status – the youngest institution to receive this honor from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) when she was its Director. Dr. Tria has also received several awards in educational administration from EDXEL USA and the COTS Star Teacher with Administrative Position Award from the Private Higher Education Institutions Inc. Consortium of the South, 1st Runner Up to name a few.

Furthermore, she has an extensive research involvement through organization of conferences, publications, and presentations in countries like the US, Dubai, and Hong Kong in the areas of Media Communication Literacy, Educational Administration, and Information Communication Technology.

She obtained her doctorate degree in Educational Administration and her Master of Arts in Communication Management in PLM and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP). She has earned academic units from the same University in the program Doctor of Philosophy in Media Studies as a Presidential Scholar, Education course from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). She is an alumna of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of National University of Singapore having finished the executive program Transforming Higher Education Leaders Through Effective Policy Reforms by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) and currently enrolled in the executive program Global Academic Leadership at the Asian Institute of Management as a scholar of the Commission on Higher Education.