Editha Harder Mijares-Ardiente
Alumni Update

Sis Edith Mijares Ardiente, was given the prestigious Pamana Ng Pilipino (Heritage of the Filipino) Award by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at ceremonies held on December 7, 2006 at the President’s Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines.

The Presidential Awards for Filipino individuals and organizations overseas is a biennial awards system created by an Executive Order in 1991 and managed by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, to give recognition to Filipinos and other individuals and organizations that contribute to Philippine development and progress or promote the interests of overseas Filipino communities. The Pamana Ng Pilipino Award, one of the four categories of the Presidential Awards, is “conferred on Filipinos overseas, who,

in exemplifying the talent and industry of the Filipino, have brought the country honor and distinction in the pursuit of their work or profession.”

Sis Edith is the top environmental officer of International Truck and Engine Corporation (formerly International Harvester Company), a $9 billion Fortune 500 company with 16,000 employees, which she joined 20 years ago. She is responsible for establishing corporate environmental policies and guidelines and providing technical and regulatory assistance to all International locations and operations. Under her leadership, the company has been recognized for its environmental excellence and leadership as evidenced by over 100 environmental awards received by its operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and India. These awards were mostly for pollution prevention efforts on international brand commercial trucks, military vehicles, mid-range diesel engines and IC brand school buses and is a private label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets with documented savings of over 80 million dollars.

She was previously manager of environmental protection for Borg Warner Corporation (1986-1987); served as section chief for the hazardous waste permitting program and section chief of the air enforcement program at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 (1979-1986); and was senior chemical engineer for Sargent and Lundy Engineers (1973-1979). Prior to coming to the United States she was an engineering instructor at the University of San Agustin in the Philippines.

Sis Edith received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1966, valedictorian, magna cum laude from the University of San Agustin in the Philippines. In college, she was a full university academic scholar and a Philippine Science Development Board scholar. She received her M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She is a registered professional engineer (PE) and a qualified environmental professional (QEP).

In 2005, Sis Edith served as President of the International Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA), a 9000 member organization, with members in 65 countries; was a member of the People to People’s environmental exchange delegation to China; and was a Board member of the International Union of Air Pollution and Environmental Protection Associations.

From 1994 to 2004, she served as a member and later Chair of the Board of the Master’s in Environmental Management Program of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stuart School of Business. In 1993, she served as TOKTEN (Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals) consultant to the Philippines under the sponsorship of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the University of the Philippines and funded by the United Nations Development Program. In 2003, she was one of the committee chairs in the fundraising efforts to support Chicago’s John G. Shedd Aquarium’s Wild Reef Exhibit, featuring the many colorful coral reefs in the Philippines.

She received numerous awards for technical excellence and community service from several agencies and organizations, including but not limited to, Air and Waste Management Association, the Philippine Engineers and Scientists Organization (PESO), the State of Illinois Secretary of State, the Chicago Hall of Fame, the Asian American Institute, the Asian Leaders Association, the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce and the University of San Agustin Alumni Association (USAAA), Midwest Chapter. Ardiente was the second woman president of the 100-year old A&WMA, the first woman president of the 33-year old PESO and the founding president of the USAAA Midwest Chapter. She was the commencement speaker of the University of San Agustin’s graduating class of 1995 and was awarded the most outstanding alumna in the field of science and technology. In 2004, she was recognized as one of the “Outstanding 100 graduates of the century” of the University of San Agustin during the university’s centennial foundation celebration. In 2006, she was appointed by Francis Cardinal George to serve a three-year term with Chicago’s Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. She is a lector and a Eucharistic minister at her parish. She has lectured, written and presented papers on environmental management in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, China and Brazil.

Sis Edith lives in Orland Park, Illinois with her husband, Nestor Ardiente, an Augustinian alumnus and a retired mechanical engineer. They have two grown children, Dan and Kathy.