Prof. Erika Fille T. Legara

Master of Science in Data Science
Academic Program Director

Prof. Erika Fille T. Legara is the Aboitiz Chair in Data Science and Associate Professor at the Asian Institute of Management. She is also the Academic Program Director of the Master of Science in Data Science and the Deputy Managing Director of ACCeSs-AIM. She was recently awarded the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Outstanding Young Scientist in 2020.

Prof. Legara specializes in data-driven analytics and modeling, computational social science, network science, and agent-based modelling. Her current research is geared towards understanding complex systems through the data science lens and determining the mechanisms that drive and control them — from cities and societies, to financial and economic systems, and to business institutions.

She obtained her PhD in Physics from the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 2011 and received its Most Outstanding Graduate Student Award and the Edgardo Gomez Excellence in Dissertation Award.

Prior to joining AIM, Prof. Legara was a scientist at innovation think tank A*STAR, Singapore. At A*STAR, she was involved in multiple projects with various government agencies and industries, including multinational companies, either as a principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or research scientist.

In 2018, Prof. Legara was honored as one of the recipients of The Outstanding Young Men and Women (TOYM) award in education innovation. In June 2019, she made it to the Generation T Asia list — the definitive list of young leaders shaping Asia’s future – for her role in. equipping Filipinos for a data driven future.

In 2020, she was one of the recipients of Outstanding Young Scientist Award by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the highest recognition and scientific advisory body of the Philippines under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Just as important are her contributions to Philippine education, designing, and implementing the country’s first-ever data science program at AIM that has been ranked in the top 3 by Eduniversal among analytics programs in the whole of Far East Asia.

Together with Academician Christopher Monterola, PhD, she provides invaluable assistance in crafting the Philippine government’s AI roadmap.