CAS Dean Dr. Illenberger (right) with her secretary Mrs. Emcy Sanchez.

Outgoing College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Anita Umali Illenberger (“Mamita” to her friends and associates) shares her experiences at Central Philippine University after retiring from her job—her love of Central and how it developed her as a self- empowered personality. Dr. Illenberger leaves a hallmark of self-empowerment with Central Philippine University.

Dr. Illenberger believes that “good education and exposure can give an individual the required skills and expertise to compete globally.” She had a visiting scholarship in the US at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. This afforded her the opportunity to pursue language research and acquire further training in language teaching with specialization on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

With that and other valuable disciplines from her seminars and trainings here and abroad, she is leaving behind to help students in communication arts, languages, and other departments under her unit. Furthermore, according to Dr. Illenberger, “personality development, an integral part of every graduate in career development must be driven by self-empowerment.”

There is more to the valuable ideas that Dr. Illenberger leaves behind from her day-to-day encounters; interpersonal relations and interactions that she deems beneficial to the youth of Central today and in the future. Putting them together in her book published in 2016, entitled Self- Empowerment: Contextualizing the Humaneness of Being and Becoming, is one of her valuable achievement.

In her book, Illenberger shares self-empowerment, healthy living, interpersonal relationships, career development, among others. For all intent, she developed her book Self-Empowerment to be used as instructional material for her class in the doctoral level. Dr. Illenberger is a writer, editor, and co-author of other books and handbooks in CPU, and some publishing houses in Manila.

Illenberger earned her Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila and her Master of Education from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She holds a Doctor of Education degree from Central Philippine University.

The “ever-young” looking dean has worked with several socio-cultural and humanities projects in the university particularly as Cultural affairs Director of CPU. Dr. Illenberger also worked as Associate Professor, Instructor and Teacher at Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, and Camp Aguinaldo High School before she joined Central Philippine University in 1990.

Dr. Illenberger has been a Full Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor since she joined CPU. She became the Chairperson of the Department of Languages, Mass Communication and Humanities of the College of Arts and Sciences in CPU from June 1998 to May 2001 and was appointed Director of the CPU Cultural Affairs Office from June 2001 to May 2011. She was OIC-Dean and Acting Dean of the CPU College of Arts and Sciences from June 2011 to May 2012 and June 2012 to May 2013, respectively.

She noted that “my love for the University touches on my students, co-teachers, department chairs, my staff, and the CPU Alumni Association where she sits as member of the Board of Trustees. Being the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences is the position she held from June 2013 until her retirement on May 31, 2018.

Dr. Illenberger is married to Captain Gabriel Alfredo V. Illenberger and with whom she has three children: Niño Gabriel, Gaviannie and Lady Fatima Kristen plus six grandchildren- Enzo, Gavin, Andrew, Estelle Rae, and Aires Gabriellie.