Maria Regina 'Gina' M. Hechanova-Alampay is a full professor at the Psychology department of the Ateneo de Manila University and is currently Chief of Party of the USAID RenewHealth Project. Gina has a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Central Michigan University and obtained her M.A. in Psychology and B.S. degrees from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. A licensed psychologist, she is also an Internationally Certified Addiction Professional. She has over 25 years of experience as an HR and organization development practitioner and consultant in both in the Philippines and in the US. She was the Executive Director of the Ateneo Center for Organization Research and Development (Ateneo CORD), President of the Psychological Association of the Philippines. from 2012 to 2014, and Chair of the ADMU Psychology Department from 2013-2016. She also served as Chair of the PAP Special Interest Group on Substance Use Prevention and Treatment form 2017-2019.
In 1996, Gina received the UP Chancellor's Award for Most Outstanding Faculty for introducing innovations such as service learning in teaching. A prolific researcher, she was named Outstanding Young Scientist in 2005 by the National Academy of Science and Technology. She is passionate about making sure that psychological services are delivered to those who need it most and was project leader in mental health initiatives such as OFWOnline, Katatagan resilience program and Katatagan Online. In 2017, she lead the creation of the Katatagan Kalusagan at Damayan ng Komunidad (KKDK) program for community based drug rehabilitation that has been adopted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and cited by Dangerous Drugs Board as a model treatment program. In 2010, she was named one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS). In 2018, the Professional Regulatory Commission named her the Professional of the Year for Psychology for her contributions to the field. In 2021, she received the American Psychological Association Global Citizenship award for her work on community interventions.
In 1996, Gina received the UP Chancellor's Award for Most Outstanding Faculty for introducing innovations such as service learning in teaching. A prolific researcher, she was named Outstanding Young Scientist in 2005 by the National Academy of Science and Technology. She is passionate about making sure that psychological services are delivered to those who need it most and was project leader in mental health initiatives such as OFWOnline, Katatagan resilience program and Katatagan Online. In 2017, she lead the creation of the Katatagan Kalusagan at Damayan ng Komunidad (KKDK) program for community based drug rehabilitation that has been adopted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and cited by Dangerous Drugs Board as a model treatment program. In 2010, she was named one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS). In 2018, the Professional Regulatory Commission named her the Professional of the Year for Psychology for her contributions to the field. In 2021, she received the American Psychological Association Global Citizenship award for her work on community interventions.