Dr. Mercedes B. Concepcion was the founding director ofthe University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI)from 1964 to 1985. A UP Diliman chemistry graduate (1951)and PhD Sociology alumna from the University of Chicago(1963), she made key contributions to international andnational population policy. In 1964, she was invited by theVatican to join the Birth Control Commission and laterbecame the first Filipina representative and chair (1969–1977) of the UN Population Commission.