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IN THE NEWS MARCH 18, 2001 Copyright ©1999, 2000, 2001 by Basta Pinoy News All rights reserved. Basta Pinoy!™ News, Asiana Post™, Radio-TV Pilipino Network™ area Trade Marks of Basta Pinoy News Terms of Use. Privacy Policy. |
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Ken Ilio : This doctor weaves By MG Llamas CHICAGO, IL (BASTA PINOY NEWS) -- If you tried, could you imagine one of your neighbors to be a Ph.D. in Vet Med, the writer of a short story for an Asian American Studies course, the incorporator of soc.culture.Filipino on Usenet, a professional photographer, a stereophile and movie buff, a Web site developer, and an entrepreneur all in one? If you live along Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, you don't need to imagine because this man is your neighbor, and his name is Dr. Kenneth Y. Ilio. Ken Ilio, who owns the e-mail address "kadena@filipinolinks.com" hails from a small town in the middle of Panay Island. Raised by a mother who was a teacher and philanthropist, and a father who is also a professor, an engineer, historian, writer, and poet, it is not surprising that Sir Ken blazed a global path within the academe. Graduating from the University of the Philippines, he pursued his master's degree at Massey University in New Zealand, and his doctorate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He taught for a while at the UP College of Vet Med but soon found himself imparting knowledge and conducting postdoctoral research in the renowned colleges and universities in Chicago. As if he wasn't busy enough, Ken became one of the pioneers of what we now know as the Internet. Here's his story: "I got involved with the Internet in 1989 (or maybe 1990) when I was pursuing a 'love affair' with a person who spent so much time on IRC. So, I learned how to use the net and got hooked -- the affair ended but my affair with the Internet blossomed. "I started developing websites in 1993-1994 when the World Wide Web was in its infancy and basically because many soc.culture.filipino habitues were developing their own sites. So with the help of Phoebe Parrone who was working at University of Pittsburgh at that time, I launched the First Philippine Page of Trivia, which was a site collecting information about Filipinos and things Philippines that made it to the international scene. "The Philippine Trivia Site eventually became Tribung Pinoy at http://www.tribo.org. Tanikalang Ginto (http://wwww.filipinolinks.com) was (still is) the links section of Tribung Pinoy but I was suddenly finding many new Filipino sites (now close to 50 sites a day) that it eventually spun off as a separate website. I separated it when it got recognized at NetUser magazine."Ken must've been truly fascinated with the web because even with the Tribung Pinoy and Tanikalang Ginto sites, he still found time to develop others. "I developed " www.madeinthephilippines.com" for a Filipino arts and culture store here in Chicago (Ad Infinitum). It was one of the first Filipino online stores that sell Philippine stuff on the Internet -- art and books basically and it still up. It's now being maintained by the son of the owner. I also started working on websites of Filipino artists (painters, photographers, etc.) who wanted to have their presence on the web. All the while, Tanikalang Ginto exploded."Between his research studies and personal Web sites, and the sites he develops for other people, does Ken still have time for himself? Most definitely. How does he do it? "I basically don't sleep muchÂ
Juggling time - there's really
nothing to it. I don't have a family But aside from having a supportive environment, Ken shares what else he thinks are important in the pursuit of success and happiness: "Well, it might be cliche, but really, just do it. Whatever your dreams, just do it. "One thing though, education is very important But you know, having education and all, it was not as if Tatay or Nanay told us to. It's just we've got to do it -- for ourselves, not for them." And so, Dr. Ken Ilio's lifelong education continues. At the
same time, he will remain absorbed in his research grant in the culture of
prostate epithelial cells, his afternoon photo shoots at the parks, his weekend
trips to the zoo or the conservatories, and his midnight Web site development
projects. Maybe you can catch him sometime, just to say a neighborly hello.
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