Dr. Trina Marie Alfafara Catipay is an Associate Professor II and the Chairperson of the Filipino Department at Cebu Normal University (CNU) from January 2024 – January 2025. She is deeply committed to the transformative power of education, firmly believing in its role in fostering unity amidst diversity. Her passion for teaching has guided her to engage in both undergraduate and graduate instruction, continually exploring innovative methods to enrich learning experiences. 

Dr. Catipay remains dedicated to her professional growth by consistently attending trainings, forums, workshops, and pursuing active research. She has presented and published her scholarly work in various research journals and serves as a double-blind reviewer for The Idea Spread Humanities and Social Science Research (HSSR) from 2019 – 2024, an international journal based in New York City. Her contributions to research have earned her a University Presidential Citation Award for Research Publication. 

Dr. Catipay is a panel discussant in literature and popular culture, a resource speaker at local and national conferences, a thesis adviser, dissertation panelist, a member of various organizations and a book author for both Junior High School and tertiary levels. Her scholarly expertise encompasses Popular Culture, Philippine Literature, Folk Literature, and Literary Research — with a special focus on anthologizing local stories to preserve Cebuano culture and values. 

She is particularly passionate about mentoring students in research, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding cultural heritage while contributing to the advancement of Filipino society. Currently, she is further expanding her academic credentials by pursuing a second doctorate, the Doctor of Philosophy in Filipino major in Language Planning, at the University of the Philippines – Diliman.