Dr. Leah M. Donato, faculty member of the UC College of Criminal Justice Education (UC CCJE), has been appointed as an Associate Member of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) under Division VIII – Social Sciences. She officially took her oath on May 28, 2025.

Dr. Donato is a Peer Reviewer for the Federation of Authors in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Inc., and an active member of various national and regional professional organizations. She has represented the Philippines in international conferences in Bangkok, Bali, and Tokyo.

Her academic work includes authorship of books on investigative report writing and criminal justice research, along with over a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles. She is also involved in major research projects funded by DOST and VLIR-UOS.