PENANG, 20 Sept. 2016 – Two young female scientists from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) have put the name of the university in the limelight, at the same time achieving their personal best when they were selected to receive the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards, which were created especially to acknowledge major contributions by female researchers in developing the scientific field in Malaysia.

The two recipients are lecturers from the USM School of Civil Engineering, Dr. Fatehah Mohd Omar and from the USM School of Biological Sciences, Dr. Nethia Mohana, respectively.

Fatehah was selected based on her research entitled “The Importance of Determining Zeta Potential and Hydrodynamic Diameter to Characterize Suspended Solids in Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)” while Nethia was chosen based on her commitment in the research on cancer in the country.

Fatehah when met expressed her feeling of excitement and being grateful for being listed as the recipient of the award, given to female researchers or scientists in Malaysia under 40 years of age and a Ph.D holder or being involved in research in various scientific disciplines.

“When I first read on this award six years ago, I have aspired towards achieving it by putting my best effort,” she said, being the eldest in the family and having parents who are also USM academics,  Professor Dr. Ir. Mohd Omar Ab Kadir and Professor Dr. Nik Norulaini Nik Ab Rahman.

Meanwhile, Nethia said that, USM has continually supported her research efforts and offered an environment that is conducive, to the extent that it has nurtured many world-class researchers.

“The grant which I have received would be utilised in my research on the prevention of cancer, which I have conducted for the past three years,” she said in being among the three recipients of the ‘MAKNA Cancer Research Award 2015’ research grant.

Both USM scientists who have excelled would be receiving the research grants from ‘L'oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science National Fellowship 2016’ valued at RM30,000, which would be presented to them in a special ceremony at the nation’s capital this coming October.

L'oreal has been acknowledging young Malaysian female researchers, who have excelled in developing their research in various fields since 2006, with presently 32 female researchers having been selected for the award.

Text: Marziana Mohames Alias

Translation : Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin