IR TS DR MARIAM FIRDHAUS BINTI MAD NORDIN

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone!

Welcome to my blog, where I share my experiences, research, and reflections on chemical engineering education and related activities.

I am Ir. Ts. Dr. Mariam Firdhaus binti Mad Nordin, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur. I have been contributing to the academic field as a lecturer since 2009.

I earned my Ph.D. in Chemical and Process Engineering from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 2009, under the supervision of Y. Bhg. Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Ir. Dr. Wan Ramli Wan Daud. My doctoral thesis was titled ‘Microwave-Assisted Drying of Pitaya (Hylocereus) Slices’. During my studies, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with McGill University in Quebec, Canada, where I focused on equipment design and the optimization of extraction methods for agricultural applications.

My Master’s thesis, also under the guidance of same supervisor, Y. Bhg. Prof. Emeritus Dato’, addressed the ‘Modeling of Cross-Flow Fluidized Bed Dryer for Paddy Drying’. This work was completed in 2005 through a collaborative project between UKM and BERNAS. I also obtained my Bachelor’s degree from UKM, with a dissertation titled ‘Protein Separation by Aqueous Two-Phase System and Ultrafiltration.’

Before joining MJIIT UTM, I held academic positions at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) and UniKL Alor Gajah (MICET) in Melaka. In addition to teaching and research, I have actively engaged in industry collaborations and community empowerment initiatives, particularly through knowledge transfer programs aimed at enhancing skills and promoting socio-economic development.

My specialization in chemical process engineering fuels my passion for discovering and harnessing the potential of various tropical herbs and natural resources using environmentally friendly and sustainable processes.

In June 2018, I founded AM Zaideen Ventures Sdn. Bhd., a spin-off company from UTM. We launched our first product, a natural skincare line under the brand HALEA, in January 2019. As part of this early commercialization journey, my team and I were honored to receive the Research Entrepreneur Award from Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) during Malaysia Commercialization Year 2019. Following the successful application of extraction technology in HALEA, we launched a new venture called NatXtract at the Dubai Expo 2020 in 2021, with support from the MOSTI. Throughout our journey in establishing this spin-off, we secured nearly RM1 million in commercialization grants from various sources, including Cradle Fund Sdn. Bhd., NanoMalaysia Berhad (for the NanoVerify Certification Programme for HALEA products), SME Corp, MDEC, and Bioeconomy Corporation.

The spin-off company concluded its operations in December 2023, and I have since refocused my efforts on research activities. Through this blog, I aim to share my insights with researchers, students, and industry practitioners interested in collaborative research or in adopting herbal extraction technologies, particularly water-based extraction processes.

My current research interests encompass green extraction technology, separation processes, herbal extraction, drying processes, and the valorization of agricultural waste.