Keynote Speakers
Prof. Dato' Dr. Aileen Tan Shau Hwai
Prof. Dato' Dr. Aileen Tan Shau Hwai, FASc is a Professor in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Currently, she is the Director of Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS) USM and also the Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific University-Community Engagement Network (APUCEN). She is a Vice Chair of IOC Sub-Commission for Western Pacific (WESTPAC).
She has been elected as a President for Malaysian Fisheries Society (2020-2022) and has been elected as the first woman President of the 58-years old UNITAS Malacologica, which is based in Belgium, from 2013-2016. She has been awarded the Top Research Scientist Malaysia (TRSM) Award (2020) by Academy of Science Malaysia.
Her field of expertise is in marine science, specializing in mariculture and conservation of molluscs. She is the first Malaysian woman who has successfully culture the oysters from eggs and sperms through artificial spawning. Her work on oysters, as featured in the website of World Oyster Society, has gained vast recognition, not only in Malaysia but internationally. She has many research collaborations with scientists from Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Australia, USA, UK and Denmark.
Her pioneer oyster project in generating additional and sustainable income to the fishermen in Merbok, Kedah received 1st place in Entrepreneurship by University-Community Transformation Centre (UCTC), Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia 2015.
She is also involved in building human capacity, receiving the Best Women Scientist Award for her work in empowering the women of the Johore Islands to earn their own income through the giant clam conservation programme. To date, she had published more than 100 articles in various scientific journals, monographs, proceedings, conferences and seminars.
Dr. Nadine Brigitte Rupert
Dr Nadine Ruppert is a senior lecturer in Zoology at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Currently, she is the vice-president of the Malaysian Primatological Society (2020-2024) and a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). She is also a member of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group – Asia and Section for Small Apes.
She has a BSc and MSc in Tropical Biology & Animal Ecology from University Würzburg, Germany and a PhD in Mammalogy from USM. Her PhD research focussed on seed dispersal by small mammal communities and primates and during the BioBlitz she will be assessing small mammal diversity on Penang Hill by means of life cage trapping and camera trapping.
With the Macaca Nemestrina Project, she is exploring the role of Pig-tailed Macaques in seed dispersal and forest regeneration and the potential implications for mitigating human-wildlife conflict.
She also supports initiatives led by her students which include the Langur Project Penang, a citizen science and wildlife awareness initiative, and the Night Spotting Project which is helping to raise awareness and appreciation for nocturnal mammals.
Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Vigneswari Sevakumaran
Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr Vigneswari Sevakumaran is a senior lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) at School of Fundamental Science (PPSA).
Her main research interest is the production of the biomaterials for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. The surface is carried out to promote increased cell-biomaterial interaction for better cell proliferation. Biodegradable polymers such as microbial polymer known as polyhydroxyalkanoate with biocompatible properties are widely studied for application in tissue engineering.
Dr. Gbenga Festus Akomolafe
Dr. Akomolafe Gbenga Festus is a lecturer in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology at the Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria. He holds BSc and MSc degrees in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He was awarded the Nigerian Government Postgraduate Scholarship for an M.Sc. degree in 2011. He also obtained his Ph.D. degree in Botany at the Universiti Sains Malaysia through the TETFund Academic Staff Training and Development (ASTD) Scholarship Grant.
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Through his academic excellence and passion for research, Dr. Festus became a Visiting Researcher and an Academic Fellow at the School of Biological Sciences, USM between 2021 - 2022. His current researches include assessment of plant diversities, plant community ecology, spatial ecology, phytoremediation potentials of plants, and invasion ecology of plants.
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He is currently a reviewer of manuscripts for reputable journals. He holds membership of some professional associations such as the Botanical Society of Nigeria, Botanical Society of America, Nigerian Field Society, and Nigerian Conservation Foundation. Since 2017, Dr. Festus has been serving as a Volunteer Mentor, Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) funded projects, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) supported by the European Union.
