KUCHING, Oct 18: Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (Tropi) director Datu Dr Lulie Melling was honoured as one of the 35 distinguished scientists, engineers, and leading technology experts in Malaysia to receive the prestigious Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) Fellowship Award for 2023 at a ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur last night (Oct 17).
Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Chang Lih Kang represented Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to present the Fellowship Awards to the 35 new Fellows at the illustrious event.
Their appointment as new ASM Fellows entitles them to use the title “Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia” or the abbreviation “FASc” after their names. This is the highest scientific recognition in the country under the Academy of Sciences Malaysia Act 1994.
“This a great honour for the Sarawak Civil Service and the entire State of Sarawak,” Dr Lulie told DayakDaily when contacted today.
Looking to the future, Dr Lulie who is also Malaysia Peat Society (MPS) president, pledged to continue to nurturing as many young scientists to support Sarawak’s vision.
Dr Lulie’s expertise in the management of tropical peatlands is globally renowned, particularly her groundbreaking work in quantifying greenhouse gas flux from tropical peatlands worldwide.
Furthermore, she has provided technical advice and consultancy services to both the Sarawak government and international organisations.
Her significant contributions extend to establishing a global repository of tropical peat and peatland research, benefitting not only Sarawak but the world.
In 2020, Dr Lulie played a crucial role in Sarawak Tropi’s historic achievement of simultaneously setting up eddy covariance flux towers in three distinct ecosystems, revolutionising the monitoring of carbon balance in tropical peatlands.
Today, Sarawak Tropi stands as a source of pride for Sarawak, elevating Malaysia’s reputation on the international stage.
Dr Lulie’s innovative approaches have reshaped best practices for the responsible utilisation and protection of these invaluable ecosystems. Additionally, her role as a Science Steering Committee Member for AsiaFlux (2017-2024) underscores her invaluable contributions to peat soil management strategies.
Dr Lulie’s extensive work focuses on tropical peatland ecosystems, with 48 articles in renowned journals, an H-index of 22, and 1,705 citations, showcased her impactful research.
She is dedicated to advancing peatland research by training new researchers through postgraduate programmes. At the Sarawak Tropi, she is supervising seven international PhD candidates, five local master’s students, and currently guide 13 ongoing research projects including Tropical Peatland Carbon Study of Maludam National Park and Nature Base Peat Carbon Study in Marudi, Miri Division.
Additionally, Dr Lulie’s involvement at ASM includes her role as a member of the Local and Transboundary Pollution Act Feasibility Study Task Force from 2019 to 2020.
At the award ceremony, Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup also handed over certificates of recognition to 30 Top Research Scientists Malaysia (TRSM) for 2023.
TRSM is an ASM initiative to recognise active Malaysian research scientists with at least 10 years of accumulated contributions in the fields of science, technology, innovation, and economics (STIE).
The selection of Fellows and TRSM members represents the best individuals in the country across eight disciplines: Medical and Health Sciences; Engineering Sciences; Chemical Sciences; Biological Sciences, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences; Mathematics, Physics, and Earth Sciences; Information Technology and Computer Sciences; Development Sciences & Technology and Industry; as well as Social Sciences and Humanities.
To date, ASM has 482 Fellows, including 28 Senior Fellows, 454 Ordinary Fellows, and 272 TRSM members. — DayakDaily
