Professional Experience

2020 -
 

Professor and

Dean, R&D
Sept 2012 - Dec 2019
Curtin University Malaysia
Concurrent appointment with that as Director, Curtin Malaysia Research Institute
Curtin University Malaysia at Miri, Sarawak is a branch campus of Curtin University in Perth, Australia
 

• Oversaw a rise in Malaysia Research Instrument Assessment (MyRA) rating of Curtin Malaysia from a score in the 1-star band in 2013 to that in the 3-star band by 2020 by guiding academic staff and their research to goals aligned with Curtin University strategies, governmental developmental thrusts, staff capabilities, and allocated campus annual budgets.
   

• Won MYR1.3 million funding from the Sarawak Cabinet (through the Sarawak R&D Council) for a pilot- scale project for the fermentative production of biocementing microorganisms for biosandstone top-coursing for rural roads. The offer was rescinded after I left Curtin Malaysia prior to the project commencing.
   

• Successfully negotiated MYR2 million funding from Sarawak Energy Bhd. for Drs. Dodge-Wade and Nagarajan at the School of Engineering in 2013.
  (see the Baram Project below).
   

• Oversaw competitive research grant income of some MYR1.7 million to the University in 2019.
   

• Managed an OPEX of some MYR4.5 million per annum (2019 example), and a team of four administrative staff at the Office of R&D.
   

• Developed and managed the Curtin Malaysia strategic (triannual) and Operational Plan (annual) for R&D.
   

• Chaired the Curtin Malaysia R&D Committee.
   

• Curtin Malaysia member of the Curtin University R&D Committee.
   

• Member of the Curtin Malaysia Senior Executive Leaders Group (the top management decision-making body on the campus)
   

• Managed the University’s data collection and reporting to the Ministry of Higher Education for the purpose of assessing Curtin Malaysia’s rating in MyRA and SETARA.
   

• Managed the University’s budget on R&D for efficient outcomes
   

• Managed the framing of R&D contracts with external parties

Director, Curtin Malaysia Research Institute (CMRI)
2014 - 2019
Curtin University Malaysia
(Concurrent appointment with Dean, R&D)

• R&D. Developed an array of strategic high-profile projects for the University e.g.
   

  • The Curtin Baram Project
    Total investment ca. RM2 million

  • The Curtin Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park Project currently comprising 5 projects. Total investment to date ca. RM2.1 million

  • The Curtin Mulu Caves Ancient DNA/Climatology Projects. Total investment ca. RM1 million

  • Examples of rural engagement projects developed:

    • The Curtin Highland Salt Project which centres on sustainable production; improved marketing; diversified product lines.

    • Strategies for the marketing of Highland Rice to improve livelihoods of the growers. A video summary of the Highland Rice forum organized in Dec 2014 can be found here.
       

• Pilot Plant Facility. Led and managed Curtin Malaysia’s input towards the development of Sarawak's first and only bioprocess pilot plant facility (the Sarawak Biovalley Pilot Plant facility) which was built on the grounds of Curtin University Malaysia.
   

  • Provided Specialist Consultant advice to the Ministry of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development (from 2014) onwards and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research (from 2017 onwards) on the design and infrastructure requirements of the facility as a phyto- and bio-processing pilot plant

    (Total project value of RM60 million);
    
    The designed function of the Sarawak Biovalley Pilot Plant as conceptualized by me can be found here. In this role the following were the salient activities:
     

    • Developed the tender specifications for the equipment for the laboratories and the phyto- and bio-  process floors in a RM26 million sub-budget;

    • Managed the procurement, installation and commissioning of,
      for example:
      (Pilot scale preparative chromatography system)
      (Micro/ultra Filtration system)
      (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope)
      (750 L Photobioreactor)
      (Benchtop Spray Dryer system)
      (Supercritical Fluid Extraction: Sarawak Black pepper test run)
      (Site Acceptance Tests: Batch 1 Rigs)
      (150 L Pilot Scale Bioreactor)
      (Factory Acceptance Test: SFE system)
      (Factory Acceptance Test: Pilot Scale Continuous Centrifuge)
      
      and training on all procured equipment;
       

  • Engaged and managed research (2 PhDs), technical (2 Masters) and administrative staff (3 fractional appointees) at the Pilot Plant.

  • Developed and managed a plan for Curtin Malaysia to operate the Pilot Plant Facility for the Sarawak government for an initial contract period of 5 years.
     

• Member of the Executive Committee of the Curtin Research Royalty Fund.
   

• Company director, Curtin Consultancy Services Sdn. Bhd. (now Curtin Biovalley Sdn. Bdh.)

Associate Professor and
 

Manager, Research & Consultancy Office,

Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus.
 

• Won RM1.5 million for a MoSTI Flagship project for LTT Aquaculture sdn. Bhd. and SUTS. The R&D was Subsequently placed outside SUTS after I left the university prior to the grant being awarded.
   

• Established the SUTS MyRA rating system.
   

• Established the SUTS PhD Scholarship Scheme.
   

• Other administrative duties were similar to those described under the Dean, R&D role at Curtin University Malaysia (see above).

Associate Professor and

Head of the Biotechnology Program,
School of Engineering and Science
Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak

• RM745,000 for a Biotech Corp. Startup Grant with Biotech Alliance Sdn. Bhd. (2009).
   

• Designed and equipped the Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Chemistry Teaching Laboratories, and three research laboratories for the Biotechnology Program in the RM110M extension of the SUTS buildings.
   

• Developed the tender specifications (BQ – Bill of Quantities) for the equipment for the Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Chemistry Teaching Laboratories, and three research laboratories for the Biotechnology Program in the RM110M extension of the SUTS buildings;
   

• Engaged and managed four members of academic and 2 technical staff for the biotechnology program.

   

• PhD supervised
  "The submerged aerobic culture of Fusarium sp. IMI397470 isolated in Sarawak for the production of Prolyl Oligopeptidase Inhibitor"
  
  MSc supervised
  "Heterotrophic culture of Chlorella protothecoides for the production of lipids"
   

2006 - 2008

Biotechnology Consultant

• Completed projects

• Responsible for design and administration of B2B business web portal.
  

• Project analysis, evaluation and development largely in the China market.
   

• Responsible for under/postgraduate teaching/supervision (honours and PhD), and research in microbiology and fermentation.
  
• Examples of research projects:

  	"Production of immobilized mycelia of ectomycorrhizal fungi as forestry inoculants;" industry funded project.
  	"Production of penicillin using immobilized Penicillium chrysogenum;" 3rd Year BSc. Project.
  	"Aerobic degradation of phenol using Pseudomonas putida immobilized in calcium alginate;" B.Sc. Honours
  	"Degradation of phenol in continuous culture using immobilized Pseudomonas putida;" Master of Sci.
  	"Isolation fibrolytic rumen microorganisms and development of a novel production process for the fibrolytic enzymes;" PhD (UWSM/CSIRO project).
  	"Development of versicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal inocula;" PhD.
  	"The control of microbial deterioration of fruits and vegetables using naturally-occurring volatiles;" PhD (co-supervision; Uni. Of Newcastle).

• Chairman of the B.Tech.Mgt. Course Board responsible for B.Tech.Mgt.(Biotechnology), B.Tech.Mgt.(Instrumentation & Control), and B.Tech.Mgt.(Manufacturing).
  

  	Led the accreditation of the honours program in the BTech.Mgt degree.
  	Led the re-accreditation of the B.Tech.Mgt degrees.

• Chairman of the Production Floor Sub-Committee (6-monthly rotation). This committee is responsible for the policies for and operation of the Technology Management Facility which comprises laboratories and production processes.
  Course Coordinator for B.Tech.Mgt.(Biotechnology).
  

• Subject Coordinator for:
  

  	Industrial Microbiology.
  	Integrating Project (Biotechnology)
  	Basic Microbiology

• Other teaching contributions:
  Bioreactors, & Unit Operations; Microbiological Quality Assurance.
  

• Maintain an interest in the issues surrounding the commercialization and economic evaluation of projects. A subject of my design [Integrating Project (biotechnology)] illustrates this.
  

• Won AUD177,000 of research funds between 1991 and 1993.
   

• Member of the design-specification team for a AUD3 million (1990 $) moot manufacturing complex at the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur which represents typical R & D and production facilities of a manufacturing enterprise. This building is used for the B.Tech.Mgt. degrees.
  

• Responsible for the identification and procurement of AUD120,000 (1991 $) of fermentation equipment for initiating a process train for the Technology Management building.
  

• Proposed the concept for, and co-designed a AUD150,000 (1991 $) citric acid crystallization process plant for the Technology Management Building.
  

• Regular referee for manuscripts submitted to Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, published by the Society of Chemical Industry, London.

Commercial and technical development of a project on fungal inocula for plantation forestry.

Tasks:

• to set up and manage a commercially funded three-year research and development program (AUD341,037; 1987 $) for obtaining a fermentation process for the production of hydrogel-immobilized ectomycorrhizal fungi and other microorganisms for use as inocula in forestry and agriculture.

• to identify and assess economically feasible research and development projects in biotechnology for Interbac Australasia Pty. Ltd.

The scientific responsibilities included the:

• elucidation and execution of research strategy encompassing the development of novel processes and techniques, the development of production process to a scale sufficient for the supply of large field trials, field trials, and generally the development of the project to the pilot plant stage.

• setting up of research collaborations with the CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products, Alcoa of Australia Ltd., and the W.A. Chip and Pulp Co. Pty. Ltd.

• setting up international affiliations by visiting institutions in the United Kingdom and Brazil.
• preparation of a design brief for a pilot plant facility.
• setting up a fermentation research laboratory.
• management of staff (Research Officer and Laboratory Assistant) and a fermentation research laboratory.

The commercial responsibilities included:

• the negotiation of research and commercial contracts for the conduct the research, to define scientific integration, for commercial access to and use of scientific data, and for the regulation of royalties. These contracts were negotiated with senior management of the University of W.A., CSIRO Division of Forestry and Forest Products, Alcoa of Australia Ltd. and the W.A. Chip and Pulp Co. Pty. Ltd.

• financial control and budgeting (cash flow; profit/loss; cost).
• the implementation of market research for determination of market niche and size.
• the implementation of cost-benefit analysis of the technology being developed.
• the implementation of a valuation of the intellectual property (via cash flow and sensitivity analyses).
• assessment and identification of a competent supplier/contractor for the construction of the pilot plant facility;
• negotiations for a supply/construction contract.
• development of marketing strategy.
• liaison with the financial sector.
• preparation of information for statutory listing requirements of the stock exchange.

Research Associate
Department of Botany, the University of Western Australia

The production of beta-carotene in photobioreactors.
 

Task:

To execute a one-year commercially funded project to examine the technical feasibility of the production of b-carotene from Dunaliella salina in airlift photobioreactors in a linked photobioreactor-open pond system. The definition of the cultural conditions required for the rapid production of Dunaliella salina biomass was a major task.

Responsibilities:

• elucidation and execution of research strategy.
• design and commissioning of the airlift photobioreactors and ancillary equipment required for the project.
• experimentation and interpretation of results.
• liaising with funding company.
• setting up a fermentation laboratory.
• managing a fermentation research laboratory and directing the work of a graduate technician.

Honorary Research Fellow
Soil Science & Plant Nutrition, the University of Western Australia.
This position was held during the life of the project on fungal inocula for plantation forestry which was based at the University of W.A.
 

Research Grants Won
(as Chief Investigator unless otherwise stated)