Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasrinah Hasbullah, Head of the Department of Energy Engineering at the Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering (FKT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), has been awarded the 2025 Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS).
The ACS Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to outstanding individuals from ACS chapters worldwide who demonstrate a strong commitment to outreach in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), particularly in the field of chemistry. This year, Dr. Hasrinah is one of only 26 members recognized by the ACS for the 2025 Award and is the first recipient from UTM.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is one of the world’s leading scientific organizations, with a membership exceeding 200,000 individuals across more than 140 countries. Founded in 1876, the ACS is dedicated to advancing the chemical sciences and supporting chemists and related professionals through research, education, and advocacy. The society’s mission is to promote the broader chemistry enterprise for the benefit of society and the environment.
Dr. Hasrinah has been actively involved in community-based educational initiatives and non-profit projects for over 10 years. In 2022, she received the ACS Chemistry Festival Grant. She successfully led the ACS Malaysia Chapter Chemistry Festival, which included both in-person and online activities, engaging school students from across Malaysia. She has organized and participated in various chemistry festivals, science days, and virtual educational events, reaching hundreds of students and teachers. Through innovative programs such as “Fun Science with Water” and “Lab-To-Home Chemistry Festivals,” Dr. Hasrinah has fostered a passion for STEM by encouraging hands-on learning and interactive experiments.
The most recent engagement involved an outreach program at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bukit Mahkota in Kota Tinggi, organized under the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Knowledge Transfer Program – Research and Innovation Grant (KTP-RIG) 2024. This program engaged teachers and over 80 students in exploring science through hands-on experiments using easily accessible household materials. Additionally, it included interactive robotics activities aimed at fostering interest in STEM learning.
Additionally, she was recently selected by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) as one of the scientists for the STI 100³ program. The main objective of this program is to cultivate, enhance, and strengthen awareness and interest in the fields of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) among young students.
We truly recognize her commitment to fostering scientific curiosity and raising awareness about sustainability, particularly among students and communities. UTM extends its congratulations to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasrinah Hasbullah on this well-deserved achievement. We remain dedicated to empowering researchers and educators to drive positive societal change through knowledge and outreach.
For more information about the awards, please visit the following websites:
https://www.acs.org/funding/awards/outreach-volunteer-of-the-year-award/recipients.html
https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/ACS-names-2025-Outreach-Volunteers/103/web/2025/03
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanChemicalSociety/posts/1114489537386974
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12HRekYezWE/
Authors : Hasrinah Hasbullah and Jasmine Hamdan