Nor Aieni Haji Mokhtar graduated from State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghampton, USA in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Based on her academic performance in her final year, the American Institute of Physics awarded her a Physics Honorary Award.
She joined the Faculty of Science at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 1980 as an assistant lecturer, and in 1982, she obtained an MSc degree in Ionisation Physics from what was then the University College of Swansea.
She carried out her research related to Laser Technology Applications in Fluid Flows in UTM and obtained her PhD in Physics in 1992, joining the newly formed Coastal and Offshore Engineering Institute in the Department of Hydraulics and Hydrology at UTM.
Her areas of expertise are many and include computer and physical modelling studies, hydraulic and coastal engineering, instrumentation, oceanography and marine science, islands and marine environment studies: policy, experimental design and field studies such as integrated coastal zone management, coastal processes, structures design and feasibility studies.
Professor Dr Nor Aieni was promoted to Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at UTM in 2000. She was appointed as a member of the UTM Senate from 2001 until 2007. Prior to this, she was Deputy Dean of the Research Management Center for Corporate Services where she managed the IP portfolio. She had also handled the commercialisation and business development at the Bureau of Innovation & Consultancy assisting the Dean of UTM in accelerating IP management and commercialisation of R&D.
In 2008, she was appointed Under-Secretary and Director of the National Oceanography Directorate (NOD) at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. She had been instrumental in the establishment of NOD, being one of its key founding members, strategizing the niche areas in research and development for the maritime industry.
In 2014, she worked as an academic member of the policy team at UTM, refining the course curriculum and e-Learning content for postgraduate programmes.
In 2015, she was appointed by the Right Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of Education to the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University Malaysia Terengganu. She was initially appointed for a term of three years on secondment from UTM, but in July 2016, she registered as an academic faculty member of the School of Ocean Engineering at Terengganu after an official transfer of service. In her current position, she has introduced flexible education with the special E-learning team from the University, including the University’s Massive Open Line Course on Sustainable Marine Development. She is also chairing the research cluster Special Interest Group (SIG) for coastal and island studies and Special Task Force on coastal erosion and coastal engineering solutions and Marine Renewable Energy.
She has won multiple awards including a gold medal at the 27th International Inventions Exhibitions, New Techniques and New Products in Geneva, Switzerland, in the Construction/Civil Engineering category; a gold medal from the World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland for Best Female Inventor; and the award for Visiting Scientist Program from the US International Office of Naval Research based in Tokyo to perform study visits to the US, namely the National Oceanographic Data Center in Silver Spring and the US Army Corps Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Professor Dr Nor Aieni is a brilliant STEM academic. Her career demonstrates a life-long passion for science; but also shows she is a true innovator, and extremely adept at the communication and commercialisation of her ideas. This is a feature of the best and most effective academics.