Becoming the First Doctor in Her Family, Mardiah Rahmadani Graduates with a PhD at the Age of 26 with a GPA of 4,00
Amidst the challenges of doctoral education, which is known to be long and difficult, Mardiah Rahmadani has achieved remarkable academic success. She was named the Best Graduate of the IPB University Doctoral Program at the 5th Graduation Ceremony last December.
Mardiah earned her doctorate at the age of 26 with a perfect GPA of 4,00. She completed her doctoral program in 35 months and became the first doctor in her extended family. She completed her undergraduate to doctoral education entirely at IPB University in less than eight years.
Mardiah completed her doctoral program in 35 months through the Master’s to Doctoral Program for Outstanding Undergraduates (PMDSU) scheme from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. “I was able to pursue my studies up to the doctoral level thanks to the support of the PMDSU scholarship,” she said.
She pursued her studies in the Doctoral Program in Nutrition Feed Technology at the Faculty of Animal Science, IPB University. Her interest in this field stems from her awareness of the importance of feed innovation based on local resources for the advancement of national animal husbandry.
Her dissertation is titled “Optimization of Degraded Starch in the Rumen of Local Feed Materials through Organic Acid and Heat Moisture Processing.” This research examines the characteristics of local feed materials as a source of carbohydrates for ruminants, while also offering environmentally friendly, applicable, and easy to implement starch modification technology at the farmer level.
The research results have the potential to be developed on an industrial scale, especially in feed formulations with balanced resistant starch content to maintain rumen health and support livestock production performance.
During her postgraduate studies at IPB University, Mardiah recorded 17 Scopus-indexed scientific publications, an H-index of 5 and one national publication. She attributes these achievements to the support of the university’s academic ecosystem.
“The support from the research group, my advisor, laboratory facilities, laboratory staff, and fellow researchers greatly assisted my research process,” she said. She is also active in participating in various international conferences both domestically and abroad to expand her academic network.
Currently, Mardiah is continuing her postdoctoral program in Indonesia to enrich her research experience before embarking on a career as an academic or researcher.
“I hope this experience will equip me to continue contributing to the development of science and the advancement of Indonesia’s livestock sector,” she said. (dh)(IAAS/RWA)
