{"id":3640,"date":"2026-06-13T11:38:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T11:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/?p=3640"},"modified":"2026-06-13T11:40:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T11:40:40","slug":"utm-science-seminar-series-highlights-groundbreaking-research-on-spiders-and-tarantulas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/2026\/06\/13\/utm-science-seminar-series-highlights-groundbreaking-research-on-spiders-and-tarantulas\/","title":{"rendered":"UTM Science Seminar Series Highlights Groundbreaking Research on Spiders and Tarantulas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"91\" data-end=\"524\"><strong data-start=\"91\" data-end=\"120\">JOHOR BAHRU, 10 June 2026<\/strong> \u2013 The Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), successfully hosted another session of its <em data-start=\"227\" data-end=\"251\">Science Seminar Series<\/em> featuring an engaging presentation entitled <strong data-start=\"296\" data-end=\"353\">\u201cOn Dr. Galiffa\u2019s Research on Spiders and Tarantulas\u201d<\/strong>. The seminar was delivered by <strong data-start=\"384\" data-end=\"404\">Dr. Ong Boon Wee<\/strong>, Assistant Professor from the School of Science (Mathematics), Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, Pennsylvania, USA.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"526\" data-end=\"801\">Held at HELIxS, C17, Faculty of Science, the seminar attracted academic staff, postgraduate students, researchers, and enthusiasts eager to learn more about the fascinating world of arachnids and the scientific contributions of Dr. Galiffa in this specialized field of study.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"803\" data-end=\"1203\">During the session, Dr. Ong shared insights into the diversity, ecology, behaviour, and taxonomy of spiders and tarantulas, highlighting how these often misunderstood creatures contribute significantly to ecosystem balance. The presentation also explored the scientific journey and research achievements of Dr. Galiffa, whose work has enhanced understanding of arachnid biodiversity and conservation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1205\" data-end=\"1573\">Participants were introduced to various species of spiders and tarantulas, their ecological roles as natural predators, and the importance of preserving their habitats. The seminar further discussed current research challenges, specimen documentation, species identification, and opportunities for international collaboration in biodiversity and environmental studies.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1575\" data-end=\"1804\">The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer segment, where attendees engaged in lively discussions on arachnid research methodologies, conservation issues, and potential interdisciplinary research opportunities.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1806\" data-end=\"2122\">The Science Seminar Series continues to serve as an important platform for knowledge sharing and scholarly exchange within the Faculty of Science, bringing together local and international experts to inspire curiosity, foster research collaboration, and strengthen scientific literacy among the university community.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2124\" data-end=\"2347\">Through initiatives such as this, UTM remains committed to advancing scientific excellence and nurturing a vibrant research culture in line with its aspiration of delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for society.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;http:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/642\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-05-at-9.06.59-AM.jpeg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; title_text=&#8221;WhatsApp Image 2026-06-05 at 9.06.59 AM&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=&#8221;http:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/642\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-10-at-2.39.54-PM.jpeg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; title_text=&#8221;WhatsApp Image 2026-06-10 at 2.39.54 PM&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>JOHOR BAHRU, 10 June 2026 \u2013 The Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), successfully hosted another session of its Science Seminar Series featuring an engaging presentation entitled \u201cOn Dr. Galiffa\u2019s Research on Spiders and Tarantulas\u201d. The seminar was delivered by Dr. Ong Boon Wee, Assistant Professor from the School of Science (Mathematics), Penn State [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":390,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activities-2026","category-science-seminar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/390"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3640"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3645,"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640\/revisions\/3645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/science.utm.my\/utmfsresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}