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Dr. Hasmawati Ponding @ Antong is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). She has been serving at IIUM since December 2006.

Originally from Sabah, she was born in Lahad Datu and raised in Sandakan, where she completed her primary and secondary education. She later moved to Kuala Lumpur to pursue her tertiary studies at IIUM, beginning a journey that would lead to a lifelong commitment in academia and engineering.

She obtained her Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics from IIUM in 2006, followed by a Master of Engineering in Mechano-Micro Engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2009. In 2018, she earned her Doctor of Engineering from Loughborough University, United Kingdom. Her doctoral research focused on high-redundancy actuators for fault-tolerant systems, integrating control strategies and predictive maintenance techniques.

Prior to her academic career, she gained industrial experience as a Service Engineer at Hyundai-Sime Darby Automotive. After her PhD in the UK, she also worked as a Research Associate in the railway industry for 2 years.

Currently, Dr. Hasmawati is actively involved in teaching and research in the areas of amphibious robotics, predictive maintenance, and engineering systems for persons with disabilities. Beyond the university, she is also a passionate advocate for STEM education and community empowerment. Having been born into a humble family — her late father a lorry driver and her mother a full-time homemaker — she deeply understands the challenges faced by underserved communities. This has inspired her lifelong commitment to helping children from underprivileged backgrounds see the value of education and envision a better future for themselves. She frequently organises outreach programs teaching robotics, STEM, and mobile app development to underserved and underprivileged communities in the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur areas. Her outreach initiatives have reached local communities in Kampung Sungai Chinchin, Kampung Kerdas, and Kampung Sungai Kertas (Gombak), as well as schools such as SMK Danau Kota, SK Taman Selasih, and SMK Taman Seri Rampai.

As the Income Generation Team Leader at the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, she also spearheads paid training programs in robotics and STEM — contributing to the department’s financial sustainability while expanding public access to technical education.

Dr. Hasmawati welcomes collaboration in research, community engagement, and STEM training initiatives — especially those aimed at promoting inclusive and ethical engineering solutions.