PROFESSIONAL

Associate Professor Dr. Noor Syamilah Zakaria, K.B., P.A. was born on 13 May 1980 in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. She is a Registered Counselor (00546) and Certified Counseling Practitioner (00604) with the Board of Counselors (Malaysia). She received her early primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Ketereh, Kota Bharu, Kelantan; and secondary level education at Sekolah Seri Puteri, Jalan Kolam Ayer, Kuala Lumpur. She graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Guidance and Counseling) in 2002 and a Master of Education (Guidance and Counseling) in 2007, both at the Universiti Putra Malaysia. From 2002 through 2008, she was employed by the Ministry of Education Malaysia as a School Counselor at two public secondary schools in the district of Petaling, Selangor. In September 2008, she became a Tutor with the Universiti Putra Malaysia and pursued her doctoral degree with the scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and the Universiti Putra Malaysia from August 2009 through August 2013 at the University of Wyoming, USA. On 11 May 2013, she graduated with a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and simultaneously on the same date, was appointed as a Senior Lecturer by the Universiti Putra Malaysia. From August 2013 through August 2014, she pursued her one year of post-doctoral program with the scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Education Malaysia and the Universiti Putra Malaysia at the same learning institution. During this meaningful learning curve, she completed several more in-depth researches with concentration in counseling ethics education. Later on 1 November 2019, she was promoted to Associate Professor by the Universiti Putra Malaysia; and starting 1 March 2020, was appointed as Head, Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology, Faculty of Educational Studies.

Throughout these years, she was honored receiving several recognitions and awards such as The Malaysian Best Female Student Award (“Anugerah Tokoh Kanak-kanak Perempuan Malaysia”) from Raja Permaisuri Agong, and The State of Kelantan Best Female Student Award (“Anugerah Tokoh Kanak-kanak Perempuan Kelantan”) from Sultan of Kelantan, in conjunction with The Malaysian Children’s Day Celebration in 1993. In 2012, she was the recipient for The Internationalization Excellence Achievements Award, an all-rounder excellence medal for the best international graduate student with excellent academic achievement as well as dynamic involvement in campus internationalization effort granted by the University of Wyoming, USA. Later in 2014, she was the recipient for The Perdana Scholar USA Award: Publication Category. This significant award was presented by YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia in New York, USA to recognize the academic and research excellence throughout the scholarship program sponsored by the government abroad. Particularly for the publication category, it was awarded to the scholarship awardee who has produced academic papers and published the manuscripts in various venues of high quality and global recognition.

Her current focus of interest in the counseling profession is foregrounded on counselor education and supervision, with her research enthusiasm is in counseling ethics education. As a social scientist who directly involves in qualitative inquiries, she also appreciates tracing histories, cultures, thoughts and artifacts in the country specifically in the state of Kelantan. To date, she has published numerous articles and academic papers in profound journals, books and other academic venues focusing on related topics in counselor education and supervision, counseling ethics education, gamification in ethics education, teacher education, adult’s education, older adult’s lifelong learning acquisition as well as local community heritage and civilization. To complete her scholarly endeavor, she also participated and won medals at various teaching, learning and research innovation competitions at international and national venues.