Semarang (19/02/2025) – The Faculty of Science and Mathematics (FSM) of Diponegoro University held an Open Session of the Academic Senate in the context of the Inauguration of Professors which took place at Prof. Soedarto Building, Diponegoro University. The event was attended by the University Executive Board, Lecturers, Students, and Invited Guests, and was broadcast live through the Undip TV Official YouTube channel. On this occasion, FSM UNDIP inaugurated three Professors from the Department of Physics and the Department of Chemistry, namely Prof. Dr. Drs. Catur Edi Widodo, M.T. (Department of Physics – Computational Physics), Prof. Dr. Gatot Yulianto, S.Si., M.Si. (Department of Physics – Geophysics: Seismology – Microtremor), and Prof. Ismiyarto, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. (Department of Chemistry – Organic Synthesis).
In his scientific oration, Prof. Dr. Drs. Catur Edi Widodo, M.T. explained the use of medical image technology to automatically detect COVID-19 and pneumonia with an accuracy of up to 98 percent. According to him, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2022, conventional diagnosis methods such as PCR tests tend to be complicated, expensive, and painful. Therefore, a machine learning-based technology was developed that can replace doctors’ tasks in analyzing patients’ digital X-rays. In the research, the model was tested on 1,841 X-ray samples and proved to be able to identify patients’ lung conditions with a high degree of accuracy. This artificial intelligence-based medical image technology has great potential to be applied in the automatic diagnosis of various other diseases, so that it can help medical personnel in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of health services.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Gatot Yulianto, S.Si., M.Si. presented research related to the microtremor method as an alternative in groundwater exploration and ground motion mitigation. He explained that conventional exploration methods are often constrained by steep topographic contours, settlement density, and high survey costs. As a solution, the microtremor method offers practicality, operational simplicity, and time and cost efficiency, making it a more effective and flexible approach. The microtremor method has been tested in various field conditions and shows very promising results. In addition to groundwater exploration, this method can also be applied in archaeology and geotechnical fields, especially in ground motion analysis and aquifer zone identification.
In chemistry, Prof. Ismiyarto, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. highlighted the application of chitosan-based green synthesis, derived from seafood industry waste, as a solution in supporting sustainable development. Green synthesis is an approach in chemistry that focuses on reducing the use of hazardous chemicals and minimizing environmental impacts. By processing waste into chitosan, which has various benefits in the pharmaceutical, agricultural and textile industries, this research offers great potential in the utilization of waste into high-value resources. Chitosan and its modification can be an environmentally friendly solution for various industrial applications. If widely developed, these methods can help create a more sustainable future, in line with the principles of green development and circular economy.
FSM UNDIP will continue to be committed in developing innovative research that provides real benefits to society, both in the fields of health, disaster mitigation, and the environment. We hope that this inauguration will become a momentum for FSM UNDIP to further strengthen its academic and research role at the national and international levels.
With the inauguration of these three Professors, FSM UNDIP further strengthens its position as a center for the development of science and technology oriented towards community progress and sustainable development.
[Public Relations FSM]