Alumni Rising Star Award

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Ms. Foong is the CEO and co-founder of InteractAI (formerly known as MediVR), a Singapore deep tech startup that specialises in virtual assistants powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology. A NUS graduate with a double major in biomedical engineering and design thinking, she hopes to improve patient care across the globe by making quality medical training accessible via immersive reality technology. In her freshman year, she led her team to create a proprietary InteractAI engine that facilitates interpersonal medical training, providing AI-powered virtual humans to support training in clinical communications and diagnostics. It generates scenarios in mixed and virtual reality to allow medical professionals to practise in an immersive and safe environment with immediate feedback. Having built a foundation in the medical industry, the company has set its sights on expansion into new verticals, including education.

Ms. Foong has pitched at both local and international competitions where her team emerged winners, including Lee Kuan Yew Business Plan Competition - Zhang Fan Global AI Initiative 2023, NCS NEXT Hack 2022, International Innovation & Technology Competition 2022. Ms Foong was also conferred the Singapore Computer Society Tech Leader Award 2023. She is an alumni of the NUS Innovation & Design Programme (IDP) and Singapore’s deep-tech accelerator programme, NUS GRIP. She also earned a postgraduate certification from the Harvard Medical School. She participates as a technology partner for TEG grant for CDE and medical school projects. A firm believer of giving back to society, she is an ambassador to social enterprise Cyberland International Education Centre’s LittleMissSTEMist initiative, which aims to promote STEM among girls. Also, she is a national fencer and was nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2022.  

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Mr. Ismail Weiliang is an Environmental Engineering professional. He is currently a Climate Resilience Consultant with 5 years of experience in flood risk advisory. He founded his own non-profit organisation, TheClimateBender, that delivers humanitarian relief to communities vulnerable to climate change impacts, raising over SGD $150,000 and aiding 16,000 beneficiaries across 10 countries including Ukraine, Türkiye, Pakistan and Palestine.

Mr. Ismail Weiliang also serves as Chair of Singapore Water Association's Young Water Professionals Committee with the vision of developing young professionals to be future leaders of the water industry. He actively engages with his alma mater NUS, promoting undergraduate outreach, participating in alumni discussions and providing job and internship opportunities for the department.

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Ms. Fei is the Interaction Designer at Agency Singapore. Her exceptional achievements in various areas of design, particularly in the realm of Innovation. She has not only excelled but truly thrived in her career since graduating. Her extraordinary talents were recognised when she was awarded the prestigious SGMark for her work with the Dormitory Association in 2023, including an upcoming Gold/Platinum Award. A defining trait is her human-centric design focus, placing Singapore on the map for design excellence. At Agency, she has contributed to social impact through innovative design solutions. Her influence extends beyond theory into implementation. She played a vital role in setting new dormitory design standards through meticulous research and hands-on prototyping, showcasing creativity and functionality. 

In the realm of public and community service, Ms. Fei's commitment to societal betterment is remarkable. Thought leadership on mental health and research into sexual assault care management, along with her work with Migrant Workers, reflects her compassionate and socially conscious approach. Her efforts led to comprehensive dormitory guidelines improving Migrant Workers' living conditions. Her dedication to education and professional growth within NUS is evident. She provided invaluable mentorship for thesis students, impacting research outcomes. Her collaboration with Alistair Norris as a mentor on his module, "Designing for the Journey of Death," showcases her technical leadership and nurturing spirit. Her exceptional design talents, commitment to societal impact, and dedication to education make her a standout candidate for recognition as a rising design star. 

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Dr. Xu has demonstrated significant contributions to the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and technopreneurship through his academic and research endeavors. His research interests primarily revolve around innovative and sustainable solutions for wastewater reuse and desalination processes. He obtained his Ph.D. from department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS, and he isolated efficient functional bacteria consortium for membrane bioreactors for sustainable wastewater reuse. Moreover, he was an enterpriserial Lead (Lean LaunchPad Singapore) and participated in startup entrepreneurial activities focused on sustainable wastewater treatment by using novel ceramic membranes processes. Prior to joining Beijing Normal University (BNU) as an Assistant Professor (Young Talents Project), he engaged in post-doctoral research in NUS Environmental Research Institute, during which he led a research project focused on development of pilot-scale energy-efficient seawater pre-treatment technology under impacts of harmful algae bloom. The research could enhance the energy efficiency of pre-treatment processes of desalination in Singapore.  

Dr. Xu’s involvement in organisations and events exemplifies his commitment to public and community service. As a member of management committee of Membrane Technology Specialist Group (MTSG) under International Water Association (IWA), he actively promotes membrane technology in the water industries. He is also a member of the Environmental Engineering Society of Singapore (EESS) and has been involved in organising 4 international conferences and symposiums. He is a reviewer for prestigious SCI journals such as Environmental Science & Technology and a reviewer for international conferences such as IWA Resource Recovery Conference (2023) and 2024 SIWW. He contributed to ten papers in SCI journals including nature index journal Water Research and three book chapters. Hence, his contributions and dedication to advancing sustainable water solutions highlight his valuable contribution to academia, research, and the scientific community.  

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