FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES
New Faculty and Staff
Professor Akshay Kumar Rathore
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor Akshay Kumar Rathore's research focuses on power electronics and electric motor drives. He is an IEEE Fellow and a recipient of several prestigious awards, such as the IEEE IAS Andrew W Smith Outstanding Young Member Achievement Award, the Isao Takahashi Power Electronics Award, the IEEE David Irwin Early Career Award, the IEEE Bimal Bose Award for Industrial Electronics Applications in Energy Systems, and the Nagamori Award.
He has contributed to above 300 papers on soft-switching PWM and resonant dc-dc converters, multilevel inverters, and DCM rectifiers, including about 110 IEEE Transactions. He edited a book on advanced concepts and technologies for electric transportation, published by CRC Press in 2022. He has delivered above 200 invited talks, keynotes, and tutorials in several events across the globe. Presently, he is a co-Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Power Electronics Society, and is serving on the committees of the IEEE Medal in Power Engineering and IEEE Nikola Tesla Award.
Associate Professor Lin Yifeng
Department of Architecture
Mr Lin Yifeng is a US-registered landscape architect and currently serves as an Associate Professor in Practice in the Department of Architecture at NUS.
Mr Lin’s design practice focuses on urban transformation, post-industrial regeneration, ecological infrastructure, and the integration of landscape and architecture. His work emphasises the significance of perception and the poetic interrelationship between nature and humanity. He is a recipient of several international awards, including the City’scape Award by Paysage Topscape (Milan, Italy, 2023), the IFLA AAPME Award (Busan, South Korea, 2022), the Architecture MasterPrize (Los Angeles, USA, 2021), the Outstanding Property Award (London, UK, 2021), and the APAC Business Award (Staffordshire, UK, 2021).
His projects have been published internationally, including 30 Trees (Birkhäuser, Basel, Switzerland, 2023, by Ron Henderson), Park of the 21st Century (Rizzoli, New York, USA, 2021, by Victoria Newhouse), New Horizons (Birkhäuser, Basel, Switzerland, 2020, by Jutta Kehrer). His work has also been regularly featured in global professional platforms such as Paysage (Italy), and Landezine(Germany).
Mr Lin has also contributed actively to landscape education. Before joining NUS, he held teaching positions at the University of Hong Kong (HKU, 2015-2019) and Tongji University (2014-2015).
Mr Lin received a Master in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, and a Bachelor of Architecture from Tamkang University.
Dr Kim Sang Cheol
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Dr Kim Sang Cheol joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering as an Assistant Professor, having been awarded the NUS Presidential Young Professorship. Prior to joining NUS, he was a Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University, where he focused on developing electrochemical solutions for energy and sustainability. He earned both his PhD and MS in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University, conducting research under the mentorship of Prof Yi Cui on the design and understanding of electrolytes for lithium batteries.
Dr Kim holds Bachelor's degrees from Duke University and brings industry experience from his time as a battery cell engineer at LG Chem. His research excellence has been recognised with several prestigious awards, including the Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship, the MRS Graduate Student Gold Award, the ECS Daniel Cubicciotti Student Award, and selection for the Rising Stars in Soft and Biological Matter Symposium. His research interests lie in electrochemical engineering, electrolytes, energy storage, and sustainability.
Dr Zhong Peichen
Assistant Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Dr Zhong Peichen joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as an Assistant Professor, having been awarded the NUS Presidential Young Professorship. Dr Zhong received a BS in Physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2018, followed by a PhD in Materials Science from UC Berkeley in 2023. He then completed the postdoctoral work at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet (BIDMaP). His research focuses on materials modelling and AI for Science to pioneer clean energy & sustainability technologies.
Dr Baek Jihyun
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dr Baek Jihyun joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an Assistant Professor, having been awarded the NUS Presidential Young Professorship. She attained her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2024, where she worked under the supervision of Prof Xiaolin Zheng. She continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Her research focuses on electrocatalysis, synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy, and high-entropy oxide materials, with an emphasis on sustainable hydrogen production, electrochemical resource recovery, and clean energy technologies. She adopts an interdisciplinary approach integrating materials design, advanced characterisation, and electrochemical engineering.
Dr Baek has authored publications in leading journals such as Nature Communications, ACS Nano, and ACS Energy Letters. She is also a recipient of awards, including Rising Stars in Mechanical Engineering (2024), Siebel Scholar in Energy Science (2023), and the Chevron Fellowship in Energy (2022), recognising her contributions to energy science and materials innovation.
Mr Tan Wee Beng
Deputy Director, Office of Research and Technology, Dean’s Office
Mr Tan Wee Beng joins the Dean’s Office (Office of Research and Technology) following his secondment from the Office of the Deputy President (Research and Technology). Wee Beng works with a team to support the Vice Dean (Research and Technology) in promoting research in strategic areas and facilitating the development of large-scale research initiatives and collaborations with industry.
Mr Ang Iishen
Executive, Communications and Marketing, Dean’s Office
Mr Ang Iishen has joined the Dean's Office in the Communications and Marketing unit, bringing with him experience in website design and administration. A hands-on individual who enjoys engaging with others, Iishen will serve as the primary contact for matters related to the CDE website and internal communications. While his professional interests are focused on the digital realm, his hobbies are quite the opposite and include activities such as coffee making and cooking. He looks forward to collaborating with the diverse teams at CDE and sharing his passion for coffee!
Ms Natassja Jacinta Jaswan
Executive, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ms Natassja Jacinta Jaswan joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as part of the Graduate Admission Programmes team. Natassja is a recent graduate who has demonstrated a strong academic record and a keen interest in higher education administration. In her new role, she will be supporting the department’s graduate admissions processes, assisting prospective students, and working closely with faculty and staff to ensure an efficient and welcoming admissions experience.
Ms Rene Suriyati Binte Abdullah
Lab Technologist, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Ms Rene Suriyati Binte Abdullah brings with her 15 years of experience in the chemical industry, where she served as a Lead Lab Technician, performing chemical and metallurgical analyses and managing hazardous waste handling. Rene holds a Diploma in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technology from Nanyang Polytechnic.
Promotions
| Name of Staff | Department/Division | Promotion |
| Ang Kah Wee | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Full Professor (Tenure Track) with retrospective effect from 1 July 2025. |
| Zhang Huangwei | Mechanical Engineering | Associate Professor with tenure with retrospective effect from 1 July 2025. |
Appointments
| Name of Staff | Department/Division | Appointment |
| Dr Lim Chia Wei | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering | Appointed as Lecturer effective 1 June 2025. |
Retirement
Mdm Chee Sui Cheng, Laboratory Technologist, Department of Mechanical Engineering, last day of service is on 31 July 2025.
As Amy approaches her well-earned retirement, we would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt appreciation for her outstanding contributions over the past 45 remarkable years.
Amy has been an integral part of our laboratory’s administrative operations, and her quiet dedication has supported generations of staff and students. Her meticulous handling of procurement, fixed assets, teaching lab classes, and the scheduling of FYP oral examinations has ensured the smooth running of many critical processes that often go unseen, but are vital to our department’s success.
Her deep institutional knowledge, strong sense of responsibility, and steady presence have left a lasting impact. Many of us have benefited from her guidance, her reliability, and her willingness to go the extra mile.
The department wishes to thank Amy for her decades of loyal service and care. She has earned the admiration and respect of all who have worked with her. While we will miss her dearly, we also celebrate with her as she steps into a new chapter of life.
We wish Amy a retirement filled with happiness, good health, and plenty of time to enjoy the things she loves most.