FACULTY AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Associate Professor Lilian Chee wins international award for architectural illustrations
Associate Professor Lilian Chee has received the Rendering Award of Excellence in the 2026 Architecture in Perspective (AIP) Competition organised by the American Society of Architectural Illustrators.
The annual international competition recognises excellence in graphic representation of architecture, bringing together work by professional illustrators and designers from around the world, spanning drawings, paintings, sketches, renderings and digital imagery.
Assoc Prof Chee received the award for drawings developed as part of 'Foundations for Homebased Work', a research project funded by Singapore's Social Science Research Council (2020–2024), for which she served as Principal Investigator.
The research explores how people adapt their homes to accommodate paid work alongside everyday domestic life, often within very limited spaces.
“These drawings make visible the many layers of care, cooperation, often overlooked household labour and sheer persistence involved in such arrangements,” said Assoc Prof Chee.
“Above all, the drawings recognise that design intelligence is not confined to designers or professionals, but that such intelligence might be embedded in the everyday decisions we take to make our homes work for work.”
The drawings were developed from fieldwork conducted under the project's 'Home Audits' component, led by co-investigator Prof Jane M. Jacobs. Assoc Prof Chee led the ethnographic documentation and design of the drawing protocols, with assistance from NUS Architecture alumni James Lim Kun Yi and Rebecca Chong Shu Wen, and Yale-NUS alumna Liyana Doneva, who were also recognised under the award.
Judged by an international jury of architectural illustration professionals, the AIP's Awards of Excellence recognise outstanding entries selected for exhibition and inclusion in the annual competition catalogue.
Professor Li Jun receives SPSJ International Award
Provost's Chair Professor Li Jun has received the 2026 International Award from The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ).
The SPSJ International Award recognises international researchers who have made outstanding contributions to polymer science and engineering, as well as to academic exchange with Japan. Conferred on no more than four recipients each year, it is the Society’s highest honour for international researchers.
Prof Li received the award for his research on “Supramolecular Polymers and Hydrogels for Nanomedicine and Sustainability Applications”.
His research focuses on developing advanced polymer materials with properties that can be tailored for applications in areas such as drug and gene delivery, regenerative medicine and environmental sustainability. These include supramolecular polymers and hydrogels, whose structures and properties can be designed to respond to different conditions and perform specific functions.
Read more here.
Three CDE educators recognised on ATEA Honour Roll 2026
Three CDE educators have been named to the Honour Roll at the 2026 NUS Annual Teaching Excellence Awards (ATEA). Associate Professor Adrian Chong Zhun Min(opens in new tab), Associate Professor Du Hongjian(opens in new tab) and Associate Professor Khoo Eng Tat(opens in new tab) earned the distinction after each receiving the ATEA three times, recognising their sustained commitment to teaching and students’ learning.
For Assoc Prof Chong (Department of the Built Environment(opens in new tab)), teaching is about developing independent, self-directed learners. “I try to give them sufficient structure and support while allowing them to take ownership of the questions they ask and the decisions they make. Ultimately, I hope they develop not only technical knowledge, but also the ability to continue learning as the field evolves.”
Assoc Prof Du (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering(opens in new tab)) makes engineering education authentic and challenging by connecting classroom learning with real-world problems. “I aim to create a learning environment where students actively engage with concepts, apply them to real-life problems and reflect on their decisions.”
Assoc Prof Khoo, Asst Dean (Research & Technology), who holds a joint appointment at the Engineering Design and Innovation Centre(opens in new tab) and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering(opens in new tab), said that teaching is also about building a community of future innovators and entrepreneurs. “I guide them to see the bigger picture, size up problems, collaborate across disciplines, and build products that shape a better future. Watching this community grow is what drives me, and this recognition is as much theirs as mine.”
The ATEA recognises achievements across teaching, educational design, assessment and feedback, as well as leadership in advancing good teaching practices and technology-enhanced learning. Faculty members who have received the ATEA or Annual Digital Education Award three times are placed on the Honour Roll.
Read more about other CDE educators recognised at ATEA 2026 here(opens in new tab).
Assistant Professor Wu Zhe recognised with the 2026 AIChE 35 Under 35 Award
Assistant Professor Wu Zhe has been named among the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) 35 Under 35 Award recipients, recognising outstanding young professionals who have made significant contributions to chemical engineering across academia and industry.
Asst Prof Wu was recognised in the Safety category for his contributions to the field of chemical engineering and the AIChE community.
Associate Professor Raymond Ong joins airport pavement centre leadership
Associate Professor Raymond Ong has been appointed to the founding steering committee of a new centre aimed at helping airports around the world improve the safety, reliability and sustainability of their runways, taxiways and aircraft stands.
Launched recently by Changi Airports International (CAI), the Airport Pavement Centre of Excellence (APEX) aims to address the growing challenges facing airport infrastructure, including increasing air traffic, heavier aircraft and more extreme weather conditions.
The scale of the challenge is considerable. Changi Airport alone handled some 374,000 aircraft movements in 2025, averaging more than 1,000 take-offs and landings every day. Airport pavements must withstand these while also coping with variations in temperature, rainfall and other environmental conditions. Differences in climate, construction materials and operating conditions mean that solutions developed for one airport may not necessarily be suitable for another.
APEX aims to address these challenges by bringing together researchers, airport operators and industry specialists to share knowledge and develop practical solutions for airport pavement planning, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation.
Read more here.
Emeritus Professor Yong Kwet Yew's reappointment with URA Academy
Emeritus Professor Yong Kwet Yew has been invited to continue his appointment as Senior Fellow of the URA Academy for another 3 years from 1 Nov 2026 to 31 Oct 2029.
Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian delivers plenary lecture on urban air quality at ASAAQ 2026
Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian delivered a plenary lecture at the 16th International Conference on Atmospheric Sciences and Applications to Air Quality (ASAAQ 2026), held in Hong Kong from 26 to 28 October.
Titled “Urban Air Quality Assessment: Recent Advances, Current Challenges, and Future Perspectives”, his lecture explored strategies to address urban air pollution while aligning mitigation efforts with global climate targets.
ASAAQ 2026 brought together international researchers to share advances in atmospheric science, foster collaboration and explore solutions to global air quality challenges.
CDE research fellow Dr Zichen Xu selected for MIT Rising Stars Workshop 2026
Research Fellow Dr Zichen Xu was selected to participate in the 2026 MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering Rising Stars Workshop, held on 22–23 October at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The biennial programme brings together promising early-career women researchers aspiring to academic careers. Dr Xu, who recently completed her PhD under the supervision of Asst Prof Gary Lei, specialises in wave–vegetation interactions and nature-based solutions for coastal protection.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr Xu said, “The most valuable part of the MIT CEE Rising Stars Workshop was hearing MIT professors share candid advice on preparing job talks, navigating academic interviews, writing research statements, and managing the pressures of tenure-track life while maintaining work–life balance. I was also inspired by my fellow researchers’ enthusiasm for their work, which renewed my own excitement about pursuing a career in research.”
Professor Akshay Kumar Rathore receives 2027 IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award
Professor Akshay Kumar Rathore has been named the recipient of the 2027 IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award, one of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) prestigious Technical Field Awards.
Recognising outstanding contributions in industrial systems engineering, the IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award is presented annually to an individual or team whose work has made significant advances in the field.
According to the official citation, the award recognises Prof Rathore’s “contributions to developing innovative current-fed and multilevel power electronics converters”.
Read more here.
Associate Professor Sanjib Kumar Panda Receives Inaugural 2026 IEEE PELS Global Membership Development Award
Associate Professor Sanjib Kumar Panda has been named the inaugural recipient of the 2026 IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) Global Membership Development Award, recognising his contributions to membership engagement and regional leadership in the global power electronics community.
Assoc Prof Panda has held several leadership and service roles within IEEE PELS, including Region 10 Membership Chair, member of the PELS Conference Committee and former Chair of Technical Committee TC-12 on Energy Access and Off-grid Systems.
The award recognises his sustained efforts to strengthen professional networks, foster regional collaboration and support the growth of the international power electronics community.
Professor Silvija Gradečak becomes first NUS academic elected to Materials Research Society Board
Professor Silvija Gradečak (Department of Materials Science and Engineering) has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Materials Research Society (MRS), becoming the first NUS academic to serve on the Board.
MRS is a leading international organisation dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary materials research and representing over 15,000 materials researchers worldwide. The MRS Board is responsible for setting the Society’s strategic direction and its activities supporting the international materials research community. Prof Gradečak is among four newly elected Board members who will serve three-year terms beginning in January 2027.
This appointment recognises Prof Gradečak’s scientific contributions and leadership in materials science, and the growing global impact of materials research at NUS.
An internationally recognised researcher in nanoscience and advanced materials, Prof Gradečak's work focuses on understanding and harnessing the properties of materials at the nanoscale, with applications spanning nanoelectronics, photonics, and energy harvesting and conversion.
“Joining the MRS Board is an opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of the international materials research community while further strengthening NUS's global connections and collaborations,” said Prof Gradečak. “Materials research is increasingly important to advance in areas such as semiconductors, AI, energy, healthcare and sustainable technologies, and I hope to help foster partnerships that accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into real-world impact.”
Alongside her research, Prof Gradečak plays a leading role in strengthening collaboration between academia and industry. She is co-Director of the Applied Materials-NUS Advanced Materials Corporate Lab and established NUS's Centre for Electron Microscopy and Materials Characterisation Laboratory.
Assistant Professor James Surjadi receives 2026 MRS Postdoctoral Award for metamaterials research
“The most interesting advances in materials science come from connecting ideas across fields,” says Assistant Professor James Utama Surjadi(opens in new tab)., fg(opens in new tab).
This interdisciplinary approach has shaped his work on metamaterials, for which he was recently recognised with the 2026 Materials Research Society (MRS) Postdoctoral Award, one of the Society’s Spring 2026 awards.
The award recognises postdoctoral scholars showing exceptional promise through research excellence, leadership, advocacy, outreach or teaching. Asst Prof Surjadi was recognised for his work using defect engineering and architectural design to advance the mechanical properties of polymer and medium-entropy alloy metamaterials into a high-compliance regime.
“I'm honoured to receive this MRS Award for work that began with a rather simple question: what if we could design around the trade-offs that have traditionally limited materials?” he says. “I hope to continue using metamaterials to explore these unexpected possibilities across diverse applications.”
Asst Prof Surjadi joined NUS in May 2026 under the Presidential Young Professorship scheme, following four years as a Postdoctoral Associate in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He received his BEng in Mechatronic Engineering and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the City University of Hong Kong, where he was also one of three recipients of the University’s Outstanding Doctoral Research Award.
At CDE, he has established the Summit Research Group, which brings together mechanics, materials science, advanced manufacturing and electromechanical systems to develop sustainable, robust and multifunctional metamaterials. Its work spans AI-driven metamaterial design, scalable fabrication and multiscale characterisation through to integration into functional systems, with potential applications in areas including microelectronics, sensing and energy technologies.
As part of the recognition, Asst Prof Surjadi will present Tough by Design—What Metamaterials Can Learn from Hydrogels during the MRS Award Recipients Lightning Talks and Panel Discussion at the 2026 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts.
The MRS Postdoctoral Award is supported by the Jiang Family Foundation and MTI Corporation.