HIGHLIGHTS
FACULTY & STAFF UPDATES
Prof Craig Edward Hodgetts, Visiting Professor, Department of Architecture
Professor Hodgetts is an architect, writer, and inventor who first came to international attention with the publication of a series of visionary drawings for a proposed film version of Ernest Callenbach’s novel “Ecotopia”. Shortly thereafter he joined forces with Visiting Professor Hsin Ming Fung (Department of Architecture) in the design of the Cookie Express, a micro drive thru that won a PA Design Award. His further explorations in architecture include the PA award winning 00:00:00 high-pressure inflatable mobile theater, the Southside Settlement, and a series of drawings and proposals for mass circulation magazines. That work continued after he and Visiting Professor Fung here at NUS, continued to stake out new and novel architectural territory with their design for the widely published Towell temporary Library at UCLA, and shortly after, the radical transformation of the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Their recent work to invigorate the Hollywood Bowl with a new Orchestra Shell, and the creation of an iconic mixed media building on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip has created a tapestry of memorable places throughout the Los Angeles area.
Professor Hodgetts is a graduate of the Yale School of Art and Architecture, where he studied with James Stirling, a founding dean of the School of Design at the California Institute of the Arts, the author of a critical book on futurist Syd Mead, numerous critical essays which have been gathered into Swimming to Suburbia, and Inside James Stirling, Design Quarterly Number 100.
Dr Yu Ka Ming, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr Yu Ka Ming Iris joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as Assistant Professor on 6 February 2023. She is interested in the upcycling of biomass waste, food waste to platform chemicals and sustainable materials as alternatives to petroleum-based products, with the ambition to achieve carbon neutrality. She specialises in microwave-assisted conversion, green solvents and catalysts, and sustainable thermochemical processes. Before joining NUS, she was a Research Assistant Professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Humboldt Fellow at the Technical University of Munich.
Dr Lee Sang Won, Lecturer, Dean’s Office, Engineering Design and Innovation Centre (EDIC)
Dr. Kate Sangwon Lee joined the Engineering Design & Innovation Centre (EDIC) as a Lecturer in January 2023. Kate is an HCI researcher and educator who aims to develop valuable and sustainable products with human-centered design knowledge. Before joining EDIC, she worked as a post-doctoral research fellow for the Digital Twin project at the Division of Industrial Design at NUS. She received her Ph.D. at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University studying "Responsible Social Media: Development and Evaluation of Key Guiding Principles" based on her industry experience as a UX designer and Product Manager. During her career in industry, she worked on various social platforms, including AI speakers, search, and utility apps in South Korea’s top tech companies. Her research interests include ethics and responsibility of social platforms and inclusive design.
Ms Hu Kai, Senior Executive, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Ms Cynthia Hu will be supporting the Graduate Coursework (M.Sc.) Programmes in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Together with the other team members, she will also support the managing of other student matters. Prior to joining NUS, she has been working in private institutions.
Mr Jumh Tantri, Assistant Manager, Dean’s Office (Office of Student Life)
With seven years of experience as a trained psychotherapist/counsellor in counselling local and international individuals in tertiary education, Mr Jumh Tantri will be supporting the Care & Growth pillar of Office of Student Life; handling student support, wellness and peer support group. He will also facilitate student events organized by CDE students’ club.
Professor Xie Jianping stepped down as Assistant Dean of the Office of Graduate Programmes from 1 Jan 2023. Associate Professor Mohan Gurusamy has taken on the role.