FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES
New Faculty and Staff
Dr Liu Ziwen
Senior Lecturer, Department of the Built Environment
Before joining NUS, Ziwen was a faculty member at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and a Visiting Scientist at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). At SUSS, he developed and taught graduate-level courses in Integrated Digital Delivery and other subjects related to the built environment, including Building Services and BIM for Facility Management. Prior to his academic role, Ziwen spent a decade at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), spearheading the digital transformation of Singapore's built environment through initiatives in Building Information Modeling (BIM), Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD), and contributing to key national standards like the Singapore BIM Guide and the Code of Practice for BIM e-Submission. Ziwen completed his PhD in Engineering in 2021, focusing on advancing green building certifications through BIM, a project sponsored by BCA and supervised jointly by a BCA Senior Officer and a SUSS professor. He also holds a master's degree from the National University of Singapore and currently serves as the Technical Director for building Smart China, representing bSC at international forums.
Dr Zhang Yamin
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Dr Zhang joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering as an Assistant Professor under the NUS Presidential Young Professorship in April 2024 after serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University. She obtained her PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2020. In 2016, she received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Technology from Tianjin University and her BS in Finance from Nankai University. Her research interests include electrochemistry, transient batteries, bioresorbable materials, and bio-integrated electronic medical devices. She is a recipient of several awards, including MIT ChemE Rising Stars (2022), NSF I-Corps (2022), Best PhD Thesis Award at Georgia Tech (2020), ECS Georgia Section Outstanding Student Achievement Award (2020), and Ziegler Best Paper Award at Georgia Tech (2020).
Mrs Neesha Suryakant Shinde
Manager, Department of Architecture
Neesha has worked in the education industry for the past 14 years and has joined the Department of Architecture (DOA) since 1 April. Before joining the Department, she gained experience managing academic processes for students and teaching faculties, organising events and conferences facilitation, and implementing new processes and systems in collaboration with the IT and HR teams. For her role in DOA, she will manage the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Architecture programmes, student exchange programmes, and events, including accreditation, workshops and network sessions.
Ms Xin Zhu
Assistant Manager, Safety and Space, Dean’s Office
Xin Zhu brings extensive experience as a Biomedical Engineer from her tenure at a Government Restructured Hospital, where she led a team of biomedical engineering professionals in managing medical equipment installation, facility & Infrastructure management, space planning and project management. She will be involved in providing guidance and advice to stakeholders within the college community on matters related to space planning, design review, renovation, and facility & infrastructure management.
Mr Lee Shen Yang Joshua
Executive, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joshua will provide support for the department's Master of Science in Energy Systems as well as its 3+1+1 programmes. Joshua, who previously worked in the healthcare sector, played a pivotal role in supporting Singapore's efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of our community. He possesses substantial expertise in making crucial decisions and managing personnel effectively.
Ms Carrie Han Jin Lin
Executive, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Carrie will support postgraduate (PG) coursework administration matters. She brings her expertise and experience from a similar capacity. She will manage the department’s Graduate Certificate Programmes, as well as helping set up the inaugural CEE PG student club.
Mr Tan Yong Han
Laboratory Technologist, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Yong Han joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to provide support in laboratory operations and safety at the Structural Engineering Lab. His previous experiences in various engineering roles have equipped him with an attention to detail and focus on safety requirements that are vital in laboratory operations.
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Management Updates
Professor Jeffrey Hou, a distinguished figure in the field of Landscape Architecture, will join the Department of Architecture as the Head and Professor in May 2024.
Before this appointment, Professor Jeffrey Hou was appointed as a Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, and concurrently held the appointment as Director of the Urban Commons Lab in the College of Built Environments. He was the Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture from 2009 to 2017, the City of Vienna Visiting Professor at TU Wien in AY 2013-2014, a Fulbright Scholar in Taiwan in 2015, and a Landscape Architecture Foundation Senior Fellow in AY 2019-2020. He is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Council (2023) and recipient and co-recipient of the EDRA Great Places Book in 2010, 2012, and 2018. He was awarded the Outstanding Educator Award by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture in 2023.
Professor Hou’s work, which centres around Civic Engagement, Community Design, and Urbanism in Asia, has led to influential publications and sparked transformative discussions in Landscape Architecture.
Professor Heng Chye Kiang, who has been Acting Head of the Department of Architecture, has been appointed as advisor to the new head for one year.
Promotions
| Name of Staff | Department/Division | Promotion |
| Lee Jung Joo | Division of Industrial Design | Promoted to Associate Professor with tenure effective 1 Jan 2024 |
| Qiu Chengwei | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Promoted to Full Professor effective 1 Jan 2024 |
| Wang Hao | Mechanical Engineering | Promoted to Associate Professor with tenure effective 1 Jan 2024 |