Dear students, alumni, colleagues, and partners of CDE,

Our Community Day is a day we set aside in Semester 1 to strengthen the bonds in our community with a focus on shared values, community wellness and enrichment. This year's Community Day was even more special as we celebrated our CDE Superheroes. These are the colleagues and students who, without the need for a mask and cape, have made a significant difference in the lives of others. They include student Alicia Chia Ya Jun (Industrial Systems Engineering and Management), who was instrumental in enhancing the visibility and engagement of the ISE club as Project Director for the Freshmen Orientation Camp (FOC), and staff members Jasmin Lee Swee Fong (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) and Tan Junwei (Industrial Systems Engineering and Management) for their dedication to service to the community.

Community service is a real superpower that we should all strive to develop.

Other ‘superheroes’ were the CDE students and teams recognised at the NUS Achievement Awards. One of whom was Chua Hao En, a student from our Department of the Built Environment, who was awarded the Sportsman of the Year Award in recognition of his Captainship of the University Lifesaving where he led the team to consecutive Men's Division A titles in the 2023 and 2024 National Lifesaving Championships. In 2024, he represented Singapore at the Lifesaving World Championships, where his team set a new national record in the 4x25m Manikin Relay.

Of course, we cannot forget our alumni superheroes who have given so much to our community, four of whom received the CDE Distinguished Alumni Award this month: Er Chan Ewe Jin (Civil Engineering), Mr Kong Mun Kwong (Real Estate), Mr Augustin Lee Tong Yang (Electrical Engineering) and Ar Wong Mun Summ (Architecture).

Congratulations to all our superheroes, and I hope to see more of you lifting off from our community!

Professor Teo Kie Leong
Dean
College of Design and Engineering (CDE)