FACULTY AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Clarivate names 25 CDE faculty among World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds
“It is a great source of pride to see a growing number of CDE faculty recognised as Highly Cited Researchers.”
Congratulations to the 25 faculty members from CDE named in the 2024 Highly Cited Researchers™ list and among the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds.
The list, compiled annually by data analytics firm Clarivate, spotlights researchers around the world who are extending the frontiers of knowledge and innovations. In 2023 21 members of CDE faculty featured on the list, and in 2022 it included 18 CDE faculty.
Commenting on the 2024 list, Professor Teo Kie Leong, Dean of CDE, said the outstanding achievements by the researchers named “exemplify CDE’s commitment to impactful research, addressing pressing global challenges and contributing meaningfully to our community.”
Read more about the researchers named on the list here: https://cde.nus.edu.sg/news-detail/clarivate-names-25-cde-faculty/
Assoc Prof Bina Rai receives the Star Customer Award and SCDF Strategic Partner Award
Associate Professor Bina Rai was awarded the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Strategic Partner Award (NUS) and Star Customer Award for her work with the Life Saving Force during the SCDF Parade 2024. The Strategic Partner Award recognises organisations for their close collaboration with SCDF, while the Star Customer Award is given to individuals who have significantly enhanced public service outcomes through effective partnerships with SCDF.
Using virtual reality training and firefighting simulations, Assoc Prof Rai worked closely with SCDF Firefighting and Rescue Officer Major V Nisha and Psychologist Ms Cherie Goh on various projects. In an innovative study aimed at helping firefighters manage stress mindsets to improve their performance, a positive impact was observed. Their research was recently published in the journal Virtual Worlds and SCDF’s REaction (Rescuers in Action) technical publication.
This partnership continues to support SCDF’s mission to protect and save lives and property.
Asst Prof Andy Tay receives the Micro and Nano Engineering Young Investigator Award 2024
Assistant Professor Andy Tay received the Micro and Nano Engineering Young Investigator Award 2024 for his work using nano and micro technologies in gene and drug delivery.
This award honours and promotes a young researcher active in the fields of nanofabrication and nanotechnology for life sciences, physics, chemistry and environmental sciences. Dr Tay received this award at the 2024 Micro and Nano Engineering conference, where he delivered his award lecture titled 'Nanostraw Electro-actuated Transfection (NExT) for non-viral, high-throughput genetic engineering of diverse primary immune cells'.
Prof Chandra Sekhar honoured with the ASHRAE Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award
Congratulations to Professor Chandra Sekhar for being awarded the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award 2024 from The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
The award acknowledges outstanding contributions and is presented to an ASHRAE Fellow for continuing pre-eminence in engineering or research work, with only one award given out per year.
Read more about Prof Sekhar’s achievements and contributions here: https://cde.nus.edu.sg/news-detail/prof-chandra-sekhar-honoured-with-ashrae-fellowship-award/
Prof Praveen Linga receives inaugural GSE Distinguished Scientist Award
Congratulations to Prof Praveen Linga on receiving the inaugural 2024 GSE Distinguished Scientist Award.
The award recognises his impactful work in gas science and engineering, including research on gas hydrates, energy storage, and carbon capture technologies.
Read more about Prof Linga’s achievements and his commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions: https://cde.nus.edu.sg/news-detail/prof-praveen-linga-receives-inaugural-gse-distinguished-scientist-award/
Asst Prof Iris Yu wins L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Singapore Award 2024
Huge congratulations to Assistant Professor Iris Yu for being awarded the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Singapore award for 2024!
Held on 28 November 2024, Asst Prof Yu was honoured for her work in biomass utilisation and biorefinery, which aims to sustainably convert biomass into energy, chemicals and materials. Having been working on biomass utilisation since her PhD days, her current progress on microwave-assisted processing has shown promise in offering a sustainable solution for bioresource management.
Asst Prof Yu hopes her award will help inspire young women scientists. “I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by many nice, brilliant people, who lift me up in different ways. I want to pass on their good energy and encourage the young ones, not just by being affirmative, but also by sharing the ups and downs in my journey,” she said.
Read more about her well-earned success here: https://cde.nus.edu.sg/news-detail/asst-prof-iris-yu-wins-loreal-unesco-for-women-in-science-singapore-award-2024/
Senior Lecturer Dr Du Hongjian and Research Fellow Dr Luo Zhiyu, win the Excellence Award (Innovators Category) 2024, presented by the Singapore Concrete Institute
Senior Lecturer Dr Du Hongjian and Research Fellow Dr Luo Zhiyu won the Excellence Award (Innovators Category) 2024, presented by the Singapore Concrete Institute. This award encourages innovation in labour-efficient design and materials and acknowledges contributions to productivity through construction technology. The team’s submission, "Upcycling EV Battery Waste for Sustainable Concrete Solutions," highlights pioneering work on repurposing EV battery waste as value-added materials for urban development.
More details on their innovation can be found here: https://youtu.be/nF7Y4MR9GIk?si=7sKddOc5aJPO-wZH
Prof Rajasekhar Balasubramanian receives the Asian Aerosol Research Assembly (AARA) Fellow award at the 13th Asian Aerosol Conference
Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian received the Asian Aerosol Research Assembly (AARA) Fellow award at the 13th Asian Aerosol Conference held in Kuching, Malaysia (November 2024). This award was given in recognition of Prof Bala’s outstanding service to the AARA and significant contributions to the field aerosol science and technology for more than ten years. The AARA represents eight aerosol associations and promotes the fundamental research and application of aerosol science, industrial applications, air quality and climate change within countries in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Honorary Fellow Dr Harry Tan Siew Ann, Geotechnical Specialist behind the project “CapitaSky" one of the winning projects at the BCA Design and Engineering Safety Award 2024
Honorary Fellow Dr Harry Tan Siew Ann is the Geotechnical Specialist behind the project “CapitaSky” owned by Capitaland - one of the winning projects in the Commercial Category at the BCA Design and Engineering Safety Award 2024.
Dr Tan initiated using all existing piles built 40 years ago—the first large-scale Singapore project of this nature. CapitaSky, a 185m tall, 29-storey Grade A Office Building, is the first Commercial Redevelopment Building in the Central Business District (CBD) to reuse 100% of Existing Bored Piles.
Reusing all existing piles saved 8,400 tonnes of concrete and contributed to a 37% reduction in carbon emissions. This reduction of embodied carbon emissions is an engineering achievement contributing to Singapore’s sustainability goals.
Dr Pragati Aashna wins Poster Award at the Workshop on Meta-Optics and Nonlinear Photonics 2024
Dr Pragati Aashna, Research Fellow (5th from left in picture), won the Poster Award at the Workshop on Meta-Optics and Nonlinear Photonics 2024 held in Tianjin, China, from 9 - 10 November for her work “Barium Titanate-on-Oxide Insulator: An Advanced Platform for Optoelectronics. The Workshop on Meta-optics and Nonlinear Photonics brought together luminaries from the photonics domain.
Dr Pragati Aashna presented a poster on her work in nonlinear photonics, specifically focusing on thin-film barium titanate on an oxide-insulator. This work included the fabrication of single-mode waveguides, electro-optic modulation, and periodic poling of the film for nonlinear applications. Students and postdocs from various universities presented an impressive array of posters on topics in nonlinear photonics.
DID Tutors Featured on The Brand Identity
Congratulations to our DID tutors Ms Dylan Chan and Mr Matthew Roop, whose YEYE Design Studio was featured in an interview on The Brand Identity, a renowned online platform for Graphic Design's Greatest!
The interview features their journey and growth as a design studio, and also briefly mentions their positive experience teaching design at NUS.
Read their interview here.