SoC @ NUS Commencement 2008:
Fine Showing of Excellence in Diversity

NUS School of Computing (SoC) celebrated the varied and colourful achievements of its Class of 2008 across three Commencement Ceremonies in July.
 

A group of 14 SoC students were presented to Singapore President and NUS Chancellor Mr S R Nathan in the first Commencement Ceremonies for the year on July 7. It was a celebration of the different fortes of these students, from student leadership to innovation, entrepreneurship and scholastic accomplishments.
 

Ms Cynthia Mark, noted for her active participation and leadership in student activities whilst with SoC, was valedictorian at the ceremony where select groups of graduating students from other faculties also received their degree scrolls. Cynthia was president of NUS Students’ Computing Club (CompClub) for AY2006/7, and a vivacious emcee in SoC events during her undergraduate days.
 

Two other CompClub presidents also had their proud moments onstage, receiving their scrolls from President Nathan. Mr Yap Neng Giin was CompClub president in AY2005/6, and Mr Benedict Tan Boon Pin is the incumbent for AY2007/8. Dedicated and sincere in their tasks at enhancing student welfare, both Neng Giin and Benedict are familiar to their peers, SoC faculty, admin staff and technical personnel alike.
 

Mr Ye Nan, graduating with two first-class honours degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics, also received his scrolls at the ceremony. A serious and unassuming scholar who has obtained his double degrees within three and a half years, Ye Nan is currently pursuing his graduate studies with SoC. In his own quiet way, he has made an impression on his fellow students and the wider SoC community with both his intelligence and his willingness to help out with efforts outside the classroom and labs, such as outreach to prospective students. The full list of SoC students honoured at the special ceremony may be found here.
 

The main Commencement Ceremony for Computing graduating students was held in the afternoon of 15 July. NUS Vice President (Research Strategy) Professor Seeram Ramakrishna was the VIP at the ceremony, which was presided over by SoC Dean Professor Ooi Beng Chin.
 

Dr Wang Tao, who received the Best Thesis award, was valedictorian. Ms Li Jianran, graduating with a first-class honours degree in Computer Science, won the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal for her academic achievements, and the Annie Tan Medal and Prize as an outstanding female bilingual graduate. Andrew Kim Yyong, graduating with first-class honours in Electronic Commerce, and another bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, won the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal. The full list of academic prize winners may be found here.
 

A sense of pride and togetherness permeated the ceremony where each graduating student took centrestage while their families in the audience and their professors on stage joined in applause of the new graduates. Some of the loudest clapping was heard when Dr Norman Hugh Anderson stepped on stage to receive his scroll. Lecturer with SoC from 2000 to 2007, and now Visiting Senior Fellow at the School, Dr Anderson has himself been nurturing new cohorts of Computing professionals whilst pursuing his PhD degree. With some 20 years of teaching experience, Dr Anderson has held various lecturing positions, including Lecturer with University of the South Pacific, Fiji Islands; Principal Lecturer with Central Institute of Technology, Heretaunga, New Zealand, and Lecturer, Central Institute of Technology, Heretaunga, New Zealand.
 

Rounding off Computing’s participation in NUS Commencement 2008, SoC graduating students in the University Scholars Programme (USP) received their scrolls in a ceremony held in the evening of 15 July. They were joined by USP students graduating from other NUS faculties.
 

In total, Commencement 2008 saw the graduation of 455 students. Of these, 115 completed their graduate programmes, obtaining either a PhD, Master of Science or Master of Computing while 340 undergraduates completed their Bachelor of Computing studies. Among the newly minted Bachelor of Computing degree holders, two also graduated with a Master’s degree from another faculty, and five graduated with an additional bachelor’s degree.