NUS Student Achievement Awards 2009: Showcase of Multi-faceted Talent from Computing
 

A total of 19 winners from NUS School of Computing (SoC) will be walking away with the spoils of their toil at the presentation ceremony of NUS Student Achievement Awards 2009. The number represents a doubling of winners compared to each of the past two years.

Organised by the University’s Office of Student Affairs, NUS Student Achievement Awards is a yearly event that honours individual students or student groups for their outstanding contributions in activities outside the academic curriculum. This year, Computing students are on the winner list of all categories: Arts and Culture, Community Projects, Distinguished Leadership and Competitions.

Taking centre-stage among these winners is Bruce Chia, Class of 2009 (Computer Science). He wins an individual award in the Competition category, riding on the waves that he made with his sharp programming skills in a global competition. Whilst he was a final year undergraduate with the School, he led a team that produced a video game that topped an international contest organised by Microsoft for its XBox games platform. In all, he and his team mates won cash prizes worth over S$70,000.

Winning group awards in the competition category are five SoC students: Yang Zhenbin, Class of 2009; Cheong Kah Meng, Year 4 undergraduate; Shen Yizhe, Year 3 undergraduate; Tan Chun Siong, Year 2 undergraduate; and Wong Wei Ming, Year 4 undergraduate.

Wei Ming made his mark with his contributions from the technological perspective in a team of NUS students that emerged the top winner of the CaseIT 2009 competition in Vancouver, Canada. His other team-mates were from NUS Business School. CaseIT is an annual international undergraduate business case competition with a strong focus on Management of Information Systems (MIS). The 2009 contest took place in March.

Wong Wei Ming (left 2nd) at CaseIT 2009

Zhenbin, Kah Meng, Yizhe and Chun Siong were members of a team called “I am PC”, which emerged champion in the software development category of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Singapore 2009. The four-man team went on to represent Singapore at Imagine Cup 2009 World Finals held in Cairo in July 2009.

Team “I am PC” with Microsoft Singapore representatives
(right 1st and 2nd)

Bagging group awards in the distinguished leadership category are Lee Chee Full, Tan Wen Jie, Chua Lu Sien, Thng Boon Hui and Le Minh Bao, winning under the banner of NUSSU 30th Council. Chee Full, Wen Jie and Lu Sien are certainly no strangers to SoC undergraduates and faculty alike, having actively worked to enhance student life during their tour of duty on the 2008/9 Management Committee of NUS Students’ Computing Club.

Winning group awards in the Community Project category are: Geeganage Dilesh L Weerasuriya, Year 4 undergraduate; and freshman Goh Yan Zhu. Geeganage earns the award through the role he plays in the pro-environment NUSSU SAVE project while Yan Zhu is recognised for her participation in the NUS Students’ Community Service Club.

In the Arts and Culture category, Year 4 undergraduate Charlotte Tan is no stranger: She won a group award for her active participation in NUS Choir in 2007, and is reprising the winning role this year. Still in the Arts and Culture category, Year 2 undergraduate Lor Chun Yeong wins a group award as part of NUS Chinese Orchestra while Udesha Shamintha Kalamba Arachi, Class of 2009, wins as part of Eusoff Band Sixology. Rounding off the winner list in the category are: Year 3 undergraduate Wang Shuling as well as Pon Heng Wai and Ang Haoyang, both in the second year of their undergraduate studies. The trio win group awards for their participation in the King Edward VII Hall 11th XQRJ National Chinese Song-Writing Competition Organising Committee.

SoC congratulates all its winners at NUS Student Achievement Awards 2009, and celebrate with them their triumph in their chosen fields of dedicated work. The award ceremony will be held in the evening of 30 October 2009 at Heng Mui Keng Terrace Auditorium.