Nationality: Vietnam
Current Job: Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania, United States
Graduation: School of Computing, Year 2009
Undergraduate: National University of Singapore, Singapore
"Don't be afraid to dream high, and don't let others tell you otherwise. But work hard towards it, and persevere!"
In retrospect, would you still have chosen to do a PhD? Why?
Absolutely! As a child, I was always fascinated by the great minds whose lives were dedicated to research, science and discovery, and I dreamed of following a similar path. For me, doing a PhD was simply a natural way to realize that childhood dream.
On hindsight, would you still have chosen NUS to do your PhD?
Yes! I loved my time at NUS and in Singapore. NUS is not just a great environment for learning and research, it also has so much to offer an international student like myself. I was exposed to a diverse culture and to many wonderful people (both within and outside NUS), and both have shaped me as a person in many ways. I came to view Singapore as my second home, and I still think of it that way today.
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research topic for your PhD?
Yes. My PhD research was in the area of real-time, embedded, and cyber-physical systems. In case you don’t know, they include many critical systems that we interact with everyday in the real world, such as medical devices, cars, airplanes, factory control systems, or the smart grid. The question that I focused on in my dissertation was how to efficiently model, analyze, and design these systems to guarantee that they are safe and reliable. Over the years, I have broadened my research include other areas, such as security, but I am still doing work in this area as well. The question that I worked on back then is still important and challenging today — perhaps even more so, because these systems have evolved quite a bit and have become much more complex, intelligent, and autonomous. Think of self-driving cars, for instance!
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research supervisor for your PhD?
I had wonderful research supervisors, who were extremely supportive. I am indebted to them for the guidance, training, and support that he gave me during my PhD years. Now that I have doctoral students of my own, I appreciate even more what they have done for me.
How did NUS prepare you for your career?
My studies and my research at NUS not only gave me the technical foundations, they also gave me the research and personal skills that I needed for my current academic career. I was fortunate to work with faculty who focused on high-quality and important research, rather than simply aiming for low-hanging fruit or a high paper count. This has influenced my own approach to research.
Suggest 2 or 3 things that graduate students should do to prepare for their professional careers?
* Figure out what you are most passionate about, and then get as much experience as possible in that area.
* Don’t forget the soft skills, such as writing and communicating effectively.
Name 2-3 things you wished you had been told when you started graduate school?
* Solving your research problem is not enough – soft skills, such as clear and effective writing, or good teaching and presentation skills, are just as important!
* There will be times when you feel like a failure, but everyone does at some point (though not everyone admits it!). Don’t let it bring you down!
What advice would you give someone considering doing his/her PhD at NUS?
Doing PhD is a long journey full of obstacles, so find a research topic that you are really passionate about! You are going to spend 4-5 years working on it, so do it because you really want to, and not because your advisor asked you to. A good way to start is to find a research advisor who is working in an area that is exciting to you, and who is willing to invest time in training and working with you.
Briefly share something fun in your graduate journey at NUS that you remember.
The first time I went to a conference, I was completely lost. So I emailed the person who handled conference registration for suggestions, and she turned out to be the nicest person I had ever met! She even offered to share her hotel room with me during that conference trip. From that very first encounter, she and I have become really close over the years.
Any other words of wisdom to share?
* Find your passion! It’s hard to do great research on something you are not excited about.
* Don’t be afraid to dream high, and don’t let others tell you otherwise. But work hard towards it, and persevere!
* Try to have some fun in the process!