N C M

M A G A Z I N E
4
CELEBRTING 3rd place in the QS World University
Rankings 2012 for Communications and Media Studies!
FOREWORD
O
ne of my favourite American poets Robert Frost
penned these lines that continue to inspire me as a
student, scholar and practitioner of communication.
As I transition into the role of the Head of the Department of
Communications and New Media (CNM), I feel a great deal
of pride in our stellar accomplishments in a very short span of
time under the thoughtful and inspirational leadership of the
amazing Dr. Milagros Rivera. CNM went from starting as an
Information and Communications Management programme to
becoming the Department of Communications and New Media
to being ranked among the top three programmes worldwide
for the study and education of Communication and Media
Studies by the QS World University Rankings.
Clearly, our accomplishments have been stellar, and I look
forward to continue building on these accomplishments to
leverage our global status as a change leader and innovator.
One of the unique strengths of CNM is its climate of creativity.
Tis creativity is visible in the innovative course content, the
dynamic and fexible curricula, and the cross-cuting breadth
of courses that students could choose from. Te Department
houses some of the most well respected and highly regarded
teachers on the NUS campus, and this strength of CNM
continues to be refected in the strong ties that alumni hold to
the Department.
Our creativity is also embodied in our strong relationships with
the industry, evident in our stellar industry advisory board
and in the strong internships and placements that are secured
by CNM graduates. Indeed, the strong relevance of a CNM
education for the practice of communication is evident in the
employer rankings of Communication programmes where
CNM leads the charts.
Te alumni of CNM are the carriers of the CNM story and I
look forward to reaching out to you to learn about your visions,
hopes, and dreams for CNM as we continue on the path of
building CNM together!
Excellent teaching and industry engagement become the
hallmark of a strong Department when married to research.
CNM has demonstrated its commitment to scholarly
excellence in the high productivity of its faculty and in the
various top paper awards that speak to the strong quality
of the work that they do. Most recently at the International
Communication Association Annual Meeting held in
Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Ganga Sasidharan received the top
paper award and the 2012 Bob Heath Top Paper Award from
the Public Relations Division for her paper titled Dialectics
in corporate discourse on CSR in India: Key themes and
drivers. Wendy Wong, a Masters research student and
teaching assistant with CNM, won a research scholarship to
conduct part of her research on the socio-emotional needs
of older adults and their uses of new media in South Korea.
Associate Professor Lonce Wyse participated in a panel as
part of the Creativity in Singapore symposium organised by
the Singapore Research Nexus (SRN) in February, 2012. In
my job as incoming head, I am looking forward to engaging
the Department in fostering scholarship that is driven by
a commitment to addressing grand social challenges and
in leaving a mark on the fundamental ways in which we
communicate, understand, interact, make meaning, and
perform as humans, collectives and societies.
Whereas exemplary research and teaching make up the basic
essentials of a strong Department situated in a strong Faculty
and in a strong University, it is ultimately the climate we foster
and the commitment we bring to our roles that defne the
culture of a place. What struck me most when I visited CNM
back in 2008 and then again in 2011 was the nurturing culture
of harmony and collaboration that exists in the Department!
I look forward to continue building this culture so we can
support each other and work collaboratively in fostering a
collective dream.
Going back to the inspiration from Frost, our journey so far
narrates a story of amazing confuence, impact, and synergies.
Where we go with this story is intricately tied to the dreams
we weave collectively, to the hopes that we nurture for and
with each other, and to the positive work that we put in
the years to come to position CNM as a global leader that
continues to innovate, create, and break boundaries.
In this frst academic year, I look forward to listening to you,
to engaging your thoughts and to co-creating a vision for
the Department of Communications and New Media that
emboldens its strong presence as a thought and practice
leader in Communication in Asia and Globally. I also look
forward to sharing the CNM story with various stakeholders
globally.
Please email me at cnmhead@nus.edu.sg with your thoughts,
ideas and inspirations!
Sincerely,
Te woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
CONTENTS
Dr. Mohan Duta
EDITORIAL TEAM
Charlene Wee
Chris Ong
Chua Chong Jin
Daniel Teo
Fran Nathan
Jodie Luu
Joshua Wong
Lynete Lioe
Tracy Loh
Wendy Wong
DESIGNED BY
Phua Mei Jing

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lonce Wyse
Phyo Myat Tu
Sun Sun Lim
ISSN 1793-978X
ADDRESS
Communications & New Media
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
National University of Singapore
Blk AS6, #03-41
11 Computing Drive
Singapore 117416
www.fas.nus.edu.sg/cnm
COMPANY
REGISTRTION NO.
200604346E 18/ Teaching Awards
19/ Tenures
21/ Research
23/ New Colleagues
25/ Farewells
26/ Te Extended CNM Family
Staf
13/ CNM Society Collaborates on
Competitions
27/ Entrepreneurial Alumni
29/ CNM Couples
30/ Alumni Classifeds
Industry Alumni
2/ iGraduAID Campaign
4/ CNM Classes in UTown
7/ Random Blends 2012
8/ Competitions and Challenges
9/ New Ph.D.s
11/ ICA Conference 2012
12/ Overseas Stints
Graduate Undergraduate
14/ Tank You Dr. Millie, Welcome Mr Mohan!
Feature!
CONTENTS 1 2
First
Campaign
Leaves a Legacy
i
GraduAID is a fundraising campaign spearheaded
by students from NM4217 Advanced
Communication Campaigns to raise funds towards
the annual Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
(FASS) Commencement Class Giving project.

Te Commencement Class Giving initiative is a
fundraising project typically handled by NUS staf
members to encourage graduating students to
donate so as to help NUS students in need.
Working with NUS Development Ofce,
iGraduAID aimed to increase the existing
participation rates of the FASS graduating cohort
and raise a minimum of $11,250 to sponsor at
least fve bursaries, said Liu Xiaoxuan, a fnal-year
student in CNM and business administration, who
is the campaign director for iGraduAID.
Te campaign, Liu said, kick-started with a fash
mob of a song and dance at the FASS canteen
on March 6 2012. Approximately 60 students
participated in the fash mob, which was recorded
and subsequently went viral on YouTube with more than 5,000 views.
Other highlights of the campaign include a Polaroid photo-taking booth set up during the
semester along the FASS AS1 walkway and Final FASStasy, the frst graduation party for
FASS, which was held at Beer Market, Clarke Quay, on May 8 2012. All proceeds from
the graduation party and photo-taking have gone toward the FASS Student Advancement
Bursary Fund.
Te idea was to implement creative tactics that
appealed to NUS students. We didnt want to
come across as being just another fundraiser,
especially with the many other fundraisers and
campaigns already implemented in NUS, Liu
said. We wanted to create buzz and awareness
through the iGraduAID campaign and let students
know that they are able to help touch another
students life in tangible ways too.

Both the Polaroid photo-taking booth and
the graduation party received favourable
responses from NUS students, with a combined
participation of close to 500 FASS students for
both tactics, Liu said.

Apart from innovative and fun tactics, Phua
Pei Pei, manager of donor relations for the
commencement giving project and staf member
of the NUS Development Ofce, said the aim of
the campaign was also to assure students that all
donations raised through the new student-led
fundraiser will be used only for students in need.

To accomplish this, the iGraduAID team used a
website and a Facebook page to provide weekly
updates on all donations collected, a frst for
any fundraiser in NUS. In addition to weekly
By Sarah Chiang
iGraduAid campaign members fom NM4217 Advanced
Communications Campaigns class.
Te iGraduAID team with FASS Vice Dean (External Relations
and Student Life); Associate Professor T.C. Chang (second fom lef),
iGraduAID project supervisors Dr. Tracy Loh and Dr. Linda Perry
(third and fourth fom the right respectively) and staf members fom the
NUS Development Ofce.
Sheares Band, one of the eight bands that performed during
FASStasy singing their hearts out.
UNDERGRDUATE UNDERGRDUATE
progress reports, the criteria for selecting bursary
recipients were also disclosed on the website and
Facebook page.

Meeting the target of fve bursaries at the end
will be great, but whats even more wonderful
is that weve managed to start a campaign that
will be a feature of the commencement giving
initiative in the years to come, and hopefully, help
build a culture of giving among FASS students in
the long run, Liu said.

Donations to the iGraduAID Commencement
Class Giving can be made at www.igraduaid.sg. w
Meeting the target of fve bursaries at the end will
be great, but whats even more wonderful is that
weve managed to start a campaign that will be
a feature of the commencement giving initiative
in the years to come, and hopefully, help build
a culture of giving among FASS students in the
long run.
~ Liu Xiaoxuan
3 4
U
niversity Town (UTown), National
University of Singapores newest and
largest expansion, opened its doors in
August 2011. Lecturers and over 400 students from
the introductory NM1101E Communications,
New Media and Society were one of the frst to
road test the spanking new teaching and learning
facilities. Tree other modules, namely Knowledge
Management (NM4218), Public Speaking
(NM4200), and Special Topics: Playable Worlds
(NM4882A) soon followed, with classes held in
UTown in early 2012.
Aesthetically pleasing because of the luxuriant
greenery that it is situated amidst, Utown is defnitely
a novel and refreshing experience from the grey
buildings that make up much of Kent Ridge campus.
Adjunct lecturer Mr. Kan Siew Ning, who graduated
from NUS in 1985, mentioned that his classmates
would jokingly call NUS Te Concrete Jungle of
Kent Ridge because of its tightly packed buildings
with sparse greenery. Hence, UTown was a welcome
change for him.
It was very refreshing for me to teach NM4218
Knowledge Management at UTown this semester,
which to me was less of a concrete jungle and has
characteristics of overseas university campuses such
as Harvard, Stanford and Cambridge - where there are
nice, open and conducive spaces for students to hang
around and interact.
Similarly, Dr. Ganga Sasidharan who taught NM4200
Public Speaking, highlighted her pleasure with the
new teaching environment saying, Teaching at
UTown this semester was fun! Te vast open spaces
that greet you at Town Plaza induce a sense of
calm and peace, creating an atmosphere suitable to
teaching and learning.
Built with the aims of enhancing space on campus
and ease of use in mind, UTowns lecture facilities
are roomy, well ventilated and come with state-of-
the art equipment, ensuring both ease of learning
and teaching. Seminar rooms are furnished with
comfortable seats, tables with microphones, and
automated teaching aids to enhance interactive
teaching and pro-active learning.
Lee Kai Ling, a fourth-year CNM major who took
NM4218 Knowledge Management, had this to say:
UTown is akin to an oasis in a desert. I really enjoyed
my learning here because I feel really comfortable in
this spacious environment.
On top of its excellent teaching facilities, UTowns
Education Resource Centre (ERC) also boasts of
computer rooms that remain open 24 hours daily,
allowing students and staf to work on projects at
their convenience. Discussions can also be carried
out in the private rooms equipped with computers. A
multimedia hub that is equipped with high defnition
mobile cameras and lighting systems enables students
to work on their projects in a professional seting.
Study clusters dot the ERC which overlooks a large
expanse of greenery of which students are already
taking full advantage, by having picnics, playing
Frisbee and fying kites.
UTown will defnitely help create a campus lifestyle
that is beyond the traditional and already, it has
garnered positive reviews from both our students
and faculty alike. We certainly look forward to having
more CNM classes conducted there in future!
By Phua Mei Jing
A large green feld overlooks UTowns Education Resource
Centre, enabling students to engage in sports, picnics and
other activities amidst their busy schedules.
Students fom NM4200 Public Speaking had their weekly
seminars in UTown in Semester 2, AY2011/2012.
UTowns computer rooms are open 24 hours daily, enabling
students to work on their assignments and projects with ease.
UTown has a number of study clusters that overlook vast
greenery, a refeshing change fom NUSs other venues.
UNDERGRDUATE UNDERGRDUATE 5 6
By Lynete Lioe
RANDOm BLENDS
no passive viewers allowed
CNMs
annual multimedia art exhibition
broke away from its predecessors
with an emphasis on digital and interactive exhibits
this year. Visitors had to actively participate to trigger a
reaction from many of the featured works.
One of the more unusual exhibits on display was the
walk-up interactive art installation which allowed
participants to erase clouds and stop falling text
via the use of the Microsof Kinect. Other exhibits
included a Designer Baby stimulator, board games,
digital storybooks and interactive stories.
Organising commitee chairperson Ms. Jing Chiang
said that the move towards interactive exhibits was due
to a revamp of the Media Design modules in CNM.
Tere are now more interactive media classes
compared to previous years and most of the works at
Random Blends are from modules in NUS, said Jing.
Random Blends 2012 was more than a feature of
current undergraduates projects. A dedicated alumni
section was included, showcasing works by former
exhibitors.
Said Lee Wanyu, who contributed two photographs
to the alumni section, Exhibiting this year felt like
I was contributing to a collective memory; Having
that contrast between older and current batches was
defnitely interesting.
Guest-of-Honour Dr. Chitra Rajaram from MediaCorp
lauded the move towards using digital channels to
showcase works. Te Vasantham senior vice president
said in her opening speech that it is important for
people today to have a good grasp of new media in
order to not be lef behind.
Tis is the last year that Random Blends was held at
Old School since its frst installment in 2009. Te site
will be demolished for residential development.
(top to botom) Dr. Millie speaking to visitors at the launch event;
Dr. Chitra Rajaram giving a speech about newmedia usage; a
father and son duo looking at an interactive piece; Random Blends
2012 commitee members pose with our Guest-of-Honour.
UNDERGRDUATE UNDERGRDUATE
Virtual Home-Planning Concept Clinches
Third at CHI Student Design Competition 2012
F
our undergraduates from our NM4210 User Experience Design
class beat over 60 entries worldwide to emerge third at the
prestigious Computer Human Interaction (CHI) Student Design
Competition 2012. Te team comprising Agatha Soh (CNM),
Samuel Heng (CNM), Kevin Lim (School of Computing) and Lim
Teng Chek (SoC) conceptualised Habitag, a mobile application for
home-owners to co-design their home on a virtual foor plan even
before a place is built.
Tree of the team members had the opportunity to fy to Austin,
Texas for the CHI conference in May 2012 with their lecturer Ms.
Foong Pin Sym.

Tere, Habitag emerged from the poster presentation round as a top four fnalist and progressed to the oral presentation
round where they presented their design process and solution to judges and CHI atendees. For coming in third place, Habitag
team members received certifcates of recognition and a plaque. Congratulations to Ms. Foong and the Habitag team!

About the 9th CHI Student Design Competition 2012
Te CHI Student Design Competition was themed Its the Experience and the annual competition presented students this
year with the design problem of Space, Place, Treshold: Considering the Experience of Home from Within and Without.
Students were invited to design an object, interface, system or service intended to help people to develop and share awareness,
understanding or appreciation for our domestic experience as it relates to space, place and threshold. ~
By Lynete Lioe
Designing the Neighbourhood
Police Post of the Future By Lynete Lioe
W
hat should such an unmanned NPP have? Tis was the challenge posed
by Singapore Police Forces (SPF) Marsiling division to the 11 students of
NM3221 Situated Interaction Design.
Over the semester, SPF provided feedback and guidance regarding the feasibility
of preliminary design proposals. Lecturer Ms. Foong Pin Sym said, We learnt a lot
about communities and it has really got us thinking about the idea of security.
Te needs of the community featured clearly in the design proposals many
suggested saferooms and self-help kiosks with facilities for the illiterate and
physically-disabled members of the community. Some suggested that the space be
shared with organisations such as Family Service Centres. All these concepts were
presented by the students to representatives from the Marsiling division who were
extremely pleased with the students ideas.

Said Inspector Julius Lim, Im actually very pleased that these ideas came about.
Some themes mentioned were about bringing in the community, voluntary welfare
organisations and community service centres. We deal with family violence
cases so the theme gels with what police centres are about being a safe place
for victims. About 35% of Marsilings population are above the age of 65 so the
emphasis on family-friendly services is defnitely a key point of consideration. ~
Te jubilant Habitag team at CHI 2012.
(top) A student presents his design proposal.

(botom) Members of SPF's Marsiling division
listening intently.
7 8
Multi-Disciplinary
Approach to Ph.D.s
By Joshua Wong
O
ne of the hallmarks of CNM has always been its multidisciplinary approach, with a wide
variety of diferent research areas and methodologies. Tis was again made obvious with the
most recent batch of Ph.D. graduate students: Carol Soon, Margaret Tan and Alex Mitchell.
While undergoing the common journey towards that coveted degree scroll, each pursued a very
diferent path in geting there.
For Carol, who did social
science research on how
civil society organisations in
Singapore made use of Internet
technologies to galvanise and
recruit supporters, one of the
most memorable moments of
her Ph.D. was the interviews
she conducted among blogger-
activists. She was especially touched by their passion and
determination in advancing their cause. Carol recently won
the Australian Governments Endeavour Research Fellowship
Award, and plans to go for a short fellowship of between 4
and 6 months in Perth to do comparative research among civil
society organisations. Some of the lessons that she has learned
throughout the Ph.D. process include having strong self-belief
and a very clear idea of what you want to research on. She also
acknowledges the importance of support from family and
supervisors.
CAROL
SOON
Margaret, on the other hand, pursued
a more humanities-based approach,
doing a discourse analysis of the
iN2015, Singapores latest ten year IT
masterplan. She examined the issue
of pervasive computing technologies
promoted by the plan and its
implications for the Singapore Armed
Forces as they move into a new
generation of information warfare. For her, it was a more solitary
journey. Te struggle to overcome obstacles posed by an unfamiliar
academic discipline as well as personal issues made her cite
perseverance as one of the most important qualities to have while
undertaking a Ph.D. She was also thankful for geting along well
with both her supervisors, and cites the desire to make them proud
as one of the reasons why she kept on going. Now, having fnally
achieved the Ph.D. shes worked so hard for, she looks forward to
her life as a Research Fellow in the Asian Research Institute and in
Tembusu College.
MARGARET
TAN
Along a less-beaten path, Alex found
a way to combine his interest in
computer science with his interest
in English literature by focusing his
Ph.D. research on how people re-read
interactive stories. For him, one of
the major challenges he faced was to
fnd a topic that was both personally
meaningful and achievable, as well
as something that could sustain his interest throughout the entire
length of the Ph.D. process. For new Ph.D. candidates, he advised
them to think carefully about their topic, as it would need to sustain
their interest for the next 3 to 4 years. Tey also need to realise that
the Ph.D. research will not be the sum of their entire life. Tere are
opportunities to do research in other areas later as well as covering
parts of the topic they did not cover in their Ph.D. dissertation. Alex
himself now intends to pursue research into the areas of interactive
storytelling that he could not include in his Ph.D.
ALEX
MITCHELL
GRDUATE GRDUATE
Carol (center) with Dr. Cho Hichang
(lef) and Dr. Millie (right).
9 10
CNM Rocked at ICA
Conference 2012
T
he 40 degrees Celsius desert heat failed to
dampen the enthusiasm of communication
scholars from around the world at the
International Communication Association Conference
2012 in Phoenix.
Tis year CNM had a strong showing at the conference
with seven faculty members and fve graduate students.
Commenting on how CNM has contributed to the
ICA conference annually, A/P Sun Sun Lim, CNMs
Deputy Head, said CNMs performance at ICA is going
from strength to strength every year! Tis year saw two
faculty members win top paper awards and one graduate
student winning a travel grant. We had papers accepted
in multiple divisions and pre-conferences, in all the
areas that CNM as a department is actively building its
expertise in. Were going to build up our momentum for
London next year!
Top paper awards were presented to Dr. Ganga
Sasidharan for her paper titled Dialectics in corporate
discourse on CSR in India: Key themes and drivers
(top paper in public relations) and Mohamed Elmie
Bin Nekmat for his paper titled Disclosure in online
word-of-mouth communication: What does it mean
for public relations? (top student paper in public
relations). Dr. Ganga was given another pleasant
surprise when she was also presented with the 2012
Bob Heath Top Paper Award for the top of the top
papers! For this achievement I must thank my
supervisor Millie Rivera and my dissertation commitee
members, Mohan
Duta and Linda
Perry who gave
me the intellectual
space and freedom
to develop as a
scholar in my own
right. I believe
that this freedom
enabled me to
make a distinctive
contribution
to the body of
knowledge, said
Dr. Ganga, who
is thrilled by
the awards, afer
having been conferred her Ph.D. just last year.

Ph.D. candidate Cheryll Soriano, who won the ICA
travel grant, had some sage advice: I would strongly
encourage graduate students to participate in ICA
pre-conferences. Here, papers and discussions
converge towards a specifc theme and there are
opportunities to think about the theme across a variety
of theoretical lenses, methodological approaches and
geographical contexts, leading to greater ease in future
collaborations!
Congratulations to Ganga, Elmie and Cheryll on your
wonderful achievements!
Te CNMteam at the ICA Conference 2012.
Dr. Ganga and her pleasant surprise
the Bob Heath Top Paper Award.
By Jodie Luu
GRDUATE
My First Snow
Seoul Calling!
By Daniel Teo
By Wendy Wong
T
he frst time I experienced snow was on November 30, 2011. At the time,
I was four months into my stint at Purdue University in West Lafayete,
Indiana. I had been invited to spend fall semester at the Brian Lamb
School of Communication, atending graduate courses and even teaching a
couple of undergraduate classes.
I was in my apartment just fnishing up lunch when the snow started falling.
Outside my window, delicate white specks foated down from above. It looked
every bit as enchanting as I had imagined.
I stood at my window for a good ffeen minutes before realising that I had a class to teach in a couple of hours. Driving in the
snow to campus was quite an experience, to say the least. Forty minutes later, I parked my car in the universitys student lot.
Only then did I release my death grip on the steering wheel.
So that was my frst encounter with snow. I suppose frst times are always like that the sense of wonderment before crashing
back to reality, sometimes literally.

When I frst arrived in Indiana, I was excited at the prospect of living in a foreign country for the frst time in my life. Lafayete
is a small city home to less than 60,000. Beyond the city limits, there were corn felds as far as the eye could see. Everything
was just so fascinating to me.
But soon I realised I had to grapple with the realities living and working in the U.S. Would my teachers, classmates and
students understand me? Tankfully, being understood was not a problem because Purdue has the second largest international
student community in the U.S. and everyone was used to various accents.
Ten there was the homesickness. Tis was my frst time being away for an extended period of time, and I missed my family
and friends from time to time. Fortunately, there was email, Facebook, Skype and a whole host of other media channels to
keep me up-to-date with what was going on in Singapore.
Tey say slow and steady wins the race. In the end, when times get hard, it helps just to keep plugging on. Eventually, despite
almost crashing, you will reach your destination. And you can be proud that you did not give up halfway.
E
lated to have won the ASEAN University Network and Republic of Korea
Academic Exchange Fellowship Programme 2012, I spent two months
in Seoul during the semester break to conduct part of my feld work for
my masters thesis. Trough the assistance of Dr. June Song, a Director with the
Korean Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (KISEAS), I worked with Ms. Julie
Cho, Research Assistant (KISEAS) for my feld work. We conducted focus groups
with six Korean participants who are above 60 years old, on their perception and
use of information communication technology like the Internet and smartphones,
and also to gain an insight into their socioemotional needs.
I was very privileged to have had the opportunity to speak with Associate
Professor Keong-Suk Park from the Department of Sociology in Seoul National
University, who has numerous publications on the elderly in South Korea as well
as comparative studies with the elderly in other North Asian countries.
It was a fascinating experience being swirled in the raw vibrance of Seoul. At the same time, I was moved by the stories of
some of the older Koreans feeling lef behind in the unrelenting rush of technology and new media worse, to be lef behind
by society at large.
Wendy (centre) with Dr. June Song (lef) fom
the Korean Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
and research assistant Ms. Julie Cho (right).
Daniel (third fom lef) with his
Narrative Teory class.
GRDUATE 11 12
p
r
i
n
t
B
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1
1
By Lynete Lioe
By Lynete Lioe
I
n early 2012, the CNM Society got busy with Gosh! Advertising
for Ideate!, a marketing case competition for which participants
were challenged to create a marketing campaign for SUBWAY.

Interactive mentoring sessions provided by media professionals and
industry experts simulated a real working environment, providing
a good opportunity for students to learn and sharpen their ideas
before their fnal presentations to the judges.
Congratulations to our students Agatha Soh, Jesmine Tay and Wong
Yong Shen of the winning team, WhatSub. Well done to the frst
and second runners-up, One Monkey and Firefies, and all other
participants of Ideate! Reynold Kwok from CNM and Tammy
Fransli from the NUS Business School were also named the most
valuable presenters.
All students received certifcates of participation while winners
received additional team certifcates and cash prizes of $500, $300
and $200. =
O
ur friends from the CNM Society worked with
Blugrapes, a leading social media consultancy,
to bring us BLUprint 11. Te competition
saw undergraduates design a three-month long social
media marketing campaign for sponsor Kao Liese, a hair
colourant brand from Japan.
Ryan Lim, business director of Blugrapes, said this
was an opportunity for students to connect theory to
practice. BLUprint presented a great experience for
students to get involved in a real life brand and learn to
harness social media purposefully.

Congratulations to Ong Xin Er, Raymond Yang and
Serene Chua of the winning team! Te frst prize
included $1,200 and an internship opportunity with
Blugrapes where students may get to work with Fortune
500 companies to develop social media strategies.
Te frst and second runners-up were awarded with
$600 and $300 respectively. Te competition ran from
August 31 to October 27, 2011.

WhatSub at
Ideate! 12

INDUSTRY
BluPrint 2011 sawstudents designing a 3-month social media
marketing campaign for Kao Liese.
Mr. Toh Ee Ming (lef), chairman of Subway
Singapore fanchisee commitee, presents tokens to
the winning team WhatSub.
PASSING
THE TORCH
By Daniel Teo
THE CNM EXPERIMENT FLOURISHES
U
niversity departments can be batlefelds
of conficting beliefs and values, where
long-drawn wars are waged between
factions who relentlessly demean each others
work. Tis was not what Associate Professor
Millie Rivera wanted for CNM when
she took over the reins in July
2004. Her vision was for a truly
interdisciplinary department.
Respect is key, Millie said
in her rich Portuguese
accent. I wanted to
develop a department that
feels like a family, and that
that feeling trickles down
to our students.
Now, at the end of her term
as department head, she spoke
candidly about what it took to
transform her vision into reality.
In the beginning, Millie had to bring in
people from across many diferent academic
backgrounds, countries and cultures. She recalled
afectionately the daring experiment that became
CNM: My idea was lets throw them all in a pot,
stir them and see what comes out! And what came
out was a fun group of people who like and respect
each other.
By starting from scratch, Millie
had the freedom to push
boundaries in designing the
nascent programme. Te
result was a unique curriculum
comprising courses in
communication management,
media design and media
studies. In addition, it
was very important to
Millie that students
were not confned
to a predetermined
set of courses like
in conventional
communication
curricula. Te
students decide what
they want. Tey have
choice, she said. We dont
try to impose on them what
we think ought to be the way
they combine their courses.
Tis fexibility was a major reason for the exponential
growth in student numbers. CNM now boasts one
of the highest enrolments in the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences, with the number of single majors
FEATURE
My idea was lets throw
them all in a pot, stir them
and see what comes out!
And what came out was
a fun group of people who
like and respect each other.

~Dr. Millie Rivera
13 14
leapfrogging from 139 in 2005 to 583 in 2012.
While Millie was quick to admit that there were few
major challenges in crafing CNM, the journey was
not always smooth-sailing. Te new and diferent
are ofen met with resistance and scepticism: My
biggest problem was convincing the university that
the things we were doing here would not make the
whole university implode!
Te novel curriculum ofen had
Millie explaining how everything
ft together.
In addition, she also
proposed radical things
like hiring teaching staf
without Ph.D.s but
had valuable industry
experience and skills, as
well as hiring on a part-
time basis.
It was not easy at the
beginning because it was like
hiting a wall, but once a breach
was there, then it was much easier,
she said about her many meetings with
the university authorities. It was not difcult;
it just required that constant efort to educate our
colleagues and peers.
Under Millies headship, CNM has fourished.
Among her many achievements for the department,
she has spearheaded the formation of initiatives
such as the CNM student society, the undergraduate
internship programme, and the Industry Advisory
Council that allows industry players and students
to interact. And to top it all of, CNM was recently
placed third best out of 100 top universities for
communication by QS World University Rankings.

Said CNM's deputy head A/P Sun Sun Lim:
"Building up a new academic department from
scratch - stafng it with the best people, atracting
bright students, developing a robut curriculum
- is no easy endeavour. And although we
in CNM were all equally commited
to building up our department,
our eforts and impact
were magnifed with A/P
Milagros Rivera's energetic,
passionate and strong
leadership. As we now
turn our eforts towards
further raising CNM's
international profle,
Professor Mohan Duta's
global standing as a top
health communications
scholar makes him the ideal
person for leading CNM into its
next phase of growth."
As she passes the torch on to her successor
Professor Mohan Duta, Millie already has plans for
her return to civilian status. For one thing, the fve-
time award winner for teaching excellence is looking
forward to spending more time with her students.
However, Millies main focus will be working on her
multiple on-going research projects.
Millie also foresees CNM growing even more. Her
hopes for the department are for the expansion of the
graduate programme and international recognition
for the departments research work and innovative
curriculum. Its a natural progression, she said.
With the change in leadership and the bright
future ahead for the department, there is one
important thing that Millie hopes will be
constant in her litle CNM experiment: I
wish for the department to continue
being the family that it has always
been.
NEW HEAD
DRWN BY CNMS
CULTURE

For Dr. Mohan Duta,
who has made it his
lifes mission to study
culture, it was inevitable
that culture would come
up during the interview.

I love the culture of this
place, he said about joining CNM
as its new head. If there was one thing
that drew me here, it was how I understood
the culture. I really love the feel that this place has.
Just a month ago, Mohan was Associate Dean
for Research and Graduate Education at
Purdue Universitys College of Liberal Arts.
On top of teaching at the Brian Lamb School of
Communication and conducting research in health
communication and activism, he also served as a
fellow at the universitys Entrepreneurial Leadership
Academy, and ran the Centre for Poverty and
Health Disparities as its director. In addition to all
these duties, he also served as senior editor for the
academic journal Health Communication.
Now, Mohan is 10,000 miles away from
his old life. Surely there had to be
more than CNMs winning culture
that brought him here? I wanted to
be closer to India where my parents
are, he said wistfully. Its about
marrying your career with your
family and with your personal
choices.
Tis yearning to be closer
to home was also evident
as the conversation steered
to the recent spate of heavy
rain in Singapore: I love
the monsoons. I grew up
in a very tropical climate, so
come March, we used to have
torrential rains.
Of course, this was not Mohans frst
brush with our regular downpours. In 2010,
he had spent six months in Singapore with his wife
Debalina while on a sabbatical at CNM. We were
living on the 17th foor and we'd just open up all the
windows when it rained, he said.

It was also during this sabbatical that CNM made a
lasting impact on him. When I lef CNM in 2010,
I had a lot of positive memories and thoughts about
this place, he said. So when Millie reached out to
Building up a new academic department from scratch - stafng it with the best people, attracting bright students, developing a
robust curriculum - is no easy endeavour. And although we in CNM were all equally committed to building up our department,
our eforts and impact were magnifed with A/P Milagros Riveras energetic, passionate and strong leadership. As we now
turn our eforts towards further raising CNMs international profle, Professor Mohan Duttas global standing as a top health
communications scholar makes him the ideal person for leading CNM into its next phase of growth.
FEATURE FEATURE
When I lef CNM in 2010, I
had a lot of positive memories
and thoughts about this
place. So when Millie reached
out to me to be head of
CNM, it just felt right.
~Dr. Mohan Duta
CNM was recently
placed third best out
of 100 top universities
for communication by
QS World University
Rankings.
~A/P Sun Sun Lim
15 16
Teaching Staf
Win Encore Awards
CNM
had a bumper crop of teaching
accolades over the past academic
year as fve teaching staf were acknowledged for their
contributions to teaching. Four of them were repeat
winners of teaching awards.
Teaching Assistants Anuradha Rao, Cheryll Ruth
Soriano and Christopher Ong received the FASS
Graduate Students Teaching Award (GSTA), while
Assistant Professor Ingrid Hoofd and Instructor Gui
Kai Chong received the Faculty Teaching Excellence
Award (FTEA).

Dr. Ingrid scored a hat trick with this FTEA win,
for she has received the award twice previously in
2007 and 2009. She has also won the university level
Annual Teaching Excellence Award (ATEA).
Even though Dr. Ingrid is no stranger to awards,
the exhilaration of clinching one is not lost on her.
Tough the university emphasises research, its nice
that they stress teaching too and we get recognised for
it. Im still very excited every time I get an award. It
is especially good for younger faculty staf because it
boosts their resume, she said.
For Kai Chong, the FTEA has been awarded to him
for a second year running. Likewise, Anuradha and
Cheryll have also received the GSTA previously, in
2010 and 2011 respectively. A third win of the same
award would see recipients enter the Honour Roll,
unofcially known as Te Hall of Fame, and they are
not eligible to receive the award again.
A frst time recipient of the FASS Graduate Students
Teaching Award this year was Christopher Ong, who
received the good news via e-mail.
Geting the award was a pleasant surprise its nice
to know that your teaching is appreciated, he said.
A hearty congratulations to all our award winners! {
Anuradha Rao
Cheryll Ruth Soriano
Christopher Ong
Mr. Gui Kai Chong & Dr. Ingrid Hoofd
me [to be head of CNM], it just felt right.

Other things about living in a city like Singapore feel
right to Mohan as well: Tere are so many things to
do here, restaurants to eat at. Debalina and I love to eat
all kinds of food.
But Im going to miss the backyard, the lawn and the
big open spaces to play in, he said about moving from
a U.S. suburb to a high-rise apartment in Singapore.
While the move to Singapore was a gamble both
career-wise and personally, Mohan still saw the odds
in his favour in heading CNM. I see a lot of potential
here. Having a solid base, a good culture these are
the things which are ofen not so easy to fnd, he said.
And then the opportunity to take that to another level
in terms of scholarship or productivity or research
profles, those are the things that are very exciting.
Being the most published scholar in the feld of health
communication, Mohan certainly has the goods to
take CNM to greater heights. In fact, he hopes for the
department to become a global leader in innovative
research and scholarship, while retaining its unique
Asian perspective.
Despite these lofy aspirations, his early plans for his
headship are to lead less and understand more. Tere
is a lot of learning I need to do, he said. Im a process-
oriented person, so Im looking to spending time just
meeting with people, understanding what their dreams
and visions are, and trying to crystallise my dreams in
FEATURE STAFF
conversations with them.

Te interview then touched on the recent news
of CNM clinching third place in an international
ranking for communication in universities. It doesnt
surprise me, Mohan said. I see CNM as a cuting-
edge, innovative, creative space which falls out of the
traditional line of how communication work is done.
Its very encouraging in terms of what the department
has been able to do under Millies leadership.
I feel fortunate to follow in the footsteps of someone
whos done such a wonderful job nurturing this place,
marrying organisational culture with excellence,
Mohan said elaborating on his predecessors success.
I feel good about taking the baton at this point and
moving it forward because my leadership experiences
would add value to what she has done so far.
We have room to improve, to become even beter,
Dr. Duta said. Im hoping well become number one
in the next round! _
I see CNM as a cuting-edge,
innovative, creative space which
falls out of the traditional line of
how communication work is done.
~Dr. Mohan Duta
By Lynete Lioe
17 18
V
isitors to the CNM ofce are surprised to see
a huge poster of a man in a pink Hello Kity
graduation gown surrounded by grinning faculty
members. Previously, they were amused by a poster of the
faculty gathered round a medieval knight. Just who are
these peculiar men being celebrated on CNMs walls?

Tey are none other than Associate Professors Lonce
Wyse and Cho Hichang, who both received tenure in the
past academic year 2011/2012! Congratulations to Dr.
Cho and Dr. Wyse on being our third and fourth CNM
professors to achieve this milestone. Te frst and second
faculty members to atain tenure were the former Head
of Department Dr. Milagros Rivera and Deputy Head Dr.
Sun Sun Lim.

Most research track professors are required to obtain
tenure within six years of joining NUS. In a process that
takes about a year, tenure candidates are reviewed by
undisclosed international scholars in the chosen feld
of work and by the NUS Tenure Commitee. Successful
applicants are granted longer-term job security.
Since the inaugural queens coronation of Dr. Lim for her
tenure celebrations in 2010, it has become a tradition to
celebrate our newly-tenured professors in fun and creative
ways as they continue to forge ahead in their careers as
part of the CNM family.

When Dr. Cho received news of his tenureship back in
June 2011, he suspected a surprise party in store for him
CNM Celebrates
Two More Tenured Faculty
By Lynete Lioe
STAFF STAFF
at a department meeting despite assurances from Dr.
Millie that there was not enough time to prepare one.
I was asked to do a presentation on the grading curve but
I ended up wearing a golden crown and a medieval gown
with a staf. I was made to pose and take pictures but I
refused to allow the evidence to go on YouTube, recalled
Dr. Cho.

What had started out as an innocuous staf meeting
turned out to be a knighting ceremony presided over
by Dr. Millie who conferred a golden crown that read
Tenured Prof . Dr. Chos medieval outft also came
complete with belt and gauntlets.

Refecting on his tenure application, Dr. Cho said, It
was a stressful, fearful time but overall a good experience
because while a lot of time is spent collecting information
about yourself, you get to see your strengths and
weaknesses. You also stop to look forward and back.

Te following year in 2012, Dr. Wyse received the
outcome of his tenure application and instantly knew that
embarrassing things were in store for him.
Afer a department lunch in March, Dr. Wyse was
presented with a pink satin Hello Kity-themed
convocation gown and mortarboard that had been hand-
carried from the United States by Dr. Mohan Duta.

Dr. Wyse even took care to delicately balance the Hello
Kity plushie on his mortarboard as he gamely posed for
pictures with his tenure scroll.

He recalled his apprehension about his tenure application.
Im not the typical Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
person. I could never convince myself 100% that tenure
would be given never sure if someone like me with a
more technical background would be seen as a good ft in
the faculty, he said.
It is such a relief to pass the tenure milestone. You really
work hard for it over the frst part of a career. When asked
about his future plans, Dr Wyse said, Of course, there are
always thoughts of going back to ones home country (the
United States) but I have no particular plan or strategy to
leave. Tis is such a dynamic, exciting place to be. ]
(lef) Dr. Wyse posing gamely in his Hello Kity graduation
gown; (right) Dr. Cho with his wife, Dr. Chung Siyoung.
It is such a relief to pass the tenure
milestone. You really work hard for
it over the frst part of a career.
~A/P Lonce Wyse
It was a stressful, fearful time but
overall a good experience because
while a lot of time is spent collecting
information about yourself, you get to
see your strengths and weaknesses.
~A/P Cho Hichang
CNMteaching staf celebrate the tenureship of Dr. Lonce Wyse.
Dr. Cho Hichang was knight for the day when he received tenure.
19 20
F
ive international artists have been selected to showcase
projects that fuse the disciplines of art and science as
part of the Art/Science Residency Programme 2012.
Te programme, which aims to promote public interest and
community engagement in art, was initiated by Associate
Professor Lonce Wyse.
Engaging with the arts is a vital component
of education for this generation, who need to
constantly draw on creativity and innovation
to survive in our world today, said A/P Wyse,
who concurrent to his position in the CNM
department, is also Director of the NUS
Interactive & Digital Media Institutes (IDMI)
Arts and Creativity Lab.
In March, the Art/Science Residency
Programme welcomed its frst artist, Ms. Grit
Ruhland. In conjunction with the Centre
for Quantum Technologies, she created a
Cabinet of Curiosities containing artefacts
that related to quantum technology research.
Later this September, Ms. Cathrine Kramer
and Mr. Zackery Denfeld will work with
the Asian Biopoleis on Utopian Cuisine in
the Anthropocene: Four Food Futures for
Singapore to connect Singapores culinary
habits to the nations larger ecological,
economic and political systems.
Tat same month at the Yong Siew Toh
Conservatory of Music, Mr. Shintaro Miyazaki
will conduct a rhythm-analysis of Singapore,
its infrastructure and technologies in a project
entitled Listening to Singaporean Infospheres.
Artist-engineer Marc Bhlen will be hosted by the Singapore-
Delf Water Alliance in November. He will present Water Bar,
an installation which re-mineralises water in a public water-well.
During their month-long residencies, the artists will also engage
with the NUS community as well as the public through sessions
at Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum. @
Fusing Art
&
Science
FROM SMS TO SMARTPHONES
IDEAS APLENTY IN CNM
F
eb. 13-14, 2012 saw a burst of
intellectual energy in CNMs seminar
room when scholars of international
repute converged in Singapore to discuss
the impact of a ubiquitous handheld
device which many of us can no longer live
without. Organised by Associate Professor
Sun Sun Lim, the workshop entitled
From SMS to Smartphones Tracing
the Impact and Developmental Trajectory
of the Mobile Phone in Asia, considered
the social, political, economic and cultural
impact of the mobile phone in this thriving
part of the globe.
Te two-day workshop sponsored by the
Singapore Ministry of Educations Academic
Research Fund atracted scholars whose
work covers multiple interdisciplinary areas
and an expansive geographical range, while
identifying key emerging issues that are of
growing academic and social import.

Workshop papers provided broad macro-
reviews of mobile phone adoption trends
across developed and developing Asia,
while the themed panels provided thought-
provoking discussions of salient issues
such as mobile phone use by transnational
migrant workers, mobile phone use by
juvenile delinquents, the representation
of mobile phones in advertising, mobile
phone gaming and implications of the rise in
location-based tracking services.
Te workshop closed with a positive view
towards future collaborations and themed
workshops, as well as a critical look at how
research on mobile phones in Asia can be
butressed and invigorated.
Participants at the workshop ranged fom faculty and
graduate students fom overseas universities and CNM.
Our guests young and old even got to
explore the colourful sights of Clarke Quay.
Research Accomplishments
STAFF STAFF
(top) Ms. Grit Ruhland engaging with A/P
Wyse during the residency programme.

(botom) Ms. Grit and A/P Wyses meeting
with the media.
Photograph by Phyo Myat Tu
21 22
W
E
L
C O
M
E
By Lynete Lioe
C
N
M
s New Colleagues
( fom lef to right) Ms. Gayathri D., Ms. Yvonne Tan, Ms. Joethy E.K., and Mr. Alsred Kwek.
Gayathri is CNMs Executive who provides
support to faculty members with research
maters, assists the Head of Department
and staf with human resource maters and
also co-ordinates department events.
GAYATHRI D.
Do take note of Joethy if you are an
undergraduate. Tis Management Assistant
Ofcers core responsibilities include
timetabling, Centralised Online Registration
System (CORS) appeals and internships.
JOETHY E.K.
Yvonne joined CNM in May 2012 as a
Management Assistant Ofcer and mainly
handles fnance maters. So look no further
than Yvonne for claims, invoicing and billing.
YVONNE TAN
As a Technical Support Staf, Alsred provides
his CNM colleagues with technical support
for computer systems. He also assists
students at the AS6 teaching lab.
ALSRED KWEK
STAFF STAFF
Debalina recently defended her doctoral dissertation at Purdue
University. Her research and teaching interests are in the areas of
science communication, gender and science/engineering, organisation
communication in engineering organisations, and the role of culture
in public understanding of science. At NUS, she will be teaching
Communication Management, Research Methods and University
Scholars Programme modules.
DR. DEBALINA DUTA
Tong Jees love for teaching led her to give up an NUS Research
Scholarship in 2011 to be a full-time Teaching Assistant in CNMs
Communication Management unit. An avid runner, it is no surprise that
Tong Jees masters research focuses on health feminism how health
magazines impact womens need to care for their bodies.
GOH TONG JEE
Tracy taught at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy before joining
CNM in 2011 as a Visiting Fellow, lecturing various Communication
Management modules. A Ph.D. holder from Cornell University, Tracys
research interests lie in the social psychology of online communication,
health communications and risk crisis management.
DR. TRCY LOH
Cheryll recently submited her Ph.D. thesis that has been four years in
the making here at CNM and is awaiting her Ph.D. defence. Cheryll is
now a full-time Teaching Assistant. Te aspiring rights activist hopes
that her work can help minority groups harness technology to break
down cultural barriers.
CHERYLL SORIANO
Newer students would probably recognise Wendy from NM1101E,
where she is the tutor co-ordinator and covers fve classes. Formerly
a secondary school teacher, Wendy joined us as a Teaching Assistant
and for her part-time masters in 2011. Her research explores how older
adults use new media to fulfl social emotional needs.
WENDY WONG
23 24
By Lynete Lioe
Tis May, we bade farewell to Dr. Linda Perry as
she retires to Gainesville, Florida afer seven years
with CNM. Back home, she will care for her twin
grandchildren, just born in February and observe
for signs of cryptophasia or the secret language of
twins. Dr. Perry also has plans to complete a novel
and take up writing and design projects on the side.
Dr. Lee Seow Ting now heads the Communication
Management unit and Dr. Perry believes that Dr.
Lees research and teaching experience will take the
unit to the next level of development.
Besides missing Singapores know-it-all taxi-
drivers, Dr. Perry will miss the work ethic of
students here, whom she describes as extremely
hardworking. She will also miss the camaraderie
of faculty members, their lack of ego and student-
centric atitude.
We thank Dr. Perry for her invaluable
contributions to the CNM department and wish
her a happy retirement!
F
A
R
E
W
E
L
L
Dr. Linda Perry and Dr. Chung Siyoung
Afer seven and a half years with our department,
Dr. Chung has accepted a place at Singapore
Management Universitys (SMU) Business
School as an Associate Professor in the Corporate
Communications Group.
Dr. Chung is a familiar face to CNM students,
having taught the core modules like NM1101E
Communications, New Media and Society,
NM2102 Research Methods in CNM and NM4101
Advanced Research Methods in CNM.
While at CNM, her research on online privacy and
risks won her a top four faculty paper award at the
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication, and another collaborative study
on the Singapore 2011 general elections was quoted
in several local dailies.
Dr. Chung believes that it is a good opportunity for
her professionally as a researcher and teacher since
the position is a good ft with her interest area in
business organisations. We wish her success in all
her endeavours!
Dr. Linda Perry Dr. Chung Siyoung
Dr. Linda Perry (lef) at her farewell party
with Dr. Millie.
Dr. Chung Siyoung has been a familiar face
to many batches of students.
STAFF
Baby Diary
By Charlene Wee
Keeping in Touch By Charlene Wee
Lucky Josiah has three older sisters doting on him!
In fact, he really relishes playing and interacting with
them. Having four close-knit children brings great
joy to parents Jhee and Gladys.
Seasoned father and graduate student Mr. Jiow Hee
Jhee has this advice: Invest time in children - they
grow up prety fast.
Josiah (right) with Genevieve (6 years), daddy Jhee,
Gabriella (8 years), Gayle (4 years) and mummy Gladys.
Despite her tender age, Aanya has travelled far. She was
delivered in Nepal and is now happily acclimatising to
Singapores heat, loving the colourful tees she gets to wear.
Aanya is my litle researcher in the making. She loves to
observe, to explore, and is inquisitive about everything
around her. Mummy Dr. Iccha Basnyat
Aanya goes exploring
with her walker.
W
hile teaching in NM1101E, our former Teaching Assistant Pratichi
Joshis sunshine smile comforted many nervous frst-year students. Tese
days, the owner of that smile is based in South Sudan as a cluster leader for
water, sanitation and hygiene at French humanitarian organisation, Solidarits
International, interfacing with UNICEF.
South Sudan is the worlds newest state having received its independence just last
year, but it still faces civil unrest and poor humanitarian conditions.
Apart from the personal and intellectual challenges, this role is doubly rewarding
for Pratichi as it is her frst humanitarian position since her marriage last October
to Jordan Couturier, who is also involved in philanthropic work in South Sudan.
Says Pratichi, My time at CNM really helped me prepare for working in a
multicultural environment. I also owe a lot to my frst job as teaching coordinator
to learn the basics of coordination. Dr. Millie is an excellent role model as a team
leader who taught me that leadership is not demanded but commanded.
STAFF 25 26
Entrepreneurial Spirit in CNM Graduates
Entrepreneurial Alumni
MICHAEL CHEN AND LEE JUN LIN - MINITHEORY
T
wo CNM graduates from the class of 2012 have founded
Minitheory, a user experience and interface design
consultancy. Registered in March 2012, the two-
person establishment is run by Michael Chen and Lee Jun Lin.
Minitheory has clients in San Francisco, Singapore and is in talks
to reach out to China.
Minitheory believes that user experience and interface design have
become the most important trends in the industry. Expansion
plans are in the pipeline and Minitheory is looking to branch out
into making applications on top of client work.
Both Michael and Jun Lin credit Ms. Foong Pin Syms NM4210
User Experience Design class for giving them the idea to go into
this business. In fact, Jun Lin was in the pioneer batch of NM4210
and encouraged Michael to take the module in the next semester.
I have been playing with Photoshop since I was 13 and thought
it was just a hobby. I thought I would be a journalist or work in
Public Relations or Advertising, though I was always interested in
technology. I was feeling quite lost until I took Ms. Foongs class;
what I read in NM4210 clicked with me, said Michael.
Michael and Jun Lin are both alumni of the NUS-Media
Development Authority SHAPE programme. Teir three-
month overseas internship stints in Silicon Valley and Pitsburgh
immersed them in a culture of entrepreneurship and gave them the
confdence to start their own company.
At the fnance sofware start-up inDinero in Silicon Valley where
Michael interned, the founders were not even 21 years of age and
younger than he was. Said Michael, Tey were not even legal! If
they can, why cant I?
Starting a company is actually much easier than what people
think. You just have to fgure out exactly what you need to do
before jumping in. Ive worked in companies that dont value
designers and treat them as workhorses. Teres actually a lot of
value in design work, said Jun Lin who interned at Schell Games
in Pitsburgh where he created interfaces for games.
Minitheory has just moved into a new ofce this July and the team
is raring to go.
LIYANA SULAIMAN RELAY ROOM, BURPPLE,
GIRLS IN TECH SINGAPORE
C
an a person wear three hats at once? Of course, if she
has the energy and passion of Liyana Sulaiman. Te
CNM graduate from the class of 2012 lends herself
to three technology-related companies: Relay Room, Burrple
and Girls in Tech (Singapore).
Liyanas keen interest in technology began when her parents
bought her a computer desktop from Creative Technologies
for her ninth birthday.
I had burning questions like How do they make and sell
such cool computers? Stemming from this curiosity, the
interest and drive to learn more about the emerging world of
technology awakened in me, said Liyana.
Majoring in CNM was a natural choice and Liyana believes
that the wide assortment of modules that she read at CNM
is giving her the competitive edge in what she does today.
Te modules shaping her career path now were indeed new
media related like Aesthetics of New Media, User Experience
Design, Interactive Media Design and ICT & Development,
alongside a couple of modules from the Technopreneurship
Minor programme.
In 2010, Liyana was part of the NUS Overseas College
(NOC) programme and worked as a Social Media Strategist
at Qik, Inc., a mobile video start-up based in the Silicon
Valley that has since been acquired by Skype.

Te start-up experience is not for the faint-hearted because
it takes a lot of self-initiative. You need to conquer your fears,
be versatile across roles, and sustain an unwavering interest in
the A to Z of your company operations. It has redefned my
comfort zones as an individual; it prepared me for whats to
come next, said Liyana.
At Relay Room, a typography-led branding and design studio
founded by fellow FASS graduate, Sarah Cheng-De Winne,
Liyana leads sales, marketing, public relations and brand
community management in her role as Marketing Strategist.
Relay Room has recently received mention in the local
newspapers.
At Burrple, Liyana is an Evangelist and Community Advisor.
Tis mobile Social Food Journal app start-up is listed among
the Top Lifestyle & Whats Hot apps to download from
Singapores Apple app store. Te mobile application allows
people to remember, organise and explore food moments
with friends.
At Girls in Tech Singapore, Liyana is known as the Chapter
Operations Manager. Girls in Tech Singapore is the local
chapter of a global organisation focusing on technology
to empower professional women through information,
education and networking.
ALUMNI ALUMNI
Liyana with fellowGirls in Tech Singapore members. Liyana experienced working in Silicon Valley under Qik, Inc.
By Lynete Lioe
Founders Lee Jun Lin (lef) and Michael Chen (right).
User experience design for inDinero. For this project,
Minitheory worked with a multinational team fom the
United States, Vietnam and South Afica.
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JOYCE HUANG (Class of 2011)
a-johua@microsof.com

Audience Marketing for Developer and Platform
Evangelism Group, Microsof Singapore

Also started a technology special interest group
called Singapore Geek Girls

My best memory is doing design thinking with
my team mates for our User Experience Design
class in the middle of arts canteen at 10 p.m. But
our eforts were rewarded when we won!
EUNICE NG (Class of 2011)
abcdeunice@gmail.com
Designer at Ogilvy
My best memory of CNM is staying many nights
in the playroom WITH NO AIRCON working on
NM3208 videos!
BRYANT NEO (Class of 2010)
bryantneo@hotmail.com
facebook.com/bryantneo
twiter: bryanttt
Marketing Executive at Standard Chartered Bank

My best memory of CNM is the the interesting
slew of modules taught by fun lecturers who are
themselves updated and modern in their thinking
and approach to new media. Plus the many close
friendships forged through project groups!
BENJAMIN CHEW (class of 2009)
skye.sg@gmail.com

Project Manager at WebPuppies
My best memory of CNM is Honours year with
everyone in the playroom doing things that the
CNM staf should not know!
REUBEN YONG (class of 2010)
reubenyongwm@gmail.com
htp://sg.linkedin.com/in/reubenyong
Business Development Manager at Monster
Worldwide Inc.
My best memory of CNM was having Dr. Millie
as my thesis supervisor. Under her supervision, I
understood the need to be meticulous, to exercise
critical thinking and put in hard work. She showed
me a lot of encouragement and kindness, even
with all the red marks I saw in my draf. Despite
her busy schedule as the head of CNM, she made
time for me. It goes to show her passion towards
work and allowing students to grow and mature.
CLASSIFIEDS
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Love Blossoms
in CNM By Lynete Lioe
JOEL & ESTHER
Esther thought Joel was stupid and Joel thought
Esther was ferce. And so the family friends
developed a mutual distaste for one another
throughout their growing-up years, and were only
distant friends at the beginning of university.
Esthers eager sister seized many opportunities to
get them to spend time together afer a group trip to
Taiwan in 2006 but neither of us budged, although
the impression we had of each other began to change
gradually for the beter, said Joel.

It was in working together over late nights spent
on NM2208, NM3208 and NM4208 projects that
the couple bonded. Joel and Esther both remember
arguing frequently as a result of their varied
approaches to the projects, but over the two to
three years of studying together, they learnt how to
compromise and focus on each others strengths.
Joel is a visionary with big ideas and grand plans,
while Esther is more meticulous and detailed. Tat
was also how they planned their wedding, with
Joel conceptualising the grand scheme of things
and Esther working out the details, resulting in a
beautiful celebration.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is wingd Cupid painted blind,
~William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream
STEPHEN & TERESA
Stephen fondly remembers Teresa always having an
ample supply of titbits to get through classes while
Teresa remarked that Stephen was always the goody-
two-shoes, paying great atention in class and telling
her to keep quiet when she got too noisy.
Te couple met as groupmates in 2004 at the
Freshmen Orientation Camp and majored in CNM,
spending a great deal of time in common modules
and group projects. It was only a year later that
Stephen asked Teresa out on a date on Valentines
Day on the pretext that it was an orientation group
outing that no one else was free to join.
I kept telling her that no one could make it. I
couldnt reach them so its just you and me, said
Stephen with a laugh.

Te rest, as they say, is history, and the couple got
married last year.
Said Stephen, Being married has given us a deeper
appreciation of how blessed we are, of how much
we love and are loved by each other. Although life
together isnt always perfect, we know it will always
be beautiful because we have each other . w
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