Dean Hugh Scott Cameron Award

Apparently when I graduated, I got this award (see picture) in recognition for my services rendered to the Rice Community in general. I was nominated by Somarine Sam Diep, for having done stuff to help the international student community at Rice (I helped start off the Peer International Advisor program, which has grown from 7 to about 22 advisors, and was also involved in planning social activities for the International Undergraduates Society).

It was good to get recognized, except that I would have appreciated it better, if someone had TOLD me beforehand that I was going to get the award! Nobody told me, as such, I did not attend my own award ceremony...

Updated Personal Resume (25 June 2006)

The additions to the resume are in bold and italics.

LANGUAGES
Fluent in English and Mandarin (written and spoken). Working knowledge of German.
EDUCATION
Rice University, Houston, TX, USA Aug ‘02 – May ’06
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Physics. Current GPA: 3.49
Coursework included: Multivariable Calculus, Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Chemical Kinetics, Programming, Complex Variables, Leadership, Accounting and New Venture Creation. Two courses done in University of California (Berkeley) in Summer 2003. Exchange Student in International University Bremen (IUB) for 2004-2005.
* President’s List Fall 2002
* Rice University Dean Hugh Cameron Service Award
* Member of Chemical Sciences Honor Society, Phi Lambda Upsilon, 2006
* Senior-year Honors nanotechnology research project with Dr. Naomi Halas. Creating nano-sized sensor particles with potential applications as non-invasive sensors of salicylic acid and glucose in blood.
* GRE: 1400 (Verbal 680, Math 720, Analytical 5.0)
* GMAT (Unofficial): 730 (97th percentile)

Hwa Chong Junior College, Bukit Timah, Singapore Jan ‘98 – Dec ‘99
Cambridge GCE ‘A’ levels. A’s for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics ‘Core’, B for Economics and A1 for General Paper; SAT 1520 (Verbal 800, Math 720); SAT II Physics 800, Math 750, Writing 750; TOEFL 293

INTERNATIONAL AND WORK EXPERIENCE
INNOVATE Globalization Conference, Shanghai and Kyoto, China and Japan 10 – 19 Mar ’06
University Delegate. Selected from forty-six applicants to be one of twelve Rice University-subsidized delegates for an international symposium on globalization, technology and leadership in the global marketplace, with a focus on Asia. Visited companies and educational institutions in both countries, including Toyota, Matsushita, and Fudan University. Participated in panel discussions with entrepreneurs, business leaders, government officials and student leaders. Personal research topic: renewable energy developments in China.

International University Bremen, Bremen, Germany Aug ’04 – Jun ‘05
Exchange Student. One of four selected exchange students from Rice to International University Bremen (IUB). Started a new club, participated in Student Think Tank (see Activities) and represented Rice University as student ambassador. Traveled extensively through Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK, Portugal, Spain) and Asia.

* The Arlington Institute, Arlington, Virginia, USA Jun ‘04 – Aug ‘04
Research Intern. Selected as first representative of Leadership Rice Summer Mentorship Experience to The Arlington Institute, a futurist research institute. Created a presentation to the Pentagon for an alternative-energy competition to wean the US from dependence on oil to renewable energy sources. Wrote SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) analysis and an in-house executive summary of Singapore’s national security. Offered a job at the end of internship.

* 21st Battalion Singapore Artillery, Singapore Army, Singapore Jan ‘00 – May ‘02
Assistant Administrative Supervisor. Promoted to a regular-soldier’s position as a conscript because of demonstrated leadership ability. Led 6-man battalion administrative section with Battalion Manpower Officer to achieve full score in manpower administration component of battalion field evaluation exercise.

ACTIVITIES
* International Undergraduate Society, Rice University Aug ’05 – May ’06
Co-secretary. Organized social activities, including first successful IUS Movie Night and social activities for international undergraduate students at Rice.

* Peer International Advisor Program, Rice University Aug ’05 – May ’06
Co-Head. Organized and advised participants in program, where existing Rice international undergraduate students advise incoming international freshmen, and help in adjusting to their new environment, softening their culture shock. Edited the Orientation booklet.

* Wine Society, Rice University Oct ‘02 – May ‘06
Co-founder and President (2003–2004, 2005–2006). Club founded to educate Rice community on wine. Successfully negotiated for club discounts of 10% with local wine merchant. Club membership expanded from 2 people to 30 within two years, including Houston Area young alumni. Currently negotiating with Houston Young Alumni Association to jointly create discount card for Houston area.

* Student Government Think Tank, International University Bremen (IUB) Sep ‘04 – Jan ‘05
Member. Authored Student Court reforms (including the creation of the Chief Justice position and the on-line publication of by-laws and procedures) to streamline decision-making and court administration. Implementation in Fall ’05 immediately resulted in improved efficiency in the Court’s administration with an estimated 50% decrease in response time.

General Management Admission's Test (GMAT)

I scored 730 (97th percentile) on the GMAT, which is pretty damn good. With this score, my chances of successfully applying to business school have increased significantly. At the end of the test, I thought, "I'm finished... I probably scored 600 or below", especially since I had about 4 minutes for the last 5 questions in the quantitative section.

The test is hard, but I am glad I did it, and I am also glad I did it with the right mindset: just tense enough, but not so tense that I freaked out every single time.

At the same time, I got accepted into a M.Sc. (Industrial and Systems Engineering) programme at National University Singapore (NUS). It is a one year programme, if I do it full-time, but I will need to consider this more carefully tomorrow.

Right now, I'm going to go sleep off my sleep debt from last night, which was a super-duper long evening/morning at Zouk...

IUB Graduation Ball, and C's Stalker

It's good to be back at IUB after a year's gap, and it was really great to meet up with friends of mine who have gone through so much with me in that year of academic hell.

Most interestingly, I met up with C. a number of times through the night. C is Latin American, but of Spanish descent so he has very pale skin and sharp features. Add the fact that he's about 6 feet 4, muscular, has a charming smile and a sense of humour that almost everyone finds attractive, and he's a pretty deadly lady-killer. In his suit, he was looking very suave.

We spoke about E., his old girlfriend who dumped him (quite suddenly last year), about renewable energy, about jobs etc. He was telling me what happened at the End of Year PArty a few days before the Ball, about how the girl he hooked up with "jumped on me, man!" Apparently she is some Romanian girl, a first-year at IUB.

"I was like ( C. looks down and shakes his head unbelievably) like, I don't know, man, do I have that kind of effect on women?
(C.'s eyes grow a lot bigger and he has his huge cheeky grin)
"She was all over me, man!"

And he told me, they hooked up the second night at the pub, but "it's just something at the spur of the moment". He still misses E., but something tells me this recent affair helped a little to get his mind off his feelings for E.


And RIGHT then, this short African girl with braided hair came up to us, blinked peculiarly (you know how some people blink while their eyes are looking up, so they look like a possessed voodoo victim? Yeah, that kind of blinking), looked at me and said, "IS it ok if I steal him from you for a while?"

And I said, "sure"

C. looked at her and said, "Hey, is it ok if I say goodbye to him first? We're probably not going to meet for the rest of our lives, so I really want to tell him something."

She: "Erm, okay"

C. gives me a hug, resting his ENTIRE weight on me, causing me to stumble backwards a bit, and he whispers with increasing urgency into my ear "Dude.... get me away from her man... dude, save me from her man.... DUDE, SAVE ME..... (half crying half laughing sound a la C., who always laughs the desperate laugh of a man about to die) GET ME AWAY FROM HERE....!!!"

Me: "Why, is she nuts?"

C.: "Dude, she's f--king nuts man!! Let's get out of here"

So we went shoulder-and-shoulder out of the room we were in, out, and out again, and he proceeded to tell me "dude, she is f--king nuts, she ALWAYS wants to talk to me in private, she goes everywhere I go, and the first time we talked, I was just like, 'hi, how are you?' that kind of shit. And she FLASHED me her F--KING PANTIES, MAN, and I was like 'WHOA, WHAT THE F--K, MAN!! URGH, SEE NO EVIL, GO AWAY!!!!' And ever since then, she has been... ('stalking?', I prompted), yeah, STALKING me on campus!!""

Hopefully in the end, he didn't see her.

Which reminds me, I ought to check whether he was visually assaulted by the sight of her underwear again.

Updated Personal Resume

LANGUAGES
Fluent in English and Mandarin (written and spoken). Working knowledge of German.
EDUCATION
Rice University, Houston, TX, USA Aug ‘02 – May ’06
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Physics. Current GPA: 3.49
Coursework included: Multivariable Calculus, Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Chemical Kinetics, Programming, Complex Variables, Leadership, Accounting and New Venture Creation. Two courses done in University of California (Berkeley) in Summer 2003. Exchange Student in International University Bremen (IUB) for 2004-2005.
* President’s List Fall 2002
* Rice University Dean Hugh Cameron Service Award
* Member of Chemical Sciences Honor Society, Phi Lambda Upsilon, 2006
* Senior-year Honors nanotechnology research project with Dr. Naomi Halas. Creating nano-sized sensor particles with potential applications as non-invasive sensors of salicylic acid and glucose in blood.
* GRE: 1400 (Verbal 680, Math 720, Analytical 5.0)

Hwa Chong Junior College, Bukit Timah, Singapore Jan ‘98 – Dec ‘99
Cambridge GCE ‘A’ levels. A’s for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics ‘Core’, B for Economics and A1 for General Paper; SAT 1520 (Verbal 800, Math 720); SAT II Physics 800, Math 750, Writing 750; TOEFL 293

INTERNATIONAL AND WORK EXPERIENCE
INNOVATE Globalization Conference, Shanghai and Kyoto, China and Japan 10 – 19 Mar ’06
University Delegate. Selected from forty-six applicants to be one of twelve Rice University-subsidized delegates for an international symposium on globalization, technology and leadership in the global marketplace, with a focus on Asia. Visited companies and educational institutions in both countries, including Toyota, Matsushita, and Fudan University. Participated in panel discussions with entrepreneurs, business leaders, government officials and student leaders. Personal research topic: renewable energy developments in China.

International University Bremen, Bremen, Germany Aug ’04 – Jun ‘05
Exchange Student. One of four selected exchange students from Rice to International University Bremen (IUB). Started a new club, participated in Student Think Tank (see Activities) and represented Rice University as student ambassador. Traveled extensively through Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK, Portugal, Spain) and Asia.

* The Arlington Institute, Arlington, Virginia, USA Jun ‘04 – Aug ‘04
Research Intern. Selected as first representative of Leadership Rice Summer Mentorship Experience to The Arlington Institute, a futurist research institute. Created a presentation to the Pentagon for an alternative-energy competition to wean the US from dependence on oil to renewable energy sources. Wrote SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) analysis and an in-house executive summary of Singapore’s national security. Offered a job at the end of internship.

* 21st Battalion Singapore Artillery, Singapore Army, Singapore Jan ‘00 – May ‘02
Assistant Administrative Supervisor. Promoted to a regular-soldier’s position as a conscript because of demonstrated leadership ability. Led 6-man battalion administrative section with Battalion Manpower Officer to achieve full score in manpower administration component of battalion field evaluation exercise.

ACTIVITIES
* International Undergraduate Society, Rice University Aug ’05 – May ’06
Co-secretary. Organized social activities, including first successful IUS Movie Night and social activities for international undergraduate students at Rice.

* Peer International Advisor Program, Rice University Aug ’05 – May ’06
Co-Head. Organized and advised participants in program, where existing Rice international undergraduate students advise incoming international freshmen, and help in adjusting to their new environment, softening their culture shock. Edited the Orientation booklet.

* Wine Society, Rice University Oct ‘02 – May ‘06
Co-founder and President (2003–2004, 2005–2006). Club founded to educate Rice community on wine. Successfully negotiated for club discounts of 10% with local wine merchant. Club membership expanded from 2 people to 30 within two years, including Houston Area young alumni. Currently negotiating with Houston Young Alumni Association to jointly create discount card for Houston area.

* Student Government Think Tank, International University Bremen (IUB) Sep ‘04 – Jan ‘05
Member. Authored Student Court reforms (including the creation of the Chief Justice position and the on-line publication of by-laws and procedures) to streamline decision-making and court administration. Implementation in Fall ’05 immediately resulted in improved efficiency in the Court’s administration with an estimated 50% decrease in response time.

In Bremen now

I am suffering from renewed nostalgia, now that I just watched my friends graduate today from IUB: it seems like it was yesterday, when I had been going to the same classes and doing the same stupid lab experiments as my friend Paul, or when I went frequently to Mihai's room at 3am, or when I was partying with Goekce and she was so drunk that she collapsed on the floor while twirling around.

Gosh, I miss being here! And just walking around Das Viertel, the Bohemian area of Bremen, looking at the small shops with cool Bohemian goods and designs...