Honorary Fellowship 2021

Assoc Prof Chua Tin Chiu – Department of Statistics and Applied Probability

The Faculty of Science congratulates Associate Professor CHUA Tin Chiu, NUS’ Department of Statistics and Applied Probability and Associate Professor TAN Tiang Wah, Hugh, NUS’ Department of Biological Sciences, who were awarded the Honorary Fellowship in July 2021.

The Honorary Fellowship recognises retired Associate Professors for their positive contributions at the University and / or Faculty level.

Assoc Prof Chua Tin Chiu

Over an illustrious career at NUS spanning 32 years, Assoc Prof Chua contributed to the body of knowledge in quantitative reasoning, and survey sampling and methodology as well as in the areas of randomised response modelling and statistical applications in the paper industry.

He was an editorial collaborator with various journals including Biometrics, Psychometrika and Survey Methodology. He was also President of the Singapore Institute of Statistics (1999 to 2000, 2002 to 2004).

Assoc Prof Chua has consulted extensively with private and public sector organisations, where he provided statistical expertise in areas such as planning studies, designing experiments, measurement and sampling methods, data quality management, and statistical analysis and interpretation. His work has helped various government agencies to formulate and refine public policies in areas ranging from assessing e-commerce activities to labour force surveys, trade audits, income tax assessments and usage of public parks in Singapore.

Assoc Prof Chua was also appointed to various administrative leadership roles. As Deputy Head in charge of education at the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability (2001 to 2008), he established the policy framework on curriculum development when the department was in its early years. He also initiated the Singapore Statistical Poster Competition to generate student interest in applying statistics to real-life problems. As Associate Dean (Undergraduate Matters) at the Faculty of Science (2008 to 2021), Assoc Prof Chua plays an instrumental role in providing academic support and counselling for students. He is a key member of the Science Faculty Curriculum Committee, representing the Faculty at the University Committee for Educational Policy and the Board of Undergraduate Studies. As a member of the Faculty’s Board of Examiners, he oversees examination moderations, processes and graduation requirements.

Assoc Prof Chua received the National Day Long Service Award (2014) in recognition of his many years of contributions to education.

Dean of Science Prof SUN Yeneng said, “Tin Chiu has provided valuable statistical consulting and training to government agencies and corporates over the years, which has had a positive impact on raising awareness of evidence-based decision-making and the quality of statistical processes. He also instituted and implemented many improvements to overall academic processes under the University’s Organisational Excellence initiative. We are very grateful to him for his many contributions and service to the faculty and the department. I wish Tin Chiu all the best as he moves on to the next chapter in life.”

Assoc Prof Chua said, “I am honoured to receive this award. It gives me the opportunity to continue contributing to my academic discipline, my department and the University.”

Assoc Prof Tan Tiang Wah, Hugh – Department of Biological Sciences

Assoc Prof Tan Tiang Wah, Hugh

Throughout his four-decade career, Assoc Prof Tan has carried the flag for Singapore botany. His research in urban agriculture, tropical horticulture, urban greenery and ecology, plant systematics and ecology, and conservation biology contributed significantly to shaping the biodiversity landscape in Singapore.

He has consulted frequently for government agencies and private organisations, lending his expertise in greenery and the conservation of Singapore’s natural heritage to various national initiatives. His major consulting projects included providing technical advice to the Singapore government on the Straits of Johor land reclamation dispute with the Malaysian government, a biodiversity study of Singapore’s reservoirs for the Public Utilities Board, a biodiversity monitoring programme for the Punggol-Serangoon Reservoir, and a biodiversity study of Simpang and Sembawang reclamation sites, amongst others.

Assoc Prof Tan has received multiple Faculty- and University-level awards over the years in recognition of his teaching excellence. Over many years of contributions to science and academic guidance, he has mentored and inspired many students who have gone on to illustrious careers in the horticulture and environmental sectors, as well as in public service.

Assoc Prof Tan was Deputy Director of the then-Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (2007 to 2013), where he played a pivotal role in its transformation to become the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM). He was the founding editor of Nature in Singapore, a peer-reviewed, online journal focusing on local natural history observations; and an online e-book series that is today known as the LKCNHM eBooks. Under his editorship, he greatly enhanced the stature and reputability of these publications which help to promote citizen science and public interest in the natural history of Singapore, Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.

Assoc Prof Tan has also published extensively in many areas of botany and the plant sciences. He has written or contributed to over 500 publications including more than 250 journal articles, almost 40 books, as well as book chapters, conference proceedings and books that he has edited. Notably, he is the lead author of The Natural Heritage of Singapore, the main text of the module (GES1021/SSS1207 – Natural Heritage of Singapore) for the study of nature in Singapore, and a co-editor and contributor to Singapore Biodiversity: An Encyclopaedia of the Natural Environment and Sustainable Development, a key reference for studying Singapore’s natural history and environment.

Dean of Science Prof SUN Yeneng said, “It is my honour to congratulate Hugh on his pioneering contributions which provided important insights into the field of botany. His tireless promotion of the use of native plant species in horticulture and urban landscaping in Singapore eventually led to a major shift in Singapore’s urban greening policies.”

Assoc Prof said, “I am very honoured to receive the Honorary Fellowship and feel very privileged that I shall be able to continue research at NUS. I am very grateful to NUS and especially my Head, Prof Yu Hao, and Dean, Prof Sun Yeneng. However, I could not have achieved so much in my career without the help, cooperation and support of my students, research staff, research collaborators, colleagues, and superiors at NUS, especially all the Heads and Deans I encountered during my many years here. I greatly appreciate their contributions. Last but not least, I also deeply thank my collaborators in the many government agencies whom I worked with for their help, cooperation and support.”

Post retirement, Assoc Prof Tan wishes to focus his energies on addressing the issues of self-sufficiency in food production in Singapore, in hope that it can be a model for other tropical cities around the world. He will contribute to the website, City in a Farm, which his laboratory recently created to facilitate the practice of tropical urban agriculture and will be working with the NUS Office of Facilities Management to landscape part of Kent Ridge Campus with food-producing trees and shrubs. He will also be collaborating with colleagues from the NUS School of Computing and NUS Smart Systems Institute to develop an expert system for the identification of the common plants and animals of Singapore.