These awards recognise excellence in teaching among Tembusu, Acacia, College of Alice and Peter Tan (CAPT), Residential College 4 (RC4) and Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) faculty.
Since 2013, these Colleges have been part of the University-wide teaching awards process that applies to all faculties, schools and programmes at NUS. The Residential Colleges Teaching Excellence Awards (RCTEA) focus on Junior Seminar, Senior Seminar and Ideas & Exposition teaching within the University Town College Programme.
Nominations for these awards are judged annually by the Residential Colleges Teaching Excellence Committee (RCTEC), and results are announced in October-November. The dossiers of the strongest candidates are submitted to be considered for the Annual Teaching Excellence Awards (ATEA) and Outstanding Educator Awards (OEA) at the university level.
Assoc Professor Kuan Yee Han has been placed on the Honour Roll, earning this distinction after receiving the Annual Teaching Excellence Award three times, recognising his sustained commitment to teaching and our students’ learning. He redesigned UTS2114 “Technologies and Ageing in Singapore” using an authentic learning pedagogy, engaging students in immersive fieldwork and partnerships with organisations such as Lions Befrienders and St Luke’s Elder Care to deepen their understanding of ageing-related challenges while cultivating empathy and critical thinking. As one student shared, “it has made me develop more empathy and awareness toward challenges the elderly face.”
Dr Rafi Rashid designs classes where students learn through structured activities, discussion, and collaborative deliberation, aligned with the research ethics literature and aimed at cultivating sound ethical judgement. A hallmark of his practice is the systematic engagement of students with complex, real-world ethical dilemmas across disciplinary boundaries. Drawing on blended learning, he manages the challenges of compulsory, large-scale teaching while still creating space for reflection and collaboration. By embedding critical, thought-provoking questions into his lectures, Dr Rafi develops students’ capacity to reason through controversial issues with clarity and confidence. As one student shared, he “guided us to think deeply about the underlying balance and principles behind academic ethics.”
Dr Eric Kerr has exemplified sustained excellence in teaching through his innovative, inclusive, and interdisciplinary approach. Drawing on his background in Law and Philosophy, he challenges students to think deeply about ethics, technology, and human responsibility. Dr Eric Kerr’s data-driven interventions in his course improved interdisciplinary reasoning and supported equitable learning outcomes. Beyond the classroom, he also finds synergies between his teaching and role as Director of Residential Life in the College and has created vibrant spaces for students from all disciplines to explore technology and creativity. Through continual reflection, professional development, and collaboration with external partners, he has built classrooms that inspire curiosity, dialogue, and growth.
Dr Gene is an educator who is reflective, scholarly, and a deep thinker. Importantly, he actively works to develop these same qualities in his students so that they also learn not just to write but to be rhetorically sensitive. As a writing professional, Dr Gene does not stop at teaching the mechanics of writing; instead, he endeavours to get his students to engage with texts and ideas, so that they come to appreciate that meanings are carried through the way we write. A student commended Dr Gene for balancing between asking them “difficult questions” and “guiding them through”.
Dr Rafi designs classes where students learn through structured activities, discussion, and collaborative problem solving, aligned with the active learning literature and aimed at cultivating higher order thinking. A hallmark of his practice is the systematic engagement of students with complex, real world problems. Drawing on relevant literature, he guides learners in integrating insights across disciplines using the Interdisciplinary Research Process as a roadmap for inquiry and synthesis. By embedding strategies such as the Three Minute Thesis, Dr Rafi develops students’ capacity to translate research into compelling narratives that are accurate, accessible, and audience sensitive.
The team identified a critical gap in engaging senior students and responded with a bold, research-driven initiative that empowers them to define complex real-world problems, draws insights across disciplines, and communicate their discoveries to diverse audiences. The team designed a structured yet flexible framework which integrated small-group supervision, collaborative workshops, and a semester-end showcase that celebrates student innovation. Their approach not only deepened learning, but also fostered curiosity, confidence, and community among students and staff alike.
Dr John is a classicist who encourages his students to read deeply into texts from multiple perspectives and to question even the most accepted interpretations. As a problem solver, he identified a series of issues with traditional classroom practices, such as “the adversarial and asymmetrical power relation,” where “one intelligence is subordinated to another”. Accordingly, he employs a “mesh” seating arrangement to decentralize power and affirm the autonomy of each student in class discussions. He also uses a “sharing circle” to create a safe space “where even shy students can experiment interacting socially and professionally” and by adopting “low-stakes, exploratory questions.” Students praised his approaches as “creative,” “fluid,” and “out of the ordinary.”
Assoc Professor Kuan has redesigned a multidisciplinary course, UTS2114 “Technologies and Ageing in Singapore” using Herrington and Oliver’s (2010) authentic learning model to foster real-world problem-solving, empathy, and community engagement. Through interventions such as community-partnered assessments, immersive fieldwork, and reflective practices, he was able to improve student engagement. Peer reviews and qualitative analyses further affirmed growth in pedagogical competency and student relationships. Yee Han has also shared these practices with colleagues through CTLT workshops, advocating for authentic learning across disciplines. This sustained effort not only deepened students’ learning experiences but also broadened their civic impact by equipping them to co-create solutions for ageing-related challenges in Singapore.
Nourished by his philosophy of science background, a solid teaching philosophy, and genuine care for students’ intellectual and human growth, Dr Eric Kerr designs a learning path that fosters self-reflections and critical thinking, through observation, generalisation, transfer and application of knowledge and problem solving. His students are guided to create a constant dialogue between real life situations and conceptual categories and theories, between past situations and future possibilities, between everyone and the world. Thus, they acquire a thinking toolbox that allows them to unpack social realities and understand their plasticity. Highly appreciated by his students, Dr Kerr implements the same critical and self-reflective method to his own teaching, successfully showing how we all can, gradually, become better teachers.
As Director of the Centre for English Language Communication, Associate Professor Lee is known for driving the conceptualisation and designing of courses that integrate disciplinary knowledge with writing, thinking and communication competencies, through partnerships with university faculties and departments. Associate Professor Lee stresses the importance of relationships in her teaching and educational leadership, emphasising the role of university faculty members in developing connections with others that are more than transactional in educational contexts. Drawing on evidence from student feedback and inteviews she has shown how students value competency and a willingness to build relationships with them. She in particular emphasises the importance of cultivating supportive relationships between faculty and current students, among current students, and between faculty and alumni. A relationship-focused higher education means listening and spending time with others, being open to discussion and, being tolerant when mistakes are made.
“Kooi Cheng is an accomplished teacher of English language communication who emphasises partnership, collaboration, and relationship-building, which she credits as the key to sustained learning. Over the years, her teaching has made an enduring impact on her students, who have appreciated her subject expertise, as well as the high level of empathy she brings to the classroom. Kooi Cheng has played a key role at NUS not only as a mentor and educator to many, but in her remarkable contributions to literacy programmes, curriculum development, and educational leadership. Her various leadership positions include Master of King Edward VII Hall, Deputy Director of the Centre of Development of Teaching and Learning, Deputy Master of Tembusu College, and, currently, Director of the Centre for English Language Communication and Master of Helix House. In these roles, Kooi Cheng has continually championed out-of-classroom learning to afford students holistic growth and greater autonomy in their time at NUS. Her efforts have centred on conceptualising, implementing, and studying the impact of living-learning programmes.”
Dr Connor Graham relates teaching with research in a residential context through small-scale research activities and connecting students to research culture, developing a sense of important research values in the process. His use of the Oxford tutorial format where students present their work to one another supports student learning through projects that simulate research. His approach resulted in improved student performance in assessments requiring analysis and synthesis and supported students developing positive perceptions of feedback and consultations received. His use of the public spaces in the College supports wider-scale community engagement with students’ work.
Dr Eric Kerr teaches interdisciplinarity as an ethos and as a way of thinking, through formal seminars in a residential college and in out-of-classroom settings. He aims to empower students to cross disciplinary boundaries with confidence by emphasizing—and supporting the development of—clarity of expression, versatility of thought, and adaptability to new skills, concepts, and insights. He uses social media platforms to engage students in course content, respond constructively to feedback from peers, and find and analyze connections to other relevant media. He makes use of recent research in learning environments to design online and in-person environments where students can learn to articulate their ideas as individuals and working collaboratively.
Assoc Professor Kuan Yee Han is an educator well-known to many. He is a three-time winner of the Residential Colleges Teaching Excellence Award. His approach to teaching incorporates, among other innovative interventions, experiential learning to achieve a learner-centred pedagogy in and out-of-classroom contexts, engaging students at his Residential College and impacting the broader community in Singapore.
This educator has engaged regularly with the NUS community through workshops for colleagues and masterclasses for graduate students. He has been a passionate and caring educator who is now pursuing his teaching aspirations further as Master of UTown Residences.
Dr Connor Graham’s teaching statement stands out for his ongoing deep reflection on how teaching and research interact to promote student learning, both in his individual and team teaching, as well as in his educational leadership at Tembusu College. In his most recent intervention in instructional design, assessment and feedback, he tasks students with an impressively broad array of endeavours, including independent inquiry, experimental design, college-wide events, and reports which may have a wide range of styles including quantitative elements and national policy recommendations. Common themes in student feedback are “insightful feedback”, “support”, “helpful consultations,” and “care for student learning.
Dr Eric Kerr believes that the challenges students face today require an interdisciplinary ethos, core competencies in soft skills, and digital literacy, culture, and ethics. In his teaching, he empowers students to cross disciplines confidently, with the rigour, clarity, and versatility of thought to take on new skills, methods, concepts, tools, and insights from other approaches. His strengths lie in his passion for knowledge and learning, which he models for his students, and the patient and methodical process that he brings to thinking through complex issues. In his class on knowledge and expertise, this educator fosters deep and creative intellectual interactions among his students. He does so by skilfully setting the conceptual framework, conveying the important aspects of the reading in question, guiding and moderating the class discussion, and responding and providing feedback to students. He supports critical thinking through a careful scaffolding of knowledge conducted in a progressive and inclusive manner. These lively discussions occur outdoors and in the context of learning gained from field trips, as well as in classrooms prepped up with prompts, props, and technologies such as Slack, Yellowdig, Wikis and Telegram.
Although comparatively early in her career, Dr Hah has already demonstrated that she is a passionate and dedicated educator. The committee praised her responsiveness to students, in terms of providing them with feedback, tailoring material to their needs, and her implementation of peer-support strategies in scaffolding students’ reading assignments.
Her current course is on its fourth iteration, and she has taken steps during each run to modify and improve the course to support student learning.
Assoc Professor Kuan Yee Han deploys the core teaching philosophies of experiential and authentic learning to achieve learner-centred teaching both in classroom and out-of-classroom contexts. His engagement with pedagogical literature creates authentic context for authentic learning activities, supporting student collaborative construction of knowledge. Of particular note is his provision of multiple points of scaffolded feedback via formative consultation to ensure his assessments meet learning goals. His students think deeply, critically and collaboratively. He generously engages the broader NUS community through workshops for peers and masterclasses for graduate student societies and the Office of Student Affairs. He continues to commit to developing himself and others through an ongoing engagement in a formal NUS Learning Community. For his commitment to his own personal growth as an educator, student development and community learning, Yee Han is a deserving award winner.
Dr Céline Coderey’s facilitation of student self-discovery, self- analysis and validation along their journey to growth is highly distinctive.Céline provides critical companionship for students through careful and appropriate mentoring and critique. She also shows the capacity to thoughtfully design instruction and uses teaching methods that support deep learner reflection. These methods are grounded in her own discipline while engaging other domains of expertise. Her use of highly original and personal assessments that support individual growth allow students to engage affect and feeling as well as the intellect as they obtain greater meaning through her teaching. Her commitment to student discovery and growth generates appreciation, respect, and admiration. Her meticulous and caring method, and her support for diverse student interests, learning journeys and identities, makes Céline a deserving award winner.
Assoc Professor Kuan Yee Han’s use of authentic and experiential learning approaches through carefully designed interventions has successfully engaged the broader community in Singapore and galvanised students learning, supporting their personal growth. Students’ feedback and the quality of the work they produce show his novel interventions utilising simulation, collaborative writing and walk-based learning have created a stimulating, supportive and caring learning environment for students. This educator has also continued to contribute to and serve the development of others’ teaching within the NUS community. His impactful engagement of the broader community in Singapore through innovative and sophisticated teaching interventions and his ongoing contributions to supporting colleagues’ development at NUS make him a deserving award winner.
I was continuously given new perspectives into the ageing issue and to consider the various factors that affect this subject. I think that one of the biggest skills that I picked up during the module is to have an elderly-centered approach when approaching issues regarding them.
Assoc Professor Kuan Yee Han’s use of authentic and experiential learning approaches through carefully designed interventions has successfully engaged the broader community in Singapore and galvanised students learning, supporting their personal growth. Students’ feedback and the quality of the work they produce show his novel interventions utilising simulation, collaborative writing and walk-based learning have created a stimulating, supportive and caring learning environment for students. This educator has also continued to contribute to and serve the development of others’ teaching within the NUS community. His impactful engagement of the broader community in Singapore through innovative and sophisticated teaching interventions and his ongoing contributions to supporting colleagues’ development at NUS make him a deserving award winner.
I was continuously given new perspectives into the ageing issue and to consider the various factors that affect this subject. I think that one of the biggest skills that I picked up during the module is to have an elderly-centered approach when approaching issues regarding them.
In the course of the module, Dr Céline...managed to engage the students effectively in the subject of “Time and Life” through meditating on the everyday phenomena of time’ and our shared lived experiences. This has created many opportunities for meaningful reflection and deeper engagement in the module for students, by creatively marrying and harnessing both academic discussions and personal reflections.
Yee Han is a really approachable and dedicated teacher. He puts a lot of effort into planning his lessons and his objectives for each class. His seminars go the extra mile to include various forms of class activities (e.g. role–plays, book discussions, lego building) rather than just relying on slides. During class, he also ensures everyone gets an opportunity to participate.
Dr Connor is an extremely good facilitator of seminar discussions. He listens to every single individual or small group and gives additional input, enabling us to share a more coherent answer with the class. He draws on different individuals’ sharings to help us feel included in the discussion. Apart from that, all seminars are well-planned and well-paced, with expectations of how the seminar should go decided together as a class from the start.
Yee Han is a really approachable and dedicated teacher. He puts a lot of effort into planning his lessons and his objectives for each class. His seminars go the extra mile to include various forms of class activities (e.g. role–plays, book discussions, lego building) rather than just relying on slides. During class, he also ensures everyone gets an opportunity to participate.
Céline Coderey adopts a learner-centric approach in her teaching. She keeps student engaged using multiple modes of teaching that includes music, videos, visits to murals etc. Students particularly mention her ability to link course material to everyday happenings and for her ability to zoom out from a specific incident to a broader perspective while being equally adept at moving from a macro perspective to individual incidents. A novel aspect of her teaching approach is to employ student diaries of their module readings as a key indicator of student learning.
She is very encouraging and open when helping develop my ideas, even if I think that they are not feasible or too difficult to implement. As a result, I had to leave my comfort zone to interview a Palestinian living overseas and developed valuable communication skills in the process.
Tay Yong Chiang is deeply appreciated by his students for being supportive, open-minded, interesting, inspirational and his ability to draw connections between many disciplines. Where possible, he also employs a student-driven curriculum to have deeper student engagement. This award is for being a thought-provoking teacher and one who relentlessly challenges students’ perspectives.
I see and appreciate the enormous effort that Prof Tay put to teaching this Junior Seminar. Prof Tay encouraged us to be critical about truth and proof in different disciplines. This made me better appreciate the efforts people outside of my major. I think Prof Tay had done a good job in simplifying the mathematical concepts, like with the chessboard problem, so that we can understand (well, at least I personally did understand the gist of it). Overall, I think Prof Tay had made this Junior Seminar a very challenging and rewarding class.
Kuan Yee Han is constantly cited by students for being engaging, super approachable and as someone who inspires thinking. Offering authentic learning experiences to students is a key objective of his work as an educator – thus, he employs field-trips, role plays and LEGO based learning to create back and forth learning journeys between the real-world and the classroom. In addition, he works with Tembusu College students on Negotiation and Leadership skills.
One of the kindest and most approachable professors I have had. He spends so much time giving consultations to his students even when he is not feeling well. He puts in so much effort in his lessons, such as bringing in items that are related to the cases, organising field trips so that we can see first hand the issues that are brought up during classes. He is always open to ideas in class, and even when the ideas his students give are irrelevant at times, he always seems to link it back to the topics mentioned in the module. His classes are engaging and well thought out- I really learnt a lot and had a lot of fun!
Dr Connor is an excellent mentor -- nurturing and well-equipped as an educator. Through the module I read under him, I learnt more than I could have ever hoped to, and he has helped me achieve and realize things about myself, and my writing calibre that have and will continue to prove useful in my academic endeavours, and otherwise.
Kelvin Pang is a passionate educator best known for his ability to motivate and empower students through innovative and impactful practices in teaching and learning. He consistently engages students through signature pedagogies that include student case writing and “table-top” teaching. His excellent use of the residential college environment to help students improve their negotiation skills and develop mental resilience aligns strongly with NUS’ vision of producing well-rounded, future-ready graduates. This award is for his unceasing outstanding contributions in and outside the classroom.
Kelvin goes above and beyond to help my classmates and I throughout our cases. During consultations, scheduled or impromptu, he challenges us to push our cases to new heights instead of taking the easy way out by removing the nuances, and prompts us to find new angles of approaching the material. Classes every week take on a different format and I really did enjoy the different modes of learning. The email summaries were also very useful for understanding key take away points and introduce related readings beyond our discussion which I do thoroughly enjoy.
Dr Catelijne Coopmans has enabled students to have the courage and character to question assumptions and conclusions. Besides great teaching skills, she has the ability to promptly adapt to student needs and give enlightening feedback on their work. For many years, she has created impact among Tembusu faculty by spreading good educational practices and has enthusiastically shared first-hand experiences of teaching in a residential college.
Dr Catelijne is very dedicated towards her students as shown by her commitment to each of us. She provides very timely feedback on our progress and remains very open minded about our ideas and opinions throughout the course.
Dr Adam Groves creates “thinking classes” where there is free sharing of ideas amidst fun and excitement. His creative teaching methods have made it possible to introduce unorthodox ideas to students and help them develop a deep love for the subject. His assessments are highly streamlined and build from the start towards a final goal aided by feedback comments. Overall he supports the intellectual development of students and cares about their overall well-being.
Dr. Groves displays true concern for the holistic development of each of his students, and this can really be seen from the work he does, the way he conducts his class, the way discussions, consultations are facilitated. Apart from focusing on the student's progress in a specific module, his concern extends to the student's overall well-being, as students find him approachable and eaasy to talk to. In addition, he facilitates discussions well by being open to creativity and encouraging individual thought and development of thought.
Margaret Tan provides a well-structured learning experience for her students. Her pedagogical strengths include conducting very informative seminar sessions and augmenting the learning process of students by being approachable and caring. Margaret’s other contributions have been in integrating the arts into the Tembusu curriculum, as well as organizing several out-of-class initiatives at the College. This award is for her excellent work in nurturing students in both formal and informal settings.
A great teacher who puts forth concepts in an interesting and easy to understand manner. Also provides useful and thought-provoking feedback and suggestions, especially for our intervention project - it was fun and extremely fulfilling.
Tay Yong Chiang has an ability to intellectually challenge students and prepare them to critically question the assumptions and claims made by others. Students find him inspiring and engaging, as he enables them to look beyond their current mental boundaries and establish links into their majors. He is a well-regarded educator, with a high percentage of students nominating him for teaching awards.
Prof Tay is very proficient in the subject that he teaches. He encourages his students to read beyond what is discussed in class, and always provides genuine feedback in a timely manner. Prof Tay is also very open-minded about what the students have to say in class and what the students write in the essay. I truly appreciate this because he lets us explore and be creative with our thoughts while still guiding us on how to create a powerful argument.
Whether it was for the Level 1000 Junior Seminars or the Level 2000 Senior Seminars, Dr Connor Graham had received numerous compliments from his students for stretching their thinking skills, for encouraging them to develop their own ideas, for providing prompt feedback, and for skilfully facilitating classroom discussions, amongst other positive comments on his teaching and classroom experience. The compliments coincide with Connor’s teaching goals on helping his students to see things in new ways, in ways that are relevant to their lives, and to nurture their own intellectual interests. For his ability to effectively practise what he plans and to deliver on his teaching philosophy, RCTEC is pleased to recognise Connor with this award.
Whether it was for the Level 1000 Junior Seminars or the Level 2000 Senior Seminars, Dr Connor Graham had received numerous compliments from his students for stretching their thinking skills, for encouraging them to develop their own ideas, for providing prompt feedback, and for skilfully facilitating classroom discussions, amongst other positive comments on his teaching and classroom experience. The compliments coincide with Connor’s teaching goals on helping his students to see things in new ways, in ways that are relevant to their lives, and to nurture their own intellectual interests. For his ability to effectively practise what he plans and to deliver on his teaching philosophy, RCTEC is pleased to recognise Connor with this award.
Dr Adam Groves credits his teachers across three countries who conveyed on him a wealth of experiences and memories. As he was inspired, so too does he seek to inspire his students. He champions the general education achieved though seminar-style learning at Tembusu College with a philosophy which combines the individual “student-centred” development with growth through “peer learning” facilitation amidst a diversity of undergraduates. In the classroom, Dr Groves weaves between student responses, allowing each a space and time to contribute and respond, whilst shepherding the discussion in the main learning direction. One reviewer regards this as part artistry. For the exploration he facilitates, the intellectual nurturing he provides and the encouragement to shrug off boundaries of students’ outlook, RCTEC is pleased to recognise Adam with this award.
Dr. Adam Groves credits his teachers across three countries who conveyed on him a wealth of experiences and memories. As he was inspired, so too does he seek to inspire his students. He champions the general education achieved through seminar-style learning at Tembusu College with a philosophy which combines the individual "student-centred" development with growth through "peer learning" facilitation amidst a diversity of undergraduates. In the classroom, Dr Groves weaves between student responses, allowing each a space and time to contribute and respond, whilst shepherding the discussion in the main learning direction. One reviewer regards this as part artistry. For the exploration he facilitates, the intellectual nurturing he provides and the encouragement to shrug off boundaries of students' outlook, RCTEC is pleased to recognise Adam with the RCTEA for 2015-2016.
Dr Kelvin Pang’s work as an educator at Tembusu College makes a compelling case for RCTEA based on his innovative approaches in teaching senior seminars. Practices such as student case writing, “table-top” teaching and classroom discussions have made a deep impact on students’ intellectual growth. Outside the classroom, he has helped students gain a variety of life skills including negotiation skills (through “Heart of Negotiation” workshop series put together with senior students and faculty at Tembusu) and be future-ready (through the “The Third Year Experience” platform). Kelvin’s work neatly fits into NUS’s vision of producing well-rounded, resilient graduates. Innovation in the classroom, creation of conducive learning environment and continuous improvement based on reflective practices set apart Kelvin to be a recipent of this award.
Dr Kelvin Pang’s work as an educator at Tembusu College makes a compelling case for RCTEA based on his innovative approaches in teaching senior seminars. Practices such as student case writing, “table-top” teaching and classroom discussions have made a deep impact on students’ intellectual growth. Outside the classroom, he has helped students gain a variety of life skills including negotiation skills (through “Heart of Negotiation” workshop series put together with senior students and faculty at Tembusu) and be future-ready (through the “The Third Year Experience” platform). Kelvin’s work neatly fits into NUS’s vision of producing well-rounded, resilient graduates. Innovation in the classroom, creation of conducive learning environment and continuous improvement based on reflective practices set apart Kelvin to be a recipent of this award.
Dr Connor Graham is a reflective practitioner who shows outstanding preparation and profound care in his junior and senior seminar teaching. He shows students that their voices matter and challenges them to hone their thinking and expression. Beyond the classroom he has cultivated student leaders through his fourth-year mentoring, advising of the Tembusu Debate Society and the online student journal Treehouse – as well as acquainting students with important works of fiction through semesterly ‘reading pods’.
He is a very knowledgeable and dedicated teacher who encourages students to think deeply and push our analysis further. From him we learnt how to understand deeply into the meaning and interpretation of facts provided and to make connections between different isolated ideas.
He doesn't restrict us or our thinking in anyway and gives us the full freedom to pursue whatever we are interested in which makes learning so much more fun and easy. He also has a unique perspective and gives us more insight to whatever issues that we are researching on, opening our eyes to different perspectives and ideas that we had never considered before.
In his formal teaching and out-of-classroom engagement, Dr Kelvin Pang has effectively instigated a cycle of learning, which allows students to discover intrinsic motivation, embrace critique and failure as they learn and engage a topic, and eventually step up as mentors for their juniors. In the past year, his new module “Negotiating in a Complex World” impressed with its innovative design, rigour and glowing student reception. He has also made an impact as a fourth-year mentor, and as a designer-facilitator of regular workshops on negotiation and on personal development.
In my opinion, teaching at the university level ought to be creative and engaging and Dr Kelvin had shown how to achieve that in his own innovative ways. ... I felt motivated to put in effort and explored more in the module. He was very flexible and gave room for his students to develop our own interest and connect it to the module. The close relationship that he forged with his students also enabled students to come to him for assistance more comfortably and at ease.
Dr Connor Graham’s approach to teaching and learning makes excellent use of the residential college environment of University Town. The boundaries of his classroom are made permeable through fieldtrips, the involvement of guests, and assignments that prompt students to engage external audiences. Beyond his well-regarded teaching of junior and senior seminars, Dr Graham has made a deep contribution to Tembusu through his mentorship of student projects under the Third Year Experience, and by nurturing the debate, and writing, culture at the college.
An excellent educator who is genuine and sincerely interested in the learning process of his students. Goes out of his way to give detailed and personalised feedback and also organising field trips during class periods to better allow students to apply what they’ve learnt in class to the real world. A great teacher whose efforts need to be recognised.
Dr John van Wyhe’s student feedback shows him to be an engaging and inspiring educator. An expert on the life and work of Darwin and Wallace who is known to be a strong public speaker and lecturer, Dr van Wyhe has successfully adapted his teaching style to the UTCP seminar format. He emphasizes skills as well as knowledge, and allows students to pursue their own interests within the boundaries of the module. Being jointly appointed, he has nevertheless found time to contribute to Tembusu’s teaching mission more broadly by hosting soirees and work-in-progress seminars.
Dr John van Wyhe's classes are truly a delight to attend. His knowledge of the subject is truly deserving of its global renown, and it has been an honour to learn under him. Yet despite his qualifications and unrivalled competency, he has never caused students to feel inferior, in fact he genuinely encourages the input of each and every student and actually makes the student feel it is of value.
Associate Professor Kelvin Pang
Dr Kelvin Pang is a highly effective teacher, with a talent for making students feel at ease in the classroom. He is very good at building trust, which allows him to push and challenge his students while always remaining supportive. His module, ‘Social Innovation’, is highly regarded by students for its innovative assignments, its real-world relevance and the passion Kelvin brings to it.
He is very receptive to feedback and is constantly improving himself to better address our needs and concerns. He is a humble teacher who listens and gives constructive feedback. [...] He is always prepared for lessons and ever ready to tell us more about what he had found over the weekends. He is energetic and lively in class, and makes me really want to attend his lessons, because I always end up feeling so inspired and enlightened afterwards.