Could you speak about your career and how it has progressed since graduating from UCLA?
I took up a postdoc at University of California, Irvine, at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. Following the 2.5-year postdoc, I was offered an Assistant Professor position at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. That was almost 20 years ago and it has been great! I had an opportunity to serve as the founding Associate Dean for Global Partnerships at the NTU Graduate College for six year. During my tenure, the most memorable initiative was when I organized a
UC-NTU Workshop on Healthy Aging. Being back on campus bringing about fifteen of my colleagues to my alma mater was priceless; not to mention that that year marked fifteen years of my PhD defence.
How did the coursework and research you did as a student at UCLA prepare you for an international career?
UCLA has a sizable international student body which prepared me for interacting with colleagues and students from different backgrounds. The biomedical engineering interdisciplinary programme was also one of the firsts in the country (I believe I was the third batch of students then). Being at the interface of disciplines had been a selling point for my job application. The NTU School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (equivalent to a department at UCLA) was just launched and I happened to have two degrees from two UCLA departments with the same name!
What would you say to a UCLA student who is planning on having an international career?
Go for it! You'll never know what new and exciting opportunities are available elsewhere! Being in a new country stretches your comfort zone which calls for adaptation and resilience - two skillsets that will serve you well in the long run no matter what you do. Plus, there is UCLA Alumni Association with their Dinner for 12 Strangers tradition that will help build new connections in a new country!
What sort of opportunities has working abroad presented you with?
I enjoy interacting with people from different backgrounds - given they are countries or disciplines. Being a professor with colleagues from around the world with plenty of research grants to explore new use-inspired research with students and postdocs. The emphasis on solving grand challenges that our world faces through multi-disciplinary approach resonates with me and the UCLA education certainly prepares me for the tackling those challenges.
How do you think UCLA prepares students to fill positions that have a global reach and influence?
The student leadership training through the various student groups were invaluable. I was with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) during my undergrad and Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) during my grad school. In BMES, I rose from Director of Activities, to VP and President. These leadership trainings prepared me to bring initiatives from ideation to implementation. Did I mention that I established the Student Chapter for Biomedical Engineering Society (Singapore) and SWE Singapore as well as four student affiliates on the island? :) The experiences also carried me through leading the global partnerships efforts when I was the Associate Dean for Graduate College.
How have you navigated cultural differences between your home country, UCLA, and where you work now?
It was an interesting experience. Coming from Jakarta to LA, I was ready to immerse myself in the new culture. I had to learn to speak-up and communicate my opinions more openly. Being bold and assertive required efforts. After living in LA for about twelve years, I returned to this part of the world where relationships and communication styles are markedly different. So, I had to recalibrate my approaches - in a way it was stretching and re-stretching my comfort zones.
What do you think are the most important components for educating students to be culturally competent global citizens, regardless of their major?
Immersion. Live-in experience is the ultimate teacher. This can be experienced on campus or anywhere else in the world and UCLA global exchange programs are precious resources that students can tap into. In addition, universities like NTU has Global Education Mobility (GEM) Trailblaser and Global Connect Programme that provide unique opportunies to students to come experience Singapore - the gateway to other south east asian countries - and explore opportunities - for graduate school, perhaps?!