Stanley’s response was that of surprise when I contacted him for an interview for this feature article. The shy SMA Alumni Club (SMAAC) President agreed to be featured only after much persuasion.  

The Singaporean completed his studies under the SMA MST Dual Masters programme in December 2008 and is due for convocation this July. His interest in the manufacturing industry prompted him to find out more about our Dual Degree programmes after he chanced upon a recruitment road show held in NTU.

What began as intellectual hunger in gaining a wider exposure in management science soon gave Stanley more than he anticipated. He enthusiastically related how much fun he had during his student days. One of the experiences he recollected fondly was of a snow-fight he participated in with other SMA and MIT students after a snow storm in Boston.

Stanley, who currently works in the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) is appreciative of the training he received and the relationships fostered while studying at SMA.  He credits the tutelage he received in operations research techniques as an asset in his current work in operations analysis and simulation. He also credited his internship with Becton Dickinson Medical to further honing the relevant simulation skills that are a great aid to his current work.

The fond memories that Stanley has of his student days in SMA prompted him to volunteer in SMAAC, first as a secretary, and subsequently as its president. Stanley believes that joining in the planning and running of the Club is a good opportunity for him to give something back to SMA. To date, he has organised the Annual Dinner 2009 and the well-received Career Dialogue session, on top of building bonds with alumni members. Stanley has big plans for the Club. He hopes to enhance the Alumni Club’s activities to serve as a better platform for members to connect with one another. He believes that one of the major ways that this could be achieved is by establishing clearer workflows and procedures in handling memberships. 

With an already sizeable portion on his plate, the photography enthusiast still manages to find time to freelance as an events photographer in his free time. He shared that his passion in photography arose largely under his father’s influence. The shutterbug also enjoys creating beautiful composite images and digital artwork using image-editing software. In the near future, Stanley hopes to travel more and to engage in a wider range of voluntary work.