In this series, Science@NTU gets to know the 2021 CoS valedictorians! They give a quick overview of their time in CoS, and also offer a few words of advice on staying positive during these uncertain times. First up, we have Victoria Cahyani Tanggono from the Asian School of the Environment (ASE).
Every year in CoS, PhD students defend their thesis, earning their doctorate which is the highest qualification in university. Science@NTU caught up with Dr Constance Chua from the Asian School of Environmental (ASE) about her PhD experience.
Scientists from ASE’s Marine Biogeochemistry Lab have discovered interesting patterns in ocean acidification linked to Singapore’s monsoon seasons. Using stable isotopes they were able to trace the path of carbon atoms from land to sea and air in and around Singapore.
Congratulations to Team Benthos on winning the International Natural Sciences Tournament (INST)! The INST Grand Finals concluded on 25 July 2021.
In a recent study published in Nature Communications, Prof Simon Redfern and his team show that subduction zones can be carbon sinks, contributing to the long-term storage of carbon in the deep Earth and thereby keeping it from re-entering the atmosphere as CO2. The flows of carbon between the Earth’s crust and the atmosphere are important processes regulating global atmospheric CO2 concentration.
EXPLORE! Grant awardees Roy Tan and Grace Tay will use novel techniques to achieve more accurate and efficient sampling of water and detection of marine microplastics and diatoms.
Two recent papers published in Nature Geoscience by researchers from ASE and the EOS Geodesy group shine new light on the geological processes leading up to earthquakes that can generate devastating tsunamis. In view of the new findings, earthquake and tsunami risk assessment need to be revised for coastlines near subduction zones in Asia and worldwide.
Conversion of forest to agricultural land is one of the biggest threats to wildlife in Asia. ASE PhD student Anushka Rege has investigated the potential of cashew plantations in India as habitat for wild animals, showing that though forests remain irreplaceable, cashew plantations could serve as a supplementary habitat for local animals, if well-managed.
After Typhoon Goni hit the Philippines in 2020, researchers from ASE’s Disaster Analytics for Society Lab worked together to develop a damage prediction model, as well as hosted a mapathon, which has the potential to not only minimise greater loss in future disasters, but also to improve efficiency in relief efforts.
We would like to express our heartfelt congratulations to all six recipients of the Nanyang Education Award 2020. Well done and keep up the good work.