Post by Han Ei CHEW (PhD)

They also gave me a thing (👋 Charlene Chua). The Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Impact Award, to be precise. It’s meaningful, not because of the spotlight or the prestige, but because of what it says about the kind of work I’ve tried to do. Impactful research that’s applied and a career shaped more by practice than by titles. I’ve had the rare opportunity of being mentored by nearly every dean and chair the school has had (Prof Eddie Kuo, Peng Hwa, May, and Jack). Each one offering space to think, to fail, and to come back stronger. And of course, there’s Ben Detenber, the special mentor turned friend who opened my mind to communication theory and helped me realise I could think for myself. That changed everything. Shoutout to Lynette Elizabeth Pereira (Teo), fellow awardee who is recognized for her frontrunning work in digital marketing at Pinterest At the ceremony, I gave a speech close to my heart. (Humble Kampong roots 😆. UNGA. Moonlit rivers. Digital harms. SHE Singapore. The winding path of an applied researcher. It certainly wasn’t a TED talk, but it was real. To those who’ve walked this path with me — mentors, colleagues, family, and friends — thank you. This one’s for you too. It’s been a strange path... ...Some seasons I’m at the UN. Some nights, I'm bathing in a sarong under moonlight. These days, I try to figure what trust means in our digital world, all while hiking through national parks... ...But it’s my path.