The profile picture used in this website is one of the most professional pictures taken of me thus far. It was even used in several NUS pages.
It was a very interesting experience as I wasn’t expecting myself to model for this. At that time in 2023, the Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA) had just became the first in Singapore to be an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre. Pictures were hence needed for press purposes. I was aware of this and thought I would just be supporting the background work.
While on the way to school, I received a WhatsApp message from my professor asking me to go straight to the laboratory. Upon arriving, I was tasked to wear the lab coat and pose for the camera. Initially, I even wore a mask and a pair of lab goggles in hopes to not expose my face (I am quite an introvert) but the photographer told me to remove them as it looked more natural. They took a few pictures of me using the microscope and the rest was history.
Over the next few days, I was informed by friends that I was on NUS Telegram channels as the news was released there. I also saw the picture used on the NUS websites and at the end of the year, in the NUS Physics Matters website as the “cover picture” of 2023. Such opportunities are indeed rare.