With strong dedication to education, Emily has been awarded numerous accolades for her work since she returned to her alma mater as an Assistant Professor in 2005. These include being named Favorite Mentor seven times and winning the Best Ten Lecturers election three times.

Recounting on her former role as Director of Global Business Program (GBUS), “I see the core of my work as being an educator and a mentor,” she says. “I want students to see that I don’t just care about how much they learn, but also about their personal development.”

The resonance of teaching and mentorship with Emily stems from her lifelong love of studying and educational environment. But it was only after arriving at HKUST that the world of academia opened up to her. “I never came across it until I came here and met professors,” she says. “I found out what it would take to purse it as a career.”

With excellent HKCEE exam results, Emily boldly chose HKUST despite the fact that the three-year-old institution had yet to build its reputation, and was an unknown quantity for Emily. “The passion of the founding team and the vision to start a world-class university, as detailed by Professor Joseph Lian, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs at the time, really impressed me; I gave up a full scholarship to study at Imperial College London and put HKUST as first choice.”

After completing her PhD at UCLA, Emily knew where her heart lay. “I love the culture at HKUST, and the environment here is very collegial – I think that is very important. I always wanted to come back.”

And the secret that she imparts for her success? “No job is easy. But if you see meaning in your work, it will inspire you to keep going.”

HKUST Alumni News Magazine -  Summer Issue 2017