Supervision

During my speech at the award ceremony, I recalled an experience from my time as a staff engineer at IBM Research. An intern working on an exciting industrial project was offered a full-time position and decided to withdraw from his PhD program. However, his academic supervisor—who had sent him to the company—was unprepared for this change. The professor had expected him to return to the research group after gaining industry experience. To the intern’s surprise, the professor agreed to his decision, saying, "I have many PhD students, but you only have one career. This is more important for you than for me—please go for it." 

I found this deeply inspiring. In my own work with students and postdocs, especially when our paths diverge, I always remember that professor’s words: "More important for you than for me." 

As a mentor, I strive to support each member of my group in achieving their unique aspirations. For those pursuing academic careers, I focus on strengthening their research vision, publication record, and teaching portfolio to prepare them for faculty positions. For others targeting industry roles, I emphasize applied problem-solving, hardcore coding and statistics techniques, and real-world skill development. Regardless of their path, my goal is to foster independence, expand their professional networks, and sharpen their competitiveness in the job market. By tailoring guidance to individual goals—just as that professor did years ago—I hope to empower them to thrive in the next chapter of their careers.