It’s my extreme fortune to have several Ph.D. and postdoc advisors who committed considerable time and energy to me both in education, research and my career so far. I do believe the way that they are practicing is the great way to get along with students and I will try to carry their tradition forward in my career. Inspired by my Ph.D. advisor William B. Haskell, the following three themes that he has been doing are now presented as my career philosophy.
Organization: The mission and the structure of the course and project should always be totally clear. The structure of the course should be carefully considered and precisely designed, based on universal principles wherever possible. Every lecture, assignment, and project should also be well organized with a clear objective.
Dedication: When I am teaching, I am there for the students’ benefit; when I am a mentor, I am there for the mentees’ benefit. I put my students and my mentees first because I believe in the value of their education.
Action: I have always learnt best by doing in both coursework and research, and I try to instill this philosophy in my students and mentees. In my courses, I try to show students how the course content is used in the field or in cutting edge research. As a mentor, I encourage my students to be confident and adventurous in their research because I feel it is the fastest way to grow.