Peer Review Committee Evaluation Form-Counseling Faculty: Fill & Download for Free

Nothing. Mills just provided, August, 2019, the fourth item that the theory allowed to be developed, and the second item being scrutinized for procurement or lease by the USA Department of Defense."Department of Defense has a Suncell running on its premises as a licensee":by July 21, 2019:according to Navid Sadikali(CEO at The End Of Petroleum) in the first segment at time stamp 0:00 to 17:45 on a talk show at r/BrilliantLightPowerthen scroll down to "End Of Petroleum talks Hydrino Energy - Live on Freedom Talk Live July 21, 2019"UPDATE: I (Frank Acland Moderator at E-Cat World.com) have received the following message from Navid Sadikali:“Request: please modify the article. My interview stated these facts.1) The SunCell is running.2) The DOD is a licensee through ARA.3) The DOD was onsite to see the SunCell.”It is finally happening, the Suncell is being scrutinized towards being leased by a commercial or military client.I communicated with Navid, several months ago. In a radio cast, he mentions something about Brett's book about Mills: "Randell Mills and The Search for Hydrino Energy" at time stamp 2:36 "we wrote about him"..:One of several books about Mills and the Grand Unified Theory-Classical Physics.I have been asked what I am doing to get GUT-CP accepted by the academics in physics. Navid is the one who might be actually doing something about that. By joining forces, that is what will break through the impasse formed by the physics community against GUT-CP and the device on Brilliant Light and Power and on sites such as Evaco LLC as well.GUT-CP is not cold fusion. CF and LENR try to explain their mechanisms using Standard Quantum Mechanics and are all full of various hypotheses that lead nowhere. GUT-CP is purely classical and has three items fully developed1)in 1986 the explanation for the DoD for how their Free Electron Laser works2) in 2007 developed process for manufacturing accordingto the predictions of GUT-CP, diamond thin film for such uses as as a scratch proof cover on cell phones or tablets and as a heat sink substrate on circuit mother board for chip components3) 2012 developed the Millsian® molecular modeller, available for free trail use by download, 100 times more accurate than any similar app made using SQMand at least 3 more items in development, one of which is the Suncell, which is being scrutinized by the USA DoD:4) finished proof of pronciple for the SUncell in 2000, and thefully functional and finely tuned and controlled version in May 2020, the Suncell the second item being considered by the DoD for procurement or lease, which item is being developed based on the predictions of GUT-CP,5) the Hydrino, fully validated in April -May 2020 is patented in many processes and devices since 2000 and is used as the mechanism that drives the Suncell:Randell L. Mills Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications6) the end point device using the Suncell’s ash, Hydrino’s or dark matter, from which indestructible plastics are being developed for us in the structure of that end point item and which end point item is to be powered by the first viable antigravity device, which is being developed by Huub Bakker of Massey University, NZ , in collaboration with Randell L. Mills, which device was patented as :FIFTH-FORCE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROPULSIONWO1995032021A1 - Apparatus and method for providing an antigravitational force - Google Patentswhich antigravity device is mentioned in general terms in a university lecture at time stamp 00:29:08:20161019 Introduction to the Grand Unified Theory of Classical Physics_001What are all those patents validations and experiments and fully developed and commercially used items, if not proof or at least some indication of the accuracy of using GUT-CP and the Hydrino as a subset or prediction made since 1999, under that theory?The case for Millsian physicsNASA Takes a Flyer on Hydrinosfresno state lecture randell millsAs an update, this answer was flagged by someone hostile to the theory of Mills and tried to have this answer collapsed. This answer was eventually allowed to stay un-collapsed, since the one complaining did not provide a specific reason to have the answer censored.This attempt at censoring this answer begs the question, why? If the theory is as bad as some claim, or even a scam, why are not other, equally suspect theories not being attacked so strongly. Yet Mills theory is the only theory so singled out for strong censoring. The reason is that GUT-CP presents a threat to the some that are using SQM to make large incomes or gaining prestige, as in developing such devices and or related experiments, as controlled fusion and quantum computing. Both are dead end projects since the physics used, to develop these, is itself a dead end. In the Sun it is gravity that draws nucleons together, exactly centre on centre, very easily to very successfully attain fusion, while the nucleons in Earth based devices are pushed together, using magnetic confinement, which ends up doing something like trying to push wet noodles together; in quantum qbits, these particles always de-cohere a fraction of a second after the device starts to “compute” actually ending in non-computing anything. This is due to all devices using SQM, as a guide, which guide is based on imagined then assumed and therefore, at based are non-existant mechanism of waves. This was a mechanism that was then just a lucky guess about a seemingly viable mechanism that seemed to explain the 2 slit experiment. Then, using what was basically a wild guess, to be the base on which SQM has laid its foundation on. It seems to explain the 2 slit experiment, in the same way that square wheels might have been considered towards building a car, at at a time when wheels were an unknown. Then, finding the square wheels seemed worked ok if pushed hard enough, was decided on for use in building a car on top of that. Later, when industry was starting to get under way, cars were seen as having the potential of being developed for rapid transportation, but the cars are found to be difficult to move at the required speeds. Instead of looking back through its development, to find where the problem might be, the wheels are considered as off limits for such scrutiny and instead the motor is considered as the most likely place for finding the problem. The motor is looked at to see how to make it more and more powerful to make the car go as fast as the transportation needs require. This is similar to what is being considered currently, to find out why qbit are decohering, then using the qbits in a different, more robust way. This, as if the problem started with the qbits themselves, and not at an earlier development in SQM when waves were an assumed mechanism, that was assumed to exist in trying to explain the 2 slit experiment. The solution, in SQM, is then to attempt to make the qbits ever more robust, with current efforts ending making large complex devices that try to ensure the qbits do not decohere.This has resulted in quantum computing having purported successes in developing all of the peripheral items, such sotware, fudiciary concerns, building being funded and built for research into quantum computing, andall the rest, except for the hardware, circuit try in electronic chips that houses and makes up the q-bits themselves. It might be better to look all the way back to where the problem is known to have a big assumption involved, when waves were accepted as the best explanation for just one particular experiment. That was at the time when qbits and their use was not even dreamed of, but the waves were ok'd for use everywhere and in an inviolable way.I did all of the surveying of the topic completely independent of Mill and his associates. I read copies of all the original papers and people at the institutions where all of the original data and records and peer reviewed papers involved originate then read those papers and communicated with theose weho were closest related to those papers or who had access to the original records relating to such sources, to get at their side of the story in all this.The sources I have used are:L. A. Rozema, A. Darabi, D. H. Mahler, A. Hayat, Y. Soudagar, A. M. Steinberg, “Violation of Heisenberg’s Measurement-Disturbance Relationship by Weak Measurements,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 100404 – Published 6 September 2012; Erratum Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 189902 (2012)Thomas E. Stolper, mathematician and Political analyst and Author of “America’s Newton, The reception of the work of Randell Mills, in historical and contemporary context”,Herman Haus, Institute profesor of Electronic Engineering,(1986). "On the radiation from point charges". American Journal of Physics. 54 (12): 1126–1129. Bibcode:1986AmJPh..54.1126H which paper was given to Mills by Haus used to develop the same model of the electron as developed by HausThe USA Department of Defense, and physics academia which accepted the FEL explanation provided by Haus,Philip Payne, Principal Scientist, Princeton University, Physicist in charge of using the topological predictions of the Grand Unified Theory-Classical Physics for use in developing the Millsian Molecular Modeller,Brett Holverstott: Science Philosopher, head of the development team of the Millsian Molecular ModellerGerrit Kroesen, Professor of Plasma Physics, Eindhoven Technologicl University, independently tested the Hydrino reaction and found no explanation for the reaction using SQM,NASA independently tested the hydrino reaction by sub contract to:Anthony J. Marchese, a mechanical engineering professor specializing in propulsion at Rowan University, with the conclusion being indeterminate of the cause of the reaction. “ From what I can tell from BlackLight's studies – and they've been pretty good about letting others outside verify their excess energy – there are some things going on that people are having trouble understanding.”Marchese, a PhD engineer from Princeton, says NASA granted him the money to study the feasibility of the BlackLight Rocket for six months. None of the NASA money will go to Mills or BlackLight Power, Marchese says, and his work will be done independently.Marchese's colleague at the Rowan College of Engineering, associate professor of electrical engineering Peter Mark Jansson, researched the BlackLight process while employed by Mills' backer Atlantic Energy, now part of the utility Conectiv.Besides Conectiv, Mills other subsidiaries using the theory are Evaco LLC, and Millsian Corp. The main company Brilliant Light and Power is growing exponentially since then.Scams just die out and disappear after getting a few million dollars and its perpetrators also disappear.Mills is still around and has all the earmarks of someone very successful, and well liked by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, who themselves granted him a few million dollars. Chambers of commerce are made up of people who are not known to be taken in by any kind of scams, but are on the other hand always ready to promote any business that has shown great promise in producing successful goods and services to the local community, over a long period of time and which businesses are headed by equally good willed people. In the case of BrLP those people are:DAVID BENNETTMr. Bennett was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2018.Consultant – Strategic management consulting for growth businesses in aerospace, transportation and alternative energy field. Focused on startups through mid-sized firms.Mr. Bennett was CEO of Proterra electric bus startup and led the firm from prototype design through national validation and successful commercial launch. Raised funds from key investors, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, GM Ventures, and Mitsui & Co. Global Investment.Mr. Bennett worked with Eaton for ten years in a series of operating and corporate roles. His most recent roles were VP Business Development Industrial Sector and President Eaton’s Vehicle Group in Asia Pacific. The Vehicle Group AP business, headquartered in Shanghai, has operations in five countries providing full design, product development, production, sales and service solutions for a wide range of automotive and commercial vehicle customers.Previously, Mr. Bennett held a variety of general management positions in Europe and North America for the Truck business. He was also a general manager in Eaton Aerospace.Prior to joining Eaton in 2001, Mr. Bennett worked with Honeywell (formerly AlliedSignal) and General Electric in a variety of general management, operational, program management and technical roles for high technology aerospace and industrial businesses.Mr. Bennett holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and materials from Duke University and a master’s degree in business administration from Drexel University.Emilio Icaza ChavezMr. Icaza Chavez was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2018.Mr. Icaza Chavez is a co-founder and current Chairman of the Board of Aspel, a Mexico-based company which is the market leader in small business accounting software both in Mexico and in Colombia. Telmex bought an initial stake in Aspel in 2000; since then the relationship has evolved and Grupo Financiero Inbursa now owns a majority stake in Aspel.From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Icaza Chavez worked at GBM, one of the top brokerage houses in Mexico, where he was Co-Executive Director, in charge of Corporate Finance, Research and Investor Relations.In addition to his continued role at Aspel, Mr. Icaza Chavez co-founded Fusion de Ideas in 2008, a Private Equity investment vehicle with current investments in Energy, Software, Real Estate Development, Food, and other industries.Mr. Icaza Chavez is the main shareholder of Enextra Energía, a Mexican corporation which has signed a licensing agreement with Brilliant Light Power, Inc. to serve energy customers in certain industries within the Mexican Territory.Mr. Icaza Chavez was awarded a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM) in Mexico City.JEREMY HUXMr. Hux was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2016.Mr. Hux is President of HCP Advisors, based in San Francisco, California. For nearly 20 years, he has advised Technology and Clean Technology companies on equity, debt, and strategic transactions.Prior to HCP Advisors, Mr. Hux spent nine years with Credit Suisse. He was a Managing Director and Global Head of Credit Suisse’s Clean Technology Investment Banking practice. In addition to running the Clean Technology effort at Credit Suisse, he worked extensively with semiconductor and storage companies. Mr. Hux joined Credit Suisse after approximately eight years with Morgan Stanley. At Morgan Stanley, he was Head of West Coast Clean Technology and also advised companies across the technology spectrum, including storage, networking, hardware, semiconductors, and contract design and manufacturing. Prior to Morgan Stanley, he advised Media and Entertainment companies at SG Cowen.Mr. Hux earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from Vanderbilt University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.DR. RANDELL L. MILLSDr. Mills, Founder and principal stockholder of Brilliant Light Power, Inc., has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and President since 1991.Dr. Mills has authored nine books, participated in over 50 presentations at professional meetings, and authored and co-authored over 100 papers regarding the field of energy technology that have been published in peer-reviewed journals of international repute. Dr. Mills has received patents or filed patent applications in the following areas: (1) Millsian computational chemical design technology based on a revolutionary approach to solving atomic and molecular structures; (2) magnetic resonance imaging; (3) Mossbauer cancer therapy (Nature, Hyperfine Interactions); (4) Luminide class of drug delivery molecules; (5) genomic sequencing method, and (6) artificial intelligence. A thorough description of the Company’s technology and Dr. Mills’ underlying atomic theory is published in a book entitled The Grand Unified Theory of Classical Physics.Dr. Mills was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Chemistry, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Franklin & Marshall College in 1982, and a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Harvard Medical School in 1986. Following a year of graduate work in electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Mills began his research in the field of energy technology.Roger S. Ballentine – CEO Green Strategies Inc.William Beck – Managing Director and Global Head of Engineering and Sustainability Services Credit SuisseH. McIntyre Gardner – Chairman of the Board, Spirit Airlines, Inc.Dr. Ray Gogel – President, Avanti EnterprisesJim Hearty – Former Partner of Clough Capital PartnersPhil Johnson – Former SVP – Intellectual Property Policy & Strategy of Johnson & Johnson – Law Department, Former SVP and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel of Johnson & JohnsonMatt Key – Commercial Director Charge.autoBill Maurer – SVP ABM IndustriesJeffrey S. McCormick – Chairman and Managing General Partner of SaturnDavid Meredith – Chief Operations and Product Officer at Rackspace Hosting, Inc., President of Private Cloud & Managed Hosting at Rackspace Hosting, Inc.Bill Palatucci – Special Counsel Gibbons LawAmb R. James Woolsey – Former Director of the CIA under President Bill ClintonColin Bannon – Chief Architect BT Global ServicesMichael Harney – Managing Director, BTIGStan O’Neal – Formerly Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., Former Board Member of General Motors, Currently on the Board of ArconicRoger S. BallentineRoger Ballentine is the President of Green Strategies Inc., where he provides management consulting services to corporate and financial sector clients on sustainability strategy; investment and transaction evaluation and project development execution in the clean energy sector; and the integration of energy and environmental policy considerations into business strategy. He is also a Venture Partner with Arborview Capital LLC, a private equity firm making growth capital investments in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors. Previously, Roger was a senior member of the White House staff, serving President Bill Clinton as Chairman of the White House Climate Change Task Force and Deputy Assistant to the President for Environmental Initiatives. Prior to being named Deputy Assistant, Roger was Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs where he focused on energy and environmental issues. Before joining the White House, Roger was a partner at Patton Boggs LLP.Over the years, Roger has acquired a wealth of experience and knowledge of the energy sector, financial markets, and environmental business practices as well as the politics, players and trends in the energy and environmental space. Using his expertise and deep relationships, Roger has helped clients develop better business strategies, make better investment decisions, negotiate new business partnerships, build critical alliances with stakeholders, and devise impactful government and public affairs strategies.Roger currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Clean Capital LLC, 8 Rivers Capital, and the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), where he was a founding Board member in 2001. He is a member of Ingersoll Rand’s Advisory Council on Sustainability. Roger also serves on the Selection Committee for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Zayed Future Energy Prize and is the Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute’s Clean Energy Forum.In addition to being a frequent speaker, media commentator and writer, he has been a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School teaching in the area of energy and climate law and a Senior Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute in Washington D.C.Roger is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Connecticut and a Cum Laude graduate of the Harvard Law School. He is a member of the Connecticut, District of Columbia, and the United States Supreme Court bars.William BeckWilliam Beck is a Managing Director within the Group Business Support Services (GBSS) Department of Credit Suisse. William is the Global Head of Critical Engineering & Sustainability, based in New York. He leads a team responsible for developing and implementing strategy and governance for the Bank’s Innovation, Energy management, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Fire (MEPF) design, Engineering Operations Maintenance, Environmental and Sustainability integration as well as the Data Center Strategy programs. His mandate also includes the bank’s Global Energy Strategy and Procurement integration. Bill has 25+ years of experience including the strategic planning, development, design, construction and operations of mission critical and non-mission critical facilities. William is a licensed Professional Engineer, Master Electrician and Energy procurement specialist. He holds a BSEE degree and a MS degree in Management, both from Fairleigh Dickenson University.H. McIntyre GardnerMr. Gardner was the head of Merrill Lynch’s Private Client business in the Americas and also the Global Bank Group within the firm’s Global Wealth Management Group until early 2008. As head of Private Client Americas, Mac was responsible for the region’s extensive network of more than 600 advisory offices; private banking and investment services to ultra-high net worth clients; the group’s middle markets business; investment and insurance products; distribution and business development; and corporate and diversified financial services.For the Global Bank Group, Mr. Gardner was Chairman of Merrill Lynch Bank USA and responsible for Merrill Lynch’s consumer and commercial banking and cash management products. This included distribution and sales of all bank products and services primarily delivered into the marketplace through Financial Advisors. These activities encompassed retail deposit products and services, credit and debit cards, commercial cash management, residential mortgage lending, securities-based/small business/high-net-worth structured/middle-market lending, and community development lending and investing.Mr. Gardner’s 13-year career at Merrill Lynch also included roles in strategy, Finance Director for the corporation, and as an investment banker specializing in high yield finance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring.Mr. Gardner has also served as the principal of a financial advisory services firm and as the president of two consumer products companies. He has served on the Board of Directors of Spirit Airlines, Inc. since 2010 and has served as Chairman since August 2013. He also serves on the North American Strategic Advisory Board of Oliver Wyman. Mr. Gardner is a 1983 graduate of Dartmouth College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion.Dr. Ray GogelDr. Ray Gogel started his career in academia, where he obtained his PhD with distinction in philosophy from Drew University after studying for four years in Germany with leading Continental philosophers. Ray’s background in philosophy has permeated the rest of his career, driving a strong and abiding interest in forward-thinking leadership and business models, as well as innovation and disruptive technology. Ray moved from academia to a career in the utility and power industry, progressing through a variety of operational, leadership and business development roles at Public Service Electric & Gas Co in New Jersey, before he left to join IBM as a solution architect, where he designed, sold and delivered IBM’s first Business Process Outsourcing transaction (PG&E Energy Services). Gogel progressed within IBM to become VP—Client Services, responsible for IBM’s largest utility customer and P&L, before joining Xcel Energy, headquartered in Minneapolis.At Xcel, Ray reported directly to the CEO as CIO and later in the expanded role of CAO and President of Customer and Enterprise Solutions, where he managed the core areas of IT, Customer Care/Marketing, Human Resources and Utility Innovation. During his tenure, Xcel received recognition as a premier IT organization in InformationWeek’s Top 500 Awards, placing in the Top 20 for 3 years and twice winning their Business Technology Optimization award. Ray was featured in ComputerWorld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders. Xcel’s unique outsourcing model and use of Strategic Advisory Boards has been the subject of various publications and an early driving force for transformational outsourcing in the utility industry. In 2006, Xcel was awarded the prestigious Edison award from the Edison Electric Institute for its ‘Utility of the Future’ initiatives in IT, as well as Utility of the Year in 2009 from EnergyBiz Magazine for its unique and pioneering ‘SmartGridCity™’ efforts.Ray left Xcel Energy to serve as President and COO of Current Group, an innovative US-based start-up Smart Grid company specializing in cutting-edge smart grid operations and analytics with clients in NA, Europe and AP. He also served as Global Head of Smart Grid for Nokia-Siemens Networks as they explored entry into the Smart Grid adjacency. Ray spent two years as a Managing Director in Accenture’s Resources Group, working as a market-maker for strategic pursuits.In 2014, Ray co-founded USGRDCO with Jay Worenklein and David Mohler and served as President and COO. USGRDCO’s objective is to upgrade the distribution systems of America’s utilities and accelerate the benefits of grid modernization through commercial microgrids and distributed energy resources, thereby offering utilities alternative paths to more efficient, reliable, resilient and secure power systems. Ray and his team pioneered a series of microgrid archetypes and designs, suitable for utilities, private communities and smart cities, which USGRDCO believes represents the future of the North American grid. Ray left his COO role at USGRDCO to found his own consulting group, Avanti Enterprises, Inc., where he provides strategic consulting and business planning to companies in the power sector.During his career, Ray has served on IBM’s Strategic Advisory Board, The World Economic Forum, the Colorado Smart Grid Task Force, EEI’s Smart Grid Workshop Group, the Board of MedicAlert International, Denver’s United Way and Goodwill.Jim HeartyGraduate of Williams College and The Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School.Jim began as a bond trader at First National Bank of Boston, where he eventually ran the Bond Department, (the largest underwriter of Tax Exempt Debt in New England with a significant business in US Government and Agency Securities and Money Market securities). In the early 1990’s, Jim was the Assistant Secretary of Administration and Finance for Governor Bill Weld and responsible for all Bond Financings for the Commonwealth and Agencies and Authorities where the Governor served on the Board.Over the course of his career he also served as: Board Member of the Public Securities Association and a Board Member and Chairman of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, Board Member of the Mass HFA, The Mass Industrial Finance Agency, The Massachusetts Land Bank and the Pension Reserve Investment Management Board (The State Pension System) among others. Remained on the Board of the Pension System and co-through the terms of Governors Weld, Cellucci, Swift and Romney.Working at Lehman Brothers as a banker in the Tax Exempt Division, Jim was responsible for Business in New England and grew the franchise substantially, lead managed significant issues in all New England State. Became the Head of Public Finance in 1998, and Co-Head of the Tax Exempt Division including all trading and underwriting in 2000, and grew the Business substantially.In 2002, he was the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Pension Reserve, and served for two years as ED and CIO of the $70 Billion Pension Fund. Then in 2005, Jim was a Partner of Relational Investors, one of the original “Activist” Institutional Investors, and grew the business from $1.5 Billion to $5 Billion Dollars in AUM. Significant Engagements included Home Depot, Sovereign Bancorp, Hewlett-Packard and Sprint. In 2008, he became a Partner of Clough Capital Partners and was responsible for fundraising in the Institutional Market, where he grew the AUM in our long/short fund from $500 Million to $2.0 Billion.Jim is married to Doris Blodgett since 1975, 3 sons, Resident of Boston.Phil JohnsonPhil is currently a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (“IPO”), Co-Chapter Editor of the Sedona Conference WG10 biopharmaceutical patent litigation project, and member of the board of the Monell Chemical Senses Center. Phil recently retired as Senior Vice President – Intellectual Property Policy & Strategy of Johnson & Johnson – Law Department. Prior to April of 2014, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel of Johnson & Johnson where he managed a worldwide group of about 270 IP professionals, of whom over 100 were patent and trademark attorneys.Before joining Johnson & Johnson in 2000, Phil was a senior partner and co-chair of IP litigation at Woodcock Washburn in Philadelphia. During his 27 years in private practice, Phil counseled independent inventors, startups, universities and businesses of all sizes in all aspects of intellectual property law. His diverse practice pertained to advances in a wide variety of technologies, including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical devices, consumer products, semi-conductor fabrication, automated manufacturing, materials and waste management. During his time in private practice, Phil served as trial counsel in countless IP disputes, including cases resolved by arbitration, bench trials, jury trials and appeals to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, many of which resulted in reported decisions.During his tenure at Johnson & Johnson, Phil served terms on the Medical Device & Diagnostics and Pharmaceutical Group Operating Committees responsible for managing J&J’s many businesses in these fields, while also serving on the senior management team responsible for J&J’s legal organization, which has now grown to over 450 attorneys located in 70+ locations in 35+ countries.Phil’s has previously served as the Chair of the Board of American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation, as President of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, as President of INTERPAT, as President of the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel, as President of the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation, as co-founder and member of the Steering Committee of the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, as Chair of PhRMA’s IP Focus Group and as Board Member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association.Phil’s has previously served as the Chair of the Board of American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation, as President of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, as President of INTERPAT, as President of the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel, as President of the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation, as co-founder and member of the Steering Committee of the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, as Chair of PhRMA’s IP Focus Group and as Board Member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association.Phil has frequently testified before both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees about patent law reform and, more recently, abusive patent litigation. Phil served as a member of Chief Judge Michel’s Advisory Council on Patent Reform, and was recognized in the Congressional Record as a member of the Minority Whip Jon Kyle’s “Kitchen Cabinet” for the America Invents Act (“AIA”). Thereafter, Phil served as IPO’s representative on the ABA-AIPLA-IPO committee of six experts (“COSE”) formed at Director Kappos’ request to propose regulations to the USPTO for implementing the PGR-IPR post-grant proceedings created by the AIA.Phil co-authored “Compensatory Damages Issues In Patent Infringement Cases, A Pocket Guide for Federal District Court Judges,” published by the Federal Judicial Center, and has served that Center as a faculty member on its IP-related judicial education programming. Phil was also featured in the Landslide Publication March/April 2013 issue. Most recently, Phil authored “The America Invents Act on Its Fifth Anniversary: A Promise Thus Far Only Partially Fulfilled,” published on 9/15/2016 in IP Watchdog.Phil’s awards include the Woodcock Prize for Legal Excellence (1997); the New Jersey Intellectual Property Law Association’s Jefferson Medal (2013); the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Association’s Distinguished Intellectual Property Practitioner award (May, 2017), induction into the international IP Hall of Fame by the IP Hall of Fame Academy (June, 2017) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association “Carl B. Horton President’s Distinguished Service Award” (September, 2017).Phil received his Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude with distinction in biology from Bucknell University, and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.Matt KeyMatt has been changing business through the innovative use of technology throughout his career. He has successfully transformed how businesses approach the market and enabled the creation of repeatable and sophisticated services and solutions whilst bringing in many new clients.Prior to Everynet and now Charge (a new connected electric truck manufacturer) he ran the Global IoT Business for Vodafone and before led the Enterprise division in Cable & Wireless Worldwide. Other experience includes working for Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Capita and Barclays.Bill MaurerBill Maurer is the Senior Vice President of ABM Industries. Mr. Maurer is responsible for managing the Energy portfolio for ABM. ABM Industries is a best-in-class provider of Integrated Facility Services which include – Energy Solutions, Mechanical Service and Construction, Facility Management, Janitorial, Security, and Parking Services for building owners and operators in North America and selected international locations. ABM is one of the nation’s most successful single source providers of high value facilities management and building optimization services.Mr. Maurer has over 20 years of experience in the Energy Industry where he has held various and increasing levels of management and responsibility. Most recently, Mr. Maurer joined ABM in 2006. Under his guidance, the Energy Solutions division has maintained exponential growth year after year. To do this Mr. Maurer had to completely re-organize and re-structure the existing energy division. There were significant changes made in personnel, market focus and overall strategy towards the Energy Business. Through the changes that were made in Energy offerings, ABM is now able to offer to their clients a unique program to provide cost savings that allow them to fund needed improvements to reduce energy consumption, reduce environmental impact and comply with government regulations. Not only has the revenue increased substantially in the Energy division, but the unique solutions delivered by ABM and the markets in which were focused on has also increased dramatically.With a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Maurer’s career path began at the Systems and Services Division of Johnson Controls, an internationally renowned building technology and manufacturing leader. At Johnson Controls, he spent nearly 8 years in sales and management positions where he was a top performer with a track record of consistent top performances in growth, sales achievement, profitability and leadership.Over the past 21 years, Mr. Maurer has been involved with over $900M in Energy Saving Programs to customers. He is a recognized leader in the industry by his co-workers and competition alike. He is involved with leadership positions in multiple industry related organizations – NAESCO (Board Member), BOMA, ASHRAE (Former Treasurer) and Energy Services Coalition. Mr. Maurer has been involved in multiple speaking engagements at industry/ market events and The White House. Mr. Maurer is also involved with and holds leadership positions within 2 Cancer Fund Organizations.On a personal note, Mr. Maurer has a wife of 20 years and two children (16 old boy and 14 old girl). They have lived in Milford, MI area for the past 11 years. He enjoys playing competitive hockey, soccer and golf. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting – specifically pheasant and duck. Reading financial, motivational and educational books is a daily practice.Jeffrey S. McCormickJeffrey is the Chairman and Managing General Partner of Saturn. He founded Saturn in 1993 and began financing early stage companies including, the extremely successful business to business e-commerce company, FreeMarkets (FMKT, acquired by ARBA); the largest U.S. biodiesel company, Twin Rivers Technologies (acquired by FELDA); email marketing company, Constant Contact (CTCT); and the extremely popular Boston Duck Tours. Saturn Partners II and III, have invested in cutting-edge technology companies in healthcare, education, energy, IT and environmental businesses.Jeffrey has over 25 years of experience as an investment banker, entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He currently serves on the boards including BioWish, Knopp Biosciences, Third Pole, and XNG Energy.Jeffrey is a graduate of Syracuse University, where he received an MBA in Finance and a BS in Biology. He was a Collegiate Scholar Athlete, first year team All-American lacrosse player, and a captain of Syracuse’s first NCAA championship lacrosse team.Jeffrey is a Vice Chair of the CitiCenter for the Performing Arts. He serves on the Dean’s Advisory Committee of the School of Management at Syracuse University and is Founding Principal Financier of the Sean McDonough Charities for Children. He is actively involved with the Trinity Church in Boston.Jeffrey is married with three children.David MeredithDavid Meredith has been Chief Operations and Product Officer at Rackspace Hosting, Inc. since January 2018. Mr. Meredith’s responsibilities include P&L oversight of the vision, operational and administrative direction of Rackspace’s product lines, operations, technology and service delivery functions. Mr. Meredith has been the President of Private Cloud & Managed Hosting at Rackspace Hosting, Inc. since June 1, 2017. Prior to joining Rackspace, Mr. Meredith served as the President of global data centers at CenturyLink. He has led international managed hosting businesses in roles including senior manager, president, Chief Executive Officer and board director. His experience spans a range of industry verticals from venture-backed firms such as NeuPals in China to business units of large public companies such as Capital One, CGI and VeriSign. He served as Senior Vice President and Global General Manager for Technology Solutions at CenturyLink, Inc. As an industry thought leader, he has provided insights for leading media outlets such as BusinessWeek, USA Today and The Washington Post. CIO Magazine, Wireless Week and The Huffington Post have published his articles. He has spoken on industry topics for NBC’s Carson Daly Show, NPR’s Morning Edition, Seoul Broadcasting System, PBS’ Nightly Business Report and at analyst forums such as Gartner, Bloomberg, Yankee and Cantor Fitzgerald. In December 2016, the respected Uptime Institute recognized his contributions to the Industry by selecting him for their Change Leader Award. He was named “Top 40 under 40 – Best and Brightest Leaders” by Georgia Trend Magazine in 2008. Mr. Meredith graduated with honors from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and he earned a Masters in IT management from the University of Virginia, where he serves on the UVA advisory board.Bill PalatucciBill Palatucci is one of the state’s most prominent and widely respected attorneys, with a reputation for strategic planning and advice regarding complex public policy and communications initiatives. He has been named among NJBIZ’s “100 Most Powerful People in New Jersey Business” every year that the issue has been published.Most recently, following the Republican National Convention through Election Day, Mr. Palatucci served as General Counsel to the Presidential Transition Committee of President Donald J. Trump. In this role, he was responsible for all legal matters related to ethics compliance and contracts and agreements between such agencies as the U.S. Department of Justice, General Services Administration, and the White House. Mr. Palatucci coordinated extensively with internal and external members assisting the transition, providing all necessary legal advice and guidance to facilitate the Transition Committee’s interactions with the Trump-Pence campaign, federal departments and agencies, local, state, and federal officials, think tanks, outside experts and consultants, and various other entities and individuals with whom the Transition Committee engaged with during the pre-Election Day time period.Mr. Palatucci also served as General Counsel to Governor Christie’s presidential campaign. In 2013, he served as Chairman of the Governor’s reelection campaign and as Co-Chair for the Governor’s Inaugural Committee.In 2010, Mr. Palatucci was elected the Republican National Committeeman for New Jersey, and, for the past 30 years, he has had a hand in some of the most important state and federal elections in New Jersey. Over this time, he has led the reelection campaigns of President Ronald Reagan, President George H. W. Bush, and Governor Tom Kean, and he served as a senior advisor to Governor George W. Bush’s presidential campaign in 2000. Mr. Palatucci was also the principal consultant for Christine Todd Whitman’s run for the U.S. Senate in 1990.Amb R. James WoolseyAmbassador R. James Woolsey was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1993 to 1995. He’s been appointed by Presidents to positions of leadership during the administrations of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. In a town riven by partisan divisions, Ambassador Woolsey is widely respected on both sides of the aisle.A national security and energy specialist, he is the Chancellor of the Institute of World Politics and Chair of the Leadership Council of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and Chairs the United States Energy Security Council. He is also a Venture Partner with Lux Capital and chairs the Strategic Advisory Group of the Paladin Capital Group, a multi-stage private equity firm.He is a frequent contributor of articles to major publications, and gives public speeches and media interviews on the subjects of energy, foreign affairs, defense, and intelligence.This just a partial list of the high powered personnel sources I have used. Mills himself is just one of the thousands involved so far.

If you take the time to read through this interview you will meet someone who works for one of the best impact investing firms in Asia. Her experience through her education from secondary school through university will give you some ida of what you need to follow her path.Quote: Sir Edmund Hillary“Because it is there.” These words are, perhaps, the most famous ever uttered by a mountaineer. George Mallory’s words were in response to the question “Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?” Many of us have a passion to climb something. Most often it is not a physical mountain. Some of us scale the heights of competitive schools, or reach toward a new discovery in a research project, or serve as a guide in an effort to help others climb up from poverty. In Bernice Tay’s case, she does indeed climb mountains and she also does the other things I have just listed. She is an intrepid explorer of her world and her mind.******************************************************************************Can you give us a brief overview of you and your family?I was born and raised in Singapore, so attending college in the US was the first time I’d lived away from my family and outside of Singapore.Bernice in primary schoolMy parents’ great-grandparents moved to Singapore from China in the early 20th century in search of a better life, so my siblings and I are fourth-generation Singaporeans. My parents were both the first in their families to go to college, and always emphasized to us the importance of working hard and living within one’s means. They have always pushed us to do our best in everything, while being really supportive of our passions. My brother is currently pursuing Economics at the College of William and Mary, while my sister is pursing a diploma in Communication Design at a polytechnic in Singapore. My family has been incredibly supportive throughout college, even when they weren’t familiar with my GDS major and the liberal arts system. They inspire me to become better every day, and it’s been really great being back with them again in Singapore.Can you describe the way that students move through the education system in Singapore. In other words can you talk about how the funnel narrows from elementary to middle school to Junior College (Notre: a Junior College is the name for secondary school in Singapore) and how competitive this is?In Singapore, the first 10-11 years of formal education, beginning in Primary 1, are compulsory (by law) for everyone. Students enter primary schools at the age of 7, where they attend Primary 1-6 over six years. After this, they go on to 4-5 years of secondary school, with the length of time dependent upon their academic performance. After secondary school, students can go on to different tracks based on their grades and/or vocational interest: Junior Colleges for those who are keen on a more academic route, Polytechnics for those who are interested in more pre-professional fields (e.g. business, design, hospitality, etc), the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) for vocational training, or art schools, among others. The transitions between the different phases of education are marked by entrance examinations: the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), ‘O’/’N’ Levels, ‘A’ Levels (for Junior Colleges only, similar to the Gao Kao in China). Most junior college students go on to attend university, while only about 20-30% of Polytechnic students (who graduate with a diploma) are accepted into Singapore’s universities.While schools do often accept students based on non-academic criteria, such as your performance in an extra-curricular activity, for the most part one’s educational options heavily depends upon one’s grades at each national exam. It can be quite stressful and competitive as your social mobility and access to higher education is often very much dependent on your performance on a single exam – tuition ( in Singapore this word means a for profit extra tutoring class ) is a billion dollar industry here!That being said, the Ministry of Education has slowly been making changes to lessen the emphasis on exam performance as the sole marker of success. It remains to see if such recent policy changes will truly results in attitude changes on a systemic level (both within the Ministry and society as a whole), but for now I do think it’s promising that they’re moving in this direction.Bernice and VJC classmatesWhat do you think of the education system in Singapore? What do you like and what would you change?I appreciate the fact that education is regarded as an important public good in Singapore, and is one of the sectors that the government spends a significant amount of money on. While inequality does exist in the education system, the public school system as a whole is a lot more robust than places like the US, and a quality education can be affordable for the masses. Globally, Singapore is also known for its rigorous science and math education at the pre-tertiary level; I never really appreciated having a strong foundation in such technical fields until I got to college and realized that we were so far ahead of everyone else –UVa granted me also 30 transfer credits based off my ‘A’ level diploma.In terms of changes that I would make, I’d like to see more holistic approaches to learning, such as through the encouragement of critical thinking and questioning, creativity, and growing from failure. I was part of the Integrated Programme (IP) for two years in VJC, a niche programme which allowed students to bypass the ‘O’ Levels. Instead, we studied under a tailored curriculum that had a greater emphasis on creative problem-solving, group collaboration, and interdisciplinary learning. Those were my two favorite pre-college years, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have been part of VJC’s IP. It gave me a vision of what education in Singapore can be like, even if such changes will inevitably take a while to trickle throughout the system. Our Polytechnic programs are also increasingly becoming more innovative and stimulating, and has drawn a much more competitive pool of students over the last few years. I hope that the education system will help students identify and develop their strengths and interests, rather than pushing students to follow a narrow, ‘proven’ route to success.Bernice with climbing team at Victoria Junior College, after the 2010 National Schools Sports Climbing ChampionshipsYou attended Victoria Junior College, (a Junior College in Singapore is the equivalent of the last two years of secondary school.) The courses are based on the British system and the school is known for its academic rigor. You took on a very challenging course load: 4 H2 courses: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Literature in English (known as A levels in other places), plus a general paper, and also research (an H3). Most around the world take 3 A levels. You not only took 4 but did more on top of that. How hard was this to do? How much stress were you under to perform so well?I took 4 subjects and General Paper for the ‘A’ Levels, which is actually the norm in Singapore. My research was a supplementary project, rather than a H3 that would be graded and appear on my A level diploma. It was challenging to balance the workload at times, but having a mix of science and the arts was helpful in terms of giving myself mental breaks between subjects.Can you describe your research while at VJC?I did two external research projects with the National University of Singapore. The first one was with its Electrical Engineering lab, where I helped to design the data collection system in a smart nest for hornbills, while the second one was with its Inorganic Chemistry lab, where I explored the effectiveness of different compounds as chemical catalysts.I really appreciated the opportunity to work in university labs and interact with academics at such a young age. From these projects, I learned how to work independently, brainstorm and explore possible solutions to complex problems, as well as communicate my findings in spoken and written form. I also came to have immense respect for scientific researchers, who often pursue questions with no guarantee of success, making the process a lonely journey that requires a great deal of perseverance and passion to see it through. Although I didn’t end up majoring in a scientific discipline in college, the skills and lessons I picked up from my research projects proved to be tremendously helpful in college.Bernice on a rock climbing trip with VJC friends to Krabi, ThailandWhen did you decide you wanted to go to university outside of Singapore? Did you consider the UK or other destinations besides the US? What were you looking for in a US education?Pretty early on (somewhere between Secondary 3 and 4), I decided I wanted to go abroad for college, even though I didn’t know where exactly yet or what I wanted to study. This is partly because I wanted to see the world outside of Singapore, and because at that point I was convinced (like many other Singaporeans) that UK and US universities were generally better than the ones in Singapore.In JC1, I attended a talk on the difference between UK and US schools and decided then that I would only apply to the US. UK schools are very similar to the Singapore education system in that they emphasize depth over breadth, so your undergraduate education is focused on the study of a single subject. Furthermore, the UK schools are far more interested in a student’s academic passions than their extracurricular involvements. I was drawn to the flexibility of the liberal arts system, as well as the fact that the US colleges evaluated applicants on a holistic basis and would hence value my leadership and service involvements.How did you decide which schools to apply to? How many did you apply to and why did you choose the one you did?I looked at business schools in the U.S. when applying to colleges, since I felt that was the closest fit to my interests at that time, and ended up applying to about 6 schools. I ended up picking UVA primarily because I appreciated that it had a strong College of Arts & Sciences, so that I would have other options in case I changed my mind about a business degree, (which I did). UVA's also in a college town; having grown up in a city all my life, I wanted to experience a different living environment. The UVA alumni community in Singapore is also incredibly vibrant, and I was blown away by how welcoming everyone was. Given how much everyone raved about their time in college, I could tell they really loved the school, (and that they weren't just doing PR).Bernice with the staff of the Lorna Sundberg International Center, where she worked as a Program Assistant in her third and fourth yearHow important was getting in the Honors program to you? How important was it once you were enrolled?I actually didn’t know about the Echols scholars program until I got accepted to UVa, but it helped contribute to my decision to accept UVa’s offer of admission. I didn’t spend much time with the honors program at UVa, but it was very helpful to have my college requirements waived and to have priority class registration, especially when my decision to pursue a second major in Statistics pretty late in college (end of my second year) meant that I had a less flexible class schedule in my last two years.How was your transition to the US and Uva? What surprised you?All things considered, it was a very smooth transition: there was not much of a culture shock given how Singapore is very exposed to Western culture, and there was a small but tight-knit Singaporean community that helped me navigate UVa, which was especially helpful early on.What surprised me the most was how much I missed Singaporean food, and that the US is really big (my friends and I joke about how it’s really a continent, not a country) and so incredibly diverse. I had no idea it takes 6 hours to fly from coast to coast. I was also surprised to find myself sitting outside on nice days, something that I never did in Singapore (probably because it’s so humid all the time). I think it’s also because one appreciates beautiful days more when they finally emerge from a season of frigid weather.Can you talk a bit about how you ended up in a small interdisciplinary major, global development studies. Looking at your courses at VJC this seems a bit surprising. Had you heard of this program before coming to Uva and if not what got you to apply for it? For those not familiar with the major can you describe it a bit?In VJC I started to realize that the scientific profession was not for me, so I was drawn to the liberal arts approach of the US colleges that encouraged students to explore a broader range of disciplines before settling on one (or two) to major in.I first heard about the Global Development Studies major my first semester at UVa, when I joined Global Development Organization and met GDS majors who were always raving about the curriculum and faculty. Having gone on multiple service and mission trips growing up, I have always been drawn to work that involves an element of service or social change, but finding out about the GDS major was when I realized I could pursue this interest academically. My second semester, I took ‘Politics of Development Areas’ – the introductory class to development studies – to figure out if GDS was right for me. I ended up loving the class and decided then that I would apply to the major.The GDS major is one of UVa’s interdisciplinary programs; students apply in the Spring of their second year, and about 35 are accepted each year. Tapping on a variety of perspectives, the GDS major fundamentally challenges students to be constructively critical of both development projects and the concept of ‘development’ itself. By exploring the relationship between local cultures and global economic and political trends, we consider the social, political, economic and ethical implications of development endeavors. The major is highly interdisciplinary and flexible in nature: the 4 core classes combine theory, methods, case studies and experiential research projects, while the remaining 6 electives can come from any relevant department at UVa. Just as there is no ‘one’ conception of development, there is also no ‘one’ ideal GDS student: GDS classes typically consist of a diverse group of students, spanning backgrounds, interests and strengths. I am so fortunate to have been a part of the major. It has been such a privilege to study what I love under professors I respect, alongside extremely passionate and driven peers.Fall break trip Bernice took with UVA friends (Jairus, Peiching, Kenneth) from Singapore and Malaysia, backpacking in Grayson Highlands, VirginiaWas it hard to do both GDS and your second major in Stats? Do you have any favorite classes you want to highlight (or any profs)?I chose to pursue a second major in Statistics at the end of my second year, so that restricted the number of classes that I could take in my third and fourth years that didn’t count towards either major. It helped that GDS is interdisciplinary in its requirements, so I always had a lot of options for classes that would count towards the major. For the most part, I really enjoyed having two majors. As mentioned earlier, I tend to enjoy working on different things that gives me mental breaks, and taking a mix of GDS and Statistics classes meant that I usually had a good balance between readings and problem set. They also complemented each other really well: GDS interests have helped informed the kinds of projects that I took on in my Statistics classes, and I was even able to use R – a software environment for statistical computing – for text mining as I was writing my GDS thesis.I loved the fact that our GDS professors were really invested in the program – I learnt so much from Professors Richard Handler and David Edmunds, both of whom brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to our classes. The GDS core classes, Global Development Theories and Case studies (GDS 3010/3020) and Development on the Ground (GDS 3100), which focused on the theoretical underpinnings of development and the issues faced by development workers respectively, were incredibly influential in shaping my college experience and career goals. In terms of GDS electives, I really enjoyedEthics and Human Rights by Professor Michael Smith, and Property Rights and Development by Professor Deborah Boucoyannis – both classes exposed me to really challenging material and pushed me to become a more careful thinker. In the Statistics department, I really enjoyed Non-Parametric Statistics by Paul Diver, and Exploratory Data Analysis by Professor Karen Kafadar; both classes were fascinating in how they introduced me to innovative and important approaches in Statistics.Who were your mentors and whom did you hang out with?I’ve been blessed with really great mentors during my time at UVa, all of whom I owe so much to. These include Theo Yakah, teaching assistant for 2 of my politics classes; David Edmunds, Professor of Global Development Studies; Pat Loh, director at LIFE! Community development Singapore, which works in disaster relief and community development in Asia; and Terence Fitzgerald, head of the Program Design & Evaluation unit at International Justice Mission (IJM), who was formally assigned my mentor as part of IJM’s summer internship program.I hung out with friends that I met through a residential program with the Center for Christian study, Singaporeans and other international students, the UVa climbing team and friends from the International Center. I was also really blessed to have been connected to a local host family through the International Hospital Program, who basically were a second set of parents to me throughout college.During your time at University you took on significant leadership positions, did lots of research and a whole lot of service too. How did you manage to do all this and still graduate Phi Beta Kappa?Time management was something that I had to learn in college, especially because I ended up burning out during my second year. I learned that sometimes one has to say no to things – even good ones – in order to be fully present in all of life, which is always preferable to being spread too thin. My roommate was a great influence on me in that regard. In my second half of college, I spread out my commitments across different semesters and made sure I had good reasons for the various things that were taking up my time. I was really honored to graduate Phi Beta Kappa; I’m guessing they liked the fact that I double majored in GDS and Statistics.Bernice with fellow Singaporean studentsAs President of the Singapore Student Association did you feel the need to educate the university community about Singapore? Do you feel you were subject to certain stereotypes? What should people know about students from Singapore?While there’s a lack of awareness about Singapore (and Southeast Asia more generally, but especially Singapore because we’re so small), the SSA committee chose to focus on bringing the small Singapore community together. Given that UVa is gradually working on establishing a Southeast Asian Studies department, future SSA committees may explore avenues to educating the university community about Singapore.The classic stereotype shows up in how everyone usually comments that our English is really good, even though English is the official language of Singapore. Others think that all of us are amazing at Math, or that we all have tiger mums, or that Singapore is in China (a misconception that is not as common at UVa, but still painfully occurs across the US in general).What people should know (off the top of my head, definitely an not exhaustive list): We have four official languages (English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil); we take our food very seriously (the Michelin Guide isn’t the authoritative guide on where to eat because everyone has their own opinion); we have one of the busiest ports in the world; we’re a pretty diverse country (since colonial times, and even more so today); it’s a really small city-state and only takes about an hour to drive across the country; the US and Singapore have had diplomatic relations for almost 50 years.There are some that might say that Global Development Studies has raised your awareness of issues that affect millions but that we don’t often think about let alone address. Did the program make you more idealistic or more pragmatic about making significant change?We were reflecting on this question on our last day of class, and I said that the major is both paralyzing and energizing. It’s paralyzing in that it problematizes so much of the developed world’s attempts to ‘rescue’/’developing’ the developing nations out of their presumed poverty, but it’s also energizing in that it’s really expanded my understanding of what development is. If we’re thinking about making more just societies that enable flourishing for all, including the ones we come from, the possibilities are endless, really. For me (and many of my classmates), it’s become less about a great global endeavor or quick fixes, and more about building strong relationships to understand and respectfully work with community members (wherever they may be), to understand what development means for them and what the ideal process and outcomes look like for them.Bernice with her parents at graduationAre there significant changes that you see in yourself as a result of your time at university? Do your parents and friends back home see a difference?People often say that college is one of the most formative periods of a person’s life, and that’s definitely been true for me, especially since I went to school so far away from home. Since the Chinese make up the majority of Singapore’s population, attending college in America was the first and longest time that I’d experienced living as a minority. It was a perspective I really appreciated having, and it’s helped me to become more cognizant of my majority privilege/comforts in Singapore.Because the university also draws individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, I also learnt to appreciate and respect difference and individuality (which is not always celebrated in Singapore). American society is also more open and encouraging of unique passions and career paths, which gave me some freedom to pursue my interests instead of simply conforming to more conventional narratives of success.I think my family would say that I’ve become more appreciative of their support and presence after I left for college. I had to learn how to live and make decisions independently, while still communicating with them often and ensuring that they felt involved in my life.On LinkedIn, you have summarized your experiences as an intern and as a volunteer. You also give a wonderful summary of your interests and passions. I wish more people would put include these kinds of things on their profile:Bernice has worked both in Singapore and the United States. She most recently interned with the International Justice Mission in Washington, D.C., where she contributed to a research study on bonded labor in Karnataka, India, and reviewed participatory feedback tools that could be employed by the organization. Her work experience also includes conducting data analysis and supporting the evaluation of grant applications for United Way in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as relief teaching Mathematics at Victoria Junior College in Singapore. During her time in university, she also managed a research study that explored the economic impact of resettled refugees on the local Charlottesville economy.Through her academic and professional experiences, she has become interested in how non-profits, impact enterprises and policymakers can evaluate the impact of their programs, within the broader goal of becoming more accountable to the stakeholders they work with. Passionate about justice for the vulnerable, she believes that institutional solutions are required to address poverty, beginning with entering genuine conversations with others to tackle collectively defined issues together.Can you talk a bit about how you obtained your internship and what you did while there that falls under your topic: Program Design and Evaluation Intern International Justice MissionI knew two UVa alumni who were doing IJM’s year-long internships in Southeast Asia, and I heard about their experiences mid-way when they came to visit me in Singapore for New Year’s. They encouraged me to apply, and so I filled out the online application, had two phone interviews, and got the internship. I’m especially thankful to have gotten the ModernGuild career counseling scholarship, as the lessons I picked up were really instrumental in helping me put together a strong application for the IJM internship.I applied to the PD&E unit because I’d become interested in how NGOs or policymakers can evaluate the impact of their programs, within the broader goal of becoming more accountable to the stakeholders they work with. I see this interest as bridging my GDS and Statistics majors, since evaluation is an area where both qualitative and quantitative approaches converge. Because the GDS major is also concerned with the political nature of poverty, I was drawn to IJM’s work of strengthening legal institutions to protect the poor from violence.During my internship, I worked on a literature review for a bonded labor research study that IJM was conducting in Karnataka, India. I also researched and critiqued a number of participatory feedback tools that IJM was looking into using to collect feedback from its clients, primarily for improving accountability and program strategies. Writing the literature review was emotionally challenging at times as I learnt about the issue in greater depth, but it helped me to understand the importance of IJM’s work, taught me to maintain healthy boundaries, and strengthened my research and writing skills. I especially enjoyed my work on the participatory feedback tools, since it tapped on my interest in improving accountability through evaluation. It was really fun for me to learn about the tools available in the space, and to apply them to IJM’s context and needs.Another important aspect that I loved about the IJM internship was how the organization is truly invested in the professional development of its interns. The intern class had brown bag lunches with the founder and senior managers, where they shared about their career experiences and took our questions. Each intern was also paired with a mentor that met with them fortnightly throughout the internship. I was very thankful for the guidance that my mentor, Terence Fitzgerald, so generously gave me throughout the summer. The advice that I gained from him and the rest of the PD&E unit really helped to affirm the academic and professional efforts that I’d made up to that point, and gave me much-needed assurance and direction for the 4th year job search.Bernice with a VJC friend, Shin Mun, at Yosemite National ParkWhat do you miss most about university?I miss having so many friends live within walking distance, learning from extremely driven and intelligent professors and peers that constantly challenge and inspire me, and having countless opportunities to meet and hear from the world’s best scholars and professionals invited to speak at the university.Can you talk about your job search? How did you find the job you have? IIX looks to be the kind of thing that could not have existed a decade ago. Can you describe briefly what you do and how people might be able to help your mission (I first heard about IIX from another Singaporean UVa alum that was working for the company at that time. I was contacted about an interview shortly after sending in my resume. It was really refreshing to discover IIX, since I had been exploring the non-profit and social space in Singapore for a while, and there aren’t many Singapore-based organizations working towards systemic social change in the broader Asian region. I’m part of the Business Development & Advisory team, which primarily works to grow the impact investing ecosystem by engaging stakeholders apart from investors and entrepreneurs (more on this below).Dureen ShabnazIIX’s mission is to create capital markets for social good. It was founded in 2007 by Professor Durreen Shahnaz, a former investment banker and entrepreneur from Bangladesh. When she was running her first company, oneNest, a global e-commerce company for local artisanal products to empower micro-entrepreneurs with access to the global market, Professor Shahnaz experienced first-hand the difficulty of raising capital for a mission-driven business to scale. The experience inspired her to establish IIX, bridging her career experiences in finance and development. IIX aims to democratize capital markets by facilitating investments in Impact Enterprises (businesses providing development solutions), working closely with entrepreneurs and investors. To catalyze the impact investing ecosystem in a holistic way, IIX also offers comprehensive advisory services to corporations, foundations, international organizations and governments, equipping these varied stakeholders with the tools to navigate the impact investing space. IIX also has a non-profit sister entity, Impact Investment Shujog (Shujog), which conducts research on the key sectors, players and financing mechanisms in the impact investing space in Asia, and conducts Impact Assessments for Impact Enterprises to monitor, measure and magnify their impact.For students or individuals interested in getting involved: we accept interns - known as ‘apprentices’ at IIX & Shujog - throughout the year, and have a couple of job vacancies listed on our website here: http://www.asiaiix.com/careers/For people who might be interested in following your path to where you are now what advice do you have? Do you have any big plans for the future?I’ll start off by sharing some of the best advice I had given to me, when I was a little nervous about post-college plans: Don't be afraid of others misunderstanding you and your pursuit of what you love. Your goals are valid as long as you're doing your research, heeding advice from trustworthy mentors, and staying true to your values.On a more specific level, I pursued a second major in Statistics because I’ve always had strong quantitative skills, and knew that it would differentiate me from the crowd during the job search. In general, I would recommend that students identify their strengths and interests – for me it was evaluation – and pursue classes (if not a second major) or projects that help hone relevant skills. My interviewers also often asked me to talk about my research projects, as they were interested in both my technical and project management skills. Because there are so many paths one can take in the field of international development, the most helpful thing an undergraduate can do is to pursue things that tap on your interests and strengths, so that they give you relevant skills and experiences that set you apart in both the post-college job search and your career in general.In terms of plans for the future, I’m currently thinking about attending graduate school in the US or UK, in a field related to development studies or for an MBA. For the moment though, I’m focusing on gaining as many new skills and experiences as possible, whether I’m in the office or on the field in Asia. I hope to learn as much as I can about finance and development, gain greater clarity on my strengths and passions, and allow these to shape my goals over the next few years.Bernice in The Big Apple********************************************************************************Learning to climb takes time. Some of us think that a few hours on a climbing wall over a few weeks, whether it is literal or figurative, demonstrates we have developed a skill. The ability to get the most out of one’s climb, in school and beyond, is about a far greater investment. I’m not talking about money although, sadly, that’s part of the equation; instead, I’m pointing to the way that Bernice’s climb demonstrates the way many more should approach their climb in life.Bernice was lucky early on. The experimental integrated program at her already great secondary school primed her to look beyond the typical major and ways of taking classes and internalizing information. She gained a wider perspective and in doing so become more open to the advantages of liberal arts. She could see across disciplines and majors in order to develop skills that employers want to see. Too often students (especially international students) do not have this perspective from the start of their university education.The pi shaped graph reproduced above (it looks a bit like a mountain) shows how the demands of the job market have changed in the last decade. The T shaped skills were what liberal arts tried to instill; now the skills necessary for many post university experiences involve depth of knowledge in a specific fields as well as skills in areas that include statistics or coding. Bernice knew this early on and it helped her shape her climb through the base camps of internships and research.Bernice was proactive in her search for ways in which she could obtain experiences that would supplement her classroom experience She applied, and received a scholarship to Beta test with the business Modern Guild. There she was introduced to industry professions who helped her prepare for interviews and for standing out in the quest for competitive internships. (Full Disclosure: I helped implement the Beta test for Modern Guild and this was when I first got to know Bernice). Bernice went beyond looking to her university’s career services. Given how hard it is for international students to obtain internships and jobs, many have to go beyond the typical searches and support programs. (It is increasing true for domestic students too.)In his book, There is Life After College, (a book I recommend and have reviewed) Jeffrey Selingo, Washington Post writer, makes it clear that internships are a necessity for many career fields, Without an internship there is virtually no chance to climb higher into the work world for what some would call the Everests of jobs: finance and consulting in New York and the big places in Silicon Valley too. Bernice’s internship with the International Justice Mission fit her passion for helping others but would not have happened had she just been a smart, motivated student. She had to put in hours, research and more.From an exceptional internship to her current job of Impact Investing with a group of people who do indeed want to change the world signifies she climbing to heights that few of us attain. But Bernice’s story demonstrates that she could never be where she is without lots of help form faculty, friends alumni and mentors. It takes, if not a village, then at least a diverse group of people to help. Bernice has one skill that means she never approaches things alone. Without Tenzing Norgay, Hillary would never have made it to the top of Everest.What makes our species succeed? Obviously, this is a big question with lots of answers. But here is one that I am sure is accurate: passing it on. The ‘it’ might be a physical thing, a tool of some sort, but increasingly the most important things to pass on is information. Those who can teach us through words can do so from anywhere in the world. It is worth repeating advice that has been passed down to Bernice, then to me and now to you.Don't be afraid of others misunderstanding you and your pursuit of what you love. Your goals are valid as long as you're doing your research, heeding advice from trustworthy mentors, and staying true to your values.Bernice knows the oft-used phrase “pursue your passion” sounds good, but without the added definition of what this really entails, it will only live in the world of cliché. A passion needs defining—research and hard work. It takes strength, effort, and help from others. It takes honesty—the ability not to deceive oneself. None of this easy. But Bernice has given us a path to follow if we hope to climb to new heights. I would like to thank Bernice for lending us a helping hand. I do hope that some intrepid souls will go the link she provides and begin a new journey as an intern or employee of her company.Bernice looking for New Challenges Ahead