MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awards
August 17, 2021 2024-04-22 2:38MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awards
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awards 2023
Mahidol University International College (MUIC) would like to congratulate Dr. Nalini Schaduangrat, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2023; Ms. Sirintra Jittrawong, Outstanding Management Awardee 2023; Boonyanuth Maturostrakul, M.D., Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2023; Ms. Nantaporn Thirapongphaiboon, Outstanding Community Service Alumni Awardee 2023; and Ms. Thanyastree Chayopong, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2023.
Dr. Nalini Schaduangrat, Assistant Professor of Research, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University
With a strong educational foundation in Biological Sciences at the bachelor's level (Class of 2008), I acquired comprehensive knowledge of fundamental biological principles and methodologies. This background laid the groundwork for my subsequent pursuit of a Ph.D. in Microbiology, where I delved deeper into the intricacies of microbial life and its significance in various biological contexts. Under the Royal Golden Jubilee scholarship grant awarded to me for my Ph.D. studies, I had the opportunity to spend six months in a computational biology laboratory at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA. This is where my fascination with bioinformatics emerged and grew and has led me down a career path that is totally out of the experimental “bench” laboratory. Building upon this academic journey, my current role as an Assistant Professor of Research in Bioinformatics at the Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University is dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research at the intersection of biology and computational science to advance our understanding of complex biological systems. The focus of my work is on therapeutic drug discovery through Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) and Cheminformatics techniques. My work aims to contribute to the development of novel therapeutic interventions by creating interpretable bioinformatics tools that offer a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental factors that augment/inhibit the biological activity of proteins especially in diseases such as cancer. Notably, my research efforts have resulted in authoring and co-authoring over 45 research and review articles, accumulating over 1,200 citations and achieving an h-index of 18 within six years of employment. https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57199841551" . Motto or quote or guiding principle in your life? "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going." How would you describe MUIC? Did your experience in MUIC prepare you for a career? My experience at MUIC has been instrumental in shaping my career trajectory through various avenues. It has provided me with invaluable mentorship, facilitated the exploration of my passion for science, instilled in me a strong work ethic, afforded me the privilege of meeting great friends, and underscored the significance of collaborative teamwork.
Ms. Sirintra Jittrawong, Chief Executive Officer, Microfiber Industries
I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Class of 1998. With more than 20 years of experience working in many multinational companies, starting with Japanese firm Panasonic and Pigeon baby products, I learned to be hands-on in every job I do and furthered my marketing knowledge with Nestle (a Swiss company). Then, the “Tom Yum Kung” crisis us badly, the company downsized and I had to change my career from B2C to B2B at Siam City Cement Group. Then, I had a career advancement when I joined Saint-Gobain as a Marketing Director and ECOLAB with a regional role taking care of F&B chemicals for Southeast Asia, South Korea and India. As you work more in the corporate world, you encounter tougher competition. You can't also stop learning at all because in each industry you have to update yourself with new products, customers and competitor knowledge. So, I decided to take a career break and open a boutique consulting firm called Kidnokkrob360 Co. Ltd. (www.kidnokkrob360.com ). That's when I met with a lot of Thai companies as my clients and ended up working with them for a permanent role now as Chief Executive Officer for Microfiber Industries. During the last five years, I have worked in a consulting role at Microfiber Industries. I also had a part-time job as a guest lecturer of the Thai Chamber of Commerce University and took more courses in Digital Marketing (certificate program at Thammasat University). Looking back, I learned that when you work with small and medium enterprises (SME), there are a few knowledge gaps and company readiness among the staff. As a result, I helped organize the business strategic workshop for my clients using Business Model Canvas tool and also helped build the commercial team's soft skill on Story Telling. Even though I work full-time now, I still take on roles as a voluntary guest speaker / trainer with a few non-profit organizations such as SWING Pattaya and Royal Chitralada Project during weekends or day-offs. I think everyone can contribute to society if they would like to do so. I picked Microfiber Industries for two reasons: I would like to build a local brand to be more international and also support the business that used recycled products as raw materials to produce glass wool insulation. Aiming high, I would like to be a driving factor for our business expansion not only in Thailand but also overseas; we plan to have more presence in the Asia Pacific region with continuous product innovation in construction materials. We also offer fast-track building solutions to the main contractors as labor force will be a constraint to many of us in the future." Motto or quote or guiding principle in your life? Live your life to the fullest. How would you describe MUIC? Did your experience in MUIC prepare you for a career? MUIC has a culture of integrity where responsibility, fairness, and moral courage are integrated into the way we work and the way we treat one another.
Boonyanuth Maturostrakul, M.D., Transplant Nephrologist/Nephrologist, Baystate Medical Center, Massachusetts, USA
I was born and raised in Thailand. Growing up, biology was always my favorite class in high school which made me decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science in Mahidol University International College (MUIC). After graduating from MUIC (Class of 2012), I decided to pursue medicine because it had always been my passion to help people. I was accepted to St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, enabling me to pursue my dream to be a physician. During my time at St. George’s University, I learned how to be resilient and be able to overcome the challenges that came my way. I did my internal medicine residency at Lincoln Medical Center in Bronx, NY. It was during that time that the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic spread throughout New York City. I got the opportunity to be one of the healthcare workers fighting to save people’s lives through the crisis. After residency, I was accepted to do a Nephrology Fellowship at Zucker School of Medicine/Northwell Hofstra in Long Island, NY. Then I pursued another fellowship in Transplant Nephrology at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Currently I am working as a Transplant Nephrologist/Nephrologist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. I am currently an author of a book chapter entitled, “Diabetic Kidney Disease and Covid-19, Diabetes and Covid-19, Considerations and Clinical Management,” published by the Springer Cham Publication on June 10, 2023.” Motto or quote or guiding principle in your life? If you try hard enough, your dreams will come true. How would you describe MUIC? Did your experience in MUIC prepare you for a career? MUIC was able to provide me the education/ knowledge required to pursue medicine.
Ms. Nantaporn Thirapongphaiboon, Senior Outreach Manager, Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS)
Ms. Nantaporn Thirapongphaiboon, a distinguished advocate in the field of food rescue and sustainability in Thailand, graduated from Mahidol University International College (MUIC) in 2015 with a BBA in Marketing degree. She also holds an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from Goldsmiths, University of London, having completed her studies in 2018. As the Senior Outreach Manager at Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS), she plays a pivotal role in advancing the organization's food rescue mission to enhance food equity in Thailand. Under her guidance, SOS’ outreach department collaborates with both the public and private sectors, notably introducing the National Food Bank initiative to the Thai government. Nantaporn works with NSTDA researchers, proposing policies supporting surplus food donation under the Bio-Circular-Green Economic Model Development. Actively contributing to The Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade Thailand's Processed Food and Future Food Committee, she aligns her advocacy for food safety, security, and sustainability. Nantaporn's global impact includes participating in a TEDxBangkok talk in 2020 and serving on the SDGs Youth Panel for the UN in Thailand, inspiring global youth for sustainable futures. In 2022, she represented Thailand in the ASEAN Youth Fellowship, fostering social innovation. As the National Youth Representative, she addressed the FAO's World Food Forum 2023, focusing on Thailand's progress toward SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 12 Sustainable Production and Consumption, and SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals. At COP28 in Dubai, she showcased Thailand as a model for transformative change in food systems. Motto or quote or guiding principle in your life? Stay humble, work hard, be kind. How would you describe MUIC? Did your experience in MUIC prepare you for a career? MUIC was more than just classes – it's where I tackled challenging academics, soaked in global perspectives, and dove into diverse activities, all of which not only gave me a well-rounded education but also equipped me with the adaptability, critical thinking, and practical skills needed to rock my career.
Ms. Thanyastree Chayopong, Business Development Specialist, Agoda Co. Pte. Ltd.
I graduated with 2nd Class Honors with a bachelor of arts degree in Intercultural Studies and Languages (specifically in the Critical Studies of English concentration) from the Class of 2021. During my undergraduate years, I received several opportunities from Mahidol University to enhance my ability and expand my horizons in the area that I am interested which are intercultural exchange (through the Asia Pacific Youth Exchange scholarship grant in South Korea as a student representative in 2019) and International Relations (through Asia International Model United Nations 2019 scholarship grant as a delegate of Nigeria). Not only that, I was invited to be the Master of Ceremony and Student Liaison for 2021 ASEAN in Today’s World, a joint project of Mahidol University, Thailand and Kyushu University, Japan. After that, I spent almost a year and a half working as Assistant Project Coordinator at Sophia Global Education and Discovery under Sophia University Japan. Then, I pursued my master’s degree in International Marketing at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom for one year through the Vice Chancellor’s International Scholarship grant and graduated with 1st Class Honors (or Distinction under the UK scoring system). While pursuing my master’s degree, I was selected as a Business School Ambassador and Unibuddy Ambassador for Newcastle University Business School, representing Newcastle University in its recruitment webinars, appearing on the university’s social media, website and offline platforms as a student ambassador, and writing blog posts reflecting the current students’ points of view. After I obtained my master’s degree, I successfully received a job offer from Agoda Co. Pte. Ltd. in Thailand. I have been working as a Business Development Specialist specializing in advertising and marketing for Agoda for a year and a half now. My role, firstly, focuses on marketing to help raise awareness for Agoda Media Solutions as part of travel marketing solutions for brands through different online channels and on-site event and secondly, focuses on leveraging sales. This includes conducting media planning for clients depending on the campaign brief, generating more leads through different inbound and outbound channels, and, last but not the least, analyzing the business trends and preparing competitor analysis in the travel and media industry for Agoda. Motto or quote or guiding principle in your life? "I think therefore I am" or "Cogito, ergo sum" by René Descartes. How would you describe MUIC? Did your experience in MUIC prepare you for a career? MUIC is not just a place that I feel comfortable to come back to, it is also a place that gives opportunities in various areas that I am personally interested in and building a safe space for learning and developing myself and building a shield with all academic recognition preparing me to entering the career world.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awards 2022
Mahidol University International College (MUIC) would like to congratulate Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanokkarn Kaewnuch, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2022; Ms. Nissanat Rungrojvanich, Outstanding Management Awardee 2022; Mr. Pobek Pornpongmetta, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2022; Mr. Thanat Veeravattanatikul, Outstanding Community Service Alumni Awardee 2022; and Ms. Rosemary Gosteli Dela Cruz, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2022.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanokkarn Kaewnuch
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanokkarn Kaewnuch graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Travel Industry Management from the Class of 2006. She then obtained her Master’s degree and Doctorate degree, both in Tourism and Hospitality Management, at Bournemouth University, UK. She has been working as a full-time lecturer at National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) for more than 10 years. She has also been serving as Assistant to the President for International Affairs for over nine years. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanokkarn is an acknowledged expert in the tourism and hospitality management field. She received a lot of national funding for her researches including support from Thailand’s Ministry of Education to help develop local tourism communities in remote areas in Thailand such as Samut Songkram, Lopburi and Saraburi, through a project called U2T in 2020-2023. Additionally, she received national research funding for a research project about Thailand’s community development in 2022 called “The development of local business network model for medical and wellness tourism to enhance competitiveness of the local businesses for high-value active aging tourists,” specifically from Program Management Unit Competitiveness (PMUC) under the Office of Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council. In 2021-2023, she also received funding from the Government Savings Bank through a project called ออมสินยุวพัฒรักษ์ถิ่น (Yuwaphat Rakthin Project) to help support and enhance the quality of lives of economically depressed communities in Bangkok by adding value to the local resources and developing their local products to be ready for a global market platform.
Ms. Nissanat Rungrojvanich
Ms. Nissanat graduated with 1st Class Honors in Finance from the Class of 2007. She is an inspired female leader who believes in self-potential, equity and the power of team spirit. She started her career as a Management Trainee at Unilever, one of the Top 3 Global FMCG Companies. During her tenure at Unilever, she successfully led several projects including profitability improvement enabled by price/mix improvement and cost optimization, as well as digital transformation. Apart from the local experience, she was also promoted to take the role of Senior Finance Manager for Southeast Asia and Australia based in Singapore. After her 10-year-career journey with Unilever, she was later offered the role of Head of Commercial Finance at Coca-Cola Thailand, the No.1 Global Beverage Company. With her outstanding performance ranked as a Top Talent, she was promoted to the role of Finance Director leading Financial Planning & Analytics for ASEAN Markets for two years. With a significant work contribution that she delivered to improve ASEAN Financial Performance leading to a double-digit profit growth within two years, she was then promoted to her current role as CFO of Thailand and Indochina Markets in 2021 and being the first female local talent leader in this role. Currently, she is leading overall business performance through key initiatives, sugar tax mitigation plan, M&A assessment, as well as sustainability initiatives through reducing wasted PET packaging.
Mr. Pobek Pornpongmetta
Mr. Pobek is an International Business alumnus from the Class of 2014. When he was a student at MUIC, he received the MUIC Young Ambassador scholarship grant to study (exchange program) at Oxford Brookes University, UK. After he graduated from MUIC, he pursued his Master’s degree in Political Science in International Relations, Thammasat University. He is currently a news presenter for “Top Talk Daily” and “Nightly News” at Mono 29. Aside from this, Mr. Pobek is a freelance MC and moderator for opening ceremonies, press conferences, seminars, weddings, and concerts. He is also a voice actor for various advertisements from governmental organizations to private companies. In 2015, he was nominated as a finalist for the TV Gold Awards for Outstanding News Anchor. In 2019, he was awarded the Thep Thong Award for Outstanding TV Broadcaster by the Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters under the Royal Patronage. (รางวัลเทพทอง ครั้งที่ 19 ประเภทบุคคลดีเด่นด้านโทรทัศน์). His TV program “Top Talk Daily” received the Golden Scale Award under the category “Outstanding TV Show for Public Knowledge” given by the Consumer Rights Protection Association and the Federation of Children and Youth Working Committee of Thailand ( รางวัลเกียรติยศ “ตาชั่งทอง” สาขา บุคคลสงเคราะห์ดีเด่นแห่งปี).
Mr. Thanat Veeravattanatikul
Mr. Thanat Veeravattanatikul graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science degree in 2014. He then went to the University of Kent in the UK where he graduated with a Master’s Degree in International Human Rights Laws. For over eight years, he has had a career in the field of human rights and humanitarian concerns in many international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). He has been working continuously to develop communities in Thailand’s northern provinces especially those composed of marginalized people such as ethnic minority groups, migrants and refugees. Currently, Thanat is working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). His commitment is to contribute in providing humanitarian assistance, protect human rights, and advocate for the needs of some of the world's most vulnerable populations. Such work can involve providing direct assistance to vulnerable populations, supporting policy development and advocacy, and engaging in other activities that help advance the mission. Apart from his career, Thanat also founded a volunteer group called “Arsa Sangsan” (อาสา สร้างสัน) which is composed mainly of MUIC students. The main purposes of this volunteer group are to conduct knowledge activities for hill tribe children and also to build basic infrastructure such as water supply and solar power systems in the most remote hill tribe villages in Thailand.
Ms. Rosemary Gosteli Dela Cruz
Ms. Rosemary graduated with a 4.0 GPA in Intercultural Studies and Languages from the Class of 2019. Then she pursued her Master’s degree in International Development from University College Dublin, Ireland, as a Global Excellence Scholar for Southeast Asia, with a full scholarship included, and graduated with 1st Class Honors. During that time, she also received the UCD Advantage Award, served on UCD’s Global Student Advisory Forum and was a UCD invigilator and UN online volunteer. She was chosen to join Bank of Ireland (BOI) on their Management Associate Programme as 1 of 40 out of 6,600 applicants. In her first role, she supported and improved project management and reporting processes for a portfolio in Group Technology and Customer Services (GTCS) worth €50 million. She was recently promoted and currently serves as the Strategy and Communications Lead for Strategy and Transformation (GTCS), Bank of Ireland, managing divisional communications to over 1000 colleagues.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awardees 2021
Mahidol University International College (MUIC) congratulates Asst. Prof. Dr. Watcharapoj Sapsanguanboon, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2021; Ms. Karn Piluntanadilok, Outstanding Management Alumni Awardee 2021; Ms. Ms. Pattamon Rungchavalnont, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2021; Mr. Weerapong Boonsa, Outstanding Community Service Alumni Awardee 2021; and Ms. Chalisa Trakarnkitvichit, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2021.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Watcharapoj Sapsanguanboon
Asst. Prof. Dr. Watcharapoj Sapsanguanboon graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 2004. Four years later, he obtained his Master of Science in Project Management from the Graduate School of Management and Innovation, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. Later on, he pursued his doctorate in Management at the School of Management, Asian Institute of Technology. He currently works as a full-time lecturer and Head of the Center for Strategy and Enterprise Competitiveness (STECO), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. He developed a framework called ‘STECO’s Enterprise Mix: 5Ps of Enterprise’ which was published in book form with the collaboration with Kiatnakin Phatra Bank. The concept supports the SMEs’ business recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. It has since become a tool to assess enterprises and lay a foundation for improvements. He was also appointed as the National Director, AFS Intercultural Programs Thailand, one of the most prestigious international exchange programs worldwide among students. AFS is an international, voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world.
Ms. Karn Piluntanadilok
Ms. Karn Piluntanadilok obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing (1st Class Honors) in 2013. She then pursued her Master of Science in Strategic Marketing degree (with strong focus on digital elements), Imperial College Business School, London, United Kingdom. She is currently a Global Product Marketing Manager at Google based in the Silicon Valley, California, USA. She specializes in go-to-marketing and growth marketing, having helped Google launch its new products in different parts of the world. Before her time at Google, she worked in an e-commerce unicorn start-up and a consulting company. She is passionate about how technology can help improve the lives of both consumers and businesses.
Ms. Pattamon Rungchavalnont
Ms. Pattamon Rungchavalnont graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science degree in 2009 (1st Class Honors). She then went to the University of Oxford where she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Anthropology. For over 10 years, she has a successful career in sustainable development, sharing her skills and talents with those in need. At the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage where she served as the Director of Operation, she oversaw the management of development programs in rural areas of Thailand and Myanmar, utilizing human-centered design and multisectoral stakeholder engagement to improve livelihoods of underprivileged communities. She also managed the Foundation’s international outreach activities and development cooperation to scale up impacts and share the Thai experience with the global community. Last year, she joined the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as the Head of Solutions Mapping, Accelerator Lab Thailand. She works as part of this strategic initiative to deliver a new generation of solutions by tapping into local innovation and collective intelligence to create actionable insights and reimagine sustainable development for the 21st Century. For instance, she leads a local youth organization’s innovation challenge in Chiang Rai to develop new solutions for tackling air pollution issues, and facilitates a similar process in the three Southern border provinces to transform the local food system. Ms. Pattamon has also explored diverse ways to create social impacts by seeking experience in the media and education sector through her work at the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) and Mahidol University International College.
Mr. Weerapong Boonsa
Mr. Weerapong Boonsa is a Computer Science alumnus from the Class of 2000. He worked at Accenture for almost 11 years before moving to Bank of Ayudhya PCL. His current position is Senior Vice President and Head of Risk, Finance and Compliance Technology Solution. Since 2002, he has been volunteering with “My School” program to help build school buildings in rural areas in Thailand. They have received sponsorship from numerous major corporations including manufacturers, hospitals and banks that helped fund the construction and repair of 3-4 schools every year as part of their CSR programs. The program is carried out mostly during much of the year, except during the rainy season when rural areas become difficult to access. He has been offering his volunteer services for 19 years already. While still a student of MUIC, he and a group of friends founded the MUIC Volunteer Club. Even after graduation, he always lent a helping hand to MUIC whenever he is needed. He also served as president and committee member in the MUIC Alumni Association.
MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2021
Ms. Chalisa Trakarnkitvichit Ms. Chalisa graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree major in Media and Communication(1st Class Honors) in 2021. She won the Vichitmatra Award (รางวัลขุนวิจิตรมาตรา) at the Thai Short Film & Video Festival 2021 organized by the Thai Film Archive and Thai Film Foundation for her thesis work, an animated documentary entitled, “The Boogeyman: Who Killed Sherry Anne Duncan?” Aside from this award, Ms. Chalisa was also the first and only candidate from Thailand to enter the “Short Film Contest: Unveiling our Stories ‘Victims of Corruption’ 2021” organized by the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) competition where she received honorable mention. Her thesis also won the Best Animation Film Award at Fuse Film Festival 2022. While she was still a student at MUIC, she also received the Academic Excellence Award 2019, Foreign Language Ambassador Scholarship 2018 from the Humanities and Language Division, and Young Ambassadors Scholarship Awards 2019 from the International Affairs Office of MUIC. Ms. Chalisa is currently an Associate Talent Sourcer in Appsynth Asia Co., Ltd, a leading Digital Innovation Consultancy in Thailand recognized for excellence in mobile app design, development, and marketing.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awardees 2020
MUIC would like to congratulate Ms. Aniqa Islam Marshall, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2020; Ms. Samornpun Somnam, Outstanding Management Alumni Awardee 2020; Ms. Alissara Kulchaipanich, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2020; Ms. Nuttha Janesiripanich, Outstanding Community Service Alumni Awardee 2020; and Ms. Pongpisuth Jongudomsuk, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2020.
Ms. Aniqa Islam Marshall (MUIC Class of 2016)
Ms. Aniqa Islam Marshall graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree major in Biological Sciences with First Class Honors in 2016. After graduating from MUIC, she worked in the public health sector. In 2017, she was awarded the Program in Applied Vaccine Experiences Scholarship, having been chosen by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and selected to be placed at UNICEF to participate in the development of its action plan for immunization programs and conduct policy research on vaccines. She was later offered a masters tuition scholarship at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg, School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. After she returned to Thailand, she worked at the National Vaccine Institute as a public health diplomat to push Thailand’s issues in the global arena and make the country the focal point for the ASEAN Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance Initiative leading to the endorsement of the ASEAN Leaders Declaration on Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance at the 35th ASEAN Summit. Currently, she is working at the Ministry of Public Health Thailand as a researcher conducting health policy and systems research to address priority health problems and inform policy decisions. She has had quite a number of international and domestic publications on public health issues in Thailand, including in the World Health Organization Bulletin and most recently on COVID-19 response (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6575-731X). Aniqa recently received a grant worth £147,166 under the Doctoral Studentship in Social Science & Bioethics from the Wellcome Trust to conduct research on health policy in Asia as a Ph.D. student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Ms. Samornpun Somnam (MUIC Class of 2010)
Ms. Samornpun “Tarn” Somnam obtained a bachelor’s degree major in Travel Industry Management in 2010. She then pursued a Master’s degree in Marketing at Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, Switzerland. She is part of her family’s business, serving as Executive Director of Keemala, a luxury five-star hotel located in Phuket. Under her management, Keemala was recognized globally for being a small but luxurious romantic hotel with distinctive designs “inspired by four ancient lifestyles.” Keemala received several World Luxury Hotel Awards. This award, whose recipients are voted by over 300,000 international travelers, guests, and industry players alike each year, is considered as the pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel industry. In 2017, Keemala won both the Luxury Romantic Villa Global Award and Luxury Design Hotel Region Award at the 11th Annual World Luxury Hotel Awards held in Switzerland. Two years later, Keemala was selected as the Regional Winner for Luxury Eco Resort by the same award-giving body. In 2020, the hotel was the Global Winner for Luxury Eco Resort in the World Luxury Hotel Awards. She is also Executive Director of The KEE Resort & Spa, one of Patong’s most popular and unique accommodations, which is also part of her family business.
Ms. Alissara Kulchaipanich (MUIC Class of 2012)
Ms. Alissara “Belle” Kulchaipanich graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree major in Marketing from MUIC in 2012. After graduating, she joined the Management Trainee Program at L’Oreal Co. in Thailand for one year and was promoted as an Assistant Product Manager. She then went to New York University (NYU) where she graduated with a Master of Science Degree major in Integrated Marketing (Analytics Concentration). During her second year at NYU, she worked as an intern in multiple companies in New York City to learn more about the working culture in the US and hone her skill sets. After finishing her Master’s degree, she received a job offer from the New York Times, the world’s largest publishing company, in its New York headquarters as the manager for its marketing and campaign operations. Later, she won the Company Publisher’s Award in 2018 for introducing a complex pricing strategy of home delivery subscriptions. She currently works at Estee Lauder Co.’s headquarters as a Senior Manager, North America E-Commerce, M•A•C Cosmetics, leading its direct marketing channels strategy for e-commerce business in the American and Canadian markets. Her recent professional achievement was the successful launching and delivery with her team of give-back marketing campaigns to drive COVID-19 relief efforts. The campaign was able to donate 100% of sales of the company’s Glam lipsticks to local communities which have been affected by Covid-19. She led the communication strategy through direct marketing channels in the North American market to create awareness, drive purchases, and more importantly, encourage donations.
Ms. Nuttha Janesiripanich (MUIC Class of 2014)
Ms. Nuttha “Nat” Janesiripanich is a Food Science and Technology alumna. Graduating with First Class Honors, she is one of the three founders of a renowned and trusted science communication channel on Facebook named “Witsanook” (วิทย์สนุก). Since its establishment in 2014, Witsanook has published more than 300 science-based infographics, with over 300,000 followers and over 36 million viewers reached per year. Because Witsanook’s contents are very easy to understand, aided by graphics explaining the scientific basis of everyday phenomena, it became a recipient of the Thailand Best Blog Awards in 2017 and Thailand Digital Media Innovation Awards (Honourable Mention) by the National Innovation Agency (NIA) in 2018. The best part is that despite Witsanook being a volunteer project, the founders have inspired a wave of science awareness among Thais through social media that could translate into effective citizen action. In 2018, the founders delivered scientific posters containing Witsanook infographics to over 500 schools and teachers across Thailand with the support of IPST and Mahidol University. Nuttha is currently working as a Quality Compliance and HACCP Manager at Danone Specialized Nutrition (Thailand).
Ms. Pongpisuth Jongudomsuk (MUIC Class of 2017)
Ms. Pongpisuth “Kana” Jongudomsuk graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree major in Social Science with First Class Honors in 2017. As an MUIC student, she received the MU Ambassador Scholarship grant which enabled her to go on an exchange program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison where she enrolled in Educational Psychology and other courses, igniting her passion for education and which marked the beginning of her career path. She is now working as an online educator helping millions of people in Thailand and abroad to learn more efficiently by applying what she has learned from her Educational Psychology studies. She started her own social media platform on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok under the name “Farang Angmor” (ฝรั่งอั่งม้อ), reaching millions of people around the world through her engaging content and collaboration with several social influencers in Thailand and abroad. As of today, she has over 400,000 followers across platforms. Apart from that, she also has been invited to teach part-time in various educational institutions and well-known organizations including Mahidol University, Kasetsart University, Bangkok University, Burapha University, Ministry of Public Health, Kasikorn Bank, and others.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awardees 2019
MUIC would like to congratulate Asst. Prof. Phuvadol Thanakiatkrai, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2019; Mr. Natthapatr Sibunruang, Outstanding Management Alumni Awardee 2019; Mr. Watanakul Mungkalarungsi, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2019; Mr. Athikhun Suwannakhan, Outstanding Community Services Alumni Awardee 2019; and Ms. Rungravee kattamarasre, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2019.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Phuvadol Thanakiatkrai (MUIC Class of 2007)
Asst. Prof. Phuvadol Thanakiatkrai graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science degree with 1st Class Honors. He obtained his Doctorate Degree in Forensic Science Program at the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry of the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom. He currently works at the Forensic Science Program, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University. He has authored and co-authored over 30 international peer-reviewed research articles (see attached CV), of which the majority are indexed in Web of Science. He has also applied for four patents/petty patents and managed over 10 million THB in research grant. He was awarded the 2019 Young Scientist Award by the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology under the Patronage of H.M. the King, which is one of the most prestigious national awards for a scientist under 35 years old with excellent research record. His invention – PSU-VisDNA Kit – was also recognized by the National Research Council of Thailand as the 2019 Silver-Level Invention. It has the potential to revolutionize the way forensic DNA analysts collect “touch DNA” samples from evidence with possible savings of up to millions of Thai Baht annually. As one of the leading forensic DNA researchers in Thailand, he has been invited to train both Thai and international forensic scientists.
Mr. Natthapatr Sibunruang (MUIC MM Class of 2016)
Mr. Natthapatr Sibunruang finished his Master’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management at MUIC. He specializes in overall management, commercial, operation, marketing, e-commerce, business analysis and brand management with over 10 years of experience in airline and hotel management. Recently, he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Mjets Ltd., which operates Thailand’s first and only private jet terminal and fixed-base operator (FBO) facility at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport with both IS-BAO and IS-BAH accreditations. “As the new CEO, he will be reforming the company development processes, providing new impetus to MJets’ products innovation and services development, in the world market, as well as consolidating the domestic achievements as the only FBO service in Thailand,” according to a statement by Mjets Ltd.
Mr. Watanakul Mungkalarungsi (MUIC Class of 2004)
Mr. Watanakul Mungkalarungsi graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology degree. He started working for his family’s business, Thai Better Foods Co., Ltd. when he was still a 2nd year student at MUIC. He helped expand his family business, helping it earn up to a billion Thai Baht in annual sales. The strategy was to launch new value-added products that meet the customers’ needs to increase the volume of sales. In 2014, he received the “Smart SME Award” from Smart SME Channel under the Processed Food Business Management category. He was invited as a guest speaker and a special lecturer by many organizations such as the Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Commerce to share his experience and knowledge in the food industry. In 2018, Mr. Watanakul retired from his family’s business and started his own company called Food Inno Start Up Co., Ltd. This company aims to be a research and production center to help SMEs to process and develop their products and be able to develop their exporting capabilities. He also created ‘Essence of Fish with Cordyceps – Zean Brand,’ a first in Thailand. In that year, he became a member of the Space Science Research Experiment and Exploration Team. He has worked with Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Public Organization), GISTDA for “Thai Food to Space” project since then.
Mr. Athikhun Suwannakhan (MUIC Class of 2016)
Mr. Athikhun Suwannakhan was a 1st Class Honors Biological Science alumnus from the Class of 2016. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. in Anatomy at the Faculty of Science of Mahidol University. He was granted a “Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Scholarship” which offers a five-year scholarship with a one-year study abroad component from Thailand’s Research Fund. Also, he received the “Prof. Sud Saengwichian Award,” an annual award given to the best oral presentation in gross anatomy and histology from the Anatomy Association of Thailand (AAT) in the same year. As he is very keen on biomedical science research, he is a strong advocate of Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization, which supports the creation and distribution of license-free educational content. Its well-known project is Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, the entries of which are created, edited, and verified by volunteers around the world, as well as many other vital community projects. He has been sponsored to join Wikimania, the annual conference celebrating all the free knowledge projects hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation in different countries since 2018. He is also a founding member of Wikimedia Thailand. He has been selected as a lead organizer and a chairperson of Wikimania 2020, the largest Wikimedia gathering in the world, which will take place in Bangkok in August 2020.
Ms. Rungravee Kattamarasre (MUIC Class of 2016)
Ms. Rungravee Kattamarasre finished her Bachelor in Tourism and Hospitality Management degree as a member of the Class of 2016. She is the founder and creative director of a Thai cloth brand, Miss Modern Boutique. Ms. Rungravee started Miss Modern Boutique as a hobby in her final year in college – focusing on mid- to high-end ready-to-wear garments for women. She soon realized that she had a passion for the fashion industry. Focusing on one goal at a time, she was eventually invited to showcase her collection in three fashion shows within the space of two years. In 2018, it was one of seven Thai brands which was invited to the BOAO Fashion Show in Hainan, China. The show was aired on 50+ channels across China. In the same year, Miss Modern Boutique was featured in The Face Thailand. In 2019, she presented her collection in the Lazada Women’s Festival at EmQuartier, Bangkok. She also had an opportunity to collaborate with global make-up brand L’Oreal Paris later that year. Miss Modern Boutique has been endorsed by more than 100 influencers and celebrities on magazines, TV shows and social media.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awardees 2018
MUIC would like to congratulate Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chanin Nantasenamat, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2018; Ms. Pattamon Mekavarakul, Outstanding Management Alumni Awardee 2018; Ms. Monica Singh, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2018; Mr. Natdanai Aleenajitpong, Outstanding Community Services Alumni Awardee 2018; and Mr. Poj Pitakjamnong, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2018.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chanin Nantasenamat (MUIC Class of 2003)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chanin Nantasenamat graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science degree with First Class Honors. He then went on to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Technology degree from the Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University. He was also granted the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Scholarship and his doctoral thesis was given the Excellent Thesis Award by the National Research Council of Thailand as well as by Mahidol University. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chanin is currently the Founding and Present Head of the Center of Data Mining and Biomedical Informatics, Mahidol University. He was awarded the Highest Number of Research Publications Award (Web of Science) by Mahidol University in 2017. In 2013, he was awarded the Best Employee Award of the Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University. Thus far, he was awarded more than 17.5 million Baht in research funding as principal investigator by various granting agencies in Thailand and Sweden. He has successfully supervised 12 doctoral students and 8 master’s students in the graduate study program, has developed 10 softwares and web-servers in machine learning and drug discovery and has published 107 research and review articles on the aforementioned topics as indexed by the SCOPUS database.
Ms. Pattamon Mekavarakul (MUIC Class of 2009)
Ms. Pattamon Mekavarakul majored in Travel Industry Management and graduated with Second Class Honors. She obtained her Master’s degree in Advertising and Design at University of Leeds, UK. She is part of her family’s business, serving as Vice President of Cape Dara Resort, a luxury five-star hotel located in Pattaya. Under her management, Cape Dara Resort has attained global recognition. Cape Dara was among the Top Ten in the Best Beach Hotel Category—having received votes from Chinese tourists—and was given the People Choice’s Award Thailand for two consecutive years, in 2016 and 2017, by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. In 2017, Cape Dara Resort also received the Golden Kinnari Award in the Tourist Accommodation category at the 11th Thailand Tourism Awards organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Her renowned resort was given the “Luxury Romantic Hotel Country Award” at the 11th Annual World Luxury Hotel Awards 2017 in Switzerland in the same year.
Ms. Monica Singh (MUIC Class of 2011)
Ms. Monica Singh was a Marketing alumna from the Class of 2011. She finished her Master’s degree in Marketing Communication from University of Westminster, UK. She runs her own business as a Managing Director of G.M.L. Group Co., Ltd. She is currently managing three business units: Food Business – Viet Concept, FMCG Business – Pennganic Toothpaste, and Leather Goods Business – Gemalong (being sold in both B2C and B2B fields) while pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Business Administration at Asian Institute of Technology. Ms. Singh was selected by the Marketing Association of Thailand as the country’s representative to the international competition hosted by Asian Marketing Federation that was held on July 20, 2018 in Bali, Indonesia and became the winner of the Asia Youth-Women-Netizen Marketing Excellence Award 2019 under the category of Asia’s Outstanding Youth Marketeer of the year.
Mr. Natdanai Aleenajitpong (MUIC MBA Class of 2014)
Mr. Natdanai Aleenajitpong finished his Master’s Degree in Business Modeling and Analysis from MUIC. He is a university lecturer at Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin. Mr. Natdania also has an extra role as a manager and the main organizer of a charity project called “Jiaranai Petch Project.” He and his team assembled a group of people from diverse backgrounds to help teach Mathematics and English to competent low-vision and blind students who are eager to co-study with normal-sighted students. They additionally apply project-based learning to each class. Apart from the study, they set up an event for blind children to expose their potential to other people through live performance, such as singing and playing songs. The course is held for two hours every Sunday morning at the Bangkok School for the Blind. This is a non-profit and self-funded project which aims to provide education and life skills for blind students to enable them to live well in society, inspire and motivate them to bring out their potential. “I believe that everyone has values which he can share with others. Likewise, those blind kids, once they have been polished, can shine bright like a diamond,” said Mr. Natdanai.
Mr. Poj Pitakjamnong (MUIC Class of 2016)
Mr. Poj Pitakjamnong, a Film Production alumnus, joined one of the most reputable production companies, The Film Factory, as a film director after his graduation in 2016. He joined the ranks of other well-known film directors in Thailand like Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and Wisit Sasanatieng. After graduation, he received 14 advertising awards, both local and international, for the commercials and branded contents he had directed. These accolades include a shortlist and win from the two most prestigious advertising award festivals in the world: Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the One Show Awards. His noteworthy directorial work, a Pedigree advertisement entitled “Mother” for BBDO Bangkok Agency, won Bronze Spike in film category from Spikes Asia 2016 and Bronze Award in film category from ADMAN 2016. On the other hand, his AIS commercial entitled “Speed of Life” for TBWA Thailand Agency was shortlisted in the Design Category at Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity 2017. Mr. Poj is currently working on a theatrical feature film.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awardees 2017
MUIC would like to congratulate Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supavadee Aramvith, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2017; Mr. Kridsada Chutinaton, Outstanding Management Alumni Awardee 2017;Dr. Suniti Barua, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2017; Mr. Anunthorn Vinijtaopatom, Outstanding Community Services Alumni Awardee 2017; and Mr. T-Thawat Taifayongvichit, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2017.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supavadee Aramvith (ISDP Class of 1993)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supavadee Aramvith, who received her B.S. Computer Science (1st Class Honors) degree in 1993, obtained her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, in 1996 and 2001, respectively. She joined Chulalongkorn University in June 2001 and is currently an Associate Professor and the Head of the Digital Signal Processing Laboratory in the Department of Electrical Engineering. With her research specialization in video technology, she has successfully advised 6 Ph.D., 26 Master’s, and 32 Bachelor’s degree graduates. A prolific researcher, she published over 120 papers in international conference proceedings and journals along with four chapters in internationally published books. She has also a rich experience in project management, having served as project leader and former technical committee chair to the NBTC and the former MICT of Thailand. In addition, she is very active in the international arena with leadership positions in international networks such as the JICA Project for AUN/SEED-Net, and professional organizations such as IEEE, IEICE, APSIPA, and ITU. At present, she is a member of the IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB) and chair of the IEEE EAB Pre-University Education Coordination Committee. Aside from leading the Educational Activities and Women in Engineering committees for IEEE Asia Pacific (Region 10) from 2011-2016, she also won several awards including the most recent, Sak Intania Award 2017, from the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University in June 2017.
Mr. Kridsada Chutinaton (MUIC Class of 2006)
Though he graduated with a Computer Science degree in 2005, Mr. Kridsada Chutinaton showed a keen interest in business, starting many enterprises including those related to online advertising and software development. He learned from his experience that accounting system is very important to start-ups. This is the main reason why he started his company FlowAccount with his brother in 2014. FlowAccount.com is an easy-to-use cloud accounting solution designed specifically for Thai small businesses (SME). It helps small business owners with invoicing, expense tracking, payroll and reporting. FlowAccount won in the AIS StartUp 2015 competition, ultimately receiving THB 1 million from AIS and US$2,000 from Samsung Asia. The company was also selected to be among the Top 10 Startups in the Echelon Asia Summit 2015. Two years later, the company received a funding of US$1.15 million from top investors that include SBI Investment (one of the largest fintech VC in Asia), KBank Beacon Venture Capital, Golden Gate Venture, and 500 TukTuks. Mr. Kridsada was recently selected as one of the 100 Faces of Thailand’s Innovation Inspirers (No. 61, “Online Business Person”) and was featured in its book counterpart entitled “100 Faces of Thailand’s Innovation Inspirers” published by Thailand’s National Innovation Agency.
Dr. Suniti Barua (MUIC Class of 2000)
After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 2000, Dr. Suniti Barua pursued her Master’s and Doctoral Degree in Psychology, with emphasis on Health Psychology. She finished her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology degree at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA (APA Accredited) in 2010. Afterwards, she received the Fellowship Award and Brian Phillip Keith Research Assistantship Award from Palo Alto University. As a licensed psychologist based in America and Thailand and also a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), she has conducted many professional trainings and workshops.
Mr. Anunthorn Vinijtaopatom (MUIC Class of 2016)
Coming from a family that deeply cares for animals, it is no surprise that Mr. Anunthorn Vinijtaopatom—who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration major in Marketing in 2016 —has been involved with the family-run CHSAthai animal shelter which takes care of about 1,600 stray dogs, 400 cats, five pigs and one monkey. CHSAthai is a non-profit, charitable, duly-registered, no-kill stray animal shelter located in Saraburi province. Though its capacity is currently full and is facing serious financial challenges, he and his family do their best to help alleviate the suffering of stray animals they come across. The main tasks of their animal shelter are the rescue, sterilization and vaccination of stray animals. Stray animals pose a serious challenge in Thailand due to related issues such as animal cruelty, animal poisoning, community sanitation, serious infectious diseases such as rabies, road accidents, stray animals attack, and others. He and his family began saving stray animals in 2004, financing the shelter’s operations from their own pockets. In 2011, they began to ask for donations due to the financial challenge of taking care of about 1,000 animals. The shelter was finally registered with the Thailand Department of Livestock Development in 2016.
Mr. T-Thawat Taifayongvichit (MUIC Class of 2016)
Currently a freelance cinematographer, Mr. T-Thawat Taifayongvichit graduated with a degree in Film Production with 1st Class Honors in 2016. His breakthrough short film, “83 Soi Soonvijai 14” earned him several awards: White Elephant Award in the Thai Short Film and Video Festival 2016; the Grand Prize in Film Category in the Young Thai Artist Award 2016; and Director’s Choice Award in the Little Wings Film Festival 2017 in London, UK. His short film was officially selected for screening at Busan International Short Film Festival 2017, Singapore International Film Festival 2017, Kaohsiung International Film Festival Short Film Competition 2017, and Tokyo Sun Film Festival 2017. He was also selected as one of the 24 candidates throughout Asia to attend an 18-day workshop held by the AFA (an educational program hosted by Busan International Film Festival and Busan Film Commission). In the workshop, the selected candidates had to write a script for a short film and vie for prizes. His entry, “Pencil, Money, Whatever, Microphone” won and was selected for short film production at the Asian Film Academy (AFA) 2017 and was also screened at the Busan International Film Festival in the same year.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awardees 2016
MUIC would like to congratulate Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pattanaporn Chatjuthamard, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2016; Mr. Isra Sunthornvut, Outstanding Management Awardee 2016; Mr. Sirichai Arungstichai, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2016; Mr. Unnawat Leepaisalsuwanna, Outstanding Community Service Alumni Awardee 2016; and Mr. Vichapong Hutasuwan, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2016.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pattanaporn Chatjuthamard (ISDP Class of 1996)
The Outstanding Alumni Awards 2016
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pattanaporn Chatjuthamard graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration major in Finance from Mahidol University’s International Students Degree Program (ISDP, forerunner of MUIC) in 1996. She then pursued her Master’s Degree in Finance at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, U.S.A. She obtained her Doctoral degree in Finance in the same university in 2002. Currently, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pattanaporn Chatjuthamard is a lecturer at Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University. She has published more than 20 academic articles in international academic journals and conducted many oral and poster presentations in international academic conferences. She received the Research Publication Award from the Office of Academic Administration, Chulalongkorn University in January and June 2014 and was also the recipient of many research grants from Chulalongkorn University. She received the Summer Research Award at Texas A&M International University in 2005.
Mr. Isra Sunthornvut (ISDP Class of 1993)
Mr. Isra Sunthornvut graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Travel Industry degree from ISDP in 1993. He then obtained his master’s degree majoring in European Studies from Chulalongkorn University. Presently, Mr. Isra is the Secretary-General of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the producer and host of “Fud Fid Fo Fi” television program for Modernine TV, a weekly columnist for Thai Post newspaper, and also the host of “Kham Khob Fah,” Bluesky/Fah Wan Mai Channel. Spending almost 15 years in the political arena, he was a Member of Parliament (Party List), Democrat Party, in 2013 and the Secretary to the Opposition Leader of the House of Representatives in 2012. He was the Vice Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Secretary General to the Prime Minister in 2011 and 2010. In 2009, he was the Secretary to the Opposition Leader of the House of Representatives and the Spokesman and Advisor (for Foreign Affairs) to the Governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in 2006 and 2007. Mr. Isra also received two Thai prestigious and honorable decorations which are the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant and the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand.3
Mr. Sirachai Arunrugstichai (MUIC Class of 2011)
Mr. Sirachai Arunrugstichai graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science major in Environmental Studies degree. He then pursued a Master’s degree in Marine Biology at Prince of Songkla University. Currently, he is an award-winning photojournalist, with specific interest in conservation and social issues, a freelance photographer who contributes photos to several publications, and also an active participant in major photography competitions. He is currently under a mentorship program under Thomas P. Peschak, an assignment photographer of the National Geographic Society. He received many national and international awards as a photographer: He won the IUCN GMPP Oceans Photographer of the Year 2016 award, competing against 375 entries from 47 candidates worldwide. This year, he is also the Marine Conservation Photography Grant winner of Save Our Seas Foundation, a non-profit organization which raises awareness about the beauty of marine ecosystems and their fundamental importance to human survival; it should be added here that he is the only Asian finalist. In 2015, he was given the Commendatory Award (DSLR Category) in the Thailand Dive Expo Photo Competition, the biggest international underwater photo contest in Thailand. Other recent achievements include the Grand Prize and the Popular Vote in the Behavior & Biodiversity Category and the 1st Runner-Up and Popular Vote in the Macro Category at the 4th Marine Science Conference 2014; the Grand Prize in the La Mer Love the Sea Competition in 2013; the Grand Prize (Landscape Category) in the Koh Tao Photo Contest; and the Grand Prize (Compact Camera Category) in the Thailand Dive Expo Photo Competition. In 2012, he was the Grand Prize Winner (Underwater Category) in the Koh Tao Photo Competition.
Mr. Unnawat Leepaisalsuwanna (MUIC Class of 2010)
Mr. Unnawat Leepaisalsuwanna graduated with a Bachelor of Science major in Computer Science. He is now a web developer at MAQE and a tech plumber at DroidSans.com. He is also active with his voluntary work, being the head organizer and license holder at TEDxBangkok, Thailand. As the person behind the launching of TEDxBangkok, he is also credited with translating more than 60 talks and reviewing more than 150 talks. He started his volunteer work for TED when he was still a junior student. At that time, he found interesting a TED video clip entitled “Why School Kills Creativity” when it was played in his class by one of his lecturers. He then shared this video clip to his friends who remarked that they could not understand many of technical terms in the video. This prompted him to become a volunteer translator for TED, later becoming a TED Language Coordinator, which led to his becoming the head organizer and license holder at TEDxBangkok.
Mr. Vitchapong Hutasuwan (Class of 2013)
The Outstanding Alumni Awards 2016 Mr. Vitchapong Hutasuwan is from MUIC’s Class of 2013. He majored in Marketing. Currently, he is the CEO and Creative Director of Selvedgework, a premium custom handcrafted denim workshop in Thailand. It is also the first Thai premium customized brand with prices ranging from 6,900 Baht to 15,900 Baht. With his passion for jeans, he began to set up his own brand named Selvedgework after he graduated. Selvedgework now has three branches located at Siam Squre Soi 2, Emquartier, and Siam Discovery. He plans to expand his brand to Singapore, Hongkong and Dubai. Though only three years old, Vitchapong’s brand has been considered to be among the Top 10 mens’ wear in Thailand by BK Magazine and one of the best denim brands in Thailand by Elle Men. He has been featured in more than 40 magazines such as The Monocles, BK Magazine, Elle Men, Looker, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, A Day, and Wallpaper. His brand was also featured in more than 30 TV shows in Thailand and 20 articles on newspapers such as The Bangkok Post, SME, and many others. His brand has also collaborated with Mercedes Benz, W Hotel and Central Embassy.
MUIC Outstanding Alumni Awardees 2015
MUIC would like to congratulate Asst. Prof. Dr. Teeranee Techasrivichien, Outstanding Academic Alumni Awardee 2015; Mr. Thosapol Suppametheekulwat, Outstanding Management Awardee 2015; Mr. Phee Boonchanawiwat, Outstanding Professional Alumni Awardee 2015; Dr. Thadthong Bhrammanee, Outstanding Community Service Alumni Awardee 2015; and Ms. Charoenporn Kaewmanorom, MUIC Rising Star Alumni Awardee 2015.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Teeranee Techasrivichien (MUIC Class of 2007)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Teeranee Techasrivichien graduated from Mahidol University International College with a degree in Biological Science in 2007. She then continued her studies at the Graduate School of Agriculture in Kyoto University, Japan majoring in Agriculture. She achieved her Doctoral degree in Medical Science at the Graduate School of Medicine in the same university. Currently, Asst. Prof. Dr. Teeranee is a Faculty Member at the School of Public Health, Kyoto University. She has five research papers published in international academic journals and conducted many oral and poster presentations in international academic conferences. She received the Best Poster Award for her research work entitled, “Changes in Sexual Behavior and Attitudes Across Generations and Gender Among a Population-based Probability Sample of an Urbanizing Province in Thailand” at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Asia on April 13-14, 2015, in Kyoto, Japan. Moreover, Dr. Teeranee’s study group has also received the Best Oral Presentation Award for her research work entitled “A Cross- sectional Study on Infection Control Practice, Knowledge and Attitude Among Dental Care Professionals in 8 Regions.” at the 13th Congress of the International Federation of Infection Control XIII Argentine Congress on Epidemiology, Infection Control and Patent Safety, ADECI, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 2-4, 2013.”
Mr. Thosaphol Suppametheekulwat (MUIC Class of 2003)
Mr. Thosaphol Suppametheekulwat graduated in Marketing and Management from MUIC. He then obtained his master’s degree from the College of Management Mahidol University majoring in General Management. Presently, Mr. Thosaphol is the General Manager of New Arriva Co., Ltd., a company owned by his family. In the past, the company was a locally operated original equipment manufacturer (OEM). However, due to stiff local competition and pressures from the local economy, Mr. Thosaphol and his brother launched a new brand in the international market called Qualy, transforming the OEM company into an original design manufacturer (ODE). Featuring innovative, unique designs and concepts, the functional home decoration pieces his company manufactures are sold in almost 50 countries Mr. Thosaphol received many awards for his achievements in management. In 2007, he received the “Prime Minister Export Award 2007” from PM Surayud Chulanont. In 2012, he was again a recipient of the Prime Minister Export Award, receiving three different awards, namely, “Thailand Best Exporter,” “Thai-Owned Brand,” and “Design Excellence Award.” Currently, he is a finalist in the Phetpanich Award, an award given by the Ministry of Commerce. The winners will be announced on August 21, 2015. In addition to his many awards, Mr. Thosaphol has also been a guest speaker at many talk shows, lectures, and seminars. He has appeared in shows like the “Morning Talk” and seminars like the Ministry of Commerce’s (Thailand) “Brand Building Seminar.” Furthermore, Mr. Thosaphol has also been featured in magazines like SME Today Magazine and was a presenter for Kasikorn Bank’s K-SME Credit Card and THE PREMIER credit card.
Mr. Phee Boonchanawiwat (MUIC Class of 2009)
Mr. Phee Boonchanawiwat graduated from MUIC with a degree in Finance in 2008. After obtaining his degree, he went straight to the business world. Starting as a market analyst at Bangkok Bank, Mr. Phee slowly worked his way through positions in multiple financial security firms until he finally became the famous trader he is now. Well-known in the finance industry, Mr. Phee has written the national bestseller 7 Techniques that Make Money. He has appeared in many shows and TV channels and as a guest speaker to many events. In 2013, Mr. Phee was a guest speaker at MUIC for its การลงทุนในหุ้นไม่ง่ายอย่างที่คิด. In the next year, he spoke during Maybank Kimeng Securities’s “การเป็นโบรกเกอร์ที่ดีทำอย่างไร.” This year has seen him appearing on Money Channel’s (TV) “มือใหม่ Turn Pro”, National Channel’s (TV) “Stop Loss Weekend,” and onstage during the “20 คำถามกับ WIZARD KID” in an event by Globlex Securities, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), and Thailand Future Exchanges (TFEX).9
Dr. Thadthong Bhrammanee (Class of 1995)
Dr. Thadthong Bhrammanee graduated from Mahidol University’s International Student Degree Program (ISDP) in 1995. She then earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Information System at the University of Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A. She finished her doctoral degree in Information Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Dr. Thadthong is now the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Assistant to the President for IT Strategy at Phetchaburi Rajabhat University. She is also a part-time lecturer at MUIC’s Business Administration Division. She acts as the assistant property manager of their family business, a local real property business and newspaper agency, at Srithaipanit, Phetchaburi. Using the sufficiency economy as her basis, Dr. Thadthong launched a sustainable agricultural farm called “Thonghathai Farm” in Phetchaburi. It serves as a learning base for self-reliance agriculture. The place is located in Nayang Sub-district, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. The farm’s pioneers have diverse backgrounds and experiences such as information technology and the military; with an interest and enthusiasm to learn and be part of the sustainability path of Thai rural life through the Sufficiency Economy philosophy. Thonghathai Farm under Dr.Thadthong’s management has been recognized widely. She was a guest speaker at Thai News Agency (Channel 9) on May 10, 2015, on the topic “Opportunity- IT-Field Person and Integrated Farming;” at Channel 3 SD on August 2, 2015 on the topic, “Special Report – IT Person Follows the King’s Philosophy in Agricultur;” and on Channel 3 Family on August 6, 2015 on the topic, “News – Following the King’s Footsteps.”
Ms. Charoenporn Kaewmanorom (Class of 2011)
Ms. Charoenporn Kaewmanorom is from MUIC’s Class of 2011. She majored in International Business. Afterwards, she received a full scholarship grant funded by the Sievert Larsson Organization enabling her to continue her studies in Intellectual Capital Management at Chalmers University of Technology, one of the top universities in Sweden. In 2013, she was selected to be the country representative to join the ASES Stanford Summit at Stanford University. She worked for The Nielsen Company (a leading American market research company), based in Bangkok. Her position was Consumer Panel Specialist, revealing actual consumer purchasing behavior at category, segment and product levels to major multinational and national clients in FMCG Industry. At the moment, Ms. Charoenporn is a Market Segmentation Consultant at Telenor Group, one of the largest telecommunication companies. She is the youngest consultant at Telenor Group. Her role is to take care of Business to Consumer (B2C) segmentation in 13 markets across Europe and Asia. In 2015, she was assigned to segment for Canal Digital Parabol, the largest TV satellite in Scandinavia. Her upcoming project will take place at Telenor Pakistan.
