Professor Dr Ooi Keng Boon (second from left) pictured with the winners and finalists of the University of Southern Queensland’s Alumni of the Year Awards 2016.

Prof Ooi was one of the twelve finalists contending in seven categories. His fellow achievers hailed from Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE and the UK.

KUALA LUMPUR: KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Postgraduate Studies) Professor Dr Ooi Keng Boon has won many accolades but a recent award from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), his alma mater, leaves the rest in the shade.

Sentimental value aside, receiving the Highly Commended Award for Research and Academic Pursuit evinced recognition from his peers and the USQ fraternity for his scholastic contributions in the fields of information technology and industrial management.

To date, Prof Ooi has authored over 100 research papers and around 70 have been published in Thomson ISI-indexed journals. He has received more than 3,800 citations to date, earning him a Harzing H-index score of 38.

"This award means a lot to me as I've always wanted to teach; to create and disseminate knowledge," averred Prof Ooi at USQs 2016 Alumnus of the Year Awards ceremony in Toowomba, Australia. "My career allows me to live that dream and it is gratifying when you empower others with knowledge."

"My time at USQ taught me that success has to be earned and effort is a prerequisite in every successful endeavour. Hard work will always pay off."

Prof Ooi, who also serves as Dean of UCSI's Faculty of Business and Information Sciences, was one of the 12 standout USQ alumni at the ceremony. His fellow achievers hail from Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE and Britain.

Held annually, the USQ Alumni of the Year Awards formally recognises outstanding alumni in a broad spectrum of achievements including in their professional careers, academic excellence, or individuals who made a major contribution in community service or overcame significant personal adversity.

The founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Modelling in Operations Management, Prof Ooi also serves on the editorial advisory and review boards of numerous Thomson ISI-ranked journals from reputable publishers like Elsevier, Emerald, Inderscience, as well as Taylor and Francis.

He has been inducted thrice – in 2011, 2014 and 2016 - into the elite Emerald Literati Club Award for Excellence, a distinction that recognises the outstanding contributions of authors and reviewers to scholarly research. 

Being able to walk the talk, Prof Ooi is a firm advocate of high impact research at UCSI. He works ceaselessly to spur research endeavours and postgraduate study at the University.