Honoring a Legend: Dr Hew Choy Sin Receives the Prestigious AOS Orchid Research Award
We are delighted to share that Dr Hew Choy Sin, retired professor of our department, has been awarded the AOS Orchid Research Award (AOSORA) by the American Orchid Society (AOS)—a major international recognition of scientific excellence in orchid research.
About the AOSORA
Established in 2023, the AOSORA is regarded as the American Orchid Society’s and possibly the world’s—first and most prestigious award dedicated specifically to orchid scientists and researchers. Unlike other AOS awards, the AOSORA is administered and conferred by the AOS Research Committee (AOSRC), a panel made up of respected orchid scientists.
The selection process is highly competitive. To receive the AOSORA, a scientist must be:
- Nominated by a world-renowned peer
- Supported by multiple letters of endorsement from established international experts
- Selected by the vote of the AOS Research Committee (AOSRC)
- Approved by the AOS Trustees (AOST)
To date, only three AOSORAs have been awarded before this year. In February 2026, the AOS announced its fourth recipient, and the honour was awarded to Dr Hew.
A forthcoming issue of Orchids, the official AOS bulletin and magazine, will feature a 1–2 page profile celebrating Dr Hew and this achievement.
A legacy of collaboration and impact
Dr Hew’s award also shines a light on a remarkable chapter in orchid science shaped by long-standing international collaboration. Beginning in the late 1960s/early 1970s, visiting collaborators worked closely with what was then the Department of Botany at the old Bukit Timah campus, alongside Dr Hew and the late Professor P N Avadhani and Professor A N Rao. Over many years, this community produced an influential body of scholarship, research papers, literature reviews, book chapters, and books that helped strengthen Singapore’s standing as a hub for orchid science.
By placing Singapore at the leading edge of orchid research, he earned the National Science Award in 1997, marking his place as a true giant in orchid science.
A long-time collaborator, Emeritus Professor Joseph Arditti from the University of California, Irvine, shared: “Congratulations to Choy Sin and to the department. I believe that Choy Sin richly deserves the award. Further, his receiving the award also honours the department.”
We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Hew on this exceptional achievement, and we thank him for the enduring legacy of scholarship, mentorship, and scientific leadership he has contributed to our department and to the global orchid research community.
One of his publications.
Image courtesy of Prof Joseph Arditti
Den. Dr and Mrs Hew Choy Sin (image by Bernard Cheong)