Mary Kuo
Mary Kuo ’92CC graduated magna cum laude from Columbia College with a BA in Economics. As a student, Kuo was a member of the Varsity Cross Country and Track & Field team, and was the recipient of the Marion R. Philips Watch Award at graduation, an award given annually to the graduating female scholar-athlete with the highest grade point average in the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium. After graduation, Kuo worked in investment banking and asset management.
Upon moving to Singapore, she joined the Columbia Alumni Association in Singapore (“CAA SG”) and has been committed to engaging and connecting Columbia’s global community since 2008. She led and organized programs for alumni, students, faculty, and staff, served as head of the Columbia Experience Overseas program in Singapore and was an active member of the Alumni Representative Committee. Kuo was elected President of CAA SG in 2016. As President, Kuo co-chaired the inaugural Ivy Ball in Singapore in 2018, a charity event bringing together alumni from Ivy League Universities, and benefitting vulnerable communities in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Under Kuo’s leadership, CAA SG was the recipient of the CAA Regional Club Award of Excellence in 2018. CAA SG also hosted the Columbia University Leadership Weekend in Asia in 2019 that brought together Columbia alumni leaders from across many Asian countries.
In 2018, Kuo was elected to the Board of the Directors of the CAA, where she has served two terms, including as Co-chair of the Association and Clubs Committee and is currently a member of its Mentorship Committee. During the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Kuo was instrumental in collaborating with the regional CAA clubs in Asia and the VP&S Alumni Association to bring PPE to New York during a time of critical shortage and need. In 2021, Kuo was elected to Co-chair the CAA where she continued to build engagement and a stronger global Columbia community.
Kuo has supported numerous scholarship funds at Columbia, including the CAA Scholarship Fund, the Singapore SEAS Scholarship Fund, and Columbia College’s financial aid program. She is a member of the Columbia Women’s Leadership Council, which supports Columbia Athletics. She is also a member of the Alumnae Legacy Circle and Columbia College’s Parent Leadership Council, and continues to serve as an advisor to CAA SG. In addition, Kuo remains an avid athlete, and represented Singapore in the Asia Masters' Athletic Championship. Kuo is grateful for the inspiration and support of her husband and three children, two of whom are graduates of Columbia College and one currently a student at Columbia College.