diff --git a/release-script/.gitignore b/release-script/.gitignore
index 51e1838..b233e43 100644
--- a/release-script/.gitignore
+++ b/release-script/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ config.js
 package-lock.json
 npm-debug.log
 node_modules/
+.idea/
diff --git a/release-script/config.template.js b/release-script/config.template.js
index c4f1eee..b424cd5 100644
--- a/release-script/config.template.js
+++ b/release-script/config.template.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module.exports = {
   githubPassword: 'password',
 
   // Directory of TEAMMATES project
-  teammatesDir: '../teammates',
+  teammatesDir: '../../teammates',
 
   // Milestone number in GitHub, e.g. for V6.0.0 (https://github.com/TEAMMATES/teammates/milestone/254) => milestone number 254
   milestone: 254,
diff --git a/release-script/milestone-api.js b/release-script/milestone-api.js
index 1c18b28..0561db1 100644
--- a/release-script/milestone-api.js
+++ b/release-script/milestone-api.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 const request = require('request');
-const { githubUsername, milestone } = require('./config');
+const { githubUsername, githubPassword, milestone } = require('./config');
 
-if (!githubUsername || !milestone) {
-  console.log('Milestone API could not proceed. Please specify a milestone and your GitHub username for authentication.');
+if (!githubUsername || !githubPassword || !milestone) {
+  console.log('Milestone API could not proceed. Please specify a milestone and your GitHub username & password for authentication.');
   process.exit();
 }
 
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ function createRequestObject(uri) {
     uri,
     headers: {
       'User-Agent': githubUsername,
+      Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(`${githubUsername}:${githubPassword}`).toString('base64')}`,
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/release-script/pre-release.js b/release-script/pre-release.js
index ecdc5bc..857e47b 100644
--- a/release-script/pre-release.js
+++ b/release-script/pre-release.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const rl = require('readline-sync');
 const { EOL: eol } = require('os');
 const { teammatesDir } = require('./config');
 const { getMilestoneInfo } = require('./milestone-api');
+const { getDisplayNameOfUser } = require('./user-api');
 
 const developersJsonDir = './src/main/webapp/data/developers.json';
 
@@ -139,27 +140,53 @@ function checkPrMetadata() {
   });
 }
 
+function syncContributorsName(contributors, index, onComplete) {
+  if (contributors.length === index) {
+    onComplete();
+    return;
+  }
+  const currentContributor = contributors[index];
+  if (!currentContributor.username) {
+    syncContributorsName(contributors, index + 1, onComplete);
+  }
+
+  getDisplayNameOfUser(currentContributor.username, (name) => {
+    if (name) {
+      currentContributor.name = name;
+    }
+    // try not to exceed the rate limit of API
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      syncContributorsName(contributors, index + 1, onComplete);
+    }, 200);
+  });
+}
+
 function checkAndUpdateDevelopersJson() {
   prsInMilestone.forEach(pr => checkUsername(pr.user.login));
   if (newContributors.length) {
-    Object.keys(newContributors).forEach(i => allDevs.contributors.push({ name: '', username: newContributors[i] }));
-    fs.writeFile(developersJsonDir, JSON.stringify(allDevs, null, 2) + eol, 'UTF-8', () => {
-      function capitalize(str) {
-        return str.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + str.slice(1);
-      }
+    const newContributorsDetail = [];
+    Object.keys(newContributors).forEach(i => newContributorsDetail.push({ username: newContributors[i] }));
+    syncContributorsName(newContributorsDetail, 0, () => {
+      allDevs.contributors.push(...newContributorsDetail);
+
+      fs.writeFile(developersJsonDir, JSON.stringify(allDevs, null, 2) + eol, 'UTF-8', () => {
+        function capitalize(str) {
+          return str.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + str.slice(1);
+        }
 
-      console.log('The execution is now paused and the username of new contributors have been temporarily added.');
-      console.log('Enter the real names of the new contributors manually, then press enter on the console to continue.');
-      rl.question();
+        console.log('Please proofread the real names of newly added contributors. '
+          + 'Their real names may not be entered correctly on GitHub.');
+        rl.question();
 
-      allDevs = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(developersJsonDir, 'UTF-8'));
-      allDevs.contributors.sort((a, b) => {
-        const aName = a.name || capitalize(a.username);
-        const bName = b.name || capitalize(b.username);
-        return aName > bName ? 1 : -1;
-      });
+        allDevs = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(developersJsonDir, 'UTF-8'));
+        allDevs.contributors.sort((a, b) => {
+          const aName = a.name || capitalize(a.username);
+          const bName = b.name || capitalize(b.username);
+          return aName > bName ? 1 : -1;
+        });
 
-      updateDevelopersJson();
+        updateDevelopersJson();
+      });
     });
   } else if (needUpdate) {
     updateDevelopersJson();
diff --git a/release-script/user-api.js b/release-script/user-api.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b861f67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-script/user-api.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+const request = require('request');
+const { githubUsername, githubPassword } = require('./config');
+
+if (!githubUsername || !githubPassword) {
+  console.log('User API could not proceed. Please specify your GitHub username & password for authentication.');
+  process.exit();
+}
+
+function createRequestObject(uri) {
+  return {
+    uri,
+    headers: {
+      'User-Agent': githubUsername,
+      Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(`${githubUsername}:${githubPassword}`).toString('base64')}`,
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+function getDisplayNameOfUser(username, callback) {
+  const uri = createRequestObject(`https://api.github.com/users/${username}`);
+  request(uri, (error, response, body) => {
+    if (response.statusCode !== 200) {
+      console.log(`Error ${response.statusCode} when getting displayed name of user ${username}:`);
+      console.log(response.statusMessage);
+      return callback(undefined);
+    }
+
+    const userInfo = JSON.parse(body);
+    return callback(userInfo.name);
+  });
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  getDisplayNameOfUser,
+};