2020 KSEA-NC Interdisciplinary Research Conference

The 2020 KSEA-NC Interdisciplinary Research Conference (IRC) was held on February 28^th 2020 at the University Room in North Carolina (NC) State University Club located in Raleigh, NC. The conference has a distinctive historical meaning because it is the first conference in North Carolina that aims to strengthen research and professional networks among Korean scholars who are in the field of arts & humanities and social science. Although the IRC conference emphasizes non-engineering disciplines, engineering scholars are also encouraged to attend since its theme is interdisciplinary research.

The IRC conference was jointly sponsored by the Korean American Scientists & Engineers Association-NC Chapter and The Center of Carolina Asia Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. In total, 40 Korean researchers from five different universities in North Carolina registered for the conference. The following table summarizes the program.

2:30	Greeting & Welcome
3:00	Flash Talks: 5~7 minutes introduction of 6 researchers
4:00	Break
4:10	Research Presentation
4:10~4:25	Fast Humanitarian Relief Logistics: Drone-Truck Combined Operation Jinkun Lee, Sung Hoon Chung, & Bhawesh SahDepartment of Engineering, East Carolina University
4:25~4:40	Assessing Personal Exposure to Traffic-related Air Pollution using Individual Travel-Activity Diary Data and an On-road Source Air Dispersion Model Yoo Min ParkDepartment of Geography, Planning, and Environment, East Carolina University
4:40~4:55	English Reading Growth in Emergent Bilingual Elementary Students Jackie Eunjung RelyeaDepartment of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences, North Carolina State University
4:55~5:10	Health Benefits of Green Space Jae In Oh & KangJae “Jerry” LeeDepartment of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, North Carolina State University
5:10	Vote for the Best Presentation & Break
5:30	Speech from KSEA president candidates: Dr. Young-Kee Kim (University of Chicago) & Dr. B Brian Park (University of Virginia)
6:00	Break
6:15	Dinner

Overall, the IRC conference was well-received by the attendees, and they regarded it as a successful first conference of its kind in the state of North Carolina. The flash talk allowed six presenters to introduce themselves and their research foci, and the audience was able to learn about current issues in various disciplines. Similarly, the four presentations from researchers in engineering, geography, education, and parks and recreation illustrated some of the most pressing issues in contemporary society and their potential solutions. All the presentations led to active discussions during the Q&A session, and the audience shared their research expertise and experience to expand the depth and breadth of the scholarly dialogue. The audience voted Dr. Jackie Eunjung Relyea for the best presentation award and Dr. Jinkun Lee and his colleagues as the runner-up presentation award.

Many attendees were very excited to share their research with others and enjoyed learning from scholars from different fields. They actively shared their current research projects and publications and discussed potential collaborations. When the official program was over, the attendees made two comments: (1) they mentioned gratitude for people who supported, planned, and implemented the conference, and (2) expressed a strong interest and support for making the conference an annual event.

From these accounts, it is evident that the IRC conference has significant potential to become a “go-to” event for the interdisciplinary research and collaboration among Korean scholars in North Carolina. There has been a growing need and interest for multidisciplinary research because many issues in human societies are becoming more complex and difficult to be solved by a singular analytic perspective. Given its successful inception, the IRC conference can play a critical role in promoting cutting-edge research in North Carolina and beyond.

Conference Chairs