KSEA Letters June 2023

Dear fellow KSEA members, 

We are proud to present the third and last issue of the 51st administration’s e-newsletter that we hope will keep you connected with the KSEA. 

Looking back in the past 12 months, we have had a rapid succession of events and situations, some of which are still unfolding. For me, personally, it has been a most eventful period throughout, at times challenging but on the whole a most rewarding experience. I would like to take this opportunity to thank countless volunteers of KSEA and KSEA staff for their passion, dedication and a wonderful spirit of community service.

As our lives have been returning to normal, KSEA’s in-person events have been back. We have had many exhilarating events with in-person professional and social interactions organized by regions (including Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast regions), local chapters, APSs, and young generation groups. I enjoyed visiting numerous universities, giving lectures, and listening to / communicating with undergraduate and graduate students. Ygnite 2023 (a premier technical and leadership conference for emerging scientists, engineers, healthcare professionals, academics, and startup professionals) and STEP-UP 2023 (Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Partners’ Upscale Program) had record participants!

Education is at the heart of KSEA’s values. 2023’s continuing, and new programs for K-12 students got a lot of attention from the community. The National Mathematics & Science Competition (NMSC 2023) challenged and inspired more than 1,200 students, students enjoyed building small drones from scratch via the iDrone 2023, and the 2023 Youth STEM Talk National Competition provided students a great opportunity to speak and share their knowledge on STEM topics, and students at the Art Contest 2023 showcased their passion and imagination in STEM using their art skills. 

While we have had numerous in-person interactions, we have initiated and strengthened virtual events that have reached out to much greater and broader communities.  They ranged from the Distinguished Guest Series, the Women in STEM workshop, the Python Instructional Series, the Mid-Career Development Workshop, and the Senior Forum Series to events celebrating the life and career of the late former presidents of KSEA. In addition, we worked on PR materials such as a series of video interviews for former presidents and a KSEA promotional video.

There have been major efforts to upgrade the IT system in the past year. The Phase-I of the IT upgrade project has been successfully implemented, and used for the new KSEA website, the election process for the 53^rd administration, the prize and award selection process, and the UKC 2023 website.  Please join me in thanking the IT team and in congratulating the 53^rd leadership team and all those who received prizes, awards, scholarships, and postdoc fellowships.

The KSEA lifetime membership that began early this year has already reached more than 130 members so far. The lifetime members will receive “lifetime member” pins. We very recently launched the official “KSEA Donation” website and the “KSEA Membership Gift” program. No matter the amount, your gift makes a difference to further our mission and expand our programs. We are deeply grateful for your generosity. 

As global connection among Korean scientists and engineers is important in the world of global science and technology and global mobility, I am pleased to inform you that I had joyful conversations with leaders from the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in Japan and the Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists and Engineers.

About 100 KSEA members will attend the 1^st World Conference of Korean Scientists & Engineers in Seoul between July 4 and July 7, and KSEA’s Former Presidents, President, and President-Elect will have a workshop with the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) on July 3 to discuss future collaboration between KSEA and KAST.

It has been a great privilege for me to have been given the opportunity to serve the KSEA.

Warmest regards,

Young-Kee Kim 

President, KSEA

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