KSEA e-Letters June 2024

Dear fellow KSEA Members,

Time flies when you are having fun!

We are delighted to deliver the final issue of the 52^nd administration’s on-line KSEA Letters. We hope this issue fosters a future connection between you and the KSEA community as we celebrate and prepare to transition to the 53rd administration under the leadership of Dr. Tom Oh, President Elect of KSEA, UKC 2024 Conference Chair, and Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology.

In this issue, KSEA celebrates our members’ accomplishments with the announcement of KSEA Awards and Scholarships:

• KSEA Undergraduate Scholarship recipients
• KSEA-KUSCO Graduate Scholarship recipients
• KSEA Postdoctoral Fellowship recipients
• KSEA Honorary Membership recipient, Dr. Ester Yang (Abbott Diagnostics, retired)
• Outstanding Contribution to KSEA Award (presented by KSEA and MSIP) recipient, Dr. Myung Jong Lee (Professor, City University of New York)
• Scientist of the Year Award (presented jointly by KSEA and KOFST) recipient, Dr. Young-sup Yoon (Professor, Emory University)
• Engineer of the Year Award (presented by KSEA and KOFST) recipient, Dr. Luke P. Lee (Professor, Harvard University)
• Entrepreneur of the Year Award (presented jointly by KSEA and Maeil Business Newspaper) recipient, Mr. Saeju Jeong (Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Noom)
• Outstanding Chapter and Chapter President Award recipients, Dr. Wooram Park (North Texas Chapter President and Professor, University of Texas at Dallas) and Dr. Gwansuk Kang (Silicon Valley Chapter President and Stanford University)
• Young Generation Leadership Award recipient, Mr. Jonathan Young Kim (Lead Software Engineer, Capital One)
• Distinguished Sponsor Membership recipient, Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT)

This issue also archives the results of the 2024 KSEA election, including the selection of future leaders and the approval of Bylaws amendments allowing paid undergraduate students to vote starting in the 2025 KSEA election and enabling Technical Group Councilors to be elected by voters within their respective Technical Groups.

We proudly present highlights from recent national events featuring:

• YGTLC: KATALYT 2024: Korean-American undergraduate students in STEM gathered to gain leadership skills and career development strategies through mentorship and networking (Atlanta, GA).
• STEP-UP 2024: The 5th Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Partners’ Upscale Program promoted and enriched KSEA’s entrepreneurs with in-depth showcases and discussions on the success of innovative ventures, especially in biotech, healthcare, information, communication, and artificial intelligence (Atlanta, GA).
• NMSC 2024: The National Math and Science Contest, a flagship KSEA event, was held for the first time, fully in-person since 2021, with nearly 1,000 student participants. Reestablishing the in-person national contest recovered the loss of institutional knowledge related to many aspects of NMSC execution. A total of 18 local chapters participated: Austin TX, Chicagoland, Eastern Carolina, Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska, New England, New Jersey, New York Metropolitan, North Carolina, North TX, Seattle, South Texas, Southern CA, Southwest Ohio, Tampa Bay, Texas Coastal Bend, and Washington Metro. The award ceremony was held on-line to recognize the top performers.
• KSEA Art Contest: Over 200 artworks were submitted on the theme “Sailing Around Our New World.” Please browse the award recipients’ artwork.

KSEA also announced the recipients of the Young Investigator Grant: Dr. Joonhee Choi, an Assistant Professor at Stanford University, and Dr. Dohyun Kim, an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The grant will support Dr. Choi’s pioneering work in quantum many-body systems and Dr. Kim’s innovation in CO₂ electro-conversion technology.

An article by Dr. Sung-Kwon Kang reminds us of KSEA’s vision and mission shaped over 52 years, inspired by the principle of 홍익인간 (“Hong-Ik-In-Gan”), meaning “beneficial to all human beings.” He calls on all KSEA members to honor our past, embrace our present, and chart a course toward a brighter future guided by unity, progress, and humanity.

Finally, the promising future of KSEA is alive with outstanding events and programs organized by local chapters and affiliated professional societies, including major regional conferences. There were nearly 200 events and programs throughout the year, and some featured articles in this issue are:

• Seattle Chapter Picnic and Annual Conference
• New Jersey Chapter 2023 Year-end Party
• Georgia Chapter Membership Drive and Seminar
• The 34^th Chicagoland Open Seminar with a Special Talk
• The 36^th Technical Seminar of Austin-TX Chapter
• Angelo State University (ASU) YG Career Development Workshop
• Southwest (SW) Ohio conference
• New York Korean Biologists (NYKB) Night
• Korean American Materials Society (KAMS) – Annual gathering during TMS 2024 Annual Meeting
• Korean American Education Researchers Association (KAERA) Conference
• Korean American AeroSpace Science and Technology Association (KASSTA)
• South-Western Regional Conference (SWRC)
• Northwest Regional Conference (NWRC)
• Midwest Regional Conference (MRC)
• Southeastern Regional Conference (SERC)
• KSEA YG Activities Recap (January – June, 2024)

It has been a privilege to serve KSEA as its 52nd President. A 75-year Harvard University study says, “Quality relationships bring you happiness!” I will remember those I met and worked with for KSEA because they made the past year productive and happy. While the list of contributors to the 52nd administration is too long to list here, I am forever indebted to the 52nd Executive and Director Committee members, especially Executive Director Ms. Stella RH Kim and Financial Director Dr. Soyoon Kum. They have been the cornerstone of the KSEA leadership for the past year, and they made KSEA better with utmost integrity and diligence.

Yongho Sohn

52^nd President of KSEA