Recognizing Outstanding Individuals and YG Groups
Reported by Matthew Jeon (Young Generation Committee)
We are excited to recognize individuals and YG Groups who have made a meaningful impact on the KSEA Next Generation community. From visionary leaders and passionate organizers to DEI advocates and trusted advisors, these honorees have helped shape and strengthen our growing network.
Individual honorees are recognized across six categories that form the acronym VISION: Visionary, Inclusivity, Sustainability, Impact, Outreach, and Neo. In addition, we are proud to highlight four outstanding YG Groups for their exceptional programming and dedication to community building.
All honorees were nominated by fellow KSEA members. Please join us in celebrating their contributions and continued commitment to the future of our community.
Individual Awards
(V) Visionary: Recognizes those that contribute to our future through innovation, imagination, vision, initiative, and planning.
- Kevin W. Kim (SOCOTEC USA)
Kevin has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of KSEA Next Generation through his vision, leadership, and initiative. As Chair of IMPACTs 2025, he has been instrumental in establishing the conference as a landmark event empowering graduate students and young professionals. Kevin’s active involvement with the NY Metropolitan KSEA local chapter and continued advocacy as NGD1 of KSEA’s 53rd administration demonstrate his deep commitment to institutional support and the long-term growth of programs empowering Next Generation leaders. Kevin’s forward-thinking leadership continues to strengthen the foundation for future Next Generation efforts.
- Honorable Mentions:
- James Han (Harvard Medical School)
- Jonathan “Jonny” Kim (YG Councilor & YG Committee Chair)
(I) Inclusivity: Recognizes those who have contributed to our community and culture in ways that affirm, shape, and embrace diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion.
- Tommy Cho (Bank of New York)
Tommy has consistently shown a deep commitment to KSEA Next Generation through his extensive involvement in both local and national levels. As first president of the KSEA Rutgers YG group post-pandemic, Tommy proactively engaged with senior leadership within KSEA YG to rebuild Rutgers KSEA into one of the most active YG Groups in KSEA. Moreover, his tenure in YG National Board between 2022 and 2024, as well as his active involvement as organizer and co-chair in FIRE demonstrates his consistent efforts to elevate the KSEA Next Generation community to new heights.
- Honorable Mention:
- Jeremy Chung (Boston Children’s Hospital)
(S) Sustainability: Recognizes those that help anchor the growth and longevity of our community through mentorship, people development, culture, and support.
- John Lee (In-Q-Tel)
John has played instrumental roles in KSEA Next Generation throughout his long standing contributions and involvement. From his numerous leadership roles spanning YGTLC to being the bridge between young leaders and greater KSEA, John helped facilitate meaningful conversations and collaborations between many different entities within KSEA, including the KSEA executive leadership, conference organizers, national advisors, and senior leaders within KSEA Next Generation. John’s mentorship, insight, and support has continued to empower many YG leaders that followed in his footsteps. In fact, John helped start YG National Board and the VISION Awards program to celebrate emerging leaders within the KSEA Young Generation!
- Honorable Mentions:
- Allen Seunghwan Lee (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Yoona Park (Apple Inc.)
- SJ Claire Hur (Johns Hopkins University)
(I) Impact: Recognizes those that have made a significant contribution to our community through their leadership.
- Katherine “Kat” S. Cho (Loyola University Chicago)
Kat is a highly deserving nominee for the “Impact” category of the VISION Awards. Her involvement with Ygnite spans many years and roles—beginning as an organizer, then team lead, and eventually serving as chair in 2019—while continuing to support the program as an advisor through 2023. Serving multiple roles in KSEA, including as Publication Director, Kat played a pivotal role in revising the KSEA Code of Conduct to implement a formal process of addressing violations, marking a foundational shift in our commitment to member safety and accountability. As a professor of education, Kat brings a unique and vital perspective to our STEM-focused community. Her invited talks and workshops on diversity, equity, and inclusion have challenged us to engage with difficult but essential conversations, broadening KSEA’s discourse and deepening our organizational maturity.
- Honorable Mention: Seungheon Lee (University of Texas at Austin)
(O) Outreach: Recognizes those that have helped bridge the communities and sub-communities inside and outside of KSEA, such as intergenerational, intercultural, inter discipline, or with other organizations.
- Judy Seohyun Kim (OurHealth & University Health Network, Toronto)
Judy’s continued leadership in KSEA, including her most recent role as sponsorship lead for Katalyst 2025 makes her an outstanding candidate for the “Outreach” category of the VISION Awards. Judy’s performance as sponsorship lead garnered approximately $15,000 in funding despite the historical difficulties of garnering sponsors for undergraduate-centric conferences. Judy played a critical role in event execution for Katalyst 2025, working behind the scenes to support team cohesion, while mentoring newer organizers to become independent and effective contributors to the program’s success. Beyond Katalyst, Judy has consistently shown her dedication to initiatives including Ygnite and FIRE. Her deep commitment to KSEA Next Generation makes her a highly deserving candidate for this recognition.
- Honorable Mentions:
- Sangwon Cha (University of Southern California)
- Hyun Dong Kim (University of Florida)
(N) Neo: Recognizes those who are supporting the development of the rising generation, including emerging leaders.
- Arden Kim (KPMG US)
Arden has emerged as an exceptional leader within the KSEA community, with a track record of dedication that began during her undergraduate years as President of the YG Group at University of Wisconsin–Madison. Now serving as the Chair of the YG National Board, Arden has consistently demonstrated outstanding organizational ability, professionalism, and a clear vision—helping elevate the board’s impact to new heights. In addition to her role as National Board Chair, Arden stepped up as the program team lead for Katalyst 2025 under challenging circumstances. Despite the potential challenges as a first-time conference organizer, Arden stepped up as a natural leader. Her commitment and forward-thinking mindset makes her an excellent candidate for the “Neo” category of the VISION Awards.
- Honorable Mention: Allie Yoon (University of California, Los Angeles)
YG Group Awards
- University of Michigan | 2024-2025 President: Minjun An
Despite facing significant challenges, most notably operating without the support of a local chapter, the University of Michigan KSEA YG Group has demonstrated exceptional resilience, creativity, and leadership. Despite the challenges, their leadership team took initiatives to apply for external grants and organized monthly fundraisers to ensure the continuity of their YG Group. One of the University of Michigan KSEA YG Group’s standout events was KSEA Family STEM Night, where they recruited volunteers and reached out to local elementary schools in Ann Arbor to help students engage with STEM through different science experiments. Through persistence and teamwork, the University of Michigan YG Group has continued to grow and make an impact—earning this recognition as a standout YG Group.
- University of California, Davis | 2024-2025 President: Yumin Jun
The UC Davis KSEA YG group has demonstrated exceptional creativity and initiative, expanding their YG Group’s impact both on campus and within the broader KSEA network. One of their most notable accomplishments was innovating KSEA Four Cuts, where they created a fully offline and automatic photo booth system, where it was showcased in UC Davis’s Picnic Day, one of its largest annual events. This project was completely managed in-house, from development, testing, and deployment. This booth attracted over 600 participants and emerged as one of the most popular attractions during the event. UC Davis also launched DoDream, a program that supports small groups to focus on practical real-life topics applicable to their field of interest. Each group developed its own micro-community through their active efforts. Finally, UC Davis actively collaborated with KSEA at Cal (University of California, Berkeley) to deepen intercollegiate cooperation between YG Groups. All these achievements make UC Davis a model YG Group and are highly deserving of this recognition.
- Angelo State University | 2024-2025 President: Yejun Na
The Angelo State University (ASU) YG Group has been an exemplary YG group through their leadership, sustained engagement, and meaningful impact through well-organized events and community outreach. The ASU YG Group led several instances of professional development programs, including the Job Seeking Seminar, Career Development Day, and SOP Seminar to foster career growth and development for its members. Moreover, the ASU YG Group was involved in their local community through College Lab Night, where they joined an ASU-hosted event to present interactive science and engineering experiments to local elementary school students. Through their efforts in developing professional excellence and community, the ASU YG Group is well-deserving of this recognition.
- University of Texas at Austin | 2024-2025 President: Seungheon Lee
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) YG Group has demonstrated exceptional commitment to academic excellence. The YG Group organized two well-received STEM seminars that served as a platform for students to network with senior researchers, exchange ideas, and form interdisciplinary connections. Through mentor-mentee relationships, the UT Austin YG group was instrumental in providing crucial guidance to its members both within academia and industry. Beyond their initiatives, the UT Austin YG Group built connections with the UT Austin Korean Student Association to co-host cultural and social events that brought students, researchers, and professionals together to foster a strong Korean-American community in Austin. With a strong record of impact and inclusivity, the UT Austin YG Group stands out as an exemplary YG Group.
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