Campus/People
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The Acoustical Society of America Names Yang Hann Kim of KAIST the Recipient of the 2015 Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education
The award, given to Dr. Kim in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of acoustics education, will be presented during the 170th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America on November 2-6, 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) announced today that Professor Yang Hann Kim of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) was the 12th recipient of the Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education. Dr. Kim is the first recipient selected from a non-English-speaking nation.
The Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education was established in 2003 from a generous gift made to the ASA Foundation by Thomas D. Rossing to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of acoustics education through distinguished teaching, creation of educational materials, textbook writing, and other activities.
During 25 years of teaching and conducting research in acoustics, noise, and vibration at KAIST, Dr. Kim has advised 26 doctorates and published over 200 research papers in journals such as Journal of Acoustical Society of America, Journal of Sound and Vibration, and Journal of Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing. He also wrote two acoustics textbooks for university education, which has been widely read worldwide. The textbook titles are: Sound Propagation: An Impedance Based Approach (Wiley, July 2010) and with the co-author, Dr. Jung-Woo Choi, Sound Visualization and Manipulation (Wiley, September 2013).
Since 2009, Professor Kim has lectured an online course entitled “Introduction to Acoustics,” offering students and the general public throughout the world guidance to study acoustics through the basic concept of impedance, for example, on vibrations and waves.
Dr. Kim will receive the award during ASA’s 170th conference to be held on November 2-6, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
For the list of previous recipients of the Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education,
see:http://acousticalsociety.org/funding_resources/prizes#rossing
2015.06.04 View 7645 -
BBC Feautres KAIST's Jellyfish Robot
Click, a weekly BBC television program covering news and recent developments in science and technology, introduced KAIST’s robotics project, JEROS, which has been conducted by Professor Hyun Myung of the Urban Robotics Lab (http://urobot.kaist.ac.kr/). JEROS is a robotics system that detects, captures, and removes jellyfish in the ocean. For the show, please click the link below:
BBC News, Click, June 2, 2015
The Robot Jellyfish Shredders
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32965841
2015.06.03 View 8749 -
President Steve Kang Receives the John Choma Education Award from the IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) 2015 took place at the Cultural Centre of Belem in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 24-27, 2015.
President Steve Kang attended the conference and presented a paper entitled “Memrister-based Synapses and Neurons for Neuromorphic Computing” on May 26, 2015. On the same day, he received the John Choma Education Award.
The award was established to commemorate the lifetime achievement of the late Professor John Choma of the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Southern California. Dr. Choma was an eminent scientist, scholar, and educator, who earned global recognition in the field of integrated circuits and very-large-scale-integration (VLSI).
The IEEE ISCAS selects, among its members, the recipient of the John Choma Education Award, who has made significant contributions to the education of circuits and systems.
President Kang advised 60 doctorates while teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of California at Santa Cruz and published 450 research papers in the past 40 years. He also received Meritorious Service Award, Charles Desoer Technical Achievement Award, and Mac Van Valkenburg Society Award, all from the IEEE ISCAS.
2015.06.03 View 6307 -
World Renowned Wireless Technology Experts Gathered in KAIST
KAIST hosted the 2015 IEEE WoW from June 5 to 6, 2015
Wireless power transfer technologies, such as wireless electric vehicles, trains and batteries, are increasingly in use. A conference, The 2015 IEEE WoW (Workshop on Wireless Power), was held in KI Building for two days starting June 5, 2015 to exchange ideas on the new trends and issues of the world wireless power technology.
The wireless power conference hosted by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), IEEE WoW, was sponsored by its societies, PELS, IAS, IES, VTS, MAG, and PES.
This year’s conference took place in Korea for the first time and was titled “IEEE PELS Workshop on Emerging Technologies: Wireless Power.” The event was attended by around 200 experts in wireless power from 15 countries to discuss the international standards and current trends.
Keynote speakers were President Don Tan of IEEE; Professor Grant Covic of the University of Auckland; Andrew Daga, the CEO at Momentum Dynamics Corporation; Professor Ron Hui of the City University of Hong Kong; and Jung Goo Cho, the CEO of Green Power Technologies.
The forum included plenary speaking sessions on “The Futures of EV and Power Electronics,” “Development of IPT at the University of Auckland,” “Interoperable Solution for Wireless EV Charging,” “Development of IPT for Factory Automation,” “Commercialization of High Power WPT,” and “WPT: From Directional Power to Omni-directional Power.”
Notably, KAIST Professor Dong-Ho Cho, responsible for KAIST’s On-Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) development, spoke on “The Development of Shaped Magnetic Field Systems for EVs and Trains” to introduce the KAIST OLEV bus and OLEV trains developed in cooperation with Korea Railroad Research Institute.
The Dialog Sessions on “The Futures of Wireless Electric Vehicles” were led by John M. Miller of JNJ Miller and “Road Charged EV and WPT Regulation and Standard for EV in Japan” by Yoichi Hori of University of Tokyo.
The General Chair of this year’s IEEE WoW, KAIST Professor Chun T. Rim said, “This forum serves a great assistance to the industry using wireless power technology in areas such as smartphones, home appliances, Internet of Things, and wearable devices.”
2015.05.29 View 8109 -
KAIST International Food Festival
The KAIST International Students Association (KISA) hosted the 2015 International Food Festival in front of Creative Learning Building, KAIST, on May 22, 2015.
This was the 11th International Food Festival for KAIST where international students introduced food from their home countries to strengthen cultural exchanges with Korean students. This year’s festival was the biggest international festival in Daejeon in which around 500 students and staff from KAIST, Chungnam National University (CNU), the University of Science & Technology (UST), and the public participated.
KAIST’s President Steve Kang opened the festival with a welcoming speech, followed by congratulatory speeches by CNU President Sang-Chul Jung and UST President Un-Woo Lee.
The first section of the event was the food festival where around 40 kinds of food from ten countries including Kenya, Kazakhstan, India, and Turkey were presented. Students from each country offered cooking demonstrations in booths, and participants purchased the food.
Cheryl Wanderi, a Kenyan student who recently received a Master’s degree from KAIST’s Department of Bio and Brain Engineering last February said, “I am delighted to introduce Mandazi, a Kenyan donut, to not only Korean students but also other international students.”
The second half of the event consisted of cultural performances from different countries. There were eight teams performing including an Indonesian traditional Saman dance team, a Kazakh group that performed on traditional instruments, and an Azerbaijani K-POP dance team.
Sung-Hyon Myaeng, the Associate Vice President of KAIST’s International Office, said, “Despite their busy lives, students from three different universities planned this event to get to know each other. I hope international students and Korean students can come together and enjoy the festival.”
Edrick Kwek, the President of KISA, said, “This food festival is an event showing the cultural diversity of KAIST in the most splendid way.”
2015.05.27 View 8746 -
Seven Graduates of KAIST S+ Convergence AMP Publish a Book, "The First Penguin"
Seven graduates of KAIST’s S+ Convergence Advanced Management Program (KAMP) have published a book containing their business success stories, The First Penguin, hoping that in telling their story, they will inspire readers who want to become entrepreneurs. The book is available only in Korean.
The title of the book refers to a penguin that enters the water first when other penguins hesitate to dive into the ocean, symbolizing the need to make the first move. The book reflects the experiences of the seven authors, for example, how they marched forward with a conviction to an unknown field and succeeded in creating startups.
The authors are Sung-Jin Kim, the CEO of i-KAIST; Hyung-Jin Kim, the Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Sejong Telecom Inc.; Beom-Gu Seo, the CEO of EM Life Science Research Institute; Mi-Sung Seog, the CEO of Luckstone; Jang-won Lee, the CEO of Bluebird Soft; Chung Hee Lee, the CEO of ETRO; and Mi-Oak Jang, the CEO of I Top Asset.
The recurring message in the book is “Have strong convictions. Do not give up. Then, you can do it.” The authors hope to give strength and courage to readers in an era of uncertainty and to support those who take challenges to realize their dreams.
KAMP will continue to publish their graduates’ stories in an essay format from this year onwards. The program aims to train students to become multidisciplinary future leaders who are able to transcend the borders among business, management, science and technology, and information communications.
2015.05.26 View 7618 -
KAIST and Audi Korea Sign a Memorandum of Understanding to Establish a Startup Incubator
For the next five years, Audi Korea will provide USD 250,000 for the startup program.
KAIST recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Audi Korea to establish a student-led startup program, the Audi-KAIST Innovation Lounge, to promote design and product development on May 19, 2015, at the KAIST Institute of Entrepreneurship on campus.
Directed by Professor Sang-Min Bae of the Industrial Design Department (IDD), the Audi-KAIST Innovation Lounge will operate a global business incubator where IDD undergraduate and graduate students cultivate their entrepreneurship skills and explore business opportunities to develop commercially-applicable product designs. Audi Korea will invest USD 250,000 in the Innovation Lounge project for the next five years.
Students will receive support from the Lounge to turn their ideas, class assignments, and graduation theses into business products through a full cycle of the product development process such as inquiry, prototype development, and commercialization. The Lounge will also provide students with mentoring services from industry professionals and experts who can assist the students in finding design solutions and building prototypes using 3D printers.
The Dean of IDD, Kun-Pyo Lee, said, “Audi has been known for its initiatives which blend technological innovations into design. Likewise, our department offers students an integrative approach to design education and research which incorporates human factors and technology as important features in the design process. I believe that the Audi-KAIST Innovation Lounge will help us lead such efforts in the future.”
Professor Bae added, “This MOU is quite significant because it shows an excellent collaboration between academia and industry. Ideas created in universities should not be left to languish as just an idea or research. Rather, they should be utilized as ways to serve the needs of our society, and to do so, it is important for the government and companies to pay more attention to these interactions taking place between academia and private sectors.”
The Head of Marketing at Audi Korea, Jorg Dietzel, said, “As seen in our corporate slogan, "Advancement through Technology," Audi has grown through numerous technological innovations. I hope Audi Korea can contribute to the support of KAIST students from the Industrial Design Department to realize their dreams as future entrepreneurs and bring more innovative ideas to their field.”
Picture: Jorg Dietzel (fifth from the left), the Head of Marketing at Audi Korea, and Kun-Pyo Lee (sixth from the left), the Dean of Industrial Design Department, KAIST, pose together right after signing an agreement to create the Audi-KAIST Innovation Lounge on May 19, 2015.
2015.05.22 View 8271 -
Professor Sang-Yup Lee Receives the Order of Service Merit Red Stripes from the Korean Government
The government of the Republic of Korea named Professor Sang-Yup Lee of the Department of Chemical and Bio-molecular Engineering at KAIST as the fiftieth recipient of the Order of Service Merit Red Stripes on May 19, 2015.
This medal is awarded to government employees, officials, and teachers in recognition of their contributions to public services including education.
Professor Lee is regarded as a leading scientist in the field of metabolic engineering, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics on microorganism producing various primary and secondary metabolites. He contributed significantly to the advancement of bio-based engineering research in Korea.
In addition, his research in microorganism metabolic engineering propelled him to the front of his field, making him the world’s founder of systems metabolic engineering, inventing numerous technologies in strain development.
Professor Lee has received many patent rights in bioprocess engineering. While at KAIST, he applied for 585 patents and registered 227 patents. In particular, he has applied for 135 patents and registered 99 patents in the past five years, successfully turning research results into commercial applications.
Professor Lee said, “I’m glad to contribute to the development of Korean science and technology as a researcher and teacher. I would like to share this honor with my students, master’s and doctoral students in particular, because without their support, it wouldn’t have been possible to pull off the highest level of research results recognized by this medal.”
2015.05.21 View 7185 -
KAIST to Host Conference on the Financial Technology Industry
To take place in the Korea Federation of Banks building on May 21, 2015, Seoul
Around 200 individuals to be present including Oh-Kyu Kwon, the former Minister of Finance and Economy and Chang-Hyun Yun, the former president of Korea Institute of Finance
KAIST will hold a conference to discuss prospects for Korea’s financial technology industry (FinTech) and to address the rapid changes taking place in both national and global finance markets.
The conference will be held in the Convention Hall of the Korea Federation of Banks building in Myeongdong, Seoul on May 21, 2015 with a theme entitled “The Challenge and the Task of Korean FinTech Industry in the Global Finance Market.”
Around 200 individuals including Oh-Kyu Kwon, the former Minister of Finance and Economy, Jiwon Jung, a member of a standing committee of Financial Services Commission, and Steve Kang, the President of KAIST will attend the meeting.
The term “FinTech” originates from the combination of two words, finance and technology, to describe a new form of financial system based on Information Technology (IT). The precise definition and boundary of FinTech is not fully established yet, but this will provide Korea with an opportunity to take the lead in the finance industry with its cutting-edge IT.
The conference will focus on the methods by which Korean FinTech companies can acquire a competitive edge in the global finance market. The keynote speaker, Tong-Suk Kim, the Dean of College of Business, KAIST, will speak about “The Challenge and the Task of Korean FinTech.” The talk will emphasize how the FinTech industry can create an innovative industry, destroying the existing paradigm of payment system and Internet-only banks.
The keynote speech will be followed by a talk on “The Requirements for Establishing Korean FinTech Ecosystem” by Jong-Hyun Kim, a researcher at Woori Finance Research Institute, Korea.
Additional talks, which will be given by KAIST professors, are:
“Korean Economy and the Role of FinTech” by Professor Young-Sun Kwon of the Department Business and Technology Management;
“Korean FinTech in ICT Perspective” by Professor Yoon-Joon Lee of the Department of Computer Science;
“The Current State and Possibilities of Korean FinTech” by Professor Byung-Tae Lee of the School of Management Engineering; and
“The Task and Challenge of Promoting FinTech Industry” by Professor Byung-Chun Kim of the School of Management Engineering.
Also, Professor Chang-Hyun Yoon of the School of Business Administration, University of Seoul, will give a talk on “The Crisis in Korean Finance Industry and the Role of FinTech.”
The conference will also hold a discussion session on “The Promotion Methods for Korean FinTech Industry.” Participants for the discussion will include Jae-Sung Song from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Dong-Hwan Kim from the Financial Services Commission, Jeon Jin from Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI), Hyo-Jin Lee of 8Percent, In-Chang Hwang from the Korea Insurance Research Institute, and Jae-Kyu Lee from Koscom.
Byung-Chun Kim, the Director of KAIST’s Financial Engineering Research Center, who organized the FinTech conference said, “FinTech industry will evolve from simply attempting to attract consumers to understanding the lifestyle patterns of consumers to provide customized service and information.”
2015.05.20 View 8263 -
KAIST Holds a Ceremony to Present the Cho Jeong-Hoon Academic Award
Doctor Gyu-Tae Kim from General Electric (GE) received the eleventh Cho Jeong-Hoon Academic Award. The award ceremony took place in the main conference room of the administration building on campus on May 13, 2015.
Dr. Kim, a graduate of KAIST, conducts research in the field of instable swirl combustion of gas turbines and has contributed to the development of aircraft engines. He earned his name as a researcher by identifying, for the first time in the world, the correlation between the thermoacoustic instability of gas turbine engines and the complex response of swirl flames.
Along with Dr. Kim, Shin-Jae Kang of the Aerospace Engineering Department, KAIST, Yong-Gyun Bae of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Korea University, and Ji-Won Kim from Kongju National University High School, received the Cho Jeong-Hoon scholarship.
The award was created in commemoration of Cho Jeong-Hoon who was killed in an explosion during his research at the KAIST Rocket Laboratory on May 13, 2003. Cho’s parents donated USD 450,000 to KAIST in his memory. Since 2005, a total of four students from KAIST, Korea University, and Kongju National University High School, all of which the late Honorary Doctor Cho attended, have received the scholarship.
2015.05.19 View 6733 -
Professor Duck-Joo Lee Is Elected Vice Chairman of the American Helicopter Society
Professor Duck-Joo Lee of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at KAIST was elected to become the first Korean vice president of the American Helicopter Society (AHS). He will serve a two-year term, starting this July, and his responsibilities will cover Asia, Australia, and Russia.
AHS, established in 1943, is the biggest association in the field with 6,800 members. The society is intended to advance helicopter technology and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) in airplane technology.
The AHS’s board of directors consists of thirty experts in rotorcrafts, including the president of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a renowned American helicopter manufacturing company.
Professor Lee started his career as a researcher in NASA Ames Research Center in the United States, and is now an acknowledged scholar in the field of aircraft jet engines and helicopter Aero-Acoustics. He also worked as the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Journal of the American Helicopter Society, the President of the first Asia-Australia Rotorcraft Forum, and the leader of National Task Force Team of Korean Military and Civil Helicopter.
2015.05.18 View 7270 -
KAIST's Patina Engraving System Awarded at ACM CHI
Professor Tek-Jin Nam’s research team of the Industrial Design Department of KAIST received the Best Paper Award in the 2015 Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) which was held from April 18 to 23, 2015. The team consisted of two KAIST students: Moon-Hwan Lee, a Ph.D. candidate, and Sejin Cha, a master's student. The team was the first in Asia to receive the award.
The ACM CHI represents the premier conference in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This year’s event, held in Seoul, South Korea, was the first conference that the ACM had held in Asia in its thirty-three year history. The KAIST team’s paper, entitled “Patina Engraver: Visualizing Activity Logs as Patina in Fashionable Trackers,” ranked in the top 1% of 2,000 submitted papers.
The team developed Patina Engraver, an activity tracker, which monitors and tracks fitness-related metrics such as distances walked or run, calorie consumption, heartbeat, sleep quality, and blood pressure. The device wirelessly connects to a computer or smartphone so that it can store and utilize long-term tracking data.
However, what makes Patina Engraver, a smart wristband, different from other health trackers is its ability to display different design patterns based on users’ activity on the surface of the wristband. The research team was inspired to build this system from the fact that wearable electronics including activity trackers can be used not only as health care devices, but also as fashion items to express emotions and personalities.
Equipped with an engraving feature, the charging pad or holder for Patina Engraver draws individualized patterns to reflect the user’s activities, such as walking or running, while the device is being charged. The pattern display syncs with the frequency of usage, therefore, the more the tracker is used, the greater the number of patterns will show up.
According to the team, since Patina Engraver provides users with a personalized illustration of their activity on the tracker, users are more motivated to put on the tracker and exercise.
Professor Nam said, “This research can be applied in producing other wearable devices to enhance users’ emotional satisfaction. When wearable technology is combined with design and emotion, the industry market will quickly expand.”
Figure 1: Patina engraving system developed by KAIST research team
Figure 2: The process of engraving illustrations of the activity records onto the tracker
Figure 3: Personalized activity trackers based on activity records
2015.05.15 View 11873