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The First Winner of Sang Soo Lee Award in Optics and Photonics
The Optical Society of Korea and the Optical Society of America selected Mario Garavaglia, a researcher at the La Plata Optical Research Center in Argentina, as the first winner of the Sang Soo Lee Award.
Dr. Garavaglia has been selected to receive the award in recognition for his research and education in the field of optics and photonics in Argentina.
The Sang Soo Lee Award, co-established by the Optical Society of Korea and the Optical Society of America in 2012, is awarded to an individual who has made a significant impact in the field. Special considerations are made for individuals who have introduced a new field of research, helped establish a new industry, or made a great contribution to education in the field.
The award is sponsored by the late Doctor Sang Soo Lee's family, the Optical Society of Korea, and the Optical Society of America.
The late Doctor Sang Soo Lee (1925~2010) has been widely known as the 'father of optics' in Korea. He was an active educator, researcher, and writer. Dr. Lee served as the first director of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science (KAIS), the predecessor to KAIST, which was Korea's first research oriented university.
Dr. Lee also served as the 6th president of KAIST between 1989 to 1991 and was a KAIST professor of physics for 21 years. He oversaw the completion of 50 Ph.D. and 100 Master's students as well as published 230 research papers.
Philip Bucksbaum, the president of the Optical Society of America, commented,
"Garavaglia has been an example to the spirit of the Sang Soo Lee Award. The award is the recognition for his tireless efforts and commitment to the development of optics and photonics in Argentina through his teaching, research, and publications."
Jeong-Won Woo, the president of the Optical Society of Korea, said,
"The Sang Soo Lee Award is given to researchers who have consistently contributed to the development of the field. Garavaglia is a well respected researcher in Argentina, and we are truly happy with his selection."
Dr. Garavaglia established a spectroscopy, optic, and laser laboratory in Universidad Nacional de La Plata in 1966. He founded the Center for Optical Research in 1977 and served as the chief of the laboratory until 1991.
Dr. Garavaglia published over 250 research papers in the fields of classical optics, modern optics, photoemission spectroscopy, and laser spectroscopy. He has also received the Galileo Galilei Award from the International Commission for Optics in 1999.
2014.03.31 View 10698 -
Welcoming the Class of 2014
“The four years from today will go quickly, and I urge you to make the most of your time in KAIST, a great educational and research institution where you will explore the frontiers of science and technology and take part in the creation of new knowledge,” President Kang told the freshmen at the convocation ceremony.
Freshmen Convocation for the Class of 2014 took place on March 3, 2014 at the auditorium on the main campus. Members of the KAIST community, along with hundreds of parents and guests, welcomed the incoming 800 freshmen, celebrating the beginning of their four-year college life.
Kwang-Joon Ahn, a graduate of the Korea Science Academy, and Ha-Rim Jin, a graduate of Daegu Il Science High School, were representatives of the incoming students, and they took the “Class of 2014 Pledge,” a commitment to uphold KAIST’s core values, which is "creativity and challenge (endeavoring spirit)," and to pursue intellectual passion and discovery.
President Steve Kang delivered congratulatory remarks, encouraging students to use their opportunities to the fullest while at KAIST to broaden their knowledge and experience. He also stressed the following four important principles they should cultivate to become the leaders of tomorrow: be grateful, excel in their field, keep open minds about what the globalized world would bring, and never give up on their dreams and belief.
President Kang said:
“Probably, many of you, the graduates of the best high schools in Korea, will find KAIST a tougher place to be in than you imagined. But challenges, particularly intellectual challenges, should be viewed as an opportunity to grow. It is ok to fail. In fact, without risking failures, there won’t be a meaningful growth because the real growth comes from overcoming challenges.”
“You can’t avoid failing in the course of your college life, but your perseverance to do it over will allow you to develop the skills and passion needed to become a leader who will contribute to the local community, as well as to the betterment of humanity.”
The KAIST Alumni Scholarship Foundation presented a scholarship of USD 3,700 to 24 freshmen.
The convocation ended with music performances by members of the student clubs at KAIST.
2014.03.04 View 8361 -
KAIST held its 2014 Commencement Ceremony
The KAIST Commencement Ceremony for 2014 was held on Friday, 21st February, at Sports Complex, KAIST.
On this day, a total of 2,619 students
received their degrees. This included 499 doctorates, 1,220 masters, and 900 students with bachelor’s degrees. Since its establishment in 1971,
KAIST has produced 9,881 Ph.D., 25,161 MA and 13,693 BA,
which amounts to 48,735 scientific and engineering personnel.
The former Minister for Science and Technology
of the Republic of Korea, Dr. KunMo Chung, received an honorary doctorate for his effort in establishing the Korea Advanced Institute of Science (KAIS) to foster talented scientists and engineers, thus contributing to the significant growth
of Korea that has led it to stand as a scientifically advanced nation today.
The student graduating with summa cum laude was Jang-Geun
Kim from the Department of Biological Sciences. Mr. Kim received the Minister of Science, ICT and
Future Planning Award.
Mr. Kim said, “I am honored to receive the
award from the minister. I hope a lot of talented students will go onto science and
engineering field, so that Korea can earn a place among the technologically
elite countries.” Jang-Geun Kim will continue his
study of genomic medicine at KAIST graduate school.
President Steve Kang spoke
to the graduates:
“The whole nation has given their wholehearted support to KAIST so that students can study in a good environment. Please have
great aspirations and hopes, and continue to
broaden your knowledge and solve the challenges that humanity is facing today,
so our country and the world can advance.”
2014.02.27 View 9211 -
Is it possible to identify rumors on SNS?
Rumors
sporadically spread with people with fewer followers in the centerResearched
over 100 rumors in the US from 2006 to 2009 Is it
possible to filter information on SNS such as Twitter and Facebook? A research
team led by Professor Mee-Young Cha from the Department of Cultural Technology
Graduate School at KAIST, Professor Kyo-Min Jung of Seoul National University,
Doctor Wei Chen and Yajun Wang of Microsoft Asia, has developed a technology
that can accurately filter out information on Twitter to 90% accuracy. The
research not only deduced a new mathematical model, network structure, and
linguistic characteristics on rumors from SNS data, but is also expected to
enhance the effort to make secure technology to regulate Internet rumors. The team
analysed the characteristics of rumors in over 100 widespread cases in the US
from 2006 to 2009 on Twitter. The team gathered data, which included a range of
areas such as politics, IT, health and celebrity gossips, and their analysis
could identify rumors to 90% accuracy. The filtering was more accurate in
rumors that included slanders or insults. The
research team identified three characteristics of the spread of rumors. Firstly,
rumors spread continuously. Normal news spreads widely once and is mentioned
rarely again on media, but rumors tend to continue for years. Secondly,
rumors spread through sporadic participation of random users with no
connections. Rumors start from people with fewer followers and spread to the
more popular. This phenomenon is often observed in rumors concerning
celebrities or politicians. Lastly,
rumors have unique linguistic characteristics. Rumors frequently include words
(such as “it may be true,” “although not certain, I think,” “although I cannot
fully remember”) related to psychological processes that question, deny, or
infer the reliability of the information. Professor
Cha said, “This research deduced not only a statistical and mathematical model
but also is an integrated research on social psychological theory on the
characteristics of rumors that attract great attention from the society based
on ample data.” The results
were made public in IEEE International Conference on Data Mining last December
in Texas, USA.
2014.02.03 View 10377 -
2013 KAIST Alumni of the Year Awarded
The KAIST Alumni Association announced four winners as the 2013 KAIST Alumni of the Year. From left to right, recipients were Nam-Sung Woo, President of Samsung Electronics; Seok-Kyun Noh, President of Yeungnam University; Kwang-Hyung Lee, Professor at KAIST; and Kyung-Guk Lee, CEO of TV Logic.The award ceremony was held during a New Year’s ceremony, sponsored by the Alumni Association, on January 18 at the Palace Hotel in Seoul.President Woo, entering class of ’75 for masters in electrical engineering, was recognized for his devotion to the development of semiconductor industry including expansion of the mobile Central Processing Unit (CPU) business as well as his contribution to national industry development through improving technology for System on Chip (SoC) products.President Noh, entering class of ‘77 for masters in chemistry, was recognized for his devotion to education and the development of science and technology as the co-president of the Promotion Proclamation of the Citizens’ Coalition for Scientific Society and as the head of Human Resources Development for Brain Korea 21 (BK21).Professor Lee, entering class of ’78 for masters in industrial engineering, has been a leader in the collaboration of education and science through founding the Department of Bio & Brain Engineering and the Graduate School of Future Strategy at KAIST. His active support for business ideas from labs has helped produce ventures such as Nexon and IDIS. President Lee, entering class of ’82 for masters in electrical engineering, contributed to the development of HD broadcasting monitors and related items by founding TV Logic. He was also recognized for his devotion to the alumni association.The Alumni Association has been selecting winners who have contributed to society and remain devoted to KAIST since 1992.
2014.01.29 View 7452 -
KAIST Participates in the 2014 Davos Forum on January 22-25 in Switzerland
Through the sessions of the Global University Leaders Forum, IdeasLab, and Global Agenda Councils on Biotechnology, KAIST participants will actively engage with global leaders in the discussion of issues on education innovation and technological breakthroughs.
The 2014 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), known as the Davos Forum, will kick off on January 22-25 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme of "The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics, and Business." Each year, the Forum attracts about 2,500 distinguished leaders from all around the world and provides an open platform to identify the current and emerging challenges facing the global community and to develop ideas and actions necessary to respond to such challenges.
President Sung-Mo Steve Kang and Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, will attend the Forum and engage in a series of dialogues on such issues as Massive Open Online Courses, new paradigms for universities and researchers, the transformation of higher education, the role and value of scientific discoveries, and the impact of biotechnology on the future of society and business.
At the session entitled "New Paradigms for Universities of the Future" hosted by the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF), President Kang will introduce KAIST"s ongoing online education program, Education 3.0. GULF was created in 2006 by WEF, which is a small community of the presidents and senior representatives of the top universities in the world.
Implemented in 2012, Education 3.0 incorporates advanced information and communications technology (ICT) to offer students and teachers a learner-based, team-oriented learning and teaching environment. Under Education 3.0, students study online and meet in groups with a professor for in-depth discussions, collaboration, and problem-solving. KAIST plans to expand the program to embrace the global community in earnest by establishing Education 3.0 Global in order to have interactive real-time classes for students and researchers across regions and cultures.
President Kang will also present a paper entitled "Toward Socially Responsible Technology: KAIST"s Approach to Integrating Social and Behavioral Perspectives into Technology Development" at another session of GULF called "Seeking New Approaches to Critical Global Challenges." In the paper, President Kang points out that notwithstanding the many benefits we enjoy from the increasingly interconnected world, digital media may pose a threat to become a new outlet for social problems, for example, Internet or digital addiction.
Experts say that early exposure to digital devices harms the healthy development of cognitive functions, emotions, and social behavior. President Kang will introduce KAIST"s recent endeavor to develop a non-intrusive technology to help prevent digital addiction, which will ultimately be embedded in the form of a virtual coach or mentor that helps and guides people under risk to make constructive use of digital devices. President Kang stresses the fundamental shift in the science and technology development paradigm from research and development (R&D) to a research and solution development (R&SD), taking serious consideration of societal needs, quality of life, and social impacts when conducting research.
Professor Sang Yup Lee will moderate the IdeasLab session at the Davos Forum entitled "From Lab to Life with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)." Together with scientists from Caltech, he will discuss scientific breakthroughs that transform institutions, industries, and individuals in the near future, such as the development of damage-tolerant lightweight materials with nanotechnology, the ability to read and write genomes, and wireless lab-in-the-body monitors. In addition, he will meet global business leaders at the session of "Sustainability, Innovation, and Growth" and speak about how emerging technologies, biotechnology in particular, will transform future societies, business, and industries.
As a current special adviser of the World Economic Forum"s (WEF) Chemicals Industry Community, Professor Lee will meet global chairs and chief executive officers of chemical companies and discuss ways to advance the industry to become more bio-based and environmentally friendly. He served as a founding chairman of WEF"s Global Agenda Councils on Biotechnology in 2013.
President Sung-Mo Steve Kang Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee
2014.01.17 View 11065 -
Materials Developed for Sodium Rechargeable Battery by EEWS
The research group of Professor William Goddard III, You-Sung Jung, and Jang-Wook Choi from the Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water, and Sustainability (EEWS) at KAIST has developed a new sodium-ion rechargeable battery which operates at a high voltage, can be charged, and stably discharges over 10,000 cycles. The research results were published in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) on December 30, 2013.
Since the material costs of sodium rechargeable batteries is 30 to 40 times lower than lithium batteries, it has received attention as an energy saving tool for smart grids and as the next generation of lithium rechargeable batteries. Until now, sodium-ion rechargeable batteries have had issues with stability when charging and discharging. The research group developed a vanadium-based electrode to solve these problems.
The group said follow-up research will be continued to develop advanced technology on sodium rechargeable batteries as it is still currently in the beginning stages.
The research team: From left to right is Professors William Goddard, You-Sung Jung, and Jang-Wook Choi
2014.01.13 View 11041 -
KAIST receives $20 million donation for futures studies
A retired businessman, Moon-Soul Chung, the former chief executive officer of Mirae, Inc., a semiconductor equipment company in Korea, today donated USD 20 million to the Graduate School of Future Strategy at KAIST.
It was Chung's second contribution to KAIST—his first donation of USD 28 million in 2001 supported the construction of the Bio and Brain Engineering building, a major research center on campus where biotechnology and information technology converge.
Established in 2013, the KAIST Graduate School of Future Strategy consists of three interdisciplinary graduate programs on future strategy, intellectual property, and science journalism. The Research Center for Future Strategy is an affiliate of the graduate school. KAIST is the first Korean university that offers an academic program granting a degree in futures studies.
The rapid advancement in science and technology today affects, profoundly and extensively, all corners of global society from education, politics, economy, and environment to resources, sustainability, and inequality. As we live in a highly interconnected, digitalized, and unpredictable world, analyzing the events, trends, patterns, and changes of the past and present, developing foresight, and mapping preferred futures have become more relevant than ever.
KAIST utilizes its strong tech-knowledge base in science and engineering to offer students a high quality education and training in futures thinking, skills, and methodologies to develop foresight and to plan future strategies for international relations, business and industry, national defense, science and technology, and new media. KAIST also anticipates helping government, business, public service, and non-profit organizations identify important issues and develop long-range implementation strategies to prepare for probable and preferred futures.
Moon-Soul Chung (left), the former CEO of Mirae Inc., and President Steve Kang (right), holding together the donation agreement in Seoul, January 10th, 2014
2014.01.13 View 8535 -
Mechanism in regulation of cancer-related key enzyme, ATM, for DNA damage and repair revealed
Professor Kwang-Wook Choi
A research team led by Professor Kwang-Wook Choi and Dr. Seong-Tae Hong from the Department of Biological Sciences at KAIST has successfully investigated the operational mechanism of the protein Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM), an essential protein to the function of a crucial key enzyme that repairs the damaged DNA which stores biometric information. The results were published on December 19th Nature Communications online edition.
All organisms, including humans, constantly strive to protect the information within their DNA from damages posed by a number of factors, such as carbonized materials in our daily food intake, radioactive materials such as radon emitting from the cement of buildings or ultraviolet of the sunlight, which could be a trigger for cancer.
In order to keep the DNA information safe, the organisms are always carrying out complex and sophisticated DNA repair work, which involves the crucial DNA damage repair protein ATM. Consequently, a faulty ATM leads to higher risks of cancer.
Until now, academia predicted that the Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) will play an important role in regulating the function of ATM. However, since most of main research regarding TCTP has only been conducted in cultured cells, it was unable to identify exactly what mechanisms TCTP employs to control ATM.
The KAIST research team identified that TCTP can combine with ATM or increase the enzymatic activity of ATM. In addition, Drosophilia, one of the most widely used model organisms for molecular genetics, has been used to identify that TCTP and ATM play a very important role in repairing the DNA damaged by radiation. This information has allowed the researchers to establish TCTP’s essential function in maintaining the DNA information in cell cultures and even in higher organisms, and to provide specific and important clues to the regulation of ATM by TCTP.
Professor Kwang-Wook Choi said, “Our research is a good example that basic research using Drosophilia can make important contributions to understanding the process of diseases, such as cancer, and to developing adequate treatment.”
The research has been funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Republic of Korea, and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
Figure 1. When the amount of TCTP protein is reduced, cells of the Drosophila's eye are abnormally deformed by radiation. Scale bars = 200mm
Figure 2. When the amount of TCTP protein is reduced, the chromosomes of Drosophilia are easily broken by radiation. Scale bars = 10 mm.
Figure 3. When gene expressions of TCTP and ATM are reduced, large defects occur in the normal development of the eye. (Left: normal Drosophilia's eye, right: development-deficient eye)
Figure 4. ATM marks the position of the broken DNA, with TCTP helping to facilitate this reaction. DNA (blue line) within the cell nucleus is coiled around the histone protein (green cylinder). When DNA is broken, ATM protein attaches a phosphate group (P). Multiple DNA repair protein recognizes the phosphate as a signal that requires repair and gathers at the site.
2014.01.07 View 13310 -
Freshmen join a volunteer program to assist people in need
“Learning how to share love is the first step to start a good, meaningful college life,” said President Steve Kang.
KAIST offers an opportunity to all freshmen entering KAIST in 2014 to participate in a volunteer program to help people in need. Under the program, about 800 students will visit a shelter for the homeless, senior citizens, and orphans, which is called “The Flower Town” located two hours away from KAIST campus.
The town was founded by a Catholic organization, “The Flower Town Preservation Foundation,” to provide housing, education, and health services to the most vulnerable and neglected populations in our society.
President Steve Kang and Woong-Jin Oh, the president of the foundation, made a partnership agreement to promote volunteerism and spread the spirit of sharing and caring among young people, including KAIST students. The participating students will stay at the shelter for a few days and engage in various volunteering activities such as serving meals, cleaning, playing with children, and teaching.
President Kang said, “I am very happy that we are able to give our students a chance to develop into warm-hearted people. Scientists without a heart may bring about modern conveniences but not necessarily the betterment of humanity. Learning how to share love is the first step to start a good, meaningful college life.”
2013.12.30 View 6019 -
KAIST Student Awarded Prize from Energy Saving Contest
Jun-Min Kwon, an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry at KAIST, was awarded a prize from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea, at the 35th Energy Saving Contest which was held on November 20.
The student club he has been leading was also selected as one of the best groups by the Save Energy Save Earth (SESE), a volunteer organization supported by the Korea Energy Management Corporation and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea.
Kwon began promoting energy conservation through a blog and participated in related meetings and workshops as a high school student to improve the understanding on the importance of energy saving and recycling.He also received awards from the Second National Assembly Forum on Climate Change, the Korean National Science Fair, as well as the Samsung Human Tech Paper Award.
2013.12.24 View 12510 -
Rechargeable Lithium Sulfur Battery for Greater Battery Capacity
Professor Do Kyung Kim from the Department of Material Science and Engineering and Professor Jang Wook Choi from the Graduate School of EEWS have been featured in the lead story of the renowned nanoscience journal Advanced Materials for their research on the lithium sulfur battery. This new type of battery developed by Professor Kim is expected to have a longer life battery life and [higher] energy density than currently commercial batteries.
With ample energy density up to 2100Wh/kg—almost 5.4 times that of lithium ion batteries—lithium sulfur batteries can withstand the sharp decrease in energy capacity resulting from charging and discharging—which has been considered the inherent limitation of the conventional batteries.
Professor Kim and his research team used one-dimensional, vertical alignment of 75nm tick, 15μm long sulfur nanowires to maximize electric conductivity. Then, to prevent loss of battery life, they carbon-coated each nanowire and prohibited direct contact between the sulfur and electrolyte.
The result was one of the most powerful batteries in terms of both energy performance and density. Compared to conventional batteries which suffer from continuous decrease in energy capacity after being discharged, the lithium sulfur battery maintained 99.2% of its initial capacity after being charged and discharged 300 times and up to 70% even after 1000 times.
Professor Kim claims that his new battery is an important step forward towards a high-performance rechargeable battery which is a vital technology for unmanned vehicles, electric automobiles and energy storage. He hopes that his research can solve the problems of battery-capacity loss and contribute to South Korea’s leading position in battery technology. Professor Kim’s research team has filed applications for one domestic and international patent for their research.
2013.12.11 View 12490