Please introduce yourself
Hi. I am a graduate in the Department of Chemistry (CHEM) at POSTECH, class of 2021. I am currently majoring in organic chemistry at POSTECH CHEM Graduate school.

What did you value the most during your time at POSTECH? 
I tried to spend every day diligently. I set goals like getting good grades, participating in different club activities, researching in laboratories and extracurricular activities, and spending time with people I love. I worked to achieve each goal on a daily basis.

Please tell us briefly about your experience of taking classes at POSTECH.
One thing that I found most satisfying during my time at POSTECH was my major classes I took as an undergraduate. They helped me to grow every semester, which was a special experience. In particular, organic chemistry taught me different reactions that formed new bonds to create materials that did not exist before.

Who influenced you the most?
I was greatly influenced by Professor Seunghwan Cho who taught organic chemistry I, a major course for chemistry undergraduates. His class greatly increased my interest in organic chemistry, and he personally counseled me on my college life and future career. This led me to major in organic chemistry in his laboratory as a graduate student.

Any last words for your peers and the university?
I would like to express my gratitude to everyone I met during my time at POSTECH, and wish all graduates a bright future. As an honorable POSTECHIAN, I will continue to strive to become a scientist that makes our school proud.

 

Please introduce yourself
I am Lee Hyounghun, currently attending the graduate school of medicine at Kangwon National University.

What does winning the Salutatorian mean to you?
I have gained confidence that hard steady work on what I desire pays off with good great achievements. I would not have been able to win such an award without great professors, my family who always supports me, and my colleagues who studied hard together.

Any special experience at POSTECH?
The Student Mentoring Program (SMP) was memorable. Through the SMP, I had a chance to communicate with juniors and make good memories. I built strong relationships with them by sharing interests and talking about mutual concerns. I also realized the importance of the means of transferring knowledge. Simply having a lot of knowledge was not enough to convey that knowledge in an easy manner, so I pondered about  how the knowledge I had could be conveyed more understandablyefficiently and understandably.

Why did you choose to attend the graduate school of medicine and what is your goal as a doctor?
In the military, I read several books about death and became curious about the concept of “aging” that slowly comes before death. I decided to enter the graduate school of medicine to study ways to prevent aging. By incorporating mechanical knowledge into medicine, I would like to become a doctor who can effectively prevent and cure aging.

 

Please explain your research and the award winning thesis.
I am researching in the field of condensed matter physics experiments, and in particular, I develop thin magnets that exhibit magnetism in roughly 2D. These are very interesting topics and important in research on “spintronics”, a next-generation information processing technology that uses the “electron spin”. Based on this, I would like to directly synthesize a 2D magnet that can be used in spintronics in the basic research stage, explore its principle and characters.
One research result is the development of a 2D magnetic metal that exhibits magnetism even at almost room temperature, published in Science Advances. Existing 2D magnets are rare, and have limits: low electrical conductivity or magnetism manifesting only under ultracold conditions. The study theoretically found candidate materials for 2D magnets, synthesized the predicted materials, and confirmed the conductivity and magnetism at about room temperature. This result is expected to increase the number of material candidates for future spintronics and to be important for the design of stronger magnetic materials.

What is your most important value in research?
Since I am in an experiment-centered field, I have persisted despite the repetitive tasks. I doubted whether I was doing well and if this could produce good results. Besides, competing with other groups often made me anxious, but I overcame it by talking with my peers and my supervising professor. Nevertheless, such doubts and anxieties must eventually be overcome on their own. Even if you overcome your anxieties, sometimes you will not be happy with the result. Then, why not take some time to refresh yourself? The Ph.D course is long, so pace yourself and create some kind of balance.

 

1. How do you feel about receiving the award?
I am excited and proud to receive the IT Division Award. This prestigious award motivates me toward earning another achievement for the honor of POSTECH. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my adviser, Professor Wonbin Hong, for providing me excellent mentorship since 2017.
 
2. What do you are think the strengths of POSTECH?
I would like to emphasize POSTECH's professional education and infrastructure that foster creative convergence talents with entrepreneurship. I would like to continue to hear the amazing stories of POSTECH members who have created a successful future and contributed to society.

3. What are your future plans?
After graduating last year, I have been with KREEMO Inc. founded by POSTECH faculty. As the head of the Research & Development (R&D) group, I’m currently leading research, prototyping, and developments for 5G and millimeter-wave wireless solutions.
  
4. What motivated you to continue research in graduate school?
My greatest motivator is interest and faith in my research. Besides, I put a lot of effort into maintaining a work-life balance, especially during my Ph.D. To mitigate burnout, I played soccer and CrossFit at least two times a week, and on weekends I spend time with beloved family and friends.

5. Advice for Postechians?
To grow into a great leader in the age of convergence, take advantage of the broad curriculum as well as the various seminars at POSTECH.

 

How do you feel about receiving the Alumni Award?
I am very happy and honored to receive the Alumni Award after spending a total of nine years at POSTECH for undergraduate and graduate school. I would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported me over the years, especially Professor Kunyoo Shin, who has been my mentor for the past five years. As I receive this honor, I will do my best to become a good example and an exemplary  Postechian representing POSTECH. 

Who had the most impact on you during your time at POSTECH, and why?
My advisor, Prof. Kunyoo Shin, has had the most impact on my college career and personal life. He continued to guide me during the critical graduate school period, when I began my social life and needed to develop my character and abilities to determine my future life, so that I could think and act like an adult and grow as an independent scientist. As a result, I believe I was able to achieve my goals and make progress in a relatively short time. 

Which part of you has changed the most during your time at POSTECH?
I was able to express my opinion clearly. At first, I was not good at communicating my thoughts to others, and it was especially tough for me to give negative feedback or express rejection. However, after learning that the more I avoid something, the more difficult it becomes to live my life, I have developed into a person who can clearly communicate my ideas. 

 

Please introduce yourself
Hello, I am Park Jong-ho. I graduated from the Department of Mathematics at POSTECH, and I am currently enrolled in the Financial Investment Risk Management Lab.

What was driving your passion during COVID-19?
The first semester of 2020 was a time of slump, agonizing over ‘Why do I study mathematics?’. At the same time, I thought about how to use the overflowing time due to the pandemic. Thinking back on the second semester of 2020, when I studied financial engineering, I was able to spend time more meaningfully after setting a goal. In my case, I was able to put great effort into my studies with the thought that I should study math harder because math is used in financial engineering, and I became interested in both finance and math. I developed an interest and participated more actively in various activities related to financial engineering and math, such as the Quant Championship. As a result, I was able to work hard in my university life even during the pandemic.

What are your important values in life?
What I value most is having various experiences. Since I was in high school, I wanted to experience as much as possible, so I chose POSTECH where activities such as short-time exchange programs and internships are available. However, the degree of freedom as a freshman was so high that I did not know what to do and what activities there were. I searched for activities that I can participate in while thinking about how to have as unique and diverse experiences as possible. I participated in many different activities, and those activities became the basis of other experiences. Now, I am attending graduate school to try new experiences in a new environment.