Interviews with Award-Winning Graduates
Interviews with Award-Winning Graduates
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  • 승인 2023.02.17 22:15
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▲Byeongjee Kang (CSE 18)    Valedictorian
▲Byeongjee Kang (CSE 18)
Valedictorian

 Please introduce yourself.
 My name is Byeongjee Kang, and I am graduating from POSTECH this February with a double major in computer science and mathematics. My future plans include pursuing a graduate degree in a subfield of computer science, such as programming languages or formal methods.
 What does winning the Valedictorian mean to you?
 It is undoubtedly a matter of great pride for me to have achieved the status of Valedictorian. However, I do not wish to attribute undue importance to this distinction since a high GPA is not a guarantee of future 
success. My focus remains on striving to do my best in the 
future and to make the most of the opportunities presented to me.
 Any special experiences at POSTECH?
 Last summer, I had the opportunity to engage in research in software verification, which resulted in creating a scholarly paper and participating in a professional conference. As an undergraduate student, this experience of conducting research, writing a paper, and participating in a conference was incredibly impactful and beneficial to me.
 Any motto or value that you live up to?
 One of my personal values is not to waste time complaining, as complaining does not solve problems. While I may not always live up to this ideal, I strive to live fullest by doing my best and avoiding complaining.

 

▲Jiwoong Jeong (LIFE 19)Salutatorian
▲Jiwoong Jeong (LIFE 19)
Salutatorian

 What is your special method of studying?
 First, I set a goal of reviewing that day’s learning on that day. This is because I think that it is important to understand the flow amidst the vast amount of knowledge. I try to draw a big picture of the biological phenomenon, while briefing it into my own language before forgetting the professor’s lectures and the book contents. Second, I made sure to clarify what I don’t know. I try not to miss the flow of the successive biological phenomenon by considering the difficult contents and principles which I did not comprehend with my friends, rather than agonizing over it alone. I also was not reluctant to ask what I did not know to the professor and TA. The ways described above led me to the top of the college.
 What was your most worthwhile activity among school life?
 Those are RA(Residential Advisor) and the student union of the department of life science. I did my best to connect with students who are distant due to COVID-19 and learned the sense of responsibility while being a member of the student union. When I was RA, I also learned about cooperation by planning several events such as RC flea market and RC tutoring and felt rewarded when evaluated positively. That is, both made me feel worthy in terms of connecting people who become distant due to COVID-19.

 

▲Jungill Kang (CiTE 19)    Mueunjae Award
▲Jungill Kang (CiTE 19)
Mueunjae Award

 Please introduce yourself.
 Hello, I am Jun-Gill Kang, majored in Convergence IT Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. I’m currently conducting research related to robots and artificial intelligence. The main reason I’ve received the Mueunjae Award is luck since POSTECH has so many talented students. Starting from this award I will work hard more after graduation.
 What was the most meaningful experience in school life?
 I think it is a variety of research and competition activities conducted by renting POSTECH's state-of-the-art laboratory. Of course, you can learn various concepts through classes, but the process of designing, producing, and researching works that can work in the real world is always fun and new as an engineer. It was also good to get interesting results by teaming up with cool friends in subjects such as Creative IT design and classes and mechanical design.
 Please give me some advice for Postechians.
 I don't think there's any single wrong way in our life. As far as I know, IT convergence and mechanical engineering were chosen less by Mueunjae undergraduates, but I have no regrets about majoring in these two, and I think it was the best major for me. Rather than being swayed and frustrated by what others say, I think it would be good for you to challenge yourself to the end with your faith since Postechians all have gifted talent.

 

▲Taejeong Kim (CHEM Ph.D.)    Chung Sung-Kee Thesis Award
▲Taejeong Kim (CHEM Ph.D.)
Chung Sung-Kee Thesis Award

 Please introduce your research.
 I was able to present directions for biomedical applications by developing a system that can precisely control nitrogen monoxide in the body. I have developed systems that can artificially control nitrogen monoxide in the body. It was applied to intractable diseases and alleviated the symptoms.
 What did you learn during your research?
 I learned how to make a good failure. The first failure I encountered was at graduate school. After reading numerous papers, I hypothesized and devised a substance, but no matter how much I tested it, it did not get the properties I wanted. I was disappointed in myself for making a false hypothesis, and my passion had subsided. One day, I suddenly thought, "Did I come this far to only waste my time?" I came in with a lot of motivation and expectations when I entered the school, but this life was not the life I dreamed of. I started thinking about my failures seriously. I decided not to turn a blind eye to failure and face it myself. Since then, I have worked hard and earned good research results with the help of my surroundings. Without this experience during graduate school, I would not have been able to learn from failure and would not have made any progress. But I learned to accept failure as a part of the process. In the future, juniors will be able to become proud researchers if they experience good failures. Graduate school life is a precious memory and an unforgettable experience for me. I would like to thank people who shared joy and sadness in the small society called graduate school.

 

▲Ao Liu (CE Ph.D.)    Chang Keun-Soo Thesis Award
▲Ao Liu (CE Ph.D.)
Chang Keun-Soo Thesis Award

 Please introduce yourself.
 My name is Ao Liu, from China. I received CE Ph.D degree and am currently working as a PIURI postdoc under the supervision of professor Yong-Young Noh.
 Please briefly introduce your research.
 I explored new semiconductors with high performance and low prices while employing them in field-effect transistors and diverse logic circuits. I enjoy finding new materials and discovering new phenomena in material science and device engineering. Becoming the first and the best is the goal of all my research.
 Who influenced you the most during your time at POSTECH? 
 I have to say Prof. Noh. He is a very supportive supervisor, and he respects all students and their research. Along with his knowledge and teaching skills, he is a mentor and helped me become a better person. His attitude towards people and work influenced me greatly. I hope to become a good supervisor like him when I 
become part of a faculty.
 Any last words for your peers and the university?  
 Research relies on many different aspects: talent, lab condition, research direction, etc. Never give up during your research. In many cases, we use publication to judge a student. This is not objective. Good paper publication doesn’t mean success. Coming up with innovative ideas, problem solving ability, and ability to make your own judgments are more important skills we should learn . I hope 
every Postechians enjoys their work and strives to become better than yesterday. I hope all of my peers expertise in areas that they love the most.

 

▲Huihui Zhu (CE Ph.D)    Alumni Award
▲Huihui Zhu (CE Ph.D)
Alumni Award

 Please introduce yourself briefly.
 Hi everyone, I’m Huihui Zhu from professor Yong-Young Noh’s group. I was born in a tiny village called Zhu Village, the southwest corner of Shandong Province, China. I have a story about my grandfather, who was elected as the village head twice in a row. This is rare, only happening when the person is highly respected. Since I was a little girl, grandpa had often told me to teach what I learn and give what I earn. He also told me standing in front of our village gate, you see Beijing Tian An Men; standing in front of Tian An Men, you see the world. Back then, I was too young to know what those words meant. The older I grow, the deeper I understand. Unfortunately, grandpa passed away when I graduated middle school. 
 I was very lucky to inherit my father’s perseverance in studying, and my mother’s positive attitude to difficulties and challenges. I grew to be an honest, generous, and helpful person and gained special knowledge in my Ph.D. research field: semiconductors and (opto)electronics. Today, I have become Dr. Zhu under dearest Prof. Noh’s supervision. And with great honor, I received the Alumni President’s Award. Are you seeing this, grandpa?
 How do you feel about winning the award?
 I am so excited and honored. I was really surprised at first. I might be a strong candidate, but I am a foreigner. Once more, I learned that POSTECH is really an open, international, top university. 
 Thank you, POSTECH!

 

▲Junyong Lee (CSE Ph.D.) IT Division Award
▲Junyong Lee (CSE Ph.D.)
IT Division Award

 Tell us your impression about receiving the award.
 I am honored to be the recipient of this year’s IT division award and would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor professor Seungyong Lee at the Graphics Lab who taught me the passion, perseverance, and spirit of challenge that a researcher should have. And I want to thank my beloved family who have been with me during my long academic pursuit.
 Describe your research accomplishments.
 During my Ph.D., I focused on applying deep learning techniques to various problems in computational photography, particularly on improving and restoring the quality of videos. I have registered six patents and eight of my papers were accepted to CVPR, ICCV, EECV, TOG, and CFG which are top international journals and conferences in computer vision, machine learning, and computer graphics. I also received Naver Ph.D. fellowship and Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship.
 Tell us about your future career plans.
 After graduation, I will continue my research at the Samsung AI Center in Toronto, Canada. I am excited to work with a team of scholars and industry practitioners led by Professor Michael S. Brown, who is actively conducting research in the low-level vision field. I will do my best to conduct impactful research that expands the boundary of human knowledge and contribute to the advancement of the industry.