US Korea Conference 2009 in Raleigh, NC USA

Dr. Mongi A. Abidi received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1985 and 1987, respectively. He joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1986 and is currently the Weston Fulton Professor with the Department of Electrical; Computer Engineering at the University. His interests include image processing, multi-sensor processing, three-dimensional imaging, and robotics. He has published over 230 papers in these areas and co-edited 3 books. Dr. Abidi was the recipient of the 1994–1995 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Achievement, and the 2001 Brooks Distinguished Professor Award. He received the Most Cited Paper Award from the journal "Computer Vision and Image Understanding" in 2007 and 2008. He is a senior member of IEEE, member of the Computer Society, the Pattern Recognition Society, SPIE, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Eta Kappa Nu and The Order of the Engineer. He also received the First Presidential Principal Engineer Award.

Dr. Sidney Altman, a Canadian molecular biologist, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989, which he shared with Thomas Cech for their role in “the discovery of catalytic properties of RN. Altman obtained a B.Sc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1960 and his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1967. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University from 1967-69 and a Visiting Research Fellow at the MRC Laboratory in Cambridge, England from 1969-71. He joined Yale University in 1971 where he continues as Sterling Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology.

Dr. Sunggi Baik is the President of Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science from Cornell University and was a researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Since he joined POSTECH, he has held many senior positions including Vice-President. He is also the President of Korea Ceramic Society, a Fellow of American Ceramic Society and a member of World Academy of Ceramics. He has received numerous awards including Outstanding Achievement Award and Best Publication Award.

Dr. Laura Beretta is an Associate Member in the Public Health Sciences Division of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA. Her research focuses on the hepatitis C virus and the role of translational control in regulating gene expression. She received her B.S. degree in Cell Biology and Physiology and M.S. in Physiology from the University of Paris Xi in 1983 and 1985, respectively. She received a Ph.D. in Molecular & Cell Biology, Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology  from the University of Paris Xi in 1989. Prior to coming the the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research   Center, Dr. Beretta was an Assistant Provessor (200-03) and then Associate Professor (2003-04) in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Prior to that she was an independent investigator at the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), Curie Cancer Institute from 1996-2000.

Dr. Yung Bog Chae is the Chairman of Gyeong-Gi Bio-center and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Institute Pasture Korea.  He has a Ph.D. from University of Munich, Germany and two postdoctoral positions under Dr. Lynen and Dr. Ochoa (Nobel laureates of 1964 and 1956, respectively). He joined the Department of Applied Chemistry Research at Korea Institute of Science and Technology (1969-81) and became founding President of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (1981-93). He also served as a Minister at the Ministry of Science & Technology of Korea (2002-03). He has received numerous awards including Highest Order of Service Merit, Cheong-Jo Medal (2004) and Legion d’ Honneur from French Government (2006).

Professor Soon-Heung Chang is Provost at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). After earning a Bachelor in Nuclear Engineering from Seoul National University in 1976 and a Master in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1979, he received a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981.  He began his academic career as a Professor at KAIST’s Department of Nuclear And Quantum Engineering in 1982.  Professor Chang has been an Associate Editor of Asia of Nuclear Technology (ANS) since 2004 and was a member of International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group, IAEA from 1992 to 1999. He is the chairman of the nuclear division of the policy advisory committee of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Dr. Yong-Joo Cho, President of Korea Institute of Construction Technology(KICT), received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Hanyang University, Korea and Purdue University, USA respectively, and Ph.D. in transportation engineering from Hanyang University. Before joining the KICT in 2008, he had worked at the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs of Korea for about thirty years as a Standing Member of the Central Land Tribunal, Director-General of Road Bureau, and Administrator of Busan Regional Office. He also was a Visiting Fellow at University College London, UK from 2003 to 2004 and served as President of the Korean Society of Road Engineers for two years until February 2009. His academic and social career has made him recognize well the importance of the construction technology for the national economic growth and the advancement of public living quality. In order to meet the need of the time encouraging active international cooperation, he makes efforts to facilitate KICT’s research collaboration with overseas specialists and organizations.

Dr. Roland C. Desrosiers is Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the Harvard Medical School and Director of the New England Primate Research Center in Southborough, MA. His research interests focus on development and use of monkey models of viral-induced disease, including AIDS and cancer. Rhesus monkey rhadinovirus (RRV), the closest known relative of the Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV; HHV-8), was originally discovered in Dr. Desrosiers' laboratory. His current work is focused on development of a genetic system for RRV so that the contribution of  individual genes to replication, persistence, cell tropism, and disease can be studied. RRV is also being used as a vector for experimental vaccination against SIV/AIDS. Simian immunodeficiency virus, (SIV), the closest relative, of HIV, was also discovered in Dr. Desrosiers' laboratory.His research with both RRV and SIV is focused on genetic and molecular determinants of viral pathogenesis and on vaccine development in these monkey models.

Dr. L.S. Fan, Distinguished University Professor and Chair, Chemical Engineering at Ohio State University, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a recipient of many awards for his outstanding scholarship and contributions to the field of Fluidization and Fluid Particle Systems. His research has concentrated on areas that have relevance to energy and environmental systems with a direct bearing on chemical, petrochemical, mineral and materials industries. Professor Fan received his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1975 from West Virginia University. In addition, he earned a M.S. (1978) in Statistics from Kansas State University.

Dr. Samir Hanash is Program Head, Molecular Diagnostics and Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. His research interests and expertise focus on the development and application of integrated approaches to the molecular profiling of cancer, with particular emphasis on proteomics. Dr. Hanash's Ph.D. training is in Human Genetics and clinical training in Pediatric Oncology. He has been a program principal investigator (PI) for multi-investigator projects funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) while at the University of Michigan, including program projects and most recently, PI for an NCI-funded Director's Challenge program, which focuses on molecular profiling of lung, colon and ovarian cancer and PI of an NCI-funded Cancer Biomarker Development program, which focuses on the application of proteomics to the discovery of protein markers for the early diagnosis of lung and GI cancers. He organized and participated in several workshops sponsored by the NCI related to cancer diagnostics and molecular profiling. He relocated from the University of Michigan to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in August 2004 to lead a newly developed program in Molecular Diagnostics.

Dr. Jaihie Kim received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering at the Case Western Reserve University, USA in 1984. His current position is as Professor in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Yonsei University in Korea. Dr. Kim is also the Director of the Korea Biometric Association, a member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, and he was the President of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea in 2008. His research interests include pattern recognition, image understanding and biometrics.

Dr. Jung-hyun Kim is currently the Vice Minister of Education, Science and Technology. He has served a number of academic positions at Yonsei University including Head of School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (1998-1999), Director of Nano Specialization Research Center (2001-2007), and President for Research Affairs (2004-2008). He has received a number of awards from Yonsei University including the Yonsei MuHak Research Award (2002) and the Leading Professor in Research Achievement Award (2003, 2004) . He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1986.

Dr. Woo-Sik Kim graduated from the Yonsei University, College of Engineering in 1961 and is the former Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technology. Kim earned a Master's and Doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University, College of Engineering in 1965 and 1975, respectively. In 1971, he completed a one-year graduate course in Industrial Engineering at the North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He served as President of Yonsei University from 2000-04 as well as a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Yonsei University from 1968-04.

Mr. Yong-Geun Kim is currently Chairman of Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). He has a B.S degree in Economics and a M.A. degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University. Since he joined Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE), he has held manny senior positions including the Deputy Minister for Industrial Policy (2007~2008). Once he served as a visiting fellow of OECD (1992~1995) and a Counselor of the Republic of Korean Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva (2004~2007)

Professor Upmanu Lal has over 20 years of experience as a hydrologist and has been the principal investigator on numerous research projects funded by the USGS, the NSF, the USAF, NOAA, USBR, DOE and agencies in the States of Utah and Florida. These projects have covered water quantity and quality and energy resource management, flood analysis, groundwater modeling and subsurface characterization, climate modeling, and the development of statistical and mathematical modeling methods. He was the first recipient of the Alan and Carol Silberstein Chair at Columbia, and is currently the Alan and Carol Silberstein Professor of Engineering, and Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

Dr. Sung Woo Lee is currently President of Kookmin University. He has worked actively for 38 years in academic and industry both domestically as well as internationally. He served on the Construction Project Evaluation Committee for state and local governments and conducted many R&D projects in the area of bridges, port structure, composite structures and new construction materials. Internationally, he is well regarded as a leader in the R&D and application of composite bridge decks. During his career he has received 3 international patents and 30 national patents on composite bridge   decks and composite structures. He is credited with the development of the general purpose finite element program 'SADAS (Structural Analysis and esign Aid System)" as well as the development of the web based program "POMIS (Port Maintenance and Information System)."

Dr. Bae-Yong Lee is currently the president of the world’s largest women’s university, Ewha Womans University, established in 1886 in Seoul, Korea. President Lee received her B.A. (1969) and M.A. (1971) at the College of Liberal Arts, Ewha Womans University, in the field of History. After her studies at Ewha Womans University, she received her Ph.D. in Literature at Sogang University. Since 1985, President Lee has served on the faculty of the Department of History, and has held various positions including the Dean of College of Liberal Arts, the Director of the School of Continuing Education, and the Director of the Korean Women’s Institute. She is a renowned scholar in the field of Korean History and has actively exposed Korean history, culture and women to the international society through her outstanding record of public service and her unwavering commitment as a scholar. In August 2006, Ewha Womans University announced the appointment of Dr. Bae-Yong Lee as its thirteenth president. Most recently, she was appointed the Chairperson of the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE), a role that puts her at the forefront of policy-making in Korea's higher education as liaison between the government and the schools.

Dr. Joon-Hyun Lee received a M.S. degree (1986) and a Ph.D. (1989) from Tohoku University. In 2009 he was appointed President of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP).  Prior to this appointment he served as Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Pusan National University (1990-2009) and Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University (2007-09). He has served in a number of other positions throughout his career including serving as Director of the Basic Atomic Energy Research Institute.

Dr. Young Pak Lee received his B.S. degree from Seoul National University, Korea, in 1975, and the Ph. D. degree in experimental condensed-matter physics in 1987 from Iowa State University (USA). Since the Ph.D., his research has focused on the study on magneto-optical, magnetic, optical and transport properties, and electronic structures of thin films and nanostructures, characterization of the surfaces and interfaces of thin films including multilayers, analysis of magnetic surfaces and films by using synchrotron radiation, vacuum science. After much experience in positions in the USA, Japan, Germany and Korea, he is currently President of the Korean Physical Society, Director of Quantum Photonic Science Research Center, and Distinguished Professor of Physics at Hanyang University. He is also Member of Korea Academy of Science and Technology, Honorary Member of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and Guest Professor of three Chinese universities. His current research involves magnetic photonic crystals and left-handed materials, nanoscopic investigation of morphology and magnetic domain, nonlinear and time-resolved magneto-optical spectroscopy, magnetic semiconductors based on oxides, and magnetic bio-systems.

Dr. Dong-Pil Min held the position of Professor of Physics at Seoul National University from 1998-08. In 2008, he became Chairman of the Korea Research Council of Fundamental Science and Technology which includes 13 national research institutes. He has also served as Director of the Information Center for Physics Research (ICPR) in Seoul National University since 1996. He was the Korean representative of C12 for the Int. Union of Physics and Applied Physics (IUPAP), serving untill 2008. He previously held several leadership positions including Vice President of Korean Physical Society and Director General of Korea Research Foundation. He received his PhD and Doctorat d’état in Theoretical Physics from the University of Paris in 1976 and 1980, respectively.

Dr. SeJung Oh is currently Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, at Seoul National University. Dr. Oh earned a B.S. in Physics in 1975 from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University in 1981. He is also the   Director of the Center for Strongly Correlated Materials Research at SNU. He currently is a member of   the Korean Academy of Science & Technology and the Presidential Advisory Council on Education,   Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.

Dr. Chan-Mo Park received his B.S. degree from Seoul National University (1958), and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1964 and 1969, respectively. Heis currently serving as the Special Advisor to the President of Korea for Science & Technology. He served as the 4th President of Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) from September 2003 to August 2007. His association with POSTECHbegan in 1989 when he joined as a Porfessor of Computer Science & Engineering. He also served the University as a Department Chairman, Dean of the Graduate School for Information Technology, Director of the Center for Advanced Software Technology, Director of the Virtual Reality Laboratory, Dean of the Graduate School and Acting President.

Dr. David T. Scadden is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine and Technology. He also is Co-Director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Dr. Scadden’s research focuses on reconstituting immune function using the stem cells that form blood cells to fight cancer and AIDS, and he is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading experts in the treatment of HIV-related Kaposi's sarcoma and B-cell lymphoma and has developed a number of new therapies for them. Dr. Scadden received his training at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the Alpha Omega Alpha; Edwin C. Garvin, MD Senior Prize; Doris Duke Innovation in Clinical Research Award; the Burroughs Welcome Fund Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research; and the Brain Tumor Society's Alan Goldfine Leadership Chair of Research.

Dr. Singhal joined the Energy and Environment Directorate at PNNL in April 2000 after having worked at Siemens Power Generation (formerly Westinghouse Electric Corporation) for over 29 years. At PNNL, Dr. Singhal provides senior technical, managerial, and commercialization leadership to the Laboratory’s extensive fuel cell program. At Siemens/Westinghouse, he conducted and/or managed major research, development, and demonstration programs in the field of advanced materials for various energy conversion systems including steam and gas turbines, coal gasification, and fuel cells. From 1984 to 2000, he was manager of Fuel Cell Technology there, and was responsible for the development of high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for stationary power generation. In this role, he led an internationally recognized group in the SOFC technology and brought this technology from a few-watt laboratory curiosity to fully-integrated 200 kW size power generation systems. He has authored over 80 scientific publications, edited 14 books, received 13 patents, and given over 260 plenary, keynote and other invited presentations worldwide.

Sang-Kee Suh is a congressman of the Korean National Assembly and the President of the Assembly Digital Forum. He has a Ph.D. from Drexel University. He was a senior researcher at Ford Motors, the President of Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, a professor of Hoseo University, and a member of the Assembly of Science, Technology and Information Committee.

Norris Tolson graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor's degree in crop science and agribusiness in 1962. He also served in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps from 1963 to 1965. Tolson serves on the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Center of North Carolina. The Center, established by the General Assembly in 1984 as the world’s first targeted initiative for biotechnology development, plays a critical role in the State’s economy. He has also served as a member of the Center’s Executive Committee since 2001, and as Vice Chair since 2005. Former Governor Mike Easley appointed Tolson as North Carolina’s Secretary of Revenue in January 2001. Earlier under former Governor Jim Hunt, he served as Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Transportation Tolson also served in the N.C. House of Representatives from Edgecombe County from 1994 to 1997.

Dr. Hermann Viets, President of Milwaukee School of Engineering, received a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, and both a master's degree and Ph.D. in astronautics, all from Polytechnic University in New York City and Farmingdale, Long Island. He was a visiting scientist, aerospace engineer and research group leader for Wright Patterson Air Force Base Aerospace Research Laboratories in Dayton, Ohio; lecturer at the Von Karman Institute in Brussels, Belgium; and a research associate at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, N.Y. His other academic experience includes serving as dean of engineering at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston; associate dean for research and professor at West Virginia University, Morgantown; and professor of engineering at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. He was awarded the  2008 World Citizen Award from the International Institute of Wisconsin.

Dr. James R. Von Her is Founder and Chairman of Zyvex Performance Materials, Zyvex Instruments, Zyvex Labs and Zyvex Asia. He is also Managing Director of Zyvex Asia and a Managing Member and Chairman of the Board of Zyvex Performance Materials. He is a recognized leader within the nanotechnology industry and founded the Texas Nanotechnology Initiative and the Feynman Grand Prize in Nanotechnology. His significant gifts established the University of Texas at Dallas NanoTech Institute, the James Von Her Distinguished Chair of Science and Technology at UTD, which was held by the late 2000 Nobel Laureate in chemistry, Alan MacDiarmid.

Dr. James Woodward, Interim Chancellor of North Carolina State University, brings decades of administrative experience and leadership to the University. Woodward, previously served as the Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1989 to 2005. Prior to serving at UNC Charlotte, Woodward, an aerospace engineer, was Dean of Engineering and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He worked at UAB from 1969-1989. He was an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Mechanics Department at NCSU's College of Engineering from 1968-69. He received his Ph.D. in engineering mechanics rom the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1967 and his MBA from UAB in 1973.