Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

February 25, 2021       Before the winter break, 30 middle school students and their supervisors joined the Stony Brook Women in Computer Science (WICS) club online for an introduction to coding.       For the third year in a row, WICS  hosted an Hour of Coding event for local schools. In the past, they’ve hosted in-person visits to campus, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the group pivoted to online instruction. “WICS didn’t want to take away an opportunity for students to learn about computer science and develop new skills that will help them in the future,” said Regina Wong, WICS treasurer. They reached out to the Stony Brook University Community Relations office, which connected them with two local schools from underserved communities – the Milton L. Olive Middle School in Wyandanch and the J. Taylor Finley Middle School in Huntington.  Each student was able to follow along on their own computer as their WICS host, Regina Wong, led them in a step-by-step activity through the Zoom platform. Wong was joined by fellow club members Anna Zhang, WICS secretary, and Katheryn Martinez Hernandez, WICS public relations officer, to help out with any questions or problems that students might encounter. “I like to volunteer for Hour of Code,” said Hernandez, “because I like to show our young generation how cool computer science can be, especially for girls. But in the end, their enthusiasm and curiosity reminded me of that instead.” The students were taught about a Python module, Turtle, which they utilized to create various graphics by controlling a digital “turtle.” Python Turtle is a popular tool for introducing young students to coding because it allows them to see what happens on the screen as they experiment with their code when running the program. The club leaders patiently helped each individual student be successful with their project. “It always amazes me to see these students going beyond expectations and taking what they learned to the next level,” said  Zhang. In the end, students were creating beautiful and intricate designs with the tools they had learned. They were shown how to save their codes as well so that they could continue practicing with them at home.  This virtual lab experience was coordinated through the Community Relations office and the Long Island Latinos Teachers Association (LILTA) as a part of an outreach program to encourage and inspire grade school students.     Click here to read the original article   

February 23, 2021 Hack@CEWIT 2021— the annual student hackathon run by the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) at Stony Brook University, will take place virtually this year due for 43 consecutive hours from February 26 through 28, 2021.  More than 300 college students from across the country will take part in the virtual Hack. With this year’s theme, “Innovating through a Pandemic,” the Hack will feature projects centered around areas such as telemedicine, online education, working from home and pandemic innovations; and the technologies used will focus on blockchain, machine learning, IoT and much more. The event will culminate in a virtual science fair and award ceremony in which several prizes will be awarded, including Best in Show for both graduate and undergraduate students.   Click here to read the original article 

February 19, 2021 How Alumni and Seniors Can Connect with Sr. Alumni Career Coach, Marie Parziale: Drop-Ins Career Communities and Affinity/Select Program drop-ins will be available at the Career Center virtually via Zoom.  Marie will be offering Drop-Ins for seniors and alumni Fridays from 10 AM-12 PM.Drop-Ins Portal: Virtual Alumni Career Chats     Virtual Alumni Career Chats   We offer small-group career chats for seniors and alumni to help navigate the transition from college to career! Join fellow alumni alongside Sr. Alumni Career Coach, Marie Parziale! Every Wednesday:  3 PM to 4 PM on Zoom. Career Coaching Appointments  Marie Parziale will be offering 1:1 career alumni coaching appointments every week. Alumni can sign up for these appointments on Handshake to review their resume/cover letter, have a mock interview, discuss their job and internship search, review employers, learn about career paths, and more. Micro-Mentoring Program  If you are interested in having a 1:1 conversation with an alumnus who is working in your preferred career field, sign up for one of these micro-mentoring workshops! Be sure to fill out this Google Form with your information and sign up below! Dates: February 18 at 2 PM.    March 3 at 1 PM.    March 30 at 11 AM.    April 13 at 2 PM.  Upcoming Events: Get Career Advice at the Virtual Alumni Networking Mixer Join us for an evening with alumni and friends to grow your professional network and increase your career knowledge! There will be various careers represented at the event organized by career communities!  March 18th at 6 PM – 8 PM.  Networking Prep Event for Students Join us for an hour of training and discussion on best networking practices and how to build professional relationships. This will be your opportunity to get ready, ask questions, and polish up your elevator pitch for our virtual networking event on March 18, 2021!  March 10th at 1 PM – 2 PM.  I’m Graduating – Now What? Marie will also be offering a workshop designed for graduating seniors who are unsure of their career path looking for their first full-time job. Join us to learn how to clarify your career interests and create a solid job search plan! April 13th-2 PM-3 PM.  Looking to become a Mentor? 2020-2021 SBU Career Volunteering | Mentor Sign-up The Alumni Association and the Career Center offer a variety of ways for alumni and friends to give back to Stony Brook University. In addition, the Career Center offers ways that faculty and staff can be more involved in our Career Communities framework. Career volunteer opportunities include: being a mentor, hosting a site visit, providing a job shadow, hiring interns, mentoring or participating in our educational workshops.  Share Your Advice at the Virtual Alumni Networking Mixer Students and recent graduates are interested in your career path and experiences. Share your story, and your advice, at the 10th Annual Students and Alumni Networking Mixer.  March 18th at 6 PM – 8 PM.  Networking Prep Event for Mentors/Alumni Join us for an open discussion with both new and experienced alumni mentors and friends. This event is designed to educate and explain the process of informational interviewing and talk about the upcoming networking mixer. March 9 at 5 PM-6 PM.      Click here to read the original article 

February 19, 2021 The Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences was once again entered into the The 5+Club — the highest award available for teacher preparation from the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC). The Department received this impressive recognition for graduating five qualified physics teachers during the academic year 2019-2020, putting Stony Brook in the 99th percentile of all US colleges and universities with physics teacher preparation programs.     “Stony Brook University has been established as a regional leader in physics teacher education in the United States, given our recent success in achieving recognition in the PhysTEC 5+ Club in six of the past seven years,” said Angela Kelly, associate professor in the Department of Physics and associate director of the Institute for STEM Education. “This places SBU as one of the top nine producers of physics teachers nationwide. The MAT Physics Program collaboration between the Department of Physics and the Institute for STEM Education has established a rigorous focus on disciplinary preparation, clinical practice and reform-based pedagogy.” This exciting news arrived in the midst of a severe nationwide shortage of physics teachers. In its 2014 report, the American Association for Employment in Education found that the teacher shortage in physics is number one among 59 education fields. As PhysTEC reports, of the approximately 3,100 teachers who are new to teaching physics each year, only about 1,100 (35 percent) have a degree in physics or physics education.  “Stony Brook University has a long rich history of physics teacher education and is one of the largest producers of physics teachers in the country,” said Keith Sheppard, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and director of the Institute for STEM Education. “The physics teachers become certified at the University through a longstanding partnership between the Physics and Astronomy Department and the Institute for STEM Education.” “Why are we so good at placing physics teachers?” asked Robert McCarthy, professor in the Department of Physics and the undergraduate and graduate advisor for Physics Science Education. “The reason is simple. Our students graduate with a BS in Physics from Stony Brook, so they actually know physics. Many physics teachers from other universities are education majors.” Stony Brook’s physics teacher program is exemplary not only in terms of the number of graduates, but also in terms of the quality of education offered. “A unique aspect of the preparation that the SBU physics candidates receive relates to the University’s strong emphasis on physics research and the connection to Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL),” explained Linda Padwa, associate director of the Science Teacher Preparation Program and co-coordinator for the NYS Master Teacher Program cohort that is housed at SBU. “The experience that candidates gain by doing physics research helps them to develop into stronger physics teachers. In addition, the experience that candidates gain by working with faculty as TAs in the undergraduate physics program at SBU contributes to the strength that they eventually bring to their high school classes when they begin their careers as teachers. The SBU Physics Teacher Preparation Program provides an excellent blend of physics content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge for teaching physics, along with the opportunity to be part of physics research teams on campus and at BNL.”  PhysTEC is a partnership between the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers. Since 2001, PhysTEC has helped universities transform their physics teacher education programs into national models. The Science Teacher Preparation Program at Stony Brook University is committed to excellence in science teaching and learning, offering a palette of coursework, clinical practice, seminars and special projects that prepares students to assume teaching positions in grades 7-12. The program includes three options that lead to New York State teacher certification: undergraduate, graduate, and combined undergraduate and graduate degrees. Areas of science certification include biology, chemistry, earth sciences and physics. For more information, visit the Science Teacher Preparation Program website.  Click here to read the original article 

February 11, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of our life and has completely changed the world around us. Small businesses have suffered significantly as they reconsider ways of functioning due to safety and health restrictions, lack of consumer access, and new customer expectations. The Technology Enhancement Assistance Program was launched by the Stony Brook Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in partnership with the Suffolk County Forward Program and Stony Brook University College of Business and College of Engineering & Applied Sciences (CEAS) to help Suffolk County small business owners enhance online technology capabilities to compete in this rapidly increasing e-commerce environment. The Technology Enhancement Program assesses small businesses’ current technology profile, pinpoints needs and assists in developing solutions. In a very short time, the program has proven to be successful and beneficial for both small businesses and students. Companies get resources to improve their operations, IT infrastructure, and learn to adapt their business model to the new and rapidly changing environment, while students develop expertise, acquire new experiences and learn the importance of pivoting their business model to enable them to compete in the rapidly changing environment.The need for the program was identified by an online small business survey posted by the Suffolk County Small Business Recovery Unit in March, and after receiving an overwhelming response, the program was launched in Spring 2020. It is co-managed by Michael Chiang, SBDC’s entrepreneur-in-residence, and Ann-Marie Scheidt, director of Economic Development at Stony Brook. Students from the College of Business and CEAS were engaged to develop technology solutions for the small businesses during the pandemic, including designing websites and developing marketing strategies. The program aims to assist industries most negatively affected by the pandemic: restaurants, retail and manufacturing. The SBU student teams have already delivered solutions for multiple businesses, and there are many more to come. Chiang explained that each project takes a month or two, as it involves a lot of research and analytics. There is usually a group of two to three students from different areas — engineering, business and marketing — working together on one case. “We are gathering the smartest students from the university and putting them in front of actual businesses that are hurting right now,” said Chiang. “They are learning about real-world business situations up close and helping be part of the solution while learning various tools and processes it takes to run a business in a COVID-19 world. For the business owners, this is a fighting chance to help ensure their business is leveraging all the available technological resources on the market to help them stay afloat. And for us, the administrators of the program, there’s nothing more impactful than helping our community survive and making sure small businesses in Suffolk persevere and grow.”     Click here to read the original article   

February 8, 2021     Studying abroad is one of the most valuable investments students can make to prepare for the future. We are living in unprecedented times right now — global knowledge and understanding of the value of culture is a priceless asset in all areas and industry. Stony Brook’s International Academic Programs (IAP) supports the University’s goal to educate successful citizens of the world.     IAP’s programs are diverse, unique and top ranked. Students benefit from prestigious study abroad opportunities and gain exposure to language, experiential learning, internships and much more.  IAP offers programs in almost 30 different countries with diverse programming that allows access for all students. A rich selection of opportunities is available every term (winter, spring, summer and fall). More than 80 partner universities and many faculty-led programs open the door to once-in-a-lifetime cross-cultural experiences around the globe. Explore programs and learn about the application process.       Learn more at the Spring Fair on Wednesday, February 24, from 11 am to 2 pm. IAP program coordinators will be available to answer questions about programs, scholarships and more — plus you’ll have the chance to win multiple $500 awards for future programs.   Be ready for your future — prepare for your study abroad experience now Click here to read the original article 

February 1, 2021 Gilvir Gill — the URECA Undergraduate Researcher of the Month for February 2021 — is a junior double majoring in computer science and mathematics with a minor in political science. He has been a member of the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) PoliTech team since August 2019. Under the mentorship of Computer Science Professor Robert Kelly, the VIP-PoliTech team has been working to develop and optimize an algorithm for the Automated Redistricting System — a system for randomly generating congressional district maps using graph partition techniques and Markov Chain Monte Carlo approaches.  Gill has contributed to the project by aggregating census and election data from various sources, coordinating three subteams to improve and visualize redistricting algorithms, and creating a frontend visualization as part of the PoliTech Automated Redistricting System to smoothly display tens of thousands of electoral precincts simultaneously in large states. Gill is in the computer science honors program and has served as a teaching assistant for CSE Honors Theory of Computation.  Click here to read the original article 

SUNY Korea student Hasung Jun (CSE/TSM) released an iPhone app which helps SUNY Korea students manage their course schedule, find a directory, check the academic calendar and locate important contacts.     As a SUNY Korea student, Hasung found there is a need for an application to replace the existing scheduling app, which targets university students in Korea, and in which all the scheduling is done manually.      To turn this ‘need’ into reality, the courses he took in the CSE department helped him in certain ways to build the application. The HCI (Human Computer Interaction) course especially played a role to deliver good UI/UX to students. Professor Alex Kuhn, who taught the HCI, also helped Hasung in various ways: helping to meet Apple’s requirements for application release and giving plenty of feedback.     Prof. Kuhn said, “Hasung approached me with his idea of making the SUNI app for other students. I thought it was a great idea and always love to encourage and support our students in taking on side projects like this. Hasung has done a great job in building upon the concepts he learned in school and applying his knowledge to build and release this app, and I’m proud of what he has accomplished.”     Since it is his first published application, it has captured all of his affection. “I plan to keep updating the app based on the feedback I got from students. I hope SUNI could help make SUNY Korea students’ life a little better”, Hasung said.     The application is available in the AppStore. An Android version, which he is currently working on with other CS students, is planned to be released soon.     Editor. Sage Seulgi Lee

On February 25, 2021, SUNY Korea Admissions held an information session at SUNY Korea in the IGC campus in Songdo International City. It was geared at about 220 career-counseling teachers in middle and high schools who are members of the career support committee, 'Priming Water‘, a part of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education (IMOE).         The event inaugurated the appointment ceremony of ‘Priming Water’ 2021, and was attended by 130 out of 220 career-counseling teachers selected from 125 middle and high schools in Incheon, including Bakmun Incheon International High School, Incheon Academy of Science and Arts, Incheon Jinsan Science High School, and Jemulpo High School.         Through this event, SUNY Korea reinforced its cooperative relationship with the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, and informed the teachers of the mission and values of SUNY Korea.         Oh Sejong, event host and a supervisor at the Department of Secondary Education at IMOE, said, "The excellence of SUNY Korea became well known by this event to the schools in Incheon, and it is also expected that more students will apply to SUNY Korea through future college fairs/information sessions".           This event complied with the guidelines for preventing COVID 19 by measuring body temperatures, enforcing mask-wearing, distributing masks, and encouraging the use of hand sanitizers, all under the supervision of the official from Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education.        

SUNY Korea welcomed new students at the Spring 2021 Online Convocation. New students, faculty and staff came together virtually to celebrate the event on Friday, February 19. We sincerely send our congratulations to all those who made it to our university!         Related Article: http://www.newsway.co.kr/news/view?tp=1&ud=2021021917193891715      

Cogitater Sigauke, a CS student at SUNY Korea who came from Zimbabwe recently accepted a full-time job offer from Google. After studying at SUNY Korea for 3 years, he is currently spending his final year at the New York campus of Stony Brook University, and preparing to graduate in May.       Cogitater said, "[applying] to SUNY Korea was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life. If I were to go back again, I would make the same decision."              [SUNY Korea, as a stepping stone for his career]             Q.   Why did you choose to attend SUNY Korea?           When I was a high school student in Zimbabwe, I wanted to study abroad at an American University. One day at the Education USA Centre in Harare, I picked up a small SUNY Korea booklet and found out about this great American University in Korea. I liked the fact that I would get an American education while having a Korean experience. The fact that I would also spend a year studying in New York was a big motivation for me to apply. The other reason that motivated me to apply was the availability of scholarships.       Then, I became a member of Education USA, which helped me in the application process.   After making up my mind, I applied in Spring 2017 but didn't make it. I then reapplied for the fall semester of 2017 and by God’s grace I made it in. This was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life. If I were to go back again, I would make the same decision.                     Q.   What are some valuable achievements during university?           The educational experience was the best. Obviously, it is tough, but in the right way. I was trained really well to become a software engineer in the real world. I was equipped with the knowledge to make it as an engineer.                     Q.   What is the most memorable experience at SUNY Korea?           I will pick two for this one. First, I will never forget eating Korean food with chopsticks in the cafeteria. I became a chopstick master. The other one was the four-kilometer race, in which I came in fourth. The 4K race was organized by SUNY Korea to support the Seung-Il Hope Foundation by raising money to build the first Korean specialty hospital for ALS patients. It was a memorable experience.       [Cogitater’s journey to a career at Google]              Q.   I heard that you got a full-time job at Google and will be starting next fall. Congratulations! What was your motivation for applying to Google?           Google is a leading technology company, and hence the dream workplace of every software engineer. As someone who’s starting a career in this field, I needed to work for a company that really opens doors for me. I believe that Google is that company. There are a lot of opportunities to grow and explore. You also get to work on big projects that have an impact on a lot of people. We can go on and on.                     Q.   How has SUNY Korea prepared you for a career at Google?           That’s a difficult question because I didn’t even know anything before joining SUNY Korea. It would be difficult to say everything I learned in four years. So just to mention a few things, I really got help from a career class I took because that’s when I learned to write my first meaningful resume.       I also got a lot of motivation from my professors who work in some top tech companies. One of them invited his friends who work for big companies to talk to us in class and help us prepare for the job search ahead. I really thank my professors who believed in me and always told me it was possible to get these types of jobs.        Q.   Google has a reputation for asking difficult interview questions. How did you prepare for the job interview?           I really don’t give myself the glory on this one.That was a difficult time indeed, but God was really on my side on this one. I was advised by my friends to use Leetcode to practice coding questions. I also had a Google recruiter helping me along the way, she gave me a lot of questions to practice. I would say the best thing is to talk to the recruiter, do as much Leetcode as you can, and pray that God will help you through.                     Q.   What will your job responsibility be at Google?           I’ll be working in the Google Cloud. I’ll be a cloud technical resident for the first year, which means I will be rotated and trained in several roles and get a fixed role at the end of the first year. I plan to just work as a software engineer in Google Cloud from my second year.       [A glimpse of his future and a message for other students]             Q.   Where do you see yourself in five years?           I see myself as a Software Engineering Manager in Google, a successful entrepreneur, a husband, and a dad.           Q. Do you have a message for SUNY Korea students?           I just want to tell them to know that all things are possible. They can achieve anything they set their hearts on. But they have to start thinking about getting jobs early because it gives you time to prepare. I personally waited until my final year to start preparing and it was tough. I suggest people start preparing in their junior year.                                                                         Editor: Judy Lim (SUNY Korea ER / woohyun.lim@sunykorea.ac.kr)

An introduction video of SUNY Korea (separated into two parts) has been uploaded on Uway YouTube Channel. Detailed information which includes main majors at SUNY Korea, employment after graduation and admissions process is provided for all those interested in applying.       Check out the details in the links below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kja3kvYYGY0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWA5AYTt7SU

SUNY Korea is thrilled to meet our new students in the upcoming semester. The Admissions Team has prepared the Welcome Package for all of your delightful first steps at SUNY Korea.   Also, the whole community at the campus is strictly abiding by the quarantine rules to keep all our students, staff and faculty safe from the coronavirus.     For effective quarantine measures, SUNY Korea is offering the following support for our students during their quarantine period.   Regular Zoom meetings, optional counseling sessions, materials to reflect on, and a list of online activities are provided for the students to have peace of mind during the quarantine period.       We are looking forward to meeting every single one of you here at SUNY Korea, as you join our journey of becoming History Makers!

Dear Students and Faculty,   I hope you are all enjoying the break. In December last year we announced our plan for Spring classes as you can see in the email I am including below for your reference.   As of today it looks like we will start with all of our classes online for the current social distancing level at 2.5. We plan to follow the plan announced then, but would like to reassess the situation toward the end of March, 2021 to decide whether to continue with the plan beyond April 2, 2021.   Academic Affairs will follow up with class-specific information soon and Student Affairs will follow up with housing-related information once it is confirmed by the IGC Foundation.   Please stay safe and healthy and enjoy the rest of the break!  We look forward to seeing you all soon.   Sincerely, Arthur Lee

SUNY Korea welcomes new students who begin their new journey in SUNY Korea. We will come together virtually to celebrate the Spring 2021 convocation on February 19 (Fri) at 3 pm KST.   This special tribute to the new students includes remarks from Dr. Wonki Min (President of SUNY Korea) and Dr. Maurie McInnis (President of SBU).      You can access the virtual convocation via YouTube Live-stream on SUNY Korea’s official YouTube channel.   *Join Live Streaming: https://youtu.be/F9x1UxShjeo   ※ Please subscribe to our channel to receive an alarm for the commencement.       ■ Date & Time: February 19 (Fri) at 3 pm (KST)