History Makers. We Change the World!
Professor Jongseong Brad Choi from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Korea has been selected as the sole recipient of the prestigious “Metaverse Lab Support Program,” jointly organized by the Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA) and the Ministry of Science and ICT. In previous years, three to four labs were selected annually; however, due to a nationwide reduction in R&D funding, only one lab was chosen this year—Professor Choi’s—making the selection process exceptionally competitive. The program provides 666 million KRW (~555k USD) in research funding over a period of three years. Including continuing participants in their second and third years, a total of four universities are currently part of the program: Yonsei University, KAIST, Korea University, and SUNY Korea. SUNY Korea’s inclusion alongside Korea’s top-tier R1 universities highlights its emerging strength and growing influence in research excellence. Professor Choi’s winning project, titled:“Metareal: Commercialization of Ultra-Realistic Real Estate Spatial Information Metaverse Technology,” focuses on transforming his AI-powered, hyper-realistic 3D modeling algorithms into commercially viable metaverse technologies for the real estate sector. As part of the project, Professor Choi will establish a tech startup, MEIC-AI Co., Ltd., and plans to hire more than 10 undergraduate and graduate researchers among SUNY Korea students, fostering both innovation and student opportunity. Professor Choi’s consistent success in securing competitive R&D grants is especially notable in the context of significant reductions in national research funding for individual researchers. It represents not only a major personal milestone for Professor Choi but a significant institutional accomplishment, underscoring SUNY Korea’s rising reputation as a globally competitive, research-intensive university. It further demonstrates a testament to SUNY Korea’s commitment and focus to becoming a globally recognized research hub through innovative and practical research endeavors. Professor Choi leads the MEIC (Mechanical Systems with Intelligence and Computer Vision) Lab, which is dedicated to the concept of Engineering Soft Power. The lab’s core research areas include visual intelligence systems, vision-based control, digital twins, and human-machine interaction. The current team consists of 12 researchers, including five Ph.D. candidates, three master’s students, and three undergraduates, who have contributed to a series of award-winning research accomplishments. MEIC Lab Website: https://www.meic-lab.com
Professor Seung-Bok Choi (MEC) has placed in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide via Highly Ranked Scholars™, which ranks the most productive authors whose works are of profound impact (citations) and of utmost quality (h-index). Enabled by the generation of over 30 million detailed scholar profiles based on unique ScholarGPS™, classification of over 200 million scholarly publications of record into one of over 350,000 distinct Specialties, 177 Disciplines, and 14 Fields, Highly Ranked Scholars™ are, for the first time, identified within each Specialty, Discipline, and all Fields. Highly Ranked Scholars™ are those with ScholarGPS™ Ranks of 0.05% or better. The data are based on lifetime activity, weighting each publication and citation by the number of authors and excluding self-citations. According to the analysis of the 177 Disciplines, The World Rank of Professor Choi is #188 in Mechanical Engineering, and the ranks of his specific fields are evaluated as follows: Vibration Control #1, Smart Material #3 and Optimal Design #15. He is still actively serving as a journal editor for more than 15 international journals (SCI), including Smart Materials and Structures, Scientific Report and the Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. The number of his publications to date is 890, based on Web of Science. Currently, he is a senior fellow of both the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) and the National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK).
On April 30, 2025, SUNY Korea welcomed Dr. Ki-Pyung Yoo, Professor Emeritus of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the 14th President of Sogang University, to speak at the Distinguished Seminar series. Dr. Yoo delivered an overview of Korean history, tradition, passion for education, and current challenges, all of which were topics that students could deeply reflect on. Throughout the seminar, Dr. Yoo touched on a variety of topics, including the strengths and weaknesses of Korean culture, the historical trajectory of Korea, and the global influence of the Korean Wave, particularly K-pop. He also highlighted the value of the Korean language, describing it as both accessible and adaptable—especially in how it simplifies English pronunciation. Following the lecture, students were given the opportunity to engage directly with Dr. Yoo during a Q&A session. When asked whether Korea’s global image could suffer due to current domestic challenges, Dr. Yoo emphasized that each country has its own unique circumstances, and such issues are unlikely to cause a major shift in international perception. This seminar served as a meaningful opportunity for students to engage with a distinguished academic from outside the university. It allowed international students to gain a deeper understanding of Korean culture, while reminding Korean students about the importance of understanding and taking pride in their cultural heritage.
On April 26th, 2025, SUNY Korea’s Career Development Center (CDC), in collaboration with Ghent University, hosted the 2025 Spring IGC Career Intensive Seminar for all four universities located in the Incheon Global Campus. With the theme "Unlock Your Potential – Connect, Learn, and Thrive in Your Career Journey!", the event provided students from all majors a valuable opportunity to prepare for their future careers. The seminar began with a pre-event lunch, followed by a welcome session at the Ghent Auditorium. Students then chose from a variety of mentoring sessions led by industry professionals from top companies such as Samsung Securities, SK Hynix, Amazon, Boston Consulting Group, Aspentech, Dong Suh Foods Corporation, and SNU Biomedical Research Institute. Seven mentors conducted three consecutive 50-minute sessions, allowing students to meet with up to three different professionals. This format offered attendees a chance to gain personalized insights into various industries, including STEM, finance, consulting, and biomedical research. The event featured a mentoring session that offered deeper and valuable insights from the speakers. Also, it provided students with firsthand advice from field experts and a clearer understanding of employer expectations. Through connecting directly with professionals, students not only boosted their career confidence but also gained critical knowledge to align their academic paths with future career goals. Written by Student Reporter, Onyinyechi Achi (onyinyechi.achi@stonybrook.edu)
This Spring semester, Fashion Design students gathered in the FIT building for “Vested Interest,” an engaging workshop on how to create a “high-end” vest conducted by Professor Blackman over the course of three dynamic sessions. The event began with details of the history of vests, highlighting how the garment has evolved over the years yet still remains timeless. Professor Blackman also explained how, although the vest requires less fabric and CMT (Cut, Make, Trim) effort than a shirt, its perceived value is much higher — a theme that carried on throughout the entirety of the workshop. Students then observed a hands-on demonstration focused on creating a welt pocket, a feature traditionally used for formal wear. Professor Blackman emphasized how welt pockets are smaller and more refined than regular pockets, helping to enhance the sophistication of a garment. Students were then shown how to properly fuse the bias on the vest using an iron, a technique that both strengthens the fabric and creates a cleaner sewing line, elevating the craftsmanship and value of the piece. Throughout the workshop, Professor Blackman showed students the step-by-step process of making a vest, from cutting fabric to skilled sewing techniques. Highlighting both machine sewing and hand-sewing methods, the workshop provided an insightful introduction to tailoring work. The importance of precise handwork, a trademark of tailoring, was a key takeaway for all participants. By the end of the workshop, students had gained valuable technical skills and insights for the art of tailoring and the construction of vests. Professor Blackman showed great expertise and passion, helping participants to approach their work with greater focus on detail and craftsmanship, highlighting FIT’s commitment to providing career-driven insight into the world of fashion and giving students a memorable look into the world of tailoring and design. Written by Student Reporter, Isabella Cruz (isabella_cruz1@fitnyc.edu)
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