ECE Faculty Member Receives Research Grant on Applied Smart Systems
Professor Jin-Woo Choi received a grant on Interdisciplinary Research in Korea on Applied smart systems (IRiKA) for Undergraduate Students will provide a cohort of five US undergraduate students per year with the opportunity to conduct research for 8 weeks at Korea's top-ranked universities with state-of-the-art research facilities: Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Ewha Womans University. Over the lifetime of this 3-year project (Oct. 2018 to Sept 2021), 15 students will participate from the participating institutions (University of Florida, Louisiana State University, and Northwestern University). The unifying research theme of IRiKA is smart systems with the subtopics of sensors, emerging electronics, and materials and process development. In addition to lab work and weekly cohort research meetings, IRiKA students will visit Korea's government research institutions and global leaders in the tech industry such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai.
The distinctive features of IRiKA are:
- a cohort experience bringing the US participants together,
- vetted and structured professional development program tailored for both US students and Korean mentors, and
- availability of follow-up collaborative projects in US and Korea to facilitate a sustained global network of mentorship.
Students will gain formative research skills and learn how smart systems brings together interdisciplinary technological solutions for manufacturing, healthcare, energy, safety and security, transportation, and logistics. The international aspect of the IRiKA will help students recognize their place in the global scientific community. The participants will present their work at their home institutions upon their return and will be incentivized to publish in a peer-reviewed journal or present at a conference for broader dissemination.
Recruitment will begin on October 1, 2018.