재미한인물리학자협회

ASSOCIATION OF KOREAN PHYSICISTS IN AMERICA

AKPA News in September 1998

************************************************************************

(1). AKPA Website

(2). Prof. Kim’s Visit to Korea

(3). Congratulations to Dr. Choi, New KAIST President

(4). Publication of Hard Copy of AKPA Newsletter

(5). Outstanding Young Researcher’s Award Announcement

(6). Directory Update and Membership Drive

(7). AKPA Membership Dues and Contributions

************************************************************************

Dear AKPA members, I hope this e-mail finds that each and every member of our AKPA family is healthy and happy! I would like to remind you that we always welcome your worthy news, any valuable ideas, suggestions, and comments for better AKPA. Please send the information to any of the AKPA officers through e-mail to yyeo@afit.af.mil;

jjsong@Okway.okstate.edu; sangc@physics.rutgers.edu; scheong@lucent.com; you@anl.gov; sklyo@sandia.gov; kim@physunc.phy.uc.edu

(1). AKPA Home page

The AKPA organization has its own homepage, and it can be visited by opening the website "http://www.AKPA.org". The current AKPA homepage is updated by Dr. You of Argonne National Lab with the initial help from Dr. Sang-Hyeon Chang of the ex-E-link Secretary. Dr. You will be responsible for maintaining and improving the AKPA website during his term as an Editorial Secretary. Currently, AKPA homepage is located at Brown University, but it will be transferred to KSEA’s website on a permanent basis. On behalf of AKPA, I really appreciate KSEA’s generous decision to keep our AKPA homepage in KSEA’s website.

This AKPA homepage covers introduction of AKPA, AKPA members, AKPA structure, and AKPA Newsletter, etc. along with other useful information such as AKPA membership directory. We wish that this homepage would serve as a useful electronic network for Newsletter, AKPA data base, information exchange, publication of important articles, etc. for our members. We also would like to include as much information as possible about the Korean Physical Society. Please utilize this website as frequently as possible.

(2). Prof. Kim’s Visit to Korea

The following is a brief report written by Prof. Ki-Hyon Kim after his visit to Korea in May 1998. I really appreciate his tremendous effort put in for AKPA in spite of his busy schedule in Korea.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Professor Yeo:

I would like to share with you some of the highlights before it slips away from my memory. My trip to Korea was on May 26-June 8, 1998 and the items that concern us, AKPA are:

The timing was so coincidental that I was fortunate to be invited to two important meetings, one as a former KSEA president and the other on Dr. Yeo's behalf during my recent visit to Korea.

1) Round Table Discussion at KOFST (Korea Federation of Science & Technology

Societies) Building, organized and hosted by the KOREA Academy of Science & Technology (KAST) on May 29, 98.

The Honorable Kang Chang Hee, the newly appointed Minister of Science & Technology (MOST) was the keynote speaker. This was the first appearance by the new administration cabinet member who oversees the entire R & D budget and national laboratories. Although he is neither a scientist nor an engineer in training, he conveyed in his speech the new administration’s R & D policy in no uncertain terms: Tax dollars must be spent to reflect the best interest of the people, not that of a few groups of science and engineers. He seems to be determined to reevaluate and reassess the major national projects and the government-supported programs by outsiders, who can render an impartial and unbiased evaluation.

A series of panel discussions were followed thereafter, and I do not go into any detail of it. However, I left the meeting with somewhat disappointment: Korean R & D community still lacks a leadership. No clear cut goals and objectives were presented by

any of the key laboratory directors. Their problems are not shortage of money but lack

of realistic and implementable master plans.

2) I was also invited to participate at KPS Council meeting on May 30 at the KPS HQ

office located in the KOFST Building. First of all, I was warmly received by the council members, more than 12 members present. There are so many topics of mutual interest and concerns between the AKPA and KPS. We also had a dinner together thereafter. Without going in to details here:

2A) KPS is going to start to publish within a year or two English Journal called

Current Applied Physics (CAP). This is the first step for the KPS in its effort to upgrade the over all quality of physics papers and to become global. This is not an easy or simple task. What we can do for them: We should encourage our members to publish their research work in this journal. This reminds me of the Japanese Journal " Progress of Theoretical Physics" which was the first English Journal published by the Kyoto group after Yukawa received a Nobel Prize. In this day and age, KPS can hardly expect any foreign scholars to publish their work in KPS journal and to be written in Korean.

2B) Women are underrepresented (out of proportion) in Korean Physics Community:

I strongly suggested the KPS Council that this trend to be remedied. They are going to publish a special edition on "Science and Women" in their January issue of Physics and High Technology. I was so pleased and fortunate to let our counterparts know that our AKPA president-elect is a lady. I believe this is a strongest possible message on this inequality issue.

2C) Support of Young Korean Physicists:

Because of the IMF austerity plan imposed on every sector in Korea, it is very difficult for young Korean Ph.Ds to come over to the States for further post graduate training with exclusive support from Korean source only. We have to help them. They can still match one to one if they get an appointment from this end.

2D) Professor Duk-In Choi of KAIST and current president of KPS was appointed as KAIST president as of June 9.

In conclusion, we have a lot of common interest that we can and should pursue with

KPS. I brought with me 4 sets of the recent journals, Physics and High Tech, which I

will send to you through U.S. mails.

They all extend you their warmest greetings!

Ki-Hyon Kim, Former President of AKPA

and Chair-Editorial Committee

(919) 489-9747

khk@sci.nccu.edu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: I met many KPS officers at their regular board meeting in Seoul:

Besides, of course, Professor Duk-In Choi, KPS president,

Prof. Byung-taik Kim, VP of KPS and Secretary General (Sung Kyun Kwan

University,

82-2-556-4737, 554-1643 (Fax), e-mail:btkim@yurim.skku.ac.kr

Dr. Kim takes care of most of the routine business matter.

Prof. Keum-Hwi Lee, also VP of KPS, Commission member, IUPAP(Chonbuk

National University),

82-652-270-3337, 270-3320(Fax),

khl@phy0.chonbuk.ac.kr or khl@moak.chonbuk.ac.kr

Prof. Chung Nam Whang, Board Member of KPS and Director, Surface

Science Research Center, Yonsei University

82-2-361-2613, 312-7090 (Fax), cnwhang@bubble.yonsei.ac.kr

Prof. Suk-Ki Min, Board Member of KPS, School of Electronics &

Information Engineering, Korea University-Chochiwon Campus

82-415-60-1354, 415-63-5775(Fax), minsk@hard.korea.ac.kr

Dr. Min was formerly with KIST

Prof. Dai-Shik Kim, also board member of KPS in charge of Physics

Education program, Chungbuk National University,

82-431-61-2729, 271-0526 (fax), nucleus@cbucc.chungbuk.ac.kr

We have to invent a mechanism by which we can communicate with KPS officers more swiftly and effectively. We really can help each other by enhancing our communication channel.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

(3). Congratulations to Dr. Choi, New KAIST President

Recently, Dr. Duk In Choi of KAIST has become the new president of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. AKPA extends our sincere congratulations for his new position. He has also been serving as the president of the Korean Physical Society (1997- ). He is a renowned theorist with many well-known papers with research interests in high and low temperature plasma physics and controlled nuclear fusion. His education

includes B.S. in physics from Seoul National University (59), Ph.D. in physics from University of Colorado (68) with thesis on Transport Properties of Magnetized Plasma. Other experience and activities of Dr. Choi include:

<Experience>

Post Doctoral Fellow, Univ. of Brussels (68 - 70)

Research Associate, Ilya Prigogine Center for Statistical

Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Univ. of Texas (70 - 73)

Visiting Professor, KAIS (Summer, 77)

Research Scientist, Fusion Research Center, Univ. of Texas (74 - 81)

Visiting Scientist, IFS, Univ. of Texas (85 - 86)

Professor, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KAIST)(81- )

President, Korea Basic Science Institute (95 - 98)

President, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (98- )

<Other Activities>

Chairman of Physics Department, KAIST (86 - 88)

Dean, School of Natural Sciences, KAIST (91 - 93)

Vice President, KAIST (93)

Vice President and Secretary General, The Korean Physical Society (95 - 97)

President, The Korean Physical Society (97- )

(4). Publication of Hard Copy of AKPA Newsletter

After much deliberation, we have decided not to publish the hard copy of the AKPA Newsletter following the previous AKPA president, Prof. Kang’s decision. I was told that last year he asked the AKPA Advisory Committee (consisted of all ex-Presidents plus several active members that he asked to serve) whether it is better to make a Newsletter on the web or publishing the hard copy newsletter. The AKPA advisory committee recommended and approved the suggestion to publish electronic Newsletters as often as possible rather than issuing a hard-cover Newsletter at the end of the year.

Of course, there are many pros and cons about this issue. We, however, have decided to utilize our e-mail network and AKPA home page as much as possible in the following way.

(A). AKPA will publish any worthwhile news through AKPA e-mail channel as often as necessary, and they will also be posted in the AKPA home page.

(B). AKPA will publish any worthwhile articles, for example, articles selected for Outstanding Young Researcher’s Awards, in the AKPA homepage.

(C). AKPA will constantly update the membership directory, and will make it available through AKPA home page. Also, if it is warranted, AKPA will publish hard copies of AKPA Membership Directory, which may also include other important useful information regarding our organization, and distribute them out to our members.

(5). The 1999 Outstanding Young Researcher’s Award (OYRA) Announcement

It is about time to announce solicitation of The 1999 Outstanding Young Researcher’s Award. The main focus of the AKPA OYRA is to recognize and promote excellence in research by outstanding young ethnic Korean physicists in North America. The qualification for the OYRA is limited to those who received their doctoral degree after January 1, 1994. Candidates are to be nominated by the Chair or Head of the Department where they are employed or by the candidate's Ph.D. thesis advisor in a letter detailing the importance and impact of the candidate's work. The official OYRA announcement will be mailed out soon to institutions, and shortly after that, we will let you know. Then, you can initiate the nomination process through chairs or heads of the institutions. The award in the amount of $1,000 will be presented at the AKPA annual meeting and at the Forum of International Physics Session of the APS Meeting.

The awardee will be selected by the AKPA Award Committee consisting of Drs. W.T. Chu, B.Y. Oh, Kiuck Lee (Chair), C.R. Ji, S.K. Lyo, and S.W. Cheong. The deadline for nomination is December 15, 1998 and candidates are required to send their supporting documents (curriculum vitae and three letters of recommendation) by December 31, 1998 to the following address:

Professor Yung Kee Yeo (AFIT/ENP)

Department of Engineering Physics

Air Force Institute of Technology

2950 P Street

Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7765

Phone: (937) 255-3636, Ext 4532, Fax: (937) 255-2921

Email: yyeo@afit.af.mil

We will soon post the more detailed OYRA Announcement at http://www.AKPA.org/.

(6). Directory Update and Membership Drives

We plan to update our current AKPA member directory. The representative of each institution or organization will soon be contacted separately to help us in updating each AKPA member’s information in his/her organization. Please help your organization’s representative in this regard. In addition to updating any changes in current AKPA members, we also try to recruit as many new members as possible into our organization. In particular, new graduate student members and first generation members of Korean ethnic background will be welcomed. If you know anybody who is not a current member of AKPA, please encourage him or her to join our organization.

(7). AKPA Membership Dues and Donations

AKPA maintains its sound operation by the support of good standing members who pay yearly membership dues and generous contributions. AKPA extends sincere thanks to our faithful AKPA members for their continuous support. Now, this is another time of the year to gently remind our AKPA members to pay their dues and generous contributions. These dues and donations will be used to support various AKPA activities such as the Outstanding Young Researcher Award, mailing, E-link and Homepage service, and Elections. Please remember that only due-paying regular members will have the legitimate right to vote on AKPA matters according to the AKPA

charter and by-law. The annual membership fee is $25 for a regular member, and additional contributions are voluntary. Please make the check payable to the AKPA and send it to:

Prof. Young Hoon Kim

AKPA Treasury Secretary

Dept. of Physics

Univ. of Cincinnati

400 Geology-Physics Building

Cincinnati, OH 45221

Phone: (513) 556-0637

Fax: (513) 556-3425

e-mail: kim@physunc.phy.uc.edu

Please also refer to "http://www.AKPA.org/" for more details on membership due and donation payment information.

With best wishes and kindest regards,

Yung Kee Yeo

AKPA President