From AKPA Newsletter, March 2010
A postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Ian-Woo Kim, was chosen as the winner for the 2010 Outstanding Young Researcher Award (OYRA) by the AKPA Award Committee. Dr. Kim is a particle physicist who earned his Ph.D. at KAIST in 2006. Below is the official announcement released by the Committee:
"The Committee has found all nominees very well educated, maintaining high levels of productivity and mentored in active groups in their respective fields of specialization. After detailed reviews of supporting documentation and thoughtful deliberation the Committee has arrived at Dr. Ian-Woo Kim as the 2010 OYRA winner. Dr. Ian-Woo Kim works in the field of particle physics phenomenology. His work is in an area relevant to understanding of the connections between the theoretical physics models and wide ranged experimental observations including future observations anticipated in the new Large Hadron Collider (LHC)."
The Award Committee consists of Dr. Taik Soo Hahm of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Professor M. Howard Lee of the University of Georgia, Dr. Hyodoo You of Argonne National Laboratory and Professor Yong W. Kim of Lehigh University, chair. Dr. Ian-Woo Kim, this year winner, will be awarded $1,500 with a plaque, and will be invited to the AKPA annual meeting as well as the Forum on International Physics (FIP) Reception. He expressed his appreciation on the award with the following:
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"First of all, let me say how excited I am that the Association of Korean Physicist in America (AKPA) has chosen me for the winner of the Outstanding Young Researcher Award (OYRA) this year. I am very happy to accept the award and I am truly grateful for this wonderful honor. I would like to present a special thank to Professor Lisa L. Everett of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her trust in my abilities and her warmest encouragement during my postdoctoral fellowship. I also thank Professor Lian-Tao Wang of Princeton University and Professor Tao Han and Professor Daniel Chung of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for supporting me for this award. My thanks as well are extended to Professor A. Baha Balantekin and the physics department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for all of their support.
This award feels particularly special to me since I was educated in Korea (at KAIST) and graduated there in 2006. My research in the United States has been greatly enhanced by the help and support of many people in Korea. I am especially grateful to Professor Jihn E. Kim of Seoul National University for our fruitful collaboration and for his continual support of my work in the United States. My deepest gratitude is extended to my Ph.D. advisor, Professor Kiwoon Choi of KAIST, for his crucial role in my education and career. Finally, I am deeply grateful for the love and support of my parents. I am especially grateful to my father for his extraordinary mentoring of me, and dedicate this award to him in his memory. I thank AKPA once again for selecting me for the 2010 OYRA, extend my best wishes to all the members of AKPA."
OYRA program has developed into a tradition with good history by great efforts of each AKPA administrations and the Award committee members. Since its inception in 1994 by the 15th AKPA president Dr. Nowhan Kwak (University of Kansas, retired now.), AKPA has annually presented OYRA to outstanding young Korean physicists in North America to recognize and promote his/her excellence in research as one of its primary activities. The first winner was Dr. Byungwoo Park and fifteen others followed now. (the list of ORYA winners) In early few years, according to records, the President Award was awarded for the runner-up, and Honorable Mentions were also presented occasionally depending on the level of competitions.
Dr. Jin-Joo Song's kind personal contribution to the award is greatly appreciated. Recently, AKPA submitted an event proposal to Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) for the AKPA Annual Meeting including the OYRA presentation. This proposal was approved by KSEA in the level of $2,500. AKPA encourages its members to join KSEA or renew the KSEA membership if he or she is already a member of KSEA. AKPA also acknowledges the Korean Physical Society (KPS) for the cosponsorship to the AKPA Annual Meeting this year.
