ChoonHo Kim, who in 1986 received his doctorate in chemical engineering from the Whiting School of Engineering, embarked on an exciting new challenge when he became the inaugural president of the State University of New York, Korea in 2012. Established in Incheon, South Korea, SUNY Korea is the first American university in that nation.Kim, 56, says his goal as president is to attract talented students and cultivate global business leaders. “My days and weeks are filled with meetings with government officials, research institutions, corporations and embassies to promote SUNY Korea, build networks, and attract researchers and funding for scholarships,” he says. “In my spare time, I try my best to spend time with our students. Occasionally, I invite students for dinner, (and I enjoy) having conversations and getting along with them.”
Marc Donohue, the professor who was Kim’s adviser at WSE, says he is proud of his former student’s many accomplishments. “Choon-Ho is a truly remarkable individual. He is a natural-born leader and has held several high- level positions in the Korean government and academic community. It has been a true pleasure to watch him evolve from being a graduate student here in the 1980s to being a world-renowned university president.”
[Excerpt from the 2014 ChemBE Bond Newsletter. Click here to read more.]