Korean exchange program results in publication for VCU student researcher

By Lorraine Cichowski
VCU News Services

Kison Esther Lee has only positive things to say about the 10 weeks she spent in Korea last summer as one of the first VCU students to attend an engineering research exchange program with Inha University.

The senior chemical engineering major says that she learned new characterization techniques and a lot about conducting polymers in the laboratory of Dr. H.J. Choi, a professor in Inha's Department of Polymer Science and Engineering.

She appreciated the hospitality of the faculty, students and staff at Inha - a science and technology institution sometimes referred to as "the MIT of Korea" -- and the Korean family she stayed with before moving into an Inha dorm. She, along with VCU biomedical engineering student Joy Kim, were able to take Korean language classes, try new foods and enjoy some sightseeing in Incheon, a large port city in western Korea where Inha is located, about one hour from Seoul.

But the summer exchange program paid still another benefit recently. Lee was notified that a manuscript that includes her summer research on conducting polymers had been accepted for publication by the scientific journal, Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals. Lee is listed as one of the five authors on Dr. Choi's article, "Effect of poly (Sodium 4-Styrenesulfonate) stabilizer on synthesis and characterization of polyaniline nanoparticles."

Also listed as an author is Anthony Guiseppi-Elie, Sc.D., VCU professor of chemical engineering and emergency medicine and director of the Center for Bioelectronics, Biosensors and Biochips. Dr. Guiseppi-Elie is the VCU coordinator of the exchange program, which resulted from a January 2001 agreement of cooperation signed by VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., and former Inha University President Kun-Il Ro.

"International education is part of our efforts at the School of Engineering to increase the visibility of the VCU name," said Guiseppi-Elie. "Kison Lee and Joy Kim did an excellent job as our first 'ambassadors' to Korea. The manuscript is one result of their great work."

Two students from Inha also visited VCU last summer.

Jangwook Jung, a rising senior in polymer science and engineering at Inha University, worked with Guiseppi-Elie and Zoubeida Ounaies, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering, on polymer-carbon nanotube composites for aerospace and sensor applications. A manuscript covering the electrical characterization of the novel composite matters is being prepared for submission to the journal, Synthetic Metals. The other student, Jaemin Kim, a rising junior in chemical engineering, worked with Guiseppi-Elie on performance characterization of chemoresistors for an electronic nose, intended for environmental and health applications.

Guiseppi-Elie hopes the exchange program will continue and encourages other engineering students to consider a summer at Inha, although current conflicts in the region may affect the program in the short-term.