Seven IBS research-center directors appointed

IBS directors are to lead innovation with

full autonomy in research-center operations

Press Release: October 5, 2012

Public Relations Division, MEST

Public Relations & Global Cooperation Team, the IBS

(October 7) The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST) and the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has announced that seven IBS research-center directors have been appointed in the second round of directorial appointments.

The IBS was established in November of last year. Its goal is to create the foundations necessary to become a world-leading research institute. Since then, the IBS has adopted a “person-centered” appraisal system in which the IBS selects qualified directors based on their scientific credentials, and fully supports the directors’ research projects. This type of evaluation system is distinct from the traditional “theme-centered” approach, which has until now been the standard evaluation system.

Selection of research-center directors

Following the appointment of 10 research-center directors in the first round of directorial selection last May, the seven research directors are world-renowned scientists from various fields in the basic sciences. Three of them are Korean scientists based overseas. Each of the scientist's backgrounds is summarized below.

Yannis K. Semertzidis (51) has made major scientific and technological contributions to the study of muons, and how to measure them precisely. Although his proposed experiment on Axion Dark Matter Search has raised challenging questions, it is widely regarded as a major contribution to particle physics. He plans to establish a campus research center in Gwangju after transferring to the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) from his current position at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Chang-hee Nam (54), a leading Korean scientist in the field of femtosecond lasers, has developed a highly efficient femtosecond terawatt laser. This is one of his finest achievements in his field. His research has been recognized internationally: He was awarded a fellowship in femtosecond lasers from the American Physical Society and from the Optical Society of America. He plans to establish a campus research center at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), and has announced his mission to establish a world-leading laser research institute based on his research into relativistic laser science. 

Young-hee Lee (57), a world-renowned scholar in the field of nanoscience, was selected as the "2006 National Scholar". He first grabbed the attention of the world's scientific community by developing the world’s first method for selectively separating a large number of semiconductive carbon nanotubes from other carbon nanotubes. Interestingly, he worked as a railway-station employee for about a year after graduating from high school, before gaining admission to the Department of Physics at Chonbuk National University. The move helped to satisfy a great appetite for further study, and served to cement his belief that physics would enlighten the world.

Gabriel Aeppli (54), an internationally-renowned scholar in the field of condensed matter physics, was awarded a fellowship from the Royal Society (FRS) in 2010, was awarded the Mott Prize in 2008, and won the American Physical Society Oliver Buckley Prize in 2005. Members of the Selection and Evaluation Committee (SEC) applauded his passion for research, and expect him to contribute significantly (as an overseas scientist) to achieving the IBS’s vision. He plans to conduct research on quantum many-body physics, superconducting circuits, the deterministic doping of silicon, and synthetic biology after establishing an extramural research center at Ewha Women’s University.

Steve Granick (59) is the founder professor of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, and a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA). Among his many awards in the fields of soft matter physics and chemistry, is the 2009 National Polymer Prize from the American Physical Society. This is the highest honor in polymer physics. He is due to receive the 2013 National ACS Award in Colloid and Surface Chemistry, the most prestigious award for this area of research. He is also highly regarded for conducting postdoctoral research in collaboration with Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Physics). Professor Granick has produced lots of creative research into soft matter, including studies on polymers, colloids, complex fluids, and biomaterials. He has been selected as director of the Soft Matter Advanced Research Team, a campus research center, located at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST).

Sukbok Chang (50), a world-renowned scholar in the field of C-H bond activation reactions, received a doctorate from Harvard University. A C-H bond activation reaction is a useful method of producing a chemical compound that has great economic benefits. The method is also deemed of value to scientists working in basic, industrial, and applied science. Professor Chang’s paper, “Palladium-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization of Pyridine N-Oxides”, has made the list of "Fast Moving Fronts" produced by Thomson Reuters. Last year, the same paper was heralded by the American Chemical Society as one of the twenty most frequently read articles during the previous three years.

Hong Gil Nam (56), a 2010 National Scientist, is a world-renowned scientist who pioneered a new academic discipline through his research on plant senescence and control of plant circadian rhythms and photoperiodic flowering. His research is expected to have a huge impact on the future of the field of agriculture by advancing from current plant senescence research on Arabidopsis thaliana and expanding his research to major food sources such as rice and beans. Professor Nam plans to conduct research in the field of system biology after moving to Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) by September 2012.

IBS has run a fair and equitable evaluation system comprising the Selection and Evaluation Committee (SEC) and the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for the last four months in order to select the best qualified candidates to be IBS Research Center Directors.

In total, 120 applications were submitted by May 31st. Among them, 14 candidates were selected to be evaluated in the final evaluation by the SEC and the SAB.

The SEC recommended candidates for final evaluation via an in-depth appraisal process and the President of IBS made a final list of 7 successful candidates after the evaluation by the SAB on October 4^th.

The scientific excellence of the candidates was examined during the 2^nd IBS Symposium and the Closed Meeting from August 23 through September 16 by Review Committees, where more than half of those members were overseas leading scientists. Reference letters that the candidate received from world’s leading scientists in their respective fields, were also examined during the evaluation process.

In a research environment where autonomy and continuity is guaranteed, these researchers are allowed full immersion into a new and challenging field of research that has never been done before.

The successful candidates will have negotiations with President of IBS on their research center plans. Upon completion of the negotiation and execution of employment contract, they will begin organizing their research centers this December at the earliest and embark on research projects.

Under the supervision of excellent research center directors and group leaders, a significant   improvement in the research capabilities of the prospective young scientists and post-doctoral researchers are also expected.

The IBS plans to have open invitations for the 3^rd round of directorial appointments for research center directors starting October of this year based on the applications submitted until the end of September and finalize the selection in the second half of 2013.

Attached: List of seven IBS research-center directors