Professional Career

• Distinguished Professor of Microcellular Engineered Plastics, 2015-2020
• High-End Foreign Professor (International Leading Scholar) SiChuan University, China, 2013-2018
• Honorary Guest Professor Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, 2013
• Honorary Guest Professor Chinese Academy of Science, Ningbo, China, 2013
• Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Mirocellular Plastics, University of Toronto, 2009-2016
• Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Advanced Polymer Processing Technologies, University of Toronto, 2002-2009
• Full Professor (fast track), University of Toronto, 2000-Present
• Chair of Manufacture Systems Option of Engineering Science, University of Toronto, 1998-2003
• Visiting Professor, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Korea, 2000
• Associate Professor (tenured), University of Toronto, 1998-2000
• Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, 1993-1998
• Research Assistant, MIT, USA, 1988-1993
• Research Associate, KAIST, Korea, 1984-1988

Professional Affiliation

• Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cellular Plastics, 2006-present
• Editorial Advisory Board, Cellular Polymers, 2005-present
• Editorial Advisory Board, Advances in Polymer Technology, 2004-present
• Editorial Advisory Board, SRX Materials Science, 2010-present
• Editorial Advisory Board, Progress in Polymer Processing, 2013-present
• Editorial Advisory Board, Jacobs Journal of Materials Science, 2016-present
• Editorial Advisory Board, Applied Sciences (Section of Applied Materials), 2016-present
• Organizer of the Foam Technology Symposiums, Polymer Processing Society Conferences, 2001-present
• Technical Program Chair of Foams TopCon (2006) and Annual Technical Conference (2007, 2008) in the Thermoplastics Materials and Foams Division, the Society of Plastics Engineers
• Foam Tutorials Chair in the Thermoplastics Materials and Foams Division, the Society of Plastics Engineers, 2003-present
• Materials Technology Committee Chair, Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, hosting Materials Technology sessions and reviewing 20-30 papers biyearly, 2001-present
• Professional Engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario, 1996-present
• Chair Professor, South China University of Technology, 2008-2011
• Review Panel Member for NSERC Strategic Grant, NSERC, 2009-present
• Chair, Scientific Committee of the NSERC Network for Innovative Plastic Materials and Manufacturing Processes (NIPMMP), 2010-2015
• Board of the NSERC Network for Innovative Plastic Materials and Manufacturing Processes (NIPMMP), 2010-2015
• President of Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists and Engineers, 2005-2007
• President of Korean-Canadian University Professors Forum, 2005-2008
• Board, The National Unification Advisory Council of Korea, 2009-2011
• President, The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)
• Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Group (KASEG), 2010-2011

Honors and Awards

• A Founding Member of the International Advisory Board to the President, Sichuan University, China, 2016
• Innovator Award, Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA), 2016
• Best Paper Award with A. Rizvi, FOAMS 2016,  The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), Thermoplastics and Foams Division , 2016
• Best Poster Award with A. Tabatabaei, FOAMS 2016,  The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), Thermoplastics and Foams Division , 2016
• Listed in Canadian Who’s Who, 2016
• Guest Professor,  Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China, 2016-2020
• High-end Foreign Expert, The State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, Zhengzhou, China, $60,000 Travel Award, 2016-2019
• Foreign Member, The National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK), 2015
• Korean Cultural Heritage Award, the Korean Cultural Heritage Award (KCHA), 2015
• Best Innovation Award, the Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists and Engineers (AKCSE), 2015
• Best Poster Award (Tabatabaei et al, PPS Europe-Africa Conf), 2015
• Distinguished Professor of Microcellular Engineered Plastics, University of Toronto, 2015
• Honorary Guest Professor,  Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, 2015-2017
• De Tao Master, De Tao Group, China, 2014
• Outstanding Achievement Award, Thermoplastic Materials and Foams Division, Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), 2014
• KOFST Award – Best Engineer in AKCSE (as the 1st recipient of this Award) The Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST), 2013
• The K. Y. Lo Medal, the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), 2013
• Fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 2012
• The M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers/ the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 2012
• Best Paper Award, SPE ANTEC, Thermoplastics and Foams Division, 2012
• The C.N. Downing Award, Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, 2012
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2012
• Fellow of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), 2011
• Best Paper Award, SPE ANTEC, Thermoplastics and Foams Div, 2011
• Best Poster Award, FOAMS TopCon, 2010
• The Julian C Smith Medal from Engineering Institute of Canada, 2010
• Network Leader, NSERC Network for Innovative Plastic Materials and Manufacturing Processes (NIPMMP, total $5M), 2010-2015
• One of the Best of ANTEC 2009
• CFI-LEF/ORF-LIF Award (total $9.2 M), 2009
• P. Eng Engineering Medal – Research and Development, Professional Engineers Ontario, 2009
• Review Panel Member for NSERC Strategic Grant, NSERC, 2009
• Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering, 2009
• The Robert W. Angus Medal, Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, 2009
• Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Microcellular Plastics (total $2 M), 2009-2016
• Chair Professor, South China University of Technology (total $100,000), 2008-2011
• Fellow of Engineering Institute of Canada, 2007
• Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence Award ($2.1 M), Ontario Government, 2006
• Best Innovation Paper Award, SPI, 2006
• Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Cellular Plastics, 2006 – present
• Best Paper Award, TPM&F, SPE, 2005
• Morand Lambla Award, PPS, 2004
• CFI/OIT Award (total $1.7 M), 2004
• Fellow of SPE, 2004
• Fellow of ASME, 2004
• Faculty Advisor’s Award, ASME, 2003
• Fellow of CSME , 2002
• Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Avanced Polymer Processing Technologies (total $2 M), 2002-2009
• G.H. Duggan Medal, Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, 2001
• Who’s Who in Polymers and Plastics, 2000
• Premier’s Research Excellence Award (total $150 K), Ontario, Canada, 1999-2004
• Best Thesis Paper Award (total US$6,000) with L.M. Matuana and J.J. Balatinecz, SPE ANTEC, Vinyl Division, 1997
• Engineering Research Award Grant (US$23,000, declined), Engineering Foundation, 1994-1995
• United Nations Development Program Award (US$11,200), 1986
• Academic Excellence (ranked #1 in Mech Eng Dept) Graduation Award, Seoul National University, 1983
• Academic Excellence Scholarship, Seoul National University, 1979-1983

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