- Professor Jinah Jang Receives Prime Minister’s Commendation; Professors Taeha Joo and Byoung-Hoon Lee Honored with Ministerial Commendations for Outstanding Research Achievements

Professor Ji-Hoon Park from the Department of Mathematics at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has been awarded the prestigious Order of Science and Technology Merit during the 2025 Science and ICT Day ceremony held on April 21. 

The award, presented in the category of “Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Science and Technology,” recognizes Professor Park’s significant impact on the field of algebraic geometry through his dedication to research and education.

Professor Park has made pioneering contributions to the global advancement of algebraic geometry, enhancing Korea’s academic presence in the field. His achievements include solving long-standing mathematical challenges such as the classification of 5-dimensional simply connected rational homology spheres with Sasaki-Einstein metrics, the irrationality conjecture for 3-dimensional Fano hypersurfaces, and the conjecture on the correlation between third-order algebraic surfaces and moduli actions.

In addition to Professor Park’s recognition, Professor Jinah Jang, who holds joint appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, IT Convergence Engineering, Life Sciences, and the Graduate Institute of Convergence Technology, was honored with the Prime Minister’s Commendation in the “Outstanding Contributions to National R&D Evaluation” category. Professor Jang has led groundbreaking work in 3D bioprinting by developing bioinks capable of precisely replicating the microenvironment of tissues and cells in the lab, significantly enhancing the functionality of printed organs. To date, she has developed over 19 types of tissue- and organ-specific bioinks for applications including heart, cartilage, and liver tissues.

Furthermore, Professor Taeha Joo from the Department of Chemistry and Professor Byoung-Hoon Lee from the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Semiconductor Engineering received the Minister of Science and ICT Commendation for their outstanding contributions to science and technology.

Professor Joo developed time-domain spectroscopy techniques and theoretical frameworks to study ultrafast chemical reactions, revealing complex mechanisms and molecular quantum dynamics. He is internationally recognized for his original approaches, including pioneering nuclear wavepacket measurement and molecular dynamics analysis using time-resolved fluorescence.

Professor Lee has led national research projects in future device technologies and semiconductors, focusing on ultra-low-power semiconductor devices. He was the first in the world to apply hafnium oxide (HfO₂) as an insulator in semiconductor devices and has led commercialization research in this area. His work on ternary logic devices using phase-composite materials has significantly contributed to advancing Korea’s semiconductor and nanotechnology sectors.

These honors reflect POSTECH’s excellence in frontier research across diverse fields including algebraic geometry, 3D bioprinting, semiconductors, and fundamental sciences. A POSTECH representative stated, “We will continue to foster innovative research and talent development to drive national progress in science and technology and secure future growth.”

Source: 교수신문(http://www.kyosu.net)