Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

  On Friday, December 8th, 2023 SUNY Korea donated 30,000,000 KRW worth of rice to the City of Incheon. The donation, equivalent to 8,960 kilograms (448 bags of 20 kg each), is a demonstration of SUNY Korea’s commitment to making a positive impact on the local community. The rice has been distributed among 21 different Social Welfare Centers in Incheon. Notably, the donated rice was grown locally in Incheon, exemplifying that the donation not only provides support to those in need but also actively contributes to the community. The Giveaway Ceremony was attended by President Arthur H. Lee, Provost Hamid Hefazi, and Student Ambassador Gibson Katuma. Representing the Incheon District, Mr. Jeong-Bok Yoo, the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, Daeheung Cho, President of the Association of Social Welfare Centers in Incheon, and Vice Presidents Kyung-im Lim and Jongsil Park were also present to acknowledge this donation. SUNY Korea, a global institution dedicated to providing high-quality education, has always emphasized the importance of social responsibility and hospitality, or as we call it, ‘Live with Others.’ This notable donation reflects SUNY Korea’s commitment to not only academic excellence but also instilling in students a profound sense of social commitment toward the community. As the holiday season approaches, SUNY Korea’s donation serves as a reminder of the value of giving. SUNY Korea hopes to enrich the lives of those in need and is dedicated to bringing a brighter future for all.

  Understanding University Rankings University Rankings are a major factor for many students when selecting which university to attend. They are generally perceived as an important indication of prestige of the university and quality of their research and education.  There are many university rankings published annually. Some rankings evaluate universities within a single country, while others assess institutions worldwide. In the United States, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes Magazine are among the more recognized rankings. In Korea the Korean Council for University Education evaluates universities.  Times Higher Education (THE), QS World University Rankings®, U.S. News & World Report and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) also known as Shanghai rankings are among the more recognized global university rankings.  THE World University Rankings 2023 included 1,799 universities across 104 countries. It used 18 performance indicators (PIs) to determine the rankings. Research environment and research quality make up 59% of the grade with teaching 29.5%. International collaboration and international outlook are also considered (10%)  QS world university rankings are prepared by the British Company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The 20th edition of the rankings featured 1,500 universities across 104 locations. The highest weighted PI in QS ranking is the Academic Reputation of the University (30%) followed by faculty citations (20%). Since 2023, QS has included Sustainability, Employment Outcomes and International Research Network (each 5%) in their methodology. Teaching related measures (faculty student ratio) only determines 10% of the grades.   The 2022-2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings included 2000 universities from 95 countries. The rankings are based on thirteen PIs, all of which are research oriented with no teaching related indicators involved.  ARWU published by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, considers every university that has any Nobel Laureates, Fields Medalists, Highly Cited Researchers, or papers published in Nature or Science. In addition, universities with a significant amount of papers indexed by Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) are also included. In 2022 a total of more than 2500 universities were ranked, and the best 1000 were published. ARWU uses four general indicators consisting of quality of education (10%), quality of faculty (40%), research output (40%) and per Capita Performance (10%).  Quality of education and faculty are determined by such measures as the number of alumni and faculty receiving Nobel Prizes, Field Medals and highly cited research.   As it can be seen, these rankings are heavily focused on research and reputation of the universities. THE is probably a more balanced ranking system which includes teaching among its PIs.  University rankings have been criticized by many. One of the main criticisms has been that rankings reduces the universities’ performances to a set of numbers alone which can not convey the broader experience of education. Furthermore, these rankings pay minimal attention to the real-world undergraduate experience. Factors that can make a huge difference to a positive education.  As a result, some universities have been accused of “fudging” the data or “playing the numbers game” to improve their rankings without any consideration for the quality of their education. As an example, a number of Law Schools started to put more emphasis on LSAT scores after U.S. News gave more weight to the average LSAT scores of entering students. This came at the price of all other measures that could indicate the success of students. Another problem with university rankings is the focus on perceived reputation. The QS and Shanghai rankings have been criticized for their overemphasis on these factors. Would hiring more Nobel Prize laureates on faculty really improve quality of education, particularly undergraduate education, where many of them may not even teach?  As a result of these controversies some universities have recently dropped out of rankings such as U.S. News. Withdraws form U.S. News rankings is most significant among Law schools and Medical Schools where almost all of the major universities such as Harvard, Columbia, John Hopkins, etc. Have recently dropped out. Among undergraduate program rankings, Colombia is the most recognized school that will no longer participate.  The general recommendation of many educators to students is that they should not consider rankings as the only (and even most significant) criterion for selecting schools. They should rather evaluate which university and program fits their profile and needs best and allows them to achieve their full potential. Click here to read the article.

  On Saturday, December 2nd, the Math Competition Award Ceremony was held. The Math Competition took place last month, on November 11th, and not only SUNY Korea students but also high school students were allowed to participate. The required math levels that students needed to know were Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, and Probability. 65 students participated in this competition; 27 were SUNY Korea students, and 38 were students from 24 different high schools.  Six SUNY Korea students received awards. Jin Wook Lee, a sophomore majoring in Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS), won First Place. Two freshmen, Su Min Jeong from Mechanical Engineering and Jung Jae Park from AMS, won Excellence Awards. Lastly, Honorable Mention Prizes went to three AMS students, Seyoung Ki who is a sophomore, Hojoon Choi who is a senior, and So Won Park who is a sophomore.  In the Award Ceremony, many SUNY Korea faculty and students attended, including Provost Hamid Hefazi, Professor Hongshik Ahn, Chair of the Applied Mathematics and Statistics Department, and the student winners. Professor Ahn opened the award ceremony with a welcome speech, and Provost Hefazi gave a congratulatory speech and awarded the prizes.    Written by Student Reporter, Hyeonha Hwang (hyeonha.hwang@stonybrook.edu)  

  The Incheon Global Campus Foundation (IGCF) recently organized the 2023 IGC Startup Idea Contest and Mentoring Event, allowing all students, graduates, faculty members, and staff at IGC to participate in this event. The competition welcomed creative submissions covering a wide range of subjects and business concepts. Numerous teams submitted their ideas, and nine teams were selected after going through the paper screening and presentation stages. Seven out of the selected nine teams were from the SUNY Korea community. SUNY Korea received several awards, including Best Award, Excellence Award, and Creativity Award. Team Onefi, whose members are Hosung Cheon and Sohee Park from SBU, won the Best Award with their idea, “Connection Middleware to Activate Simple Payment of Virtual Assets.” Team The Grid Laboratory, whose members are Hyungmin Park, Chanyoung Na, Byungchul Cho, Ryangjin Lee, and Joon Jeon from SBU, won the Excellence Award with their topic, “Brand Marketing through Games.” FIT student Mingyu Shin also won the Excellence Award with his item, “Safety Tripod Used by Throwing.” Lastly, Team Moongchi, Team K-ARE, and Team JM won the Creativity Award. Team Moongchi, whose members are Sunkyu Moh, Garim Won, Ikjun Chang, Eui-jin Jeong, and Sungwon Choi from SBU, submitted their documentation, titled “One-Stop Brand Launch Helper.” Team K-ARE, whose members are Jisub Lim and Seyeon Choi from SBU, submitted their idea, “Overseas Nursing Care People Matching Platform.” Team JM, whose members are Sungmin Lee, Gilho Kim, and Yunjeong Noh from SBU, won the prize with their idea “Platform that Connects Small-scale Producers in Developing Countries and Consumers in Developed Countries.” Written by Student Reporter, Hyeonha Hwang (hyeonha.hwang@stonybrook.edu)

  On November 17th, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) of SUNY Korea launched a networking event for fashion professionals, which was held as part of the 1st Global Fashion Expert Training Program, at the Seoul Creative Fashion Studio of DDF Fashion Mall. Around 200 fashion professionals participated in this event, including brand managers, buyers, CEOs, designers, educators, marketers, merchandisers, and sales executives, representing 114 fashion companies and institutions. The event featured a distinctive dress code in which attendees “dressed their best with a hint of pink or red to accentuate their ensemble.” DJ music further enhanced the atmosphere, while MBTI and related activities facilitated a sense of openness and communication among the participants. It provided a vibrant platform for meaningful networking, fostering an exchange of ideas and information among the participants. Attendees shared valuable insights while sharing their expertise with participants. Professor Vincent Quan, the Program Manager and Chair of the Fashion Business Management Department at SUNY Korea-FIT, emphasized the need for collaboration and building a community among various sectors in the Korean fashion industry. He stated that the global advancement of Seoul and K-Fashion, while nurturing current and future fashion professionals, should be a priority. SUNY Korea emphasized the importance of collaboration and exchange in various sectors of the fashion industry through this event, aiming to contribute to the development of Korea's fashion sector. The ongoing '1st Global Fashion Expert Training Program,’ which commenced on August 22nd, is set to conclude with a graduation ceremony on December 9th at the SUNY Korea campus. The closing event highlights an intensive 16-week journey that has emphasized global fashion topics, a live fashion case study, and final project to be presented by participants.    

  On Tuesday, November 28, in the Haft Theater, a celebration was held in honor of Stephen Burrows, Fashion Design ’66. Burrows is the last living designer who participated in the Battle of Versailles 50 years ago in France. (Read a full profile of Burrows in an archive issue of Hue magazine.) The program was organized by Gwen Sargeant, founder of the Fashion Arts Xchange Group Inc., a nonprofit that provides career opportunities in fashion and visual arts to minority students and professionals. The celebration for Burrows featured opening remarks from FIT President Joyce F. Brown, acknowledging his many accomplishments, including being the first Black designer to win a Coty American Fashion Critics award. He went on to win two more over the years. Burrows, who was in attendance, was thoughtful as he reminisced about his career and expressed his gratitude for all of it. Click here to read the original article.

  The winners of FIT’s second annual PETE Prize for Entrepreneurs were announced during Entrepreneurship Month on Thursday, November 30, at a breakfast at Spring Place. The 2023 winning team of Habin Lee, Technical Design ’23, and Mary Addison Davis, Fashion Design ’23, whose company is RANEA: Courage to Move, have created a business manufacturing and selling athletic wear that facilitates proper muscle movements and reduces stress for chronic injuries for both men and women. Lee and Davis, who were chosen from among 96 applicants, are receiving $30,000, along with office space for one year and marketing, legal, financial, creative, and operational guidance on how to build and launch an innovative company. “What’s really important for RANEA,” said Lee, “is to promote and to remember the joy of having an active lifestyle without getting injured.” Click here to read the original article.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recognized Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) for its public commitments to decarbonizing its operations and improving resilience in the face of climate change. As part of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), HHS announced December 3 that SBUH was one of more than 130 organizations to join the White House-HHS Health Sector climate pledge, committing to align with the Biden administration’s goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Click here to see the original article.

The Cardiothoracic Surgery Division at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has once again earned the distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG or heart bypass surgery) procedures. The three-star rating awarded for the July 2020 to June 2023 analytic period denotes the highest category of quality and places SBUH among the elite for heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada. Stony Brook University Hospital received its first three-star rating in 2017 and has consistently received top ratings since. “At Stony Brook, we take great pride in our comprehensive heart program that has a long legacy of bringing the highest quality standards to benefit our patients and their families,” said Carol Gomes, chief executive officer, Stony Brook University Hospital. “And we remain laser-focused on serving our community with the most advanced technology, our outstanding cardiovascular staff and the full spectrum of lifesaving cardiac interventions.” Click here to read the original article.

  The SUNY Korea Museum of Modern Costume opens a new exhibition, “Indigo Dreams in the Coral Kingdom," from November 29th, 2023, to March 8th, 2024. The FIT NDGC club, ATC Textile club, SBU Art class students, Utah's Film students, indigo-focused artists, a tufting artist, and a florist collaborated to create this wonderful exhibition that allows you to experience an enchanting world of naturally dyed indigo garments.   In a world where the deep blue seas and the coral kingdom face threats from pollution and the consequences of global warming, we invite you to join us on a journey to 'Indigo Dreams in the Coral Kingdom.' This exhibition celebrates the timeless allure of indigo-dyed garments while serving as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for sustainability and environmental stewardship. Join us in exploring the enchanting world of naturally dyed indigo garments, where the creative talents of FIT NDGC club, ATC Textile club, SBU Art class students, Utah's Film students, two indigo-focused artists, a tufting artist, and a florist have converged to bring this exhibition to life. 'Indigo Dreams in the Coral Kingdom' is not just an exhibition; it's a call to action, a testament to our shared responsibility, and a dream for a brighter, bluer, and more sustainable tomorrow.   Immerse yourself in the allure of indigo, appreciating its timeless beauty and the craftsmanship behind each piece. Beyond fashion, the exhibition extends into film, tufting art, and floral design—a testament to the diverse talents converging to raise awareness about environmental issues. As you explore "Indigo Dreams in the Coral Kingdom," take a moment for reflection. This exhibition serves as a poignant reminder of our shared responsibility to protect our oceans and advocate for sustainability. It's not just an exhibition; it's a call to action—a collective dream for a brighter, bluer, and more sustainable tomorrow. Join us in this creative endeavor, where art meets consciousness, inspiring positive change for the delicate ecosystems of our coral kingdoms and deep blue seas. This exhibition will be closed from December 18, 2023 through January 1st, 2024, during the winter recess of SUNY Korea offices.

Stephen A. Koch, Stony Brook University professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry, was recently named the recipient of the 2023 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry “for pioneering contributions to bioinorganic chemistry and fundamental synthetic coordination chemistry, and for exceptional service to the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry.” The award is sponsored by Strem Chemicals.  Among his many responsibilities that garnered this accolade, Koch was responsible for the logistical task of scheduling the various Inorganic Chemistry Division oral and poster sessions at multiple National ACS meetings for more than a decade. Accordingly, he will be honored at the ACS award ceremony in March 2024, in conjunction with its annual conference, where he will provide an award address, and there will be a day-long symposium in his honor. Click here to read the original art article

  As the year comes to an end, the grand finale, “2023 Year-End Party" was celebrated on Friday, November 24th, 2023. The Undergraduate Student Council (USC) and SUNY Korea's Student Services invited all SUNY Korea students, faculty, and staff for the much-anticipated 2023 Year-End Party. The theme for this year’s celebration was ‘KINGSMAN’, and all members were dressed with charm and elegance in suits and ties, adding a spice to the event. The ‘Best Dressed Award,’ was presented to Hyobin Shin (Mechanical Engineering, SBU) and Jennifer Christiana (Fashion Business Management, FIT) for showcasing the best style of the night. Additional winners received ‘People of the Year’ awards, from votes that were collected prior to the event. Theses winners were recognized for their significant contributions to the SUNY Korea community. Lastly, the Lucky Draw session added a layer of excitement to the evening. During the event, many lucky attendees were able to win amazing prizes.  A highlight of the event was SUNY Korea’s ‘Got Talent Show,’ featuring performances from six teams – ECHO, Emesis, Delicatessen, Seunghun Lee, White Chamber, and Yoonji Min – who took the stage to compete for the grand prize. From musical performances to festive dance performances, the students were able to showcase their extraordinary talents. Via selection from our wonderful faculty and USC President judges, ‘Delicatessen’ (Haemin Kim, Computer Science, SBU) won first place in the ‘Got Talent Show’ with his amazing talent in guitar. Eddie (Seunghun Lee, Electrical and Computer Engineering, SBU) secured in second place in beatboxing and EMEIS (SUNY Korea dance club) won third place. As the SUNY Korea community came together to bid farewell to 2023, the Year-End Party’s program left an unforgettable memory to all. 1st Place: Delicatessen   2nd Place: Seunghun Lee   3rd Place: EMEIS     Check the 2023 SUNY Korea Year-End Party Video HERE  

    From November 23rd to 26th, the Incheon Art Show 2023 will be held at the Incheon Convensia Center, and this year, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is making a bold statement with its participation. Under the title "Contemporary Canvas," FIT's FD Department is set to showcase a vibrant and creative display, featuring more than 20 original digital artworks printed on T-shirts. The Incheon Asia Art Show is a platform for artists and designers to show off their art pieces. In this year’s Incheon Asia Art Show, ‘Beyond Asia Connect Global,’ around 700 domestic and international artists will be participating and operating booths. FIT's presence at the event underscores its commitment to fostering creativity and embracing the global art market. Visitors to the FIT booth at Convensia can expect to be captivated by a diverse array of curated graphic T-shirts, each piece carefully curated to reflect contemporary designs. The Modern T-Shirt allows individuals to express themselves while controlling their own personal narratives. This exhibition represents a collaborative work within the Fashion Design Department, showcasing the talent of the student, faculty, and staff designers. For those eager to explore the intersection of art, fashion, and technology, the Incheon Asia Art Show 2023 is the place to be. FIT's "Contemporary Canvas" exhibit promises to leave a lasting impression, offering a glimpse into the future of artistic expression and boundless possibilities. Don't miss the opportunity to witness this convergence of art and fashion at the FIT booth, along with a variety of many other artists.  

  On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, SUNY Korea students were granted a rare glimpse into the fashion world from one of the most famous fashion designers in South Korea. Chung Chung Lee, the CEO of LIE Collection and also the son of Sang Bong Lee, was able to join the Fall 2023 Career Talk to You, themed “Fashion in Passion”. Mr. Lee’s journey into the fashion industry is all about creativity. Throughout his talk, he emphasized the importance of having a profound passion in fashion. Also, he shared stories of collaborating with numerous brands, including Van Cleef & Arpels, Aston Martin, Swarovski, BMW MINI, Volkswagen, and many more.  His LIE Collection, short for “Life Is an Expression,” shows his innovative talent in each piece. Mr. Lee has curated numerous fashion shows around the world, including Paris, New York, Seoul, and Jakarta. He explained the intricate process of creating a fashion show, from designing each piece, shoes and accessories that fit with the clothing, and even guiding the models in expressing the clothing. As the session concluded, the students left with a newfound insight for the fashion industry. Chung Chung Lee’s journey has inspired many FIT students dreaming of a career in the fashion industry.   Chung Chung Lee and Vincent Quan, Chair and Professor of the Fashion Business Management Department  

With holiday baking season upon us, it’s time to check in with Rose Levy Beranbaum, Fashion Design ’70, the three-time James Beard Award-winning fairy godmother of fabulous baked goods. Rose has written 13 cookbooks, most of them about desserts. She’s known for her “bibles”—on cake, cookies, pie and pastry, baking, and bread—and for the kind of precise instructions that let even a novice produce a masterpiece. After 35 years, she’s working on a revision of The Cake Bible, first published in 1988, and named Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2017. Like any good bible, this perennial bestseller is epic. There are butter cakes, cheesecakes, sponge cakes, wedding cakes, and even pancakes. Click here to see the original article.