Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

The Social Mobility Index (SMI) is a nontraditional college ranking that emphasizes indicators of economic opportunity rather than prestige. In the ninth annual SMI, released in November 2022, FIT was ranked in the top 20 of 1,414 institutions nationwide. Among these 20 inclusive colleges and universities are 10 public institutions in New York State, four of which are in the State University of New York system. Click here to read the original article

Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremony 5 Departments and 61 Graduating Students   The Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremony of SUNY Korea was celebrated on December 16th, 2022 in the IGC Auditorium. A total of 61 students from five different departments (Computer Science, Technology and Society, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and Business Management) are graduating this year. Arthur H. Lee, the president of SUNY Korea, said in his message of congratulations to the graduating students, “I sincerely congratulate you on your graduation, and I am grateful to the family, professors, and staff for their support to SUNY Korea. Do not stop striving for self-development even after graduation - History Makers move forward and change the world.” Also, Dr. Imin Kao, Executive Director of SUNY Korea Academic Programs, SBU, said, “We are building a world-class university to help solve the great challenges we face in the world and we trust we are doing so by challenging you as alumni of Stony Brook, FIT, and SUNY Korea to go on and do great things - to take on great challenges and find the solutions necessary to improve the human conditions. And by doing so you'll follow in the footsteps of the many Stony Brook and FIT alumni. Graduates, you are to be recognized, celebrated and honored upon your graduation today!” SUNY Korea, established in Songdo International City, Incheon in 2012 and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is the first American university established in Korea. Stony Brook University and the Fashion Institute of Technology attracts and operates excellent departments. All classes are conducted in the same way as the New York campus curriculum, and graduates will receive the same degrees from Stony Brook University and Fashion Institute of Technology, respectively. State University of New York Korea offers courses in Science and Engineering and Business Administration (Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, Technology Management, and Business Administration) of Stony Brook University and Art Departments (Fashion Design and Fashion Management) of Fashion Institute of Technology. It is a STEAM convergence education university. All departments at Stony Brook University, except for the Department of Business Administration, offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs.

SUNY Korea Resumes Global Support Providing educational materials to rural elementary schools in Burkina Fasoㅇ          SUNY Korea donates educational equipment to Ecole A de Kougsin and Ecole B de Kougsin SUNY Korea has resumed its support for elementary schools that have been hit by COVID-19 in West Africa, to help people overcome it. SUNY Korea provided educational equipment to elementary schools located in rural areas of Burkina Faso in West Africa to overcome COVID-19 and promote education. In October, educational equipment and materials supported by SUNY Korea were delivered to Ecole A de Kougsin and Ecole B de Kougsin in Kougsin Village, located in the midwest of Burkina Faso. With this support, 581 students from Ecole A and B de Kougsin, who stopped studying due to the worsening economic and medical environment caused by COVID-19, were able to continue their studies with proper educational equipment such as textbooks and writing implements. Students from the school shared their gratitude for SUNY Korea for allowing them to take a step closer to their future dreams of becoming teachers and doctors (refer to the photos below). Ecole A de Kougsin opened in 1983 and now has 407 students and 11 teachers, and Ecole B de Kougsin opened in 2014 and has 174 students and 6 teachers. Student appreciates the donors  Arthur H. Lee, the President of SUNY Korea, said, “It is regrettable that members of SUNY Korea cannot visit and serve in person as we did before the pandemic; however, it is fortunate that students in Burkina Faso's Kougsin Village can continue their studies through this support. We will continue to devise various measures to spread the vision of SUNY Korea, Shared Prosperity, around the world, starting from developing countries." Okgon Hwang, the CEO of [더멋진세상] in Burkina Faso, Africa, said, "We appreciate the continued support of SUNY Korea even in the difficult situation of COVID-19. Next year, I hope to meet the members of SUNY Korea in person and carry out various volunteer activities." Since SUNY Korea’s opening in Korea, the university has been carrying out the ‘Global Village Hope Project’, a volunteer activity and exchange cooperation program. From October 2015 to September 2018, 'Burkina Faso's Sanogo Village Self-Reliance Support Project' helped the Burkina Faso community to grow continuously by remodeling schools, installing solar panels in homes and schools, and installing village communal mills. 7,400 people in 1,500 households benefited from this service, which was also broadcast in Korea through the ‘Finding My Friend’s House’ episode of KBS’ Documentary Sympathy in 2016. In 2019, family photo shoots, school construction and remodeling, and streetlight installation projects were promoted in the Guksaeng village of Burkina Faso with the international activity organization The Great World, receiving very good results and responses locally. SUNY Korea’s involvement this time was also decided based on this deep relationship with Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has a land area three times larger than Korea, its total population is 22.67 million and its Gross National Income (GNI) is $860. It was a French colony until the 1950s, and gained independence after that; however, most of the people are living in poverty due to unstable political and economic conditions. In particular, there is an absolute lack of underground resources, water, and food, and the overall living environment is very poor, including a lack of an educational environment and various infrastructures. According to the 2021-2022 Human Development Index (HDI) report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the level of advancement of Burkina Faso ranks 184 out of 191 countries, making it one of the poorest countries.    

  The Office of Educational Effectiveness (OEE), the first such department in the history of Stony Brook University, marked a pivotal moment by hosting its first annual all-day Assessment Symposium on November 10, 2022. As part of the Office of the Provost, the new department is tasked with leading campus-wide assessment initiatives that measure both student learning outcomes and administrative outcomes at the institution. To mark the birth of this new office, and the increasing focus on assessment as an opportunity for institutional improvement to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Carl Lejuez and members of OEE selected four faculty members to receive the inaugural Excellence in Educational Effectiveness (EEE) Award. This award identifies Stony Brook educators who have demonstrated, over many years, a passion for evaluating their own teaching practices by collecting student feedback and data to make improvements and revisions to their curriculum and instruction. Data can include course evaluations, aggregated student course work, or artifacts that demonstrate learning has been achieved and to what degree. Click here to read the original article.

Michael Venten, a specialist in the Renaissance School of Medicine Department of Graduate Medical Education (GME), was one of three national winners of the Institutional Coordinator Excellence Award, presented by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The award was one of several presented by the ACGME, and the 2023 winners will be recognized at the council’s annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee, February 23-25, 2023. Click here to read the original article.

  Physicians at the Stony Brook Heart Institute Valve Center have expanded the array of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) approaches with two innovative techniques for treating patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve opening, affects up to 20 percent of older Americans. AS can lead to significant heart problems. For those with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, the mortality rate within a year can go as high as 50 percent if left untreated. Click here to read the original article.

  Newsweek’s ranking of “America’s Top Online Colleges 2023” placed FIT 22nd in the nation, and first in New York State, for its extensive online learning offerings. The list of 200 colleges was based on a survey of 9,000 online learners, and additional research about institutions that offer undergraduate and graduate programs online. FIT has more than 700 online course sections per year and four online degree programs: an AAS in Advertising and Marketing Communications, Communication Design Foundation, and Fashion Business Management, and a BS in International Trade and Marketing. Click here to read the original article.

  Nadine Areikat ’23 — the URECA Researcher of the Month for December — is double majoring in biology and psychology and is completing her biology honors thesis on “Characterization of Apoptosis During Murine Fracture Repair” under the mentorship of Dr. David Komatsu, Department of Orthopaedics, Renaissance School of Medicine. Surprisingly, she met her faculty mentor through a freshman 102 seminar course on science fiction that Dr. Komatsu was teaching, and she subsequently joined his research laboratory in Spring 2020. “For me research was really a pillar in my education; it was such an integral component of learning at Stony Brook University,” said Areikat. Click here to read the original article.

SUNY Korea Student Ambassador Inauguration Ceremony      SUNY Korea’s student ambassadors were officially inaugurated on Wednesday, November 23. As representatives of our university for the following year, the student ambassadors will participate in various university promotional content production activities, as well as being responsible for the university introduction, admission briefing, and student activities for visitors.  Arthur H. Lee, the president of SUNY Korea, said, “It is pleasant and reassuring to meet the student ambassadors who will be the face of the school for 2023. I hope all of you will actively promote the 10th year anniversary of SUNY Korea’s various achievements.”  Hayeoung Lee (Department of Technological Systems Management), who was selected as one of the new student ambassadors, expressed the following sentiment: “First of all, I thank the university for providing this great opportunity. I want to act as a student ambassador who can provide practical information to students who are interested in our university and want to enroll.”  Prior to this ceremony, SUNY Korea held an orientation on November 3rd to prepare these students for a better performance as student ambassadors of the university. The orientation was organized by the Student Services Team, Admissions Team, External Relations Team, and the Academic Affairs Team, with each department providing explanations and answers about the role of a student ambassador.     

SUNY Korea has a high quality Career Development Center that helps students prepare for their future jobs. SeungWon Byun, an Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS) graduate recently graduated from SUNY Korea and has been accepted to KPMG Samjong, said CDC provided most help for getting his current job.  Here is the interview of SeungWon Byun.   Why did you choose AMS in SUNY Korea? AMS caught my mind because it was where I could learn from pure mathematics, including algebra and graph theory to applied statistics that make use of diverse programs. AMS is not only for basic data analysis but also for the expansion of artificial intelligence. Why did you choose to work at KPMG Samjong? I wanted to do something related to analyzing data as a living. KPMG Samjong is an accounting firm that requires a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) license which SUNY Korea has a program to support, including a study room. I prepared for the exam by taking accounting lectures while studying on campus. What programs in SUNY Korea helped you get your current job? The career lecture I took as a liberal arts course and the programs provided by the Career Development Center helped a lot. During my junior year, I was able to think about and decide what I preferred and what I could do well, by taking the career lecture. Through these processes, I could choose my career, which landed on accounting. After that, through the programs provided by the Career Development Center, I could specify my career path. From writing a self-introduction letter to preparing an interview, they helped me prepare well, step by step. Thanks to those times, I was able to get a job. How has the one year at the New York campus helped you in life? At the New York home campus, I was able to take diverse courses and interact with friends from all over the world. Watching American football with friends is the most memorable experience on campus. Communicating with various foreign friends on or off campus and spending time together broadened my perspective and thoughts of the world.  Is there any advice you would like to tell your colleagues at SUNY?  It is not necessary to get a job abroad just because you graduated from a university overseas. While preparing for employment myself, I felt that if one decided on their career and is ready by oneself, many prestigious companies will be willing to hire them. Since it is uncommon to interact with foreign students, it would be a big benefit for your employment to be involved in varied activities provided on campus.

Patients suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, experience limited mobility and communication, leading to less personal freedom and a lower quality of life. However, two Stony Brook University professors are working to advance a multifunctional eye-gaze-based app that can help ALS patients gain back some of their lost independence.   According to Fusheng Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS), motor disability can be caused by ALS as well as other illness or trauma, including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injuries and stroke, and muscular dystrophy.   Click here to read the original article.

  JiHyun Baek is a SUNY Korea alumni, who achieved a bachelor and master's degree in Mechanical Engineering. She achieved her Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in December 2019 at SUNY Korea and her Master of Science degree in May 2021 at Stony Brook University, New York.  SUNY Korea is a place where you can study in two different campuses that allows more social interaction and provides an experience of a variety of cultures.  Here is the interview of JiHyun Baek.   Why did you choose SUNY Korea? I graduated from high school in Korea and transferred to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the State University of New York, Korea. I came to know the State University of New York in Korea when I had a lot of concerns about how the subjects I was learning could be applied to the industry rather than just theory. I was attracted to the school environment and accreditation program that values individual diversity and inclusion. While learning major subjects such as design, dynamics, and mechanics, most of the classes were realistic and required creativity and thinking skills, rather than simple calculations and memorization. I found the answer to how the knowledge learned in the classroom is applied to society and what can be done with what I have learned. I was convinced that this education would be the foundation for becoming the engineer I want to be.  What is your current role at Meta? I currently work on failure analysis of VR/AR devices at Meta (aka Facebook). The reason why I applied for this job at Meta was because I could apply the sciences, mechanics, and mechanical design I learned from school, and take one step closer to my dream of becoming a hardware designer. Why did you choose a job abroad?  I did not want to lose the opportunity to work abroad. As I was preparing for a job in the United States, regardless of field, company, or job, if it was related to my major, I tried my best in every part of the process when applying for the job. I went to job search sites in the US, LinkedIn, and the sites of the companies I wanted, looked for job postings, and kept knocking on doors. Then a recruiter saw my profile on LinkedIn, and the current company contacted me first. It was an amazing moment. What programs in SUNY helped you get a job? I took part in school activities such as the student council, clubs, and research projects as much as possible. Through the student council and club activities, I learned various content besides leadership and major studies, and I was able to broaden my academic knowledge through research activities. In particular, the research projects were very helpful in preparing for employment as they were like programs handled by actual companies or projects carried out by the company. What advice do you give to students preparing for college?  You should think about after graduation, not the name of the university. I want you to think about ‘how what I learn at university will be used in society and how I can apply what I learn to work’, set future goals, and choose a university and major accordingly.  

Chalk FIT is back on the college’s facade with artwork created by students from the Illustration and Interactive Media class of 2023. With “The Illustrated Song” as the theme, you’ll see art inspired by songs from a wide range of musicians, from emerging artists to rock ‘n’ roll legends. Chalk FIT can be viewed on Seventh Avenue from West 26th to West 28th streets.   Click through the slideshow above for a sampling of this year’s panels. Follow @chalkfitnyc for more views and short videos, and check out more by individual student artists by finding the social media handles listed on their work.   Click here to read the original article.

On Oct. 13 and 14, the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) held two in-person events—Branded Environments and Xlab in New York City at the Museum of the Moving Image. Three FIT students in the MA program in Exhibition and Experience Design (EED), Jenny Hsin-Yi Chang, Lyka Williams, Ciera Iveson, were the only students selected to present their work alongside industry experts at these events. A recent graduate of the program, Naz Ertugrul, also participated.   The Branded Environments event focused on “brand experiences that transform engagement within public spaces.” This year, numerous design professionals spoke about “The Art of Storytelling” from their perspective. The second event, Xlab, which “searches to discover how the digital and physical realms can interact to continuously create unique experiences,” was held on Oct. 14 at the same location.   Chang and Williams presented their second semester projects at the Branded Environments event. Chang shared her semester-long project, sponsored by the Museum of Moving Image, to rebrand the institution and create interior and exterior wayfinding and placemaking; Williams presented her concept for a retail pop-up for brand Allbirds in the Times Square Foot Locker store.   Click here to read the original article.

College of Arts and Sciences Profs Share Their Expertise With the midterm elections upon us, several faculty members from Stony Brook University’s College of Arts and Sciences share their thoughts on how to best approach difficult political conversations, behave civilly and ethically, and all just get along: Don’t Make It Personal   “During elections and beyond, many people damage their relationships with family, friends, and peers over political disagreements,” said Peter DeScioli, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, who conducts research in moral and political psychology. “So I try to caution students that fighting over politics is usually a bad idea, just like other kinds of fighting. Fighting, whether with fists or insults, hurts everyone.”   In contrast, DeScioli said, we can debate difficult issues more peacefully and intelligently if we restrain ourselves from trying to insult, blame, and punish each other personally. “Civil discussion means that the debaters agree to focus on the issues, to take turns speaking, and not to stoop to insults and name-calling.”   Click here to read the original article.