Research Collaborations
Extending Student Research Through External Expertise
Selected ConnectSTEM research projects involve collaboration with faculty members, university researchers, and external research organizations when specialized expertise, facilities, or scientific guidance can strengthen the work.
University Faculty Collaborations
Faculty-Guided Research Experience — Seoul National University
2024–2026 · Recurring Summer Program
Since 2024, selected ConnectSTEM students have participated in recurring summer research experiences guided by faculty members and researchers affiliated with Seoul National University.
Students have worked in and visited advanced university research environments across organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, radiochemistry, and nuclear medicine, gaining direct exposure to laboratory methods and instrumentation used in university-level research.
The program has continued annually from 2024 through 2026, providing returning cohorts of ConnectSTEM students with access to faculty guidance and advanced research environments.
Selection & Participation
This recurring faculty-guided research experience is reserved for a highly selective cohort of ConnectSTEM researchers, typically representing approximately the top 5% of active students based on research readiness, academic performance, intellectual curiosity, initiative, sustained commitment, and collaborative character.
The experience has continued annually from 2024 through 2026. No separate participation fee is paid to Seoul National University or the participating faculty for student access to the program.
Research Exposure
- Organic chemistry experimentation
- Silica-column chromatography & HPLC
- NMR and LC/MS
- Radiochemistry
- Nuclear medicine research
- University laboratory methods and research environments
Faculty & Research Guidance
Prof. Byung Chul Lee
Seoul National University Bundang Hospital
Seoul National University Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology
Research Experience — Hanyang University
Department of Organic and Nano Engineering
ConnectSTEM students have participated in research experiences at Hanyang University, working with faculty and researchers in advanced materials and chemical engineering.
Students have gained hands-on experience with modern analytical instrumentation and sustainable resource-conversion research, including work with nanomaterials and food-waste valorization projects.
Selection & Participation
Students are selected from a highly qualified ConnectSTEM research cohort through a holistic review of research readiness, academic performance, intellectual curiosity, initiative, sustained commitment, and collaborative character.
No separate participation fee is paid to Hanyang University or the participating faculty for this research experience.
Faculty Collaborator
Taehee Han
Department of Organic and Nano Engineering
Hanyang University
Research Exposure
- Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
- Sample preparation and basic data interpretation
- Carbon resource recovery from food waste
- Sustainable resource-conversion processes
- 2D nanomaterial characterization and applications
- University laboratory safety and research practices
Location
Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering Building
Hanyang University
Faculty-Guided Biomedical Engineering Research — George Fox University
2025–2026 · Recurring Summer ProgramsSince 2025, selected ConnectSTEM students have participated in faculty-guided biomedical engineering research experiences associated with George Fox University.
The programs have combined hands-on engineering research with scientific literature analysis and research writing, giving students exposure to both the experimental and scholarly sides of biomedical engineering.
Selection & Participation
Students are selected from a highly qualified ConnectSTEM research cohort using the same holistic criteria applied to other advanced research opportunities.
Selected students work with Youngbok (Abraham) Kang, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at George Fox University, over an extended research period to develop a scientific review paper. No separate faculty mentoring fee is charged for the year-long review-paper guidance.
The program also includes an intensive in-person laboratory component at George Fox University. A separate $1,000 per-student laboratory participation fee has been charged for this component to support teaching-assistant assistance, laboratory materials, and experimental resources. This fee is separate from the year-long faculty-guided review-paper mentorship.
The $1,000 fee is a laboratory program participation fee. It is not a manuscript fee, authorship fee, journal-submission fee, or publication fee, and it does not guarantee publication.
2025 · Hands-On Biomedical Engineering Research
Students participated in a five-week summer research experience in George Fox University laboratories, working in team-based biomedical engineering projects and engaging with the engineering design process.
Research activities included 3D design and printing, coding, circuits, tissue engineering, medical-device fabrication, problem solving, and conceptual design.
Research Exposure
- Biomedical engineering design
- SolidWorks / 3D design
- 3D printing
- Coding & circuits
- Tissue engineering
- Medical-device fabrication
- Team-based conceptual design
2026 · Scientific Review & Research Writing
The 2026 program expanded the experience into scientific literature review, critical evaluation of experimental research, and structured scientific writing.
Under faculty instruction, students learned to search and evaluate research literature, critique experimental methods and findings, synthesize published evidence, develop scientific figures and tables, and prepare a journal-style review manuscript.
Faculty Research Guidance
Youngbok (Abraham) Kang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
George Fox University
Research & Writing Training
- Scientific literature search
- Experimental-method critique
- Analysis of published research data
- Literature synthesis
- Scientific manuscript structure
- Figures and summary tables
- Iterative manuscript revision
- Oral research presentation
Documented Deliverables
- Scientific review manuscript draft for potential publication
- Oral presentation summarizing findings
Upcoming Faculty-Guided Robotics Research — Loyola University Maryland
Planned: August 2026 – August 2027Beginning August 2026, selected ConnectSTEM researchers will undertake a year-long faculty-guided scientific review project with Hoyeon Kim, Ph.D., Department of Engineering at Loyola University Maryland.
The project will examine the design and stability of tracked mobile robots, with a focus on existing approaches to mechanical design, motion, kinematics, control systems, and stability in off-road and unstructured environments.
Students will conduct an extended literature review, evaluate existing tracked-robot designs and control approaches, synthesize findings across the robotics literature, and develop a structured scientific review manuscript.
Selection & Participation
Students are selected from a highly qualified ConnectSTEM research cohort using the same holistic criteria applied to other advanced research opportunities.
Selected students will work with Hoyeon Kim, Ph.D., Department of Engineering at Loyola University Maryland, over the year-long research period. No separate faculty mentoring fee is charged for this year-long faculty-guided review project.
Faculty Research Guidance
Hoyeon Kim, Ph.D.
Department of Engineering
Loyola University Maryland
Faculty Research Areas
- Robotics
- Autonomous navigation
- Motion control
- Microrobots
- Collaborative robots (COBOT)
Research Topic
Design of Tracked Mobile Robots for Stability
Research Focus
- Tracked mobile robot design
- Motion and kinematics
- Mechanical design constraints
- Control systems
- Off-road stability
- Applications in unstructured environments
- Comparative review of past and current tracked-robot designs
Research & Writing Training
- Scientific literature search and evaluation
- Comparative analysis of tracked-robot designs
- Mechanical design and control-system review
- Stability analysis in off-road environments
- Literature synthesis and manuscript development
- Scientific writing and figure preparation
- Iterative manuscript revision
Government & Research Organization Collaborations
Collaborative Research with Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency (KOAT)
Government Research Collaboration
Collaborative Research Poster — KOAT & ConnectSTEM
Research Topic
The Impact of Climate Change on Global Crop-Protection Product Market Demand
This collaborative research project examined how climate change, changing pest and disease patterns, and agricultural production trends may influence global demand for crop-protection products. The study reviewed global market data and compared market structures across major agricultural regions, with particular attention to South American markets. Researchers from the Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency (KOAT) and ConnectSTEM researchers are listed together as authors on the completed research poster.
Research Methods
- Literature and market-data review
- Global crop-protection market analysis
- Regional market comparison
- Climate-related pest and disease trend analysis
- Agricultural demand and market-growth analysis
Outcome
Completed collaborative research poster
ConnectSTEM students collaborated with researchers from the Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency (KOAT) on a study examining how climate change may influence global demand for crop-protection products.
The project analyzed global crop-protection market trends and compared market structures and demand patterns across selected countries, including major agricultural markets in South America.
ConnectSTEM students contributed as co-authors alongside KOAT researchers, participating in literature review, market-data analysis, interpretation, and development of the final research poster.
Research Topic
The Impact of Climate Change on Global Crop-Protection Product Demand
Research Focus
- Global crop-protection market trends
- Climate-change effects on pest and disease patterns
- Agricultural production expansion
- Regional crop-protection market comparison
- South American agricultural markets
- Market forecasting and demand analysis
Research Outcome
Collaborative Research Poster
The final poster lists researchers from the Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency and ConnectSTEM researchers as co-authors.
Collaborative Research Outcomes
Collaborative projects can extend the depth and reach of student research, supporting follow-up investigation, publication, and real-world application that would be difficult to achieve through mentorship alone.
KOAT Collaborative Research Poster
Completed Research OutcomeConnectSTEM student researchers co-authored a completed research poster with researchers from the Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency (KOAT), examining how climate change may influence global crop-protection product demand.
View collaboration detailsAdditional outcomes from collaborative research will be documented here as projects progress and results become available.
External Recognition
External collaboration can also create opportunities for student research to be recognized, reviewed, or presented within broader scientific and academic communities.
Recognitions, awards, and acknowledgments will be documented here as they are received.
ConnectSTEM’s long-term mentorship model remains the foundation of every project. External collaboration extends that model where it can add genuine scientific value.