Arkansas Researcher to Lead IEEE Nanotechnology Council

UA System Division of Agriculture, Fred Miller

Jin-Woo Kim was chosen to lead the Nanotechnology Council of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 2023.

Jin-Woo Kim, a professor and researcher with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, was recently named president-elect of the Nanotechnology Council of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for 2023.

Kim is a biological and agricultural engineering professor for the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, and the U of A's College of Engineering. He has devoted much of his career to developing advanced nanoparticle systems into practical tools for agricultural, medical and manufacturing uses.

He will assume the role of president from 2024-2025. The IEEE is a professional organization for advancing technology with more than 400,000 members in over 160 countries. It is composed of 39 technical societies and seven technical councils representing the wide range of IEEE technical areas.

The IEEE Nanotechnology Council, or NTC for short, is the IEEE's second-largest council with a multidisciplinary group of over 23,500 members from 22 technical societies. For over 20 years, the NTC has advanced and coordinated work in the field of nanotechnology that is carried out throughout the IEEE in scientific, literary and educational areas.

"We are very proud to have Dr. Kim as a faculty member at the University of Arkansas and a researcher with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station," said Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. "His status with the IEEE as president-elect of the Nanotechnology Council, and a recently inducted Fellow of the organization, is testament to his reputation and leadership on a global stage."

A member of the IEEE since 1998, Kim was elevated to the status of IEEE Fellow in January for his contributions to nanoscale fabrication of bio/nano-hybrid materials. Only about 1.25 percent of IEEE members have been named fellows.

He was elected president-elect of 2023 at the IEEE NTC's annual administrative committee meeting in Mallorca, Spain, on July 5, when representatives of the IEEE's 22 technical societies gathered for their annual council meeting to elect officers.

Kim has been director of the Bio/Nano Technology Group at the U of A since 2001 and has served in many key leadership roles with the IEEE over the years.

Lalit R. Verma, professor and head of the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, also noted Kim's position as president-elect of the IEEE NTC reflects his scientific stature among his peers.

"His research has made major contributions to nanoscale fabrication of bio/nano-hybrid materials," Verma said. "Dr. Kim's research includes developing a method to treat cancer, technology to guide the self-assembly of nanoparticles into specific shapes and functions, and the technology to investigate the applications of nanocellulose created from timber industry waste."

Verma noted Kim was the leader in organizing the IEEE-NANO, IEEE-NEMS and IEEE-NANOMED international conferences. Kim also serves as a co-founder and a scientific advisory board member of CelluDot LLC, a Fayetteville start-up company working to turn nanocellulose into materials for a variety of uses including agricultural adjuvants, medical diagnosis agents, smart fabrics, packing materials and filters.

"I am deeply humbled to have been elected among a field of incredibly talented colleagues to serve on the council," Kim said. "IEEE NTC has had an important role in my own professional growth, and I welcome the opportunity to lead an organization that has made such a difference to me. I am honored and excited to serve in this role!"

Kim's leadership roles with the IEEE have also included vice president for publications, vice president for conferences of the IEEE NTC and editor-in-chief of the IEEE Open Journal of Nanotechnology, IEEE's rapid and open-access journal.

​To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at @ArkAgResearch.

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About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system. The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.