대학신문방송국

We are in Lab World

By Jeong Hyo-bin Reporter, Senior of Chemical and Biological Engineering,

 Lee Seo-jin Reporter, Junior of Material Science and Engineering

Any engineering student attending HBNU would have considered becoming an undergraduate researcher at least once. However, many students are reluctant to participate because they do not know what they are doing or how to join. We met undergraduate researchers from various departments for you.

Sim Eun-seon, senior of Creative Convergence Engineering

1. What is the name of the lab you belong to?

SEDC, Soft Electronic Devices & Circuits Lab.

2. What kind of research are you doing there?

We are conducting research on driving and automation of condensation sensor elements and changes in polymer ferroelectric properties.

3. Why did you choose that lab?

I wanted to learn the theory of my major in depth and experiment with the equipment myself in the lab. In addition, I was interested in sensor device and circuit technology. So, I want to conduct related research. That is why I chose SEDC lab.

4. What did you learn while you were in the lab?

I learned about the experimental process for making memory devices such as solution process, organic & inorganic matter deposition. Additionally , I learned how to measure the memory element that I made. Also, I learned about circuit design, microcontroller coding, data correction, etc., which are the process of developing sensors.

Lim Yu-ri, Junior of Material Science and Engineering

1. What is the name of the lab you belong to?

Prof. Kim Jung-hyun’s Lab. (Solid Oxide Energy Device Laboratory)

2. What kind of research are you doing there?

I am conducting research on the air gap material of solid oxide fuel cells and research to solve problems commissioned  by an external company.

3. What did you learn while you were in the lab?

First of all, I had more opportunities to experiment myself. In the Lab, we don’t just experiment. We have to analyze and interpret the data. Therefore, I have to study my major deeply.

 4. Do you have anything to say to students thinking of lab?

I recommend the lab to HBNU students but not all students. I would like to recommend it to students who are interested in or want to experience research and students who have a good learning attitude. If you come in without any resolution, Lab life can be harder than you think. It is not as nice as it looks from the outside. Lol. However I’m always enjoying my research, so if you go into your “Lab world,” you will do well enough. I hope this interview helps students who want to join the lab life.

Jeon Seoyeon, Junior of Computer Engineering

1. What is the name of the lab you belong to?

It is ISL (Intelligent System Laboratory).

2. What kind of research are you doing there?

We are working on projects that develop software. At the moment, we are working on a project related to autonomous drone flight. The final goal of the project is making drones that can avoid obstacles autonomously and draw maps based on their route data.  

3. Did you learn anything while you were in the lab?

I learned a lot. When I transferred from a different major, I didn’t have a detailed plan. However, after entering the ISL, I can flesh out my future planning. For example, what field to go to, and what specs are needed to go there. For the project progress, I was able to experience practical work by writing a plan and dividing tasks into categories of work.

4. Do you have anything to say to students thinking of joining labs?

Each laboratory is different, so I hope you look into it before you go in. Also, I hope only those who are determined to work hard will join. There are some labs that must invest a lot of time and have an obligation, although my lab does not. In this case, I don’t think lab life will help to develop if you don’t try hard.

Jung Young -ju, senior of Chemical and Biological Engineering

1. What is the name of the lab you belong to?

 I am in the Smart Nanomaterials Laboratory. 

2. What kind of research are you doing there?

We are researching smart nanomaterials that cause appropriate responses and structural transformation in many environments. We study the chemical synthesis of nanomaterials, polymeric materials, and their bulk structures. We research to observe and identify the properties of synthesized substances and develop application technologies related to environmental purification.

3. Why did you choose that lab?

Because I wanted to experience lab life and research activities. Through the curriculum, I can gain experience through knowledge and experimental classes related to my major. However, I thought the best way to experiment in my interest fields was to enter the lab. Since I am very interested in applied chemistry and macromolecular fields, I naturally took classes with a professor of polymeric-related majors, and I chose the Smart Nanomaterials laboratory related to polymers as I consulted with the professor.

4. Do you have anything to say to students thinking of working in labs?

I highly recommend experiencing lab life. It’s true that you are busy when you work in the lab. However, there are a lot of things to do, and there are more opportunities to experience the areas you are interested in. I think that lab life will be nice if I think about the sense of accomplishment and the objective position. I compare myself to those who graduated without living in the lab. Through these experiences and self-development, I have grown up further. Also, I think that this is the biggest experience of development that I can have during my college life.

In the interview, Jung Young-ju, she said that the three conditions the professor told her about when choosing her laboratory helped her to make a choice. The requirements are as follows.

First, is the research field of the lab you want to select right for you?

Second, is good research going on in the lab you selected (such as, do the published papers come out well)?

Third, is the career path of seniors who have graduated from the lab similar to the path that you thought and hoped for?

Check these three requirements. If you wish to experience the on-campus laboratory, it would be good to consider these conditions carefully and choose the laboratory. 

All four of the students who were interviewed recommended lab life. There is a saying, “Lab by Lab.” It means each lab has different tasks and a different atmosphere. Therefore, to make the right choice for you, it is important to investigate each lab and to consult each lab’s professor or students in person. Why don’t we take this opportunity to put it into practice?