Ik Seon Kwon Receives 2021 ECS Korea Section Student Award

Ik Seon Kwon, a PhD student at Korea University, South Korea, is the recipient of the 2021 ECS Korea Section Student Award. The award recognizes a Korean University PhD student for their academic accomplishments in any area of science or engineering in which electrochemical and/or solid state science and technology is the central consideration.

The ECS Korea Section Student Award

The section established the award, which is bestowed annually, in 2005. The winner receives a $500 USD prize which is awarded at an ECS Korea Section meeting. The award recipient may be asked to speak at that meeting on a subject of major interest to him/her in the field of electrochemical and/or solid state science and technology.

Ik Seon Kwon

Kwon received a BS in Advanced Materials Chemistry at Korea University, South Korea, in 2015. He then worked in Prof. Jeunghee Park’s lab at Korea University, completing an MS in Micro Device Engineering there in 2018. He is now pursuing his PhD working in the same research lab.

Kwon’s research focuses on developing promising water splitting electrocatalysts with various group V, VI, and VII transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) materials. Currently, he is synthesizing composition-controlled TMDs materials like Mo_1-xNb_xSe₂, Mo_1-xV_xSe₂, and Nb_1-xV_xSe₂, using a colloidal synthesis method to research physicochemical properties. These results help to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of TMDs.

Kwon is the first author of many papers in outstanding journals including ACS Nano, Small, and the Journal of Materials Chemistry A. He has received awards including the 2021 BK21 Plus-Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the South Korean Ministry of Education; 2020 Korea University Graduate Student Achievement Award; 2019 Graduate Student Outstanding Paper Award from the Korean Synchrotron Radiation Users Association; and 2018 Excellent Poster Presentation Prize from the Korean Chemical Society.

The ECS Korea Section

The award is bestowed by the ECS Korea Section, a group founded by Electrochemistry Society members in South Korea. The section strives to introduce and support activities in electrochemistry and solid state science in South Korea. Bestowing awards is an important function of the section as well as bringing technical news and activities within reach of those who are not able to attend ECS meetings.

Visit the award page for the full award description and list of notable past recipients.