Chris Kim

Major: Bioengineering (Biotechnology)
Class of 2010
Career Goal: DMD/PhD in biomedical engineering; Work at the interface between dentistry and biomedical engineering research in academia

Why did you choose UCSD?
UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering is one of the youngest and one of the best engineering schools in the world. The top notch bioengineering program attracted me to come to UCSD over other prestigious engineering schools. When I visited the campus, I found undergraduate students participating in research projects with stellar faculty members. UCSD has many programs and opportunities that help students gain research and work experience to compliment their class work. Also, there are a lot of information technology and biotech companies in San Diego. Students can purse part time job or internships in order to obtain more industrial experience during the summer and school year. Students can build their resume for prestigious graduate schools and outperform in industry after graduation.

What makes UCSD so special?
There are a lot of opportunities everywhere at UCSD. Through engineering programs (i.e. TIES, PRIME, Team Internship Program, other research programs), you can obtain priceless experience beyond the curriculum. All the faculty members are very friendly and passionate about their research. They help undergraduate students to participate in their research projects and sometimes offer opportunities to conduct independent projects. The staff at the Engineering Student Services are always there to help you out. I always feel welcomed when I visit the office. In engineering classes, students collaborate with other peers by working on group projects. It really helps your ability to work both independently and in a group. All engineering classes were designed to prepare students for a successful transition into a career in industry or graduate school. Every year, I see the engineering students from the Jacobs School earn admission into top notch graduate school programs and receive job offers after graduation.

More about Chris
Beginning his freshmen year, Chris delved into undergraduate research at the Jacobs School and joined the Cartilage Tissue Engineering laboratory in the Bioengineering Department. He actively participated in multiple tissue engineering/ biomechanics projects including presenting at research conferences and co-authoring research papers for publication. Chris is a recipient of the Jacobs School Scholarship and was awarded the Calit2 Summer Research Scholarship and Amgen Research Scholarship.

Chris has also been active in engineering student organizations. As the president of Korean Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) on campus, he served as the chair of YG&PF 2008, a national conference for Korean American students in science and engineering, and received the KSEA undergraduate merit scholarship in 2009. In addition, Chris volunteers his time providing outreach services at the UCSD Moores Cancer and tutoring services at the Preuss School.