Professor Jaewook Nam of SNU College of Engineering Named Inaugural Recipient of the Yang Seung-Man Transport Phenomena Award
- Award established to honor the academic legacy of the late Professor Seung-Man Yang, SNU Chemical Engineering alumnus
- Professor Nam recognized for pioneering research in transport phenomena and process design


▲ (Left) Bang Hee Kim, President of the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers, and (Right) Professor Jaewook Nam, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that Professor Jaewook Nam of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the “Yang Seung-Man Transport Phenomena Award,” newly established by the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers (KIChE).

The award ceremony was held on Tuesday, October 15, during the 2025 KIChE Fall Meeting and International Conference at the ICC JEJU.

The Yang Seung-Man Transport Phenomena Award was founded through donations from the students and the wife, Ms. Eui-Jeong Hong, of the late Professor Seung-Man Yang, Professor Emeritus of Biological and Chemical Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The award commemorates his scholarly achievements and lifelong dedication to education and aims to carry forward the academic tradition he built in the field of transport phenomena. It will be presented annually to researchers who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to research and education in transport phenomena.

Professor Yang, a graduate of SNU’s Department of Chemical Engineering (Class of 1976), earned his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and later served as a professor at KAIST’s Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering. He passed away on September 26, 2013, at the age of 63, leaving a profound impact on the academic community. A pioneer in microscale transport phenomena, Professor Yang made significant contributions to fluid mechanics, colloidal self-assembly, and optical materials. His excellence was recognized through over 200 published papers and numerous domestic and international awards.

The inaugural recipient, Professor Jaewook Nam, is a leading authority in transport phenomena, rheology, and solution-based process engineering. He has led pioneering studies that bridge fundamental science and industrial applications in process analysis and design. In particular, his research on slot-die coating processes for the high-speed fabrication of battery electrodes and optical layers for displays has established a new framework that combines experimental investigation and numerical modeling to enhance understanding of complex process dynamics. This work has made a major contribution to the advancement of next-generation manufacturing technologies, including continuous coating, thin-film formation, and viscoelastic flow control.

Currently serving as the Director of Energy & Environmental Materials Process Integration Research Center, Professor Nam leads studies on the physical and chemical interactions in solution processes and the development of data-driven process design platforms.

Professor Nam remarked, “It is a great honor to receive an award named after Professor Seung-Man Yang, who devoted his life to advancing the fundamentals of transport phenomena. I will continue to build upon his academic legacy by deepening research in this field and fostering the next generation of scholars.”

A representative from the SNU College of Engineering stated, “It is a matter of great pride for our university and the academic community that an award has been established in honor of Professor Yang, an SNU alumnus and world-renowned scholar.”

A KIChE representative added, “Professor Yang’s academic passion and achievements remain invaluable assets to the Korean chemical engineering community. This award will serve as a lasting symbol that inspires future researchers in transport phenomena to continue his spirit of exploration and excellence.”


[Contact Information]
Professor Jae Wook Nam, Microfluidics and Coating Process Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University / +82-2-880-1654 / jaewooknam@snu.ac.kr