Dr. Choi received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2006, specializing in MEMS/Nanotechnology and minoring in Fluid Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering. He earned his MS in Fluids, Thermal, and Chemical Processes from Brown University in 2002. Before he moved to US, he acquired his BS (1995) and MS (1997) in Aerospace Engineering from Seoul National University in Korea.
Working at Stevens since 2007, Choi’s research perspectives have centered on the fundamental understanding of micro/nano-scale interfacial phenomena and the development of scalable micro/nano-manufacturing techniques that can allow the scientific studies of micro/nano-mechanics and the broad applications of micro/nanostructures, ultimately targeted for the engineering of multifunctional/adaptable surfaces, devices, and systems for multiscale civil/military/energy/bio applications. Supported by various funding sources including NSF, ONR, DARPA, US Army, DOE, USDA, ACS PRF, and Industry, Choi has developed more than 20 research grants/contracts with a value greater than $6M at Stevens. Choi has advised and trained 6 post-docs, 13 PhD students, and 11 MS students at Stevens so far. Choi’s scholarly achievements include the publication of 1 book, 7 book chapters, ~300 peer-reviewed journal and conference articles, 13 patents, and ~200 presentations at premium conferences/workshops/symposiums including ~30 plenary/keynote/invited talks. One of his early works (“Large slip of aqueous liquid flow over a nanoengineered superhydrophobic surface”, Physical Review Letters 96, 066001, 2006) has been selected by Google Scholar as one of the top-cited and classic papers in Fluid Mechanics. Several of his publications have also been highlighted in the news media, including Nature (“Fluid dynamics: Slip and slide”, Nature 454, 920, 2008).
He is a recipient of the 2010 Young Investigator Program (YIP) award by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR). Choi has also received Stevens Research Recognition Award in 2010. Choi’s early career success was also highlighted in Nature in 2010 (“From Aerospace to Navy Ships: Design for Anti-Corrosive Vessel Surfaces Earns Award for Nanoengineer”, Nature 465, 385, 2010). Choi was also selected as one of Nanotechnology Thought Leaders in 2010 by AZoNano (The A to Z of Nanotechnology). In 2013, Choi was designated one of the eight US delegates to attend the CRDF Global Workshop in Uzbekistan to present and discuss the developments in energy research and collaboration between the US and Uzbekistan. In 2015, he was also awarded the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. We has also been recognized as one of the world-leading top scholar in superhydrophobic coating by ScholarGPS.
He is a founder and organizer of the International Conference of Nature-Inspired Surface Engineering (NISE). He has served as an Editorial Board member for several journals including Droplet, International Journal of Wettability Science and Technology, Micromachines, and Scientific Reports. He is also currently serving as an Advisory Board member for the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science.