[Power K-Women] "Life is about placing dots given in life and drawing your own line"

Kim Hyunjung NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Researcher
Cried a lot during unfamiliar and tough lab life... Stood up again with parents' encouragement
"To be recognized in a place with different culture, trust must be built first between each other"

Editor's NoteAsia Economy will select women active in various fields both domestically and internationally as 'Power K-Women' and announce them at the ‘2023 Women Leaders Forum’ to be held on October 24th at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul. These women leaders have broken or transcended barriers such as gender, race, disability, and poverty to create new and universal values. Their stories will offer comfort to a weary world, serve as role models for others, and empower communities to move forward. We introduce candidates for Power K-Women who have stood up and fought without shrinking from discrimination or being trapped by boundaries.

When people around the world think of ‘space exploration,’ the first institution that comes to mind is NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA). Among its 10 affiliated centers, there is a Korean female researcher who has been gazing at and contemplating space daily for 14 years at the Langley Research Center in Virginia, the oldest field center. Her name is Kim Hyun-jung. Born in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, and a pure domestic talent who studied materials engineering at Yonsei University and KAIST graduate school, she is making a remarkable presence as a member of NASA.

Researcher Kim’s main research area is materials used for planetary exploration. A representative example is the ‘electrostatic power generation device’ used for lunar exploration. She explains, “The electrostatic power generation device can serve as a power source for systems different from existing lunar explorers and has the advantage of mitigating side effects on humans wearing spacesuits.”

Space telescope for space use being developed by NASA researcher Kim Hyun-jung. Photo by Kim Hyun-jung

She has received so many awards through creative ideas and relentless effort that listing them all is overwhelming. From 2009 to 2018, she received the ‘NASA Mentor Appreciation Award’ seven times. In 2012, she won the ‘Young Scientist of the Year Award’ from the Hampton branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and in 2020, she received the ‘NASA Henry Reid Outstanding Paper Award’ and the ‘NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal.’ She has also received the ‘NASA Outstanding Research Team Award’ and the ‘NASA Patent Award’ three times.

Among these, the award she considers most honorable is the ‘NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal (ETAM).’ This medal is awarded to those who develop technology that makes a significant contribution to NASA missions. It symbolizes that the research she quietly conducted alone in the lab, often wondering, ‘Will this research really succeed? Do people know how hard I am working?’ has been recognized by her colleagues.

Researcher Kim Hyun-jung, who took a commemorative photo on the NASA lawn with retired supervisors last February. Photo by Kim Hyun-jung

She was not outstanding from the beginning. In the early days, she was often scolded not only for her work but even for her poor English skills. She cried many times, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar and demanding research institute life. What always lifted her up during those times were her parents in Korea.

“One of the first tasks assigned to me at NASA was to produce 10 more samples identical to those made by a previous researcher within a month. For example, if there was a recipe for making a donut, I was told to make 10 more exactly the same. It sounded simple in words, but the problem was that for six months, no matter how much I followed the recipe, I couldn’t complete even one identical sample. So I thought either some conditions had changed or the recipe itself was wrong. Eventually, I modified the recipe in my own way and kept trying, while my supervisor insisted on making it according to the original recipe, and we were both exhausted from the conflict.”

"Instead of Complaining, Find Ways to Overcome Difficulties"

She shared her concerns with her father in Korea, and his answer was straightforward. “Then do both the original recipe and your recipe and compare the results. Show with experiments and data, not words, that you are right and build trust. Then the next steps will be easier.” At that time, she grumbled, “I’m already busy nonstop; how can I do both?” but her father encouraged her, saying, “If you had spent the time complaining to show it, you would have already done it.”

“In the end, following my father’s advice, I conducted two experiments to prove my method was correct. Then my supervisor acknowledged the error in the previous recipe and trusted and supported all my subsequent research. Through this, I realized that to be recognized and work together in a different culture, building mutual trust is the first step.”

What is the greatest competitive advantage at NASA, where arguably the smartest and most creative people in the world gather? Researcher Kim answers without hesitation: ‘trust.’ She emphasizes again, “There are so many truly smart people at NASA,” and shares an example with her close colleague, Dr. Gaffrey.

“One day, I shared an idea I had been thinking about and organizing for almost a year with my colleague Dr. Gaffrey. He quickly brought in mathematical formulas and physics theories to clearly explain why my idea was impossible. I was greatly stimulated and persistently delved deeper, solidified the theory, and verified it through experiments, eventually proving I was right. You could say I overcame intelligence with effort (laughs). Because of this, Dr. Gaffrey trusted me more, and now we are soulmates.”

Researcher Kim Hyun-jung is conducting an experiment by mounting a space telescope she is developing onto a drone. Photo by Kim Hyun-jung

Looking back, her entry into NASA was also thanks to ‘trust.’ In 2008, while in the doctoral program at KAIST, she attended a global academic conference held in Sicily, Italy, where she met researchers conducting deep space energy research at NASA. Some attendees canceled their trip to Italy due to news that Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano on Sicily Island, might erupt, but she did not want to miss the opportunity.

“Until then, I didn’t even know exactly what NASA did, nor had I dreamed of working there. On the last day, the organizers arranged a city tour of Sicily, but most attendees chose shopping. Then a NASA researcher, who was an invited speaker, asked me if I would accompany him for a walk to the ruins on a hill, and I gladly accepted. We walked up the hill as the sun was setting and had many conversations about my research and NASA’s research.”

After the conference, when she returned to her lab at KAIST, she found an email from the NASA researcher saying, “We want to hire you as a postdoctoral researcher upon graduation.” At that time, her doctoral research was related to semiconductors and not directly connected to NASA’s research. Of course, the equipment she used (vacuum equipment for thin film fabrication) and her materials engineering knowledge could potentially help NASA’s ongoing and planned research. It was also reasonable to broadly judge that her knowledge and experience from KAIST could be helpful to NASA’s work.

However, now, 16 years later, thinking from the perspective of a NASA researcher, it seems that her willingness to accompany a hike that others avoided gave the impression, ‘This person will bravely handle whatever is assigned, no matter how difficult or undesirable the task,’ thus earning trust.

The Most Important Point in Building Trust is Sincerity

She recommends the book 'The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything' by Stephen M. R. Covey, which she recently read. It is a book that well explains the value of trust. Researcher Kim adds that “the most important point in building trust is sincerity.”

“Fortunately, my greatest strength is sincerity. I am quite diligent. A former team project colleague once said, ‘If anyone ever tells you to be more diligent, they have completely misunderstood you, and there’s no need to work with them. Bring them to me, and I’ll tell them how hard it is to be as diligent as you!’”

Researcher Kim worked as a contract employee at Langley Research Center through the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) from April 2009 and became a full-time employee in September 2021. Since the retirement age for U.S. federal government employees was abolished in 1986, she can now work at her first job for as long as she wishes. NASA not only offers an excellent general working environment but also provides benefits such as tuition support for employees who want to study new fields at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

"My Job is Dreaming New Dreams While Dreaming"

Researcher Kim says, “NASA is indeed a dream workplace,” and “My job is to work while dreaming and dream new dreams every day.” Of course, she has not only met good people who helped her grow at NASA. It would be a lie to say she has never been subtly disregarded as an Asian woman. She says, “Some people sometimes provoke me just to vent their feelings, but in those cases, I just ignore them,” and firmly states, “There’s no need to embrace the trash bags they throw as gifts.” Whenever she feels mentally exhausted and distressed, she takes out and engraves in her heart a handwritten letter from her mother.

Researcher Kim Hyun-jung taking a selfie with her mother on the Hallasan Dullegil trail in Jeju Island during her visit to Korea in 2021. Photo by Kim Hyun-jung

“Hyunjung, our lives look like a straight line from afar, but up close, they are lines made up of countless dots. Each dot is a footprint of my life. You must go through every moment of your life; you cannot skip any part and jump to the next. Life cannot stay at one dot, so draw your life’s line steadily by placing your dots well.”

For her, family is the most fundamental foundation for learning about people and love. She proudly says, “I learned love through conversations with my family, and because that love is strong, I could share it with the people of the world. I learned courage from my father and wisdom from my mother.”

Currently single, the next dot she hopes for is to meet a loved one and start a family. Ultimately, the dot she wants to reach is to mark the last dot as a better version of herself than yesterday. Judging by the line she has drawn so far, that future seems already decided.

*Researcher Kim Hyun-jung was

born in 1980 in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. After graduating from Yonsei University’s Department of Materials Engineering in 2003, she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in materials engineering at KAIST. Since April 2009, she has worked as a contract employee at NASA Langley Research Center through the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) and has been a full-time employee since September 2021. She has received numerous awards including the ‘NASA Mentor Appreciation Award,’ ‘Young Scientist of the Year Award’ from the Hampton branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, ‘NASA Outstanding Research Team Award,’ ‘NASA Patent Award,’ ‘NASA Henry Reid Outstanding Paper Award,’ and ‘NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal.’ Among these, the award she considers most honorable is the ‘NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal’ received in 2020, which is awarded to researchers who develop technology that makes a significant contribution to NASA missions. She is the author of 'DOT: 100 Lessons Learned at NASA in 10 Years.'