Empowering Korean-American scientists and engineers at UIUC
A community for Korean-American scientists, engineers, and researchers at the University of Illinois — fostering growth through academic programming, mentorship, and a strong alumni network.
What we do
Community, career, connection.
Academic and event programming built around the people who walk in the door each semester — and the alumni who came before them.
Community first
Mentorship, study groups, and small dinners — the things that make engineering school feel less lonely.
Career-focused
Resume critique, mock interviews, and an alumni network across the Midwest and Bay Area.
Bridge generations
We connect undergraduates with grad students, alumni, and Korean-American professionals working at every stage of the engineering pipeline.
Featured projects
What we've been building.
Academic Research Cohort → MRC 2026
A semester-long academic team program: undergraduate research teams meet weekly for Progress Reviews, with the formal-presentation cycle culminating in submissions to the KSEA Midwest Regional Conference.
View project
Neuron Segmentation
A deep-learning pipeline that segments individual neurons in 3D microscopy volumes automatically, turning work that took weeks of manual tracing into hours. Built end to end, from file conversion and cloud storage through GPU inference to in-browser review.
View project
Leader–Wingman Swarm Robots
A leader–follower robot platform: the leader navigates on its own using LiDAR, an IMU and a camera while follower robots hold formation behind it. Built from scratch on ROS 2, with computer-vision pose estimation and sensor fusion tying perception to control.
View project
Solar Cell Efficiency Mapping
A custom laser-scanning rig that maps where a silicon solar cell loses current, matched against microscope images of deliberately introduced defects. Each type of damage leaves a distinguishable electrical signature, validating the method as a non-destructive inspection tool.
View project
Engineering Open House Cohort
Chapter participation in UIUC's Engineering Open House — KSEA undergrads showcase research projects to visiting K-12 students and the broader public, alongside other engineering RSOs.
View projectAlumni Mentorship Program
A semester-long pairing of current students with KSEA UIUC alumni working at companies across the Midwest and Bay Area — quarterly cohort dinners, monthly 1:1s, and continuous Slack-channel mentorship.
View project
FA23-SP24 Project Highlights
[Mimicry Arm] 김기정, 김지환, 박호연 [Safe Light] 임가원, 박용린, 문정윤, 허동준, 이현지, 최지우, 박두민, 차성원 [Self Healing Biosensor Patch] 용승현, 박찬주, 최선형, 강지수, 강동현 [Spin Launch] 김나영, 홍재근, 김한결, 김승현, 문리아, 이동구, 김민규 [Table Scout] 남기훈, 김민서, 황인서, 조승민, 배상훈
View projectSee what we're up to.
Follow along on Instagram, connect on LinkedIn, or send us an email. We'd love to meet you.