Big Research Based on Tiny Molecules

Name: Jiyong Hong    Position: associate professor, Duke departments of Chemistry and Pharmacology and Cancer BiologyYears at Duke: 9What I do at Duke: I assumed the position of Director of Graduate Studies in the (Chemistry) department, so that’s my administrative job in addition to my regular job. I oversee the graduate program in the department. I am involved in the well being of graduate students and also their curriculum, their affiliation with their research groups, and the admissions process and recruiting. I spend 60 to 70 percent of my time on research and the rest on teaching. I come in and I talk to the graduate students in my lab and talk about their research. I’m teaching organic chemistry for undergraduate students and either chemical biology or advanced organic chemistry for graduate students. Something most people don’t know about me: Originally, I came from Korea. I am from Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. I got my bachelor’s and master’s degree at Seoul National University.If I had $5 million, I would: Make some kind of foundation, then I would fund research that is having some hard times with federal funding. We need that research to promote human well-being. My first ever job: I did a bunch of math and English tutoring when I was in college to help high school and middle school kids. My dream job: I’m very lucky to have a dream job. Every day I enjoy interacting with my graduate students in my lab and I really enjoy teaching undergraduate students here at Duke. If someone wanted to start a conversation with me they should ask me about: The people I usually meet nowadays is through my daughter, so it’s probably topics on elementary school education. She is in the third grade.What I love about Duke: I’ve been very lucky to have a lot of productive collaborations on campus. People on campus are very open to collaboration and interdisciplinary approach.When I’m not at work, I like to: Spending time with the family is basically my top priority, especially because my daughter is 8 years old right now, so I try really hard to spend a lot of time with her and my wife, too. I don’t have any other family members in the United States, so it’s the three of us. An interesting/memorable day at work for me was: The first day of undergraduate class in 2006 and then the last day of that class. It was my first-ever undergraduate class here at Duke, and it was also the first class in college for them, too (the class contained freshmen who could take organic chemistry early). I prepped for a long time for that class; I was very nervous and students were nervous, too. At the end of the semester and when I gave my last lecture, I got applause and cheering from students.