Assistant Professor
Office: 13-264
Phone: 805-756-1881
Email: jkim812@calpoly.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Hyun “Jin” Kim’s research is centered on thermal sciences, thermofluids, and sustainable energy systems. A key focus of her work is the study and innovation of heat exchangers and heat sinks, which are critical for a wide range of applications such as building HVAC&R including heat pumps using various thermal energy sources, data center cooling, and electronics cooling. Her research portfolio includes in-depth studies on various types of heat exchangers, including plate heat exchangers, microchannel heat exchangers, etc. She has conducted pioneering work on two-phase flow visualization during phase-change heat transfer using different refrigerants. Her research clarifies the mechanisms behind two-phase flow maldistribution, a challenge that can significantly degrade system performance. She also offers critical insights into flow behavior near the micro-macroscale transition to optimize system performance.
Dr. Kim is strongly committed to STEM education and community engagement in addition to her thermal engineering research. In 2022, as Principal Investigator, she received the Department of Energy (DOE) Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize for her team’s work on the “Alabama Energy Transformation Initiative.” She also led the interdisciplinary project, “Fluid Mechanics for Elementary School Students via High-speed Flow Imaging,” which uses modern technology to make complex scientific concepts accessible to younger audiences at a local majority-minority elementary school. This project was selected for and funded by the Joint Pilot for Arts Research Award at the University of Alabama in 2022.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- Postdoc. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2019-2020
- Ph.D. Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019
- M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014
- B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Rice University, 2011
- B.A. Visual Arts, Rice University, 2011
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
- Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, 2025-Present
- Visiting Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, 2025
- Visiting Professor, Building Technologies Research and Integration Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2023
- Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, 2020-2024
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2019-2020
HONORS AND AWARDS
- John L. Blackburn Advisor of the Year, University of Alabama, 2023
- Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor, University of Alabama, 2023
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, 2022
STUDENT CLUB ADVISING
Graduate Society of Women Engineers (GradSWE), University of Alabama, 2020-2024
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA)
FUNDED PROJECTS
- Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, Department of Energy (DOE), $200,000, 2022
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, $15,000, 2022
- Joint Pilot for Arts Research, University of Alabama, $15,000, 2022