Minjung Kim receives Soros Fellowship for New Americans

Minjung Kim, a graduate student in the chemistry department of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, has received the 2024 award Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a prestigious fellowship awarded to immigrants or children of immigrants.

Kim is one of only 30 students nationwide to receive the scholarship, chosen for their potential to make significant contributions to American society, culture or their academic field. The two-year scholarship provides up to $90,000 to cover graduate education costs.

“The Soros Fellowship is not only about celebrating the achievements of New Americans, it also highlights our experiences and struggles of having to navigate different cultures, languages ​​and identities,” Kim said. “Receiving this grant is an incredible validation as it recognizes not only my scientific journey, but also the challenges my family and I faced as immigrants.”

Kim’s research interests include the use of metal-organic frameworks and photocatalysts for environmental remediation applications. She is currently co-advised by professors Omar Farha and Dayne Swearer. Kim hopes her fundamental research into the light-matter interactions of novel nanomaterials will catalyze the implementation and expansion of direct air capture and environmental remediation.

She was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States at the age of seven. Kim grew up in Houston and received her bachelor’s degrees in chemical and biomolecular engineering and in chemistry from Rice University.

“Minjung’s range of commitments, from environmental policy to music performances, embodies the Soros Fellowship’s intent to integrate the lessons learned from the immigrant experience into all facets of American life,” said Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe, director of the Office of Fellowships. “A profound thinker about the human condition, Minjung is the kind of citizen scientist we need to build ethical and effective solutions for today and tomorrow.”

Hungarian immigrants Paul and Daisy Soros founded the Soros Fellowship for New Americans in 1997. Since then, the program has raised more than $80 million in funding, and recipients have studied a range of fields from medicine and the arts to law and business.

Northwestern students interested in pursuing scholarship and fellowship opportunities should contact the Office of Fellowships for more information.