UW–Madison grad student wins HHMI international fellowship

Yei Hwan Jung, a graduate student in the lab of University of Wisconsin–Madison electrical and computer engineering Professor Zhenqiang “Jack” Ma, has been named an International Student Research Fellow by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

Jung, who came to UW–Madison from South Korea, is one of just 45 fellows from 18 countries who will receive $43,000 each year from HHMI during the third, fourth and fifth years of graduate school.

The International Student Research Fellowships are part of HHMI’s efforts to support international scientists, who often have difficulty finding funding to support their graduate studies. They are not eligible for federal fellowships or training grant support, or other governmental opportunities that are generally reserved for students who are U.S. citizens.

“We are fortunate that some of the most talented young scientists from around the world choose to come to the United States for their graduate work,” says David Asai, senior director of undergraduate and graduate programs at HHMI. “It is a pleasure to recognize the HHMI International Student Research Fellows for their high level of scientific creativity, their potential to become scientific leaders, and the effective guidance that they are receiving from their thesis advisers.”

Jung has already distinguished himself as an engineer. With collaborators Mehdi Shokoueinejad and Akshay Kumar he developed the MicroViolet Patch, a UV light-emitting bandage that speeds healing and won the 2014 Qualcomm Innovation Prize. Earlier this year, Jung was part of a Ma-led group that created biodegradable microchips printed on cellulose derived from wood.