Seungbo Hong
Amherst,MA
Summary
Chemical Engineering PhD Candidate and PPG Fellow specializing in molecular descriptors, machine learning, and molecular simulation to study and predict material properties. Proficient in theoretical studies of inorganic systems, with expertise in data-driven approaches for understanding self-assembling systems and utilizing density functional theory for insights.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
PHD Graduate Student
University of Massachusetts Amherst
09.2021 - Current
Project:
(1) Understanding the Properties of Sol-Gel Materials that Yield Nanoporous Crystal via Coarse-Grained Monte Carlo Simulation.
- Developed a novel Monte Carlo algorithm informed by DFT calculations to predict the role of fluoride as a structure-directing agent in zeolite formation.
- Improved the accuracy of Reactive Ensemble Monte Carlo simulations by incorporating fluoride anions, crucial for the self-assembly of all- silica zeolites and close the gap between real-life system.
(2) Understanding the Evolution of Building Block during Zeolite Crystallization.
- Combined experimental and simulated spectroscopy to investigate the early stages of zeolite nucleation, revealing critical insights into forming initial building blocks.
- Elucidated the crucial role of organic structure-directing agents in zeolite crystallization, analyzing their interactions with the framework to control crystal growth and morphology.
(3) Investigating the Kinetics of Zeolite Crystallization via Data Science.
- Combined implementation of data science, material descriptor, and zeolite science to comprehend the kinetics of the self-assembly process.
- Complex silica network from amorphous to fully crystallized features are investigated with the aid of machine learning tool
Teacher's Assistant
UMass Amherst
09.2023 - 05.2025
Subjects: Thermodynamics, Math Modeling, Physical Chemistry
Task:
- Graded exams and assessments to evaluate student learning and provide feedback on performance.
- Checked assignments, proctored tests and provided grades according to university standards.
- Mentored students through office hours and one-on-one communication.
Education
Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, MA10-2026
Bachelor of Science - BS - Chemistry
Kyung Hee University
Seoul, Republic Of Korea08.2021
Skills
- Machine Learning
- Density Functional Theory
- Monte Carlo Molecular Simulation
- Fortran
- LaTex
- Microsoft Excel
- Python
- Jupyter Notebook
Awards
- PPG Foundation Fellowship Award, 2024/2025
- Kokes Award – North American Meeting (NAM) 29th , Atlanta Georgia, 06/2025
Publications
- Seungbo Hong, Giovanni Pireddu, Wei Fan, Rocio Semino, and Scott M. Auerbach; Data Science Shows that Entropy Correlates with Accelerated Zeolite Crystallization in Monte Carlo Simulations. J. Chem. Phys (DOI: 10.1063/5.0238061)
- Muhammad Shah, Taras Nagornyy, Success Aiwekhoe, Seungbo Hong, Nhan Huu Huy Tran, Song Luo, Zhu Chen, Scott Auerbach, and Wei Fan; Rapid Crystallization of Zeolites with Controllable Defects: Disentangling Fluoride Concentration and pH Using NH4F. Cryst. Growth Des. (DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.4c01613)
Presentations
- Poster presentation, New England Catalyst Society (NECS) Symposium, 09/23/23, Madford, Massachusetts
Title: "Accelerated Zeolite Synthesis: An Insight through SOAP Molecular Descriptor and Machine Learning Techniques"
- Poster presentation, New England Catalyst Society (NECS) Symposium, 05/10/24, New Haven, Connecticut
Title: "Data Science Shows That Entropy Accelerates Zeolite Crystallization"
- Oral presentation, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting, 10/27/24, San Diego, California
Title: "Data Science shows that Entropy correlates with Accelerated Zeolite Crystallization in Monte Carlo Simulation"
- Poster presentation, 29th North American Catalysis Society Meeting (NAM), 06/01/25, Atlanta, Georgia
Title: "Data Science shows that Entropy correlates with Accelerated Zeolite Crystallization in Monte Carlo Simulation"
- Oral presentation, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting, 11/02/25, Boston, Massachusetts
Session: AIChE Inorganic Materials Graduate Student Award, Sponsored by Chevron
Title: "Data Science Shows That Entropy Correlates with Accelerated Zeolite Crystallization in Monte Carlo Simulation"
Timeline
Teacher's Assistant
UMass Amherst
09.2023 - 05.2025
PHD Graduate Student
University of Massachusetts Amherst
09.2021 - Current
Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Bachelor of Science - BS - Chemistry
Kyung Hee University
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