Chung Sul Youn "Sue" Kim

Chung Sul Youn “Sue” Kim is believed to be the first woman to have received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After graduating with highest honors, she went on to earn her doctorate in organic chemistry with minors in physical chemistry and chemical engineering. She completed her postdoctoral work at the University of California, Davis. From 1960-1972, she worked as a research scientist in industry at the Standard Oil of Ohio, Georgia Pacific, and Aerojet Corporation. From 1973-1999, she was a professor at California State University, Sacramento, where she established and served as the director of the Polymer Research Institute. Sue has received numerous honors and awards including the Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise Award (1987-1988) and the Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award (1988-1989), both from Sacramento State. She has been recognized by the American Men and Women of Science and Who is Who in Technology. She is a member of the honor societies Phi Kappa Phi and Tau Beta Pi.