Glenbrook North Student Seeks to Publish Research on the Coronavirus Pandemic

In the current state of the world plagued with the coronavirus pandemic, various individuals are making efforts to collaboratively fight the coronavirus. Just as the correct allocation of resources and preventative measures are essential to this ongoing fight, conducting research to better understand the help the world is also crucial in saving lives and bettering individual communities. Among these contributors is Hyun Min Kim, a senior at Glenbrook North High School, who is using his skills as an aspiring computer scientist to gain a better understanding of the pandemic's spread through coding simulations.

Inspired by MIT Professor Henry Winston's 6.034 course on Artificial Intelligence, Kim conducted a study with a custom simulation in hopes of understanding how various combinations of precautionary measures impacted the rate of spread within a closed community. In addition, the simulation was designed to accommodate for further studies that involved spread analysis in a closed setting, thus enabling other researchers to contribute their studies to the spread model.

Another aspect of this pandemic I tackled was regarding the transition to in-person learning. As schools began planning their transition back to in-person learning from e-learning, administrators and teachers debated on the most effective way to make the classroom safe. Kim took his own approach and created a tool to minimize student to student contact in hallways, accounting for possible spread of the coronavirus in hallways. This study was done with the help of Mr. Jason Markey, the principal of Glenbrook North High School, who saw the potential benefits of such a project.

Aside from research regarding the coronavirus, Kim also delved into various subject matters. Finding a lack of resources for Computer Science students in memorizing sorting algorithms, Kim coded and deployed a tool to help students visualize and memorize the algorithms. He has also created simulations for a four-way intersection to analyze the efficiency of traffic flow. Lastly, Kim has also conducted research outside of his field by exploring the topic of nuclear energy, comparing the perceived safety of it to actual survey responses representing the modern public opinion.

These research papers can be found on Hyun Min's blog, which can be visited at https://gomgom03.wixsite.com/blog/. The incorporated essays represent the methodology and results of the scientific studies in which Kim participated. Introductions have been included to provide context for the intentions of the various studies, and many of the projects contained within this work address practical concerns for the average reader. By setting these studies within their practicable applications, this volume aims to disseminate knowledge about the contemporary import of scientific data.

Hyun Min's work can also be accessed as an Amazon e-book at https://www.amazon.com/Real-Time-Coding-Students-Exploration-Computer/dp/B08L491YWW/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=real-time+coding&qid=1604447393&s=books&sr=1-3

Hyun Min (Eddie) Kim is currently a senior at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois.

Hyun became fascinated with research, specifically in the field of Computer Science. This field particularly captivates him; apart from research, he has also programmed various games and apps through hackathons - people look at Eddie with anticipation of all the wonderful qualities he will bring into this field. Within his research, Hyun Min often utilizes programming to create tools and simulate scientific phenomena.

His various hobbies - skiing, playing soccer, coding, listening to music, and playing the cello, to name a few - and his strong passion for math and science enables him to think of creative ways to apply computer science in various fields of study.

Eddie hopes to not only to conduct interesting and meaningful research and share it with others, but also to inspire the upcoming future generation to take interest in research and computer science.

Using the skills he has gained in his high school career, Eddie hopes to continue pursuing his interests and career in STEM by applying to universities such as MIT and other Ivy-league colleges.