Coral Reefs, LEGO Robots, and a Penn Connection: How One Alumna Is Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists
Coral Reefs, LEGO Robots, and a Penn Connection: How One Alumna Is Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists
When Dr. Kumhyo Byon arrived at the University of Pennsylvania in 2001 to pursue her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, she never imagined that years later, she’d be guiding middle schoolers through an award-winning STEM project involving coral reef restoration, let alone reaching back to Penn for support.
Now a technology development manager at Intel, Dr. Byon has found joy and purpose in mentoring young students through the First Lego League, a middle school STEM team participating in international science competitions. Her decision to form and coach the Lego Krafters team stemmed from a desire to allow her daughter and others to experience hands-on STEM learning. But when their project grew more technically complex than she had anticipated, Dr. Byon turned to her alma mater to bring her journey full circle.
Members of Team Lego Krafters
Dr. Byon connected with Shu Yang, Penn MSE faculty and Department Chair, and her PhD student, Sophia Jackson, who offered critical guidance to the team’s artificial coral reef innovation. What began as a volunteer effort blossomed into a full circle of powerful collaboration: an alumna supporting young learners, who in turn are supported by today’s Penn community.
MSE Alumna Kumhyo Byon
We spoke with her about her journey from Penn Engineering to her position at Intel, as well as her mentorship of the team that she helped guide to international recognition. Along the way, she shared her reflections on the value of a Penn education, the rewards of giving back, and what it means to foster curiosity and collaboration across generations.
How did you first get involved with the Lego Krafters team and the First Lego League? What motivated you to support a group of middle school students on such a technical and meaningful project?
I learned about the First Lego League while volunteering in STEM-related activities. As my interest grew, I discovered that it is a major international competition with participants from many countries, having a truly positive impact on STEM education.
When I introduced the competition to my daughter, Leah Kim, she showed strong interest. However, joining an existing team was very challenging, as it was difficult to find a team that welcomed inexperienced students. So, we decided to create our team, the Lego Krafters, by recruiting members from her close friends.
In the 2024-2025 season, based on the experience gained from the first year, we recruited more team members and operated more efficiently and systematically, achieving impressive results: 2nd place in the Intel Oregon Championship First Lego League Challenge and 3rd place in the international competition (Western Edge Open) for the robot performance award.
While I contributed as a coach for the innovation project, I often thought how wonderful it would have been to have had the chance to do the same thing when I was young. It is like a dream scenario to work on a common theme for the innovation project and accomplish the goals for the LEGO robot within a set timeframe. This experience promotes creative thinking, presents numerous technical challenges, and offers rewarding experiences for students, coaches, and families.
What made you reach out to MSE and reconnect with the department? What inspired that moment of engagement?
While researching studies on artificial coral reefs, we serendipitously came across a newsletter from Penn featuring an article about Sophia Jackson and Professor Shu Yang: “Sophia Jackson Awarded Grant for Coral Reef Restoration.”
Upon exploring Sophia’s research, we found it to be highly relevant to our team’s objectives. It felt almost magical.
Sophia has been a wonderful ambassador for the MSE program in many ways. Can you share with us how she contributed to your team and the impact she had on the Lego Krafters’ project?
Sophia was incredibly supportive. She enthusiastically answered our questions and provided crucial guidance. Most importantly, her advice on selecting essential materials for creating a prototype of an artificial coral reef, particularly in finding the best bonding materials with a neutral pH close to seawater, became a major focus for our next steps.
What was your reaction when the Lego Krafters reached out for advice on their coral reef innovation project?
I shared the article from Penn featuring Sophia with the Lego Krafters team. When I informed them that Sophia had agreed to an interview, they were thrilled. Two students decided to participate in the interview, prepared questions, and we conducted the interview via Zoom. Sophia suggested several ideas for our innovation project, including creating artificial coral reefs using oyster shell powder and cement:
- Using eggshells instead of oyster shells, as they are composed of the same material, calcium carbonate.
- Finding bonding materials with a pH close to that of seawater, since cement has a very high pH, which can be toxic for coral growth and marine life.
Our research, which initially focused mainly on form and shape, evolved to prioritize finding new materials. Sophia’s advice was incredibly helpful in moving beyond our superficial ideas. The concept of using materials like eggshells was refreshing, but finding bonding materials with a neutral pH presented a significant technical challenge for us. As a coach with a background in materials science, this shift in our research was particularly meaningful and enjoyable for me.
From your perspective, what do you think is the ultimate takeaway for the students who participated in this project, both in terms of technical skills and personal growth?
This is an important question. Given that most of the children participating in this project are middle school students, the primary concern was determining what contributions they could make within the allotted time.
Firstly, in terms of technical skills, the children developed the ability to design experiments and seek solutions to technical challenges. This skill set is essential for any discipline they choose to pursue in the future.
Secondly, in terms of personal growth, the children had the opportunity to seriously consider issues affecting humanity beyond their everyday concerns. As a parent, I feel proud seeing them deeply contemplate how to save coral and take action based on their solutions.
The most significant realization was the importance of awareness. Before this project, coral was merely a beautiful creature to admire, but through this experience, we learned how vital coral reefs are to marine life and humans. It all starts with small actions, and we need to begin implementing them today. During a beach cleanup, we asked how we could reduce marine waste, and the response was that the best way to reduce trash on the beach is to minimize waste on land. Avoiding single-use items is particularly beneficial.
I believe our students had a joyful experience as they realized that through teamwork and collaboration, they could achieve things they initially thought were difficult, one step at a time.
From a materials science perspective, what did you find most compelling about their artificial coral reef project?
In graduate school, I focused on understanding the mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties of materials and how to design and optimize them for specific applications. Creating artificial coral reefs involves identifying materials that are both functional and biocompatible, another way to look through nature’s lenses for structure-property relationship and return our treat to nature. Thus, the ultimate goal is for coral polyps to attach and grow, making biocompatibility a crucial criterion. I believe this presents a significant challenge in the artificial coral reef project.
Can you tell us about your time at Penn and what you took away from those experiences?
I completed my doctoral program in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania from 2001 to 2006. Pursuing my studies in the United States, where I lacked a personal network and familiar environment, was a significant challenge. However, Penn provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere that facilitated my successful integration. To me, Penn represents a place of profound personal connection. The invaluable experiences I gained there significantly enhanced my adaptability and confidence, positively contributing to my future professional career.
Were there any key challenges or memorable moments in your research or coursework that helped shape who you are today?
Professor John E. Fischer, who has passed away, recommended a project on silicon nanowires to me, stating that nanowires would be a technology for future nanoelectronics. Seeing Gate-All-Around (GAA) being used at the forefront of semiconductor technology now truly shows his foresight. Since my research on nanowires was pioneering for our lab, I had to develop many parts from scratch. I spent a significant amount of time on literature surveys, searching for relevant papers, which helped me develop the ability to initiate new areas.
One particularly memorable and inspiring experience was collaborating with excellent undergraduate students in the same lab. Doug Tham possessed exceptional TEM techniques, and we worked together on various aspects such as nanowire synthesis and characterization. The passion and high quality of work from the other undergraduate students were truly remarkable.
Collaborating with Professor A.T. Charlie Johnson from the Physics department was also a valuable experience. I spent a lot of time in Professor Johnson’s lab and interacted frequently with his students. Collaborating across departments with professors from different fields was profoundly impactful and beneficial.
What advice would you give to current MSE students about staying curious, building connections, and paying their knowledge forward after graduation?
Networking is essential, and many people are willing to assist if you ask insightful questions and demonstrate genuine enthusiasm. Making informed decisions is crucial. If there’s a particular path you wish to pursue, consider reaching out to Penn alumni in that field to gather more information. They are often more willing to share their experiences with newcomers entering the professional world than you might anticipate. You may be pleasantly surprised by the valuable connections you can establish.