Dayoung Kim, Ph.D.

Research Statement

** For more up-to-date information on Dr. Kim’s research, please visit dayoungkim.org **

Dr. Dayoung Kim conducts research in engineering practice and workforce development (e.g., practices and experiences of, and competencies required for, engineers in various employment settings, such as business organizations (e.g., startup companies) and government agencies; workforce challenges and opportunities from emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum technologies), engineering ethics (e.g., social responsibility of engineering professionals and its education), and related policy concerns.

The overarching goal of her research is to identify effective strategies to cultivate an innovative and responsible engineering workforce through educational initiatives and science & technology policy. This requires a better understanding of engineers' daily practices and the regulatory and policy environment surrounding their work environments. She has utilized quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches to answer questions like: What technical and non-technical competencies do practicing engineers consider essential, and how effectively does engineering education reflect these needs? How do emerging technologies (e.g., AI, quantum technologies) influence engineering practice and workforce needs? How do engineers establish and manage their own ventures that aim to create social values and how can educators nurture engineers who can create values with their technological expertise? How do engineers incorporate ethical principles into their design practices, particularly in designing emerging technologies like AI? What strategies are effective in fostering a responsible engineering workforce? Dr. Kim actively collaborates with engineers in various professional contexts to answer these critical questions.

Biography

Dr. Dayoung Kim is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Engineering Education (College of Engineering) at Virginia Tech and a Director of the LABoratory for Innovative and REsponsible Engineering workforce (LAB-IREEN). Dr. Kim conducts research in engineering practice and workforce development, technology entrepreneurship, and related policy concerns.

She received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education at Purdue University (2022) and received her B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Yonsei University (2017) and Purdue University (2021) respectively. During her doctoral study, she received the 2022 Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the 2022 College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award from Purdue University. She was also a Bilsland Fellow of the College of Engineering at Purdue University when she was a Ph.D. student.

Awards & Honors

• Honorable Mention Best Paper Award, IEEE-ETHICS 2023 Conference, 2023
• Apprentice Faculty Grant, Educational Research and Methods (ERM) Division, American Society for Engineering Education, 2023
• +Policy Research Fellowship, Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment - Policy Destination Area, Virginia Tech, 2022
• College of Engineering Outstanding Research Award, Purdue University, 2022
• Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellowship, Purdue University, 2022 (offered but declined)
• Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2022
• Finalist, Best Paper Award, Engineering Ethics Division, American Society of Engineering Education, 2021
• Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship, Purdue University, 2021
• Best Formal Paper by a Graduate Student Award, Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, 2020
• Finalist, Benjamin Dasher Best Paper Award, IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, 2018
• Explorer Fellowship, Purdue University, 2017

Selected Publications

Weichert, J., Zhu, Q., Kim, D., & Eldardiry, H. (2025). Perceptions of AI ethics policies among scientists and engineers in policy-related roles: An exploratory investigation. Digital Society, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44206-025-00176-9

Kim, D. & Katz. A. (2025). Engineering students’ interests in nonprofit and public policy careers: Applying a data-driven approach to identifying contributing factors. Journal of Engineering Education, 144(1), e20620. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20620

Kim, J., Kim, D., & David-John, B. (2024). The role of privacy concerns, perceived benefits, and trust in citizens' acceptance of street-view image collection by local planning agencies. Cities, 154, 105339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105339

Kim, D., Zhu, Q., & Eldardiry, H. (2024). Toward a policy approach to normative artificial intelligence governance: Implications for AI ethics education. IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, 5(3), 325-333. https://doi.org/10.1109/TTS.2024.3430940

Zhu, Q., Kim, D., & Sneider, R. (2024). The ethics of engineering ethics education: Curriculum design, ethics pedagogies, and the moral responsibilities of ethics educators. Teaching Ethics, 24(1), 165-177. https://doi.org/10.5840/tej202448145

Kim, D. & Jesiek, B. K. (2023). Political ideologies and moral foundations of engineering professionals in the United States. Technology in Society, 75(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102379

Hess, J. L., Kim, D., & Fila, N. D. (2023). Critical incidents in ways of experiencing ethical engineering practice in the health products industry. Studies in Engineering Education, 3(2). https://seejournal.org/articles/10.21061/see.80

Kim, D. & Hess, J. L. (2022). A multi-layered illustration of exemplary business ethics practices with voices of the engineers in the health products industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 187, 169-183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05255-2

Kim, D., Jesiek, B. K., & Mazzurco, A. (2022). Development and validation of the Sojourn Readiness Assessment (SRA): Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and translation to Chinese. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 88, 95-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.04.002

Howland, S. J., Kim, D., & Jesiek, B. K. (2022). Senior engineering students’ reflection on their learning of ethics and morality: A qualitative investigation of influences and lessons learned. International Journal of Ethics Education, 7, 171-199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40889-022-00139-5

Kim, D. (2022). Promoting professional socialization: A synthesis of Durkheim, Kohlberg, Hoffman, and Haidt for professional ethics education. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 41(1), 93-114. https://doi.org/10.5840/bpej202216115

Kim, D., Jesiek, B. K., & Howland, S. J. (2021). Longitudinal investigation of moral disengagement among undergraduate engineering students: Findings from a mixed-methods study. Ethics & Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2021.1958330

Kim, D., Jesiek, B. K., Zoltowski, C. B., Loui, M. C., & Brightman, A. O. (2020). An academic-industry partnership for preparing the next generation of ethical engineers for professional practice. Advances in Engineering Education, 8(3). https://advances.asee.org/wp-content/uploads/vol08/issue3/Papers/AEE-NAE-Brightman.pdf

Research Grants

Investigating the Impact of Scaffolded Ethics Autobiography on Engineering Identity and Students' Career Interests. Funded by National Science Foundation, Award# 2417377; Principal Investigator: Dayoung Kim; Co-Principal Investigators: Marie Paretti | Abstract

Research: Exploring How AI Engineers Perceive and Develop Translational Ethical Competency. Funded by National Science Foundation, Award# 2412398; Principal Investigator: Hoda Eldardiry; Co-Principal Investigators: Dayoung Kim, Qin Zhu | Abstract

Building Capacity for Research in Technology-Based Social Entrepreneurship Education for the Next Generation of Engineering Leaders. Funded by National Science Foundation, Award# 2321188; Principal Investigator: Dayoung Kim | Abstract

Fostering Regional Innovation Ecosystem in the State of Virginia: Examining University Administrators’ Perspectives. Funded by 4-VA; Principal Investigator: Dayoung Kim

Exploring AI Ethics Policy Concerns and Career Pathways of the AI Professionals. Funded by the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment - Policy Destination Area (ISCE-PDA), Virginia Tech; Principal Investigator: Dayoung Kim; Co-Principal Investigators: Qin Zhu, Hoda Eldardiry