Dr. Jongwook Kim joins the Ball State Department of Mathematical Sciences as an Assistant Professor.

What is your journey to Ball State?

Before joining Ball State, I worked as an associate instructor in statistics while pursuing my Ph.D. at Indiana University Bloomington. So, Indiana has always felt like a cozy and familiar place to me. I was also drawn to Ball State because of its strong commitment to teaching and student-centered learning, as well as the supportive academic environment. I’m excited to be part of a community that values both education and research, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the department and continuing to grow as an educator and researcher.

What are your research and teaching interests?

My primary research area is spatial and spatio-temporal data analysis. I focus on developing statistical models that effectively capture complex dependence structures across space and time, with applications in diverse fields such as environmental and geographic sciences.

I am interested in teaching a variety of theoretical and practical courses in statistics and data science. What I find appealing about statistics is that it is not only theoretically profound but also highly applicable to solving real-world problems. Therefore, my teaching goal is to maintain a balance between these two aspects.

What are some of your goals for your first year here?

In my first year, I’d like to settle in, get to know my colleagues, and start building a solid rhythm for both teaching and research. I’m excited to design classes that are both interesting and useful for students, and I’m hoping to make progress on some research ideas I’ve been developing. I’m also really looking forward to connecting with people in the department and finding opportunities to collaborate.

What do you like to do in your free time? Things you do outside of the classroom?

I enjoy running and swimming, as they really help me relieve stress after spending long hours thinking about research. I also enjoy reading books on philosophy and history and discussing them with others. In addition, I love traveling to national parks—they are always so marvelous and inspiring.

For more information about the Department of Mathematical Sciences and other faculty, visit our website, blog, or contact our office.