Seongjin Kim (Master's student, Department of Polymer -Nano Science &Technology), Ji-eun Lee (First-year, Department of Chemical Engineering), and Hansol Lee (First-year, Department of Polymer -Nano Science &Technology) won the Grand Prize, the Minister's Award from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, at the 2012 Women's University (and Graduate) Team Research Competition organized by WISET (Korea Center for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology).

The competition, which involved 385 female students in science and engineering nationwide, is held annually to discover and cultivate the next generation of women in science and engineering. In March, university and graduate students formed teams with high school students to present a single research project.

In the competition, the Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) team teamed with Jeonju Girls' High School students Dahye Kim and Minju Kim, and Seongsim Girls' High School students Minji Kim and Hyunseon Kim to conduct research until recently under the supervision of Professor Changwoon Na on the topic "Fabrication and Performance of Balloon-Type Actuators for Braille Displays."

The JBNU team noted that conventional printed Braille is difficult to revise once printed, whereas Braille displays can be updated as needed. Based on several months of experiments, they proposed using a new material, an electroactive polymer called acrylic rubber, for Braille displays. This material differs from polymers previously used, and the proposal received favorable reviews.

They were also highly rated for selecting a research topic that high school participants could easily understand, reflecting the initiative's aim to nurture women scientists and technologists who will lead the region and the nation in the future.

Seongjin Kim said, "Although the program was long and often difficult, I want to emphasize the great significance of achieving such excellent results through the combined efforts of our supervising professors, junior colleagues, and the high school students on a single question we were curious about," adding, "We will use this opportunity to keep striving so that all members of our team can grow into women scientists and technologists who help advance the Republic of Korea."