Obituary of Ik-Ju Kang

Dr. Ik-Ju Kang, Professor Emeritus, 77, of Glen Carbon, Illinois and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, passed away Friday, February 24, 2006 at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Illinois. He was born November 13, 1928 at Jungju, Korea, a son of the late Suk Jin Kang and Suk Ryong Roh Kang. He married Hee Yong Chang Kang on August 19, 1955 and she survives.

Dr. Kang received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1955 from Yonsei University, Korea with a concentration in Physics. He completed his Master of Science degree in 1957 at Yonsei University, Korea, with a concentration in Physics. He was awarded his Ph.D in Physics from Northwestern Illinois University in 1962.

Dr. Kang joined Southern Illinois University from 1967-1969 at Carbondale, and joined the faculty at SIUE during the summer of 1969. He retired from SIUE on January 31, 1998, but never truly retired from teaching or helping students. He continued teaching courses for the Physics Department and later the Engineering Department.

Dr. Kang served in many capacities during his time at SIUE including serving as chair of the Physics Department from 1979-1982. In Korea, he was a Physics teacher at several high schools; he served with the 8th U.S. Army from August 1950-April 1953. He taught at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea from 1955-1959.

During his studies at Northwestern University, he served as a graduate assistant from 1959-1962. He was a Research Associate at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts from 1962-1963; an Assistant Professor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst from 1963-1967; an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale from 1967-1969; Associate Professor and Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 1969-1998. He was a visiting professor at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Chonbuk National University; and Chonju, Chonbuk, Korea.

Throughout his career he was well published in the area of electron-hydrogen atom scattering. Building upon his early training and continued interest in meteorology, he recently obtained a U.S. patent for an algorithm to predict hurricanes paths.

During his years with the Physics Department at SIUE, he founded the notion of Physics department Executive Committee; founded the College Credit High School Physics Program; initiated programs with sports and athletic programs at SIUE; initiated the faculty evaluation program; and the Ik-Ju Kang Award in Physics. He was noted for his personal warmth and helpful interactions with students and colleagues.

Among the honors Dr. Kang received: Northwestern University University Fellow (1961-1962); Sigma Xi member (1962); NSF College Teachers Research Participation (1965-66, 1968); NSF Undergraduate Research Participation Program Grant, (1971-1972); Phi Kappa Phi Membership; American Men of Science; Who’s Who in the Midwest.

His membership in professional organizations included the American Physical Society; the Korean Physical Society; the American Association of Physics Teachers; Illinois Section, American Association of Physics Teachers; Gateway Consortium for Physics; Association of Korean Physicists in America; Korean Scientists and Engineers in America; Sigma Xi; Phi Kappa Phi; and American Association of University Professors.

Dr. Kang is survived by his wife, Hee Yong; a son, Grant (wife Lisa) of Washington, MO; two daughters, Yonsook (husband Jack) Enloe of of Charlotte, NC; Hyonsook (husband Bill) McKnight of Houston, TX; brother Ik Ho (wife Grace) of Laguna Niguel, CA; and eight grandchildren.

Funeral services were held February 27, 2006 at Sunset Hills Funeral Home in Glen Carbon, Illinois. Interment in Sunset Hills Cemetery, Glen Carbon, Illinois.

Memorials are suggested to the Ik-Ju Kang Student Scholarship Endowment, Attn.: Marilyn Marsho, Campus Box 1608, College of Arts and Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62026.

P.N. Swamy

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL