New Professors for Fall 2007, Diverse Backgrounds but Uniform Excellence A Quarter of the New Professors are International Scholars The new faculty members at Yonsei University, hired for the Fall 2007 semester, are gathering much interest. For one thing, eight out of 32 new faculty members are international scholars, comprising the largest percentage of international faculty hired at one time in the history of the University. In addition to the Humanities departments, departments in Engineering, Business and Economics, and Communication and Arts brought new international faculty into their fold. Such a phenomenal rise can be attributed to Yonsei’s aggressive efforts to increase global exchange in academia. * Rising novelist Gabe Hudson is now a professor at Yonsei’s Underwood International College. His novel, Dear Mr. President, won the prestigious Sue Kaufman Prize for best novel and was selected as finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. The novel has been translated into seven languages (including French, German, and Japanese). He has also recently been named one of Granta’s Best Young Novelists 2 (2007). He is a contributing writer for the much-acclaimed HBO/Simon & Schuster production of Six Feet Under, a televised series that is considered highly influential in the American culture scene. * Loren Goodman, a new addition to the English Department faculty, is a renowned poet and literary scholar. His book of poetry, Famous Americans, was chosen for publication in “Yale Series of Younger Poets” for 2003, a highly prestigious form of literary recognition in the United States. It consists of masterpieces that combine sharp wit that criticizes American traditions and contemporary reality with a generous dose of humanism. Goodman’s poetry has continued to receive favorable reviews by critics. * Director Jon Jost, who was appointed professor for the Graduate School of Communication and Arts, is a giant in the world of film art. He has been called “a living legend of American independent film” thanks to his continuous production of unique work. His critically-accalimed films include Frameup and All the Vermeers in New York. * Professor Ivo Herzog of the Department of Mathematics, Professor Bernd Burgstaller of computer science, Professor Bruce Thyer of the School of Social Welfare, and Professor Boris Tordorov of the Department of History have also joined the Yonsei faculty. A 33-Year Difference in Age Director Jon Jost of the Graduate School of Communication and Arts is the oldest new faculty member, at the age of 64 years. He will teach at Yonsei for a year and retire in 2008. (During a lecture here in June, prior to his appointment, he expressed hopes to create a piece on Yonsei students.) The youngest new faculty member at 31 years old is Professor Lee Hyun-ju of the Department of Chemical Engineering. The age difference between the two professors is 33, showing that age matters less than passion and talent in Yonsei University. Prominent Lawyer, SNU Professor, Come to Yonsei The Only Female Economics Professor in the SKY Universities * The entire current faculty in the economics departments of the SKY universities (a popular term referring to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University) had been male until Professor Angela No appeared on the scene. * Professor Jeong Young Cheol, a former lawyer with Yulchon Attorneys at Law, and Professor Jang Yong Seong, formerly Professor of Economics at Seoul National University, joined the Yonsei faculty.