College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences

Alumni

Current position: Postdoctoral Associate (Feb 2022~), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Research Interests

My biggest research interest is in the role of soil physical characteristics (e.g., pore size distribution and moisture content) to the formation of the microbial hotspot, carbon accumulation, and trace gas emission. Influenced by my major advisor Dr. Alexandra Kravchenko, I use a combination of novel methodological approaches. I use X-ray microtomography technique to analyze soil pore/matrix structures and organic matter distribution. To examine microbial activity, I use Zymography to locate soil extracellular enzymes in 2-dimension. Also, I track the transport of plant-derived carbon and nitrogen by using Stable Isotope Labeling methods.
My current research is based on switchgrass production system. Switchgrass is a promising second-generation bioenergy crop, but its environmental performance has not been fully investigated. As a graduate student collaborator at Kellogg Biological Station, I am studying the decomposition of switchgrass residues as a potential driver of nitrous oxide hotspots.

Publications

K. Kim, J. Gil, N.E. Ostrom, H. Gandhi, M.S. Oerther, Y. Kuzyakov, A.K. Guber, and A.N. Kravchenko, 2022. Soil pore architecture and rhizosphere legacy define N2O production in root detritusphere. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 166, p.108565.

K. Kim, T. Kutlu, A. Kravchenko, A. Guber, 2020. Dynamics of N2O in vicinity of plant residues: a microsensor approach. Plant and Soil 462 (1), 331-347.

K. Kim, A. Guber, M. Rivers, A. Kravchenko, 2020. Contribution of decomposing plant roots to N2O emissions by water absorption. Geoderma 375, 114506.

H. Zheng, K. Kim, A. Kravchenko, M. Rivers, A. Guber, 2020. Testing Os staining approach for visualizing soil organic matter patterns in intact samples via X-ray dual energy tomography scanning. Environmental Science and Technology 54 (14), 8980-8989.

H. Bang, J. Kim, K. Kim, S Hyun., 2020, Effect of drying treatment on the leachability of metallic elements from weathered solid mine wastes. Chemosphere 248, 126111.

K. Kim, J. Kim, K. Cho, J.G. Kim, S. Hyun., 2018. Analysis of the Resilience of Common-Pool Resources during Globalization: The Case of Jeju Common Ranches in Korea. Sustainability 10 (12), 4346.

K. Kim J. Kim, S. Hyun., 2018. Soil attenuation of the leaching potential of mine-related metallic elements (Zn, As, and Cd) under different leachate solute compositions. Journal of environmental management 222, 402-408.

Teaching Experiences

Teaching Assistant, Advanced Statistics of Biologists (Graduate level course at Michigan State University, 2020).
Developed class materials, led lab session discussions, and helped student Q&A and grading.

Participant, Seminar class ‘Pathways to Scientific Teaching’ (2018).
Gained experience in material developments, instructional methods, and assessments.

Teaching Assistant, Basic Chemistry & Exercise I/II (Undergraduate level course, 2015-2017).
Developed instruction guidance for other teaching assistants, Managed midterm/final tests, and taught lab class session as an instructor
(4hr/week, 20 students/semester).

Teacher, Environmental education for elementary school students, Dongdaemun Community Center, Seoul, Korea (2013-2015).

Private Tutor, Highschool mathematics and English for 8 high school students (2012-2015).

Mentor, Jump-hackers 7th mentor for high school students (2012).

Research Experiences

Graduate Research Intern, Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems, Department for Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Germany (2020, Postponed due to COVID19)

Research Assistant, National Science Foundation’s Geobiology and Low Temperature Geochemistry program, Award # 163099 (2017-current)

Researcher, Evaluating resilience of common pool resource system against globalization: the case of common ranch in Jeju Island, Ojung Eco Resilience Institute, Korea (2016)

Research Assistant, Technology development for monitoring of terrestrial ecosystem contamination and evaluation of environmental effects, Korea Environmental Industry Technology Institute (2015-2017)