Youngguk Seo
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Research Narrative
General Research Interests
Dr. Youngguk Seo studies the behavior of multi-phased transportation materials, including asphalt and cement concrete mixtures, which exhibit various mechanical responses under mechanical and environmental loads. His research focuses on fracture and fatigue failures, developing predictive models to enhance pavement design guides and management systems. Additionally, his work extends to sustainable infrastructure, including greenhouse gas emission quantification during highway construction and operation, and exploring renewable energy solutions for snow melting.
Past Key Activities
Since 2004, Dr. Seo has expanded his research to full-scale field experiments, leading multiple national projects at the Korea Expressway Corporation Test Road (KECTR), a 7.7 km highway test facility in South Korea. These studies have contributed to the calibration and validation of mechanistic-empirical pavement design methods. From 2013 to 2014, as a pavement engineer at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Dr. Seo conducted a performance ranking study on recycled materials, including Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS), using Accelerated Loading Facilities (ALF).
Education
Doctor of Philosophy, in Civil Engineering, North Carolina State University, 08.2003
Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Seoul National University, 02.1996
Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, University of Seoul, 02.1993 (1st in class)
Experience
Academic positions
Director of Georgia Pavement and Transportation Research Center, 08.2019 - 12.2023
Associate Professor, Kennesaw State University, 08.2020 – present
Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University, 08.2014 – 08.2020
Adjunct Professor, Kyonggi University, Korea, 03.2009 – 02.2010
Part-time Lecturer, Kyonggi University, Korea, 08.2006 – 03.2009
Research positions
Pavement Engineer, TFHRC of Federal Highway Administration, SES Group, 02.2013 – 08.2014
Deputy Research Director, Korea Expressway Corporation, 02.2006 – 02.2013
Researcher, Korea Expressway Corporation, 02.1996 – 02.2006
Postdoc Research Associate, North Carolina State University, 08.2003 – 04.2004
Graduate Research Assistant, North Carolina State University, 01.2000 – 08.2003
Graduate Research Assistant, Seoul National University, 03.1994 – 02.1996
Affiliate positions
Brain Pool Scholar, Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, 05.2015-08.2015
Visiting Scholar, Korea Institute of Construction Technology, 10.2015 – 03.2016
Visiting Scholar, Korea Institute of Construction Technology, 01.2007 - 02.2007
Civil Engineer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 10.1997 – 12.1997
