Dayoung Kim, Ph.D. & LAB-IREEN
Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech
LABoratory for
Innovative and REsponsible ENgineering workforce
Research Interests
Dr. Dayoung Kim conducts research at the intersection of engineering practice and engineering workforce development, with the goal of strengthening how engineers are educated, supported, and prepared to contribute innovatively and responsibly across diverse professional contexts.
Her research begins with a close examination of engineering practice - how engineers actually work in their daily roles across a wide range of employment settings, including industry (from startups to large, established firms) and government agencies. Through sustained engagement with practicing engineers and organizational stakeholders, she investigates what engineering knowledge, skills, attitudes, and responsibilities look like in use, and how these practices are shaped by organizational, technological, and policy environments.
Building on insights from engineering practice research, Dr. Kim’s second major research focus is engineering workforce development. She studies how emerging technologies - such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and advanced manufacturing - are reshaping engineering work and workforce needs, and how education, training, and science and technology policy can respond more effectively to these shifts. Her work seeks to identify scalable, evidence-based strategies for cultivating an engineering workforce that is both innovative and socially responsible.
Figure 1. Dr. Dayoung Kim's engineering education research centered on engineering practice and workforce development, with industry–academia–government partnerships as key bridging and application domains across cross-cutting themes.
Core Research Areas
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Engineering Practice
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Engineering Workforce Development
Bridging and Application Domains
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Industry–Academia–Government Partnerships
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Engineering Careers in Industry (including Startup) and Policy
Cross-Cutting Themes
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Emerging Technologies and Workforce Change (AI, Quantum, Advanced Manufacturing)
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Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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Ethics and Social Responsibility in Engineering Practice
Across her research program, Dr. Kim actively seek to bridge industry, academia, and government, translating insights from engineering practice into educational and policy-relevant frameworks. She employs quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches to address questions such as:
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What technical and non-technical competencies do practicing engineers consider essential, and how well does engineering education reflect these needs?
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How do emerging technologies influence engineering practice, professional identity, and workforce development?
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How do engineers create and manage technology-based ventures, including those aimed at generating social value?
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How are ethical principles and social responsibility enacted in engineering practice, particularly in the design and deployment of emerging technologies?
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What educational, organizational, and policy strategies are most effective in fostering an innovative and responsible engineering workforce?
Through close collaboration with engineers, educators, industry partners, and policy stakeholders, Dr. Kim’s work aims to advance a more practice-connected, future-oriented approach to engineering education and workforce development.