VIPP alumni are Global Spartans who are advancing the common good all around the world. They are solving problems, creating solutions, and making a difference every day that impacts people's lives in diverse industries and fields including education, arts, public health, media, business, and more, in both the public and private sectors. On Friday, December 10th, 2021 VIPP hosted the VIPP Alumni Awards Ceremony, a celebration to recognize the achievements and contributions of its alumni. The virtual event was a culmination of VIPP’s year-long 30th anniversary celebration. Winners were honored in the categories Early Career Award, Community Service Award, Special Recognition Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award. Guests from around the world, including alumni, participants, faculty, and friends joined the event to congratulate the awardees, and share their VIPP memories.
Ms. Wang is a lecturer from Changzhou Vocational Institute of Textile and Garment. Her research is on interactive media and video production, and she has won several national design awards in China. Wang visited VIPP from April 2019 to April 2020, and is well known for designing a special visitor map of MSU's campus.
Dr. Oloo is a Lecturer of Food Science and Technology at Egerton University, focusing on food safety of different commodity value chains in Kenya. He is also a trainer, life coach, and author. VIPP hosted Dr. Oloo in 2019 as a Borlaug Fellow under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dr. Chong Wang is an Associate Professor of Journalism from Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB), Beijing, China. He is the winner of Teacher of the Year, Annual Teaching Accomplishments, and First Teaching Rookie Awards. During his time as a visiting scholar at VIPP in 2019-2020, he participated in numerous service learning activities to benefit the community, and organized a neighborhood watch to keep his community safe.
Mr. Hong has a long career history in the Korean financial market and has played a pivotal role in its growth. In his current role as President of KOSDAQ Market Division, Hong manages the KOSDAQ market as a whole, with over 1,530 companies listed with a focus on innovative tech-oriented startups. Hong is a 2015 graduate of VIPP.
Dr. Daebong Kwon served as the first director of VIPP, and proposed the idea of VIPP to provide lifelong learning opportunities for international professionals. Dr. Kwon is currently President at Joongbu University and Professor Emeritus at Korea University in South Korea. VIPP is pleased to recognize Dr. Kwon for his service as founding director, and his continued support of the program over the years.