Duckbong “David” Kim, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

7121 Boyd Graduate Research Building
200 D.W. Brooks Drive
Athens, Georgia 30602
United States

Dr. Duck Bong Kim is an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer, and Mechanical Engineering (ECAM) at the University of Georgia (UGA), where he leads the Physical AI in Smart Manufacturing Lab. Prior to joining UGA, he served as an Associate Professor at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) and as a guest researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Information and Mechatronics from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in South Korea. Dr. Kim’s research interests include advanced and additive manufacturing, smart and sustainable manufacturing, digital twins, artificial intelligence, and the integration of humanoid robots in Industry 5.0 systems.

Education

Ph.D. School of Information and Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea, 2011
M.S. Department of Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea, 2006
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea, 2003

Professional Appointments

Associate Professor at UGA (2025-)
Associate & Assistant Professor at Tennessee Tech University (TTU) (2016-2025)
Visiting Faculty, Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), USA (2019)
Guest Researcher, Systems Integration Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (2011-2016)
Exchanging Graduate Student, Department of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine (UCI), USA (2004-2005)

Awards & Honors

National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, 2022-2027.
Award for The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) IMECE 2024 “Rising Stars of Mechanical Engineering”, 2024.
Award for 2023 ASME MSEC Journal of Manufacturing Processes Outstanding Reviewer, June 20, 2024.
Award for Wings Up 100 Research Achievement at Tennessee Tech University, 2021-2024.
Award for Excellence in Creative Inquiry Mentoring at Tennessee Tech University, 2021.