Pursuing STEM for God’s Glory

At the beginning of his career, Dr. Joey Kim thought the most important thing was to make a comfortable living. He was sold on studying chemical engineering at the University of Delaware when his advisor said, “In chemistry, you take reactants, and then you make products. In chemical engineering, you take reactants, and then you make profit.”

However, ever since the Lord saved him, Kim now sees himself as a missionary to the STEM community. He works that out by teaching undergrad students at The Master’s University to love science not for their own gain, but because it is a ripe mission field where believers can declare God’s glory.

Kim earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from Caltech and gained experience at renowned research centers like Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and Berkeley Lab in the Bay Area. He began teaching at TMU in 2020, and his goal ever since has been to equip STEM students to excel in their careers while shining as lights for Christ.

“Those in STEM today are regarded as possessors of knowledge and truth,” Kim says. “As such, it is vital that believers place themselves in these roles and excel because we, as believers (not primarily as scientists or engineers), have the essential knowledge and truth. Thus, in pursuing STEM with excellence, believers are placed in positions where the gospel can be professed with a great degree of credibility and acceptance.”

Eden Chow contributed to this story.

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