Unconventional students at Rice: Biology, country and education

Martel College senior Beko Jang’s interests – biology, country and education – are very different, but all have one common link: service.

After spending his first semester at Rice in 2010, Jang decided to return to his native South Korea to serve in the military. During that time he was attached to a special division that worked with U.S. military personnel stationed in South Korea.

“(The) mission (of my division) is to ease the transition of U.S. soldiers who are operating in South Korea,” said Jang, a bioengineering major. “I was chosen to be the detachment interpreter to a the commander of a division. I did that for two years and then came back (to Rice) in 2013.”

After returning to Rice, Jang wanted to delve into his major, but he also wanted to understand the framework, politics, policies and economics behind bioengineering. Becoming involved with Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy allowed him to examine topics ranging from bioterrorism to sustainability, specifically through participation in the institute’s Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy.

“That was an enlightening experience for me, having an open engagement with students from another part of the world,” he said.