Yoon Jung Choi

Yoon Jung Choi serves as Assistant Professor in Industrial Design within the School of Design at Virginia Tech, where she bridges sustainable design, behavioral science, and technology to advance circular economy principles through interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Innovation Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art, UK
• M.A. in Graphic Communication Design from Kingston University, UK
• B.A. in Product Design from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, UK

Choi's research centers on accelerating sustainability in industrial design through behavioral interventions and technological innovation. She investigates how design influences consumer behavior to reduce waste, extend product lifecycles, and enable circular material flows, with particular emphasis on children's products, packaging systems, and community-driven co-design approaches. Her work integrates participatory methods with AI applications to develop practical solutions for real-world sustainability challenges.

Analysis of her publication portfolio reveals consistent focus on circular economy implementation, with recurring themes in product hibernation, care practices for material longevity, and systemic approaches to waste reduction. Her research demonstrates growing integration of AI-driven methodologies and community engagement strategies across diverse contexts including food waste transformation and toy reuse systems.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• New Faculty Teaching Award, School of Design, Virginia Tech (2023)
• College Scholarship, Royal College of Art, UK (2015)
• Toshiba Hard Disc Drive Revolution Design Competition Highly Commended Award (2005)
• ICI Dulux Student Design Award Runner-up Prize (2001)

Choi has secured significant research funding including VT Engage Development funds for community collaboration with SustainFloyd, Center for Human-Computer Interaction matching funds, and multiple ICAT SEAD grants supporting projects like ToySphere (focusing on toy reuse systems) and Sustainable Art Painting initiatives. Her ten years of industry experience at major design consultancies including Samsung Design Europe informs her practical approach to academic research.

She leads the ToySphere project employing co-design methods to transform food waste into natural pigments and develop community-based reuse systems, demonstrating her commitment to translating research into tangible environmental solutions through interdisciplinary team collaboration.