Kyung Won (K Won) Chang
About Kyung Won (K Won) Chang
Kyung Won (K Won) Chang is a Senior R&D S&E Geosciences Engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, specializing in numerical and mathematical models for rock dynamics and geomechanical analysis.
Current Role at Sandia National Laboratories
Kyung Won Chang holds the position of Senior R&D S&E Geosciences Engineer at Sandia National Laboratories since 2019. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, his role focuses on advanced geosciences engineering tasks which include developing numerical and mathematical models for rock dynamics and conducting flow and transport experiments. His expertise in geomechanical analysis encompasses theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies related to multiphase flow, heat transfer, and solute transport in deformable porous media.
Previous Roles and Experience
Kyung Won Chang has an extensive professional background in geosciences engineering. Before his current role, he served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Sandia National Laboratories from 2017 to 2018. He worked as an Applications Engineer focused on the oil and gas industry at COMSOL, Inc. from 2016 to 2017. Contributing further to academia, he was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Stanford Center for Induced and Triggered Seismicity (SCITS) between 2014 and 2016. Additionally, he held research roles at various institutions including the Geological Porous Media Group and British Petroleum Institute.
Education and Academic Background
Kyung Won Chang received his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin in 2013, furthering his research in geological sciences. He completed his Master's degree from the same institution in 2007, after earning his Bachelor of Science degree from Seoul National University in 2005. His academic training laid a strong foundation for his later work in numerical and mathematical modeling, as well as geomechanical analysis.
Research Focus and Specializations
Kyung Won Chang's research primarily involves investigating mechanisms of earthquakes induced by fluid injection-extraction, aimed at applications like wastewater disposal, geological carbon sequestration, and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) stimulation. He also focuses on the leakage of contaminants such as nuclear waste, injected CO2, and seawater into groundwater systems or adjacent host rocks. He specializes in modeling thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) coupled systems with geological complexity.