Dr. Hwang's research has a well-balanced emphasis on fundamentals and applications. Using first principles-based tomistic modeling my research group focuses on developing a better understanding of (1) surface chemical reactions and dynamics, (2) solid-solid and solid-fluid interfacial interactions, and (3) defect nature and formation as well as their role in controlled chemical doping. By incorporating the fundamental knowledge and understanding into larger scale simulations, my research group also attempts to solve engineering problems encountered in the fabrication of nanoscale electronic, chemical and biological devices.