UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A testament to his incredible achievements in the manufacturing and automotive industry, Dong-Youn Sohn, president and CEO of Doosan Infracore, has been named a 2018 Outstanding Engineering Alumnus by the Penn State College of Engineering.
As the highest honor bestowed by the college, this recognition is in acknowledgement of Sohn’s professional success across the globe. “This is a great honor to me and my family,” he said. “I didn’t expect this, but it’s great!”
Sohn earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering at Penn State in 1989, with a dissertation funded by General Electric, on the design of a reactor-vessel auxiliary cooling system for shutdown heat removal.
“I always take on new challenges and learn new things. I did that a lot at Penn State!” he said.
As the CEO of Doosan Infracore, a global leader specializing in construction equipment, diesel and gas engines founded in 1937 and acquired the compact construction equipment company Bobcat in 2007, Sohn successfully restructured the entire company to optimize its performance in face of the global recession. His efforts resulted in massive profits and industry gains.
Doosan Infracore ranked 6th in CE global sales in 2016, achieving its highest global market share to date. Doosan Bobcat, No.1 in North America and Europe, is strengthening its market leadership with annual earnings growth.
His doctoral adviser at Penn State, Fan-Bill Cheung, the George L. Guillet Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, added, “Dr. Sohn has made impressive contributions and long-lasting impact on the automobile, equipment and construction industries.”
Describing Sohn as an “exceptionally talented, motivated and innovative” student, Cheung said, “He was one of the best students I have had during my 32 years at Penn State. I guess I learned as much from him as he learned from me.”
After earning his doctorate, Sohn began working at General Motors Korea (formerly known as Daewoo Motor Company, a joint venture between GM and Daewoo, later named GM Korea). “After graduating, I felt my place was in industry and using my knowledge to help contribute to society,” Sohn explained.
Staying true to his word, he rose through the ranks and left GM as vice president and head of GM’s Korea Technical Center. He headed up the Global Mini Vehicle development, whose technology powers vehicles such as the Chevrolet Spark. “It was a great success, we sold more than a million vehicles in five years,” he said.
Sohn will receive his Outstanding Engineering Alumnus award, accompanied by his wife Junghee Kim and her sister, at the Nittany Lion Inn on the Penn State University Park campus on April 23.
Reflecting on his career success, Sohn’s advice for students studying mechanical engineering was simple. “Always do the right thing, it will move you in the right direction. Your challenges will make you.”