Zong Woo Geem is a faculty in the college of IT convergence at Gachon University. He has obtained B.Eng. in Chung-Ang University, Ph.D. in Korea University, and M.Sc. in Johns Hopkins University, and researched at Virginia Tech, University of Maryland - College Park, and Johns Hopkins University. He invented a music-inspired optimization algorithm, Harmony Search, which has been applied to various scientific and engineering problems. His research interest includes the phenomenon-mimicking algorithm and its applications to energy, environment, and water fields.
He is also a music columnist for several magazines, a cantor for several churches, and a concert soloist who has appeared at various venues including the National Cathedral and National Shrine in Washington DC.