UI SUN HWANG

What brought you to KPU and your program of study?

When I first arrived in Canada, I was confronted with a reality I hadn’t fully anticipated. The career and experience I had built in Korea in an entirely different field carried little weight here. Starting over in a new country wasn’t simply a matter of changing jobs — it was a process of redefining what I was capable of.
In the midst of that uncertainty, I found myself drawn to the diversity and creativity of the North American craft beer scene. What fascinated me was how the same style of beer could yield completely different results depending on the brewer’s philosophy and approach. That curiosity led me to the KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations program. As I watched Dominic Bernard and Alek Egi introduce the curriculum, I sensed that this was not simply a place that taught people how to make beer — it felt like a program designed to develop brewers who could think scientifically, define problems on their own, and work through them with rigor. That was what made the decision easy.

Can you briefly describe your current position and your main day to day responsibilities?

I currently work as a brewer at Parkside Brewing in Vancouver. My day-to-day responsibilities include monitoring and managing fermentation, analyzing process data to ensure consistency and quality, troubleshooting any deviations that arise during production, and contributing to recipe development. Each brew day brings its own set of variables, and much of the role involves making sound decisions quickly based on what the data and the beer are telling you.

Which skills, knowledge, or experiences from KPU have been most valuable in your career so far?

The most valuable thing KPU gave me wasn’t a specific technique — it was a way of thinking. Evidence-based reasoning, process understanding grounded in data, and the habit of asking “why” before reaching for a solution — these run through everything I do at work.
That foundation was put to the test during my time at KPU in a way I hadn’t expected. My capstone beer, Happyhoppy, won a Gold Medal at the 2024 US Open College Beer Championship and placed third at the BC Beer Awards. Around the same time, I shared an idea with Dominic Bernard — that I wanted to brew a beer rooted in Korean sensibility and culture. He didn’t hesitate: “Give it a try.” Together with KPU Brewing alumnus Jang Donghwan, I used evenings and school breaks to develop Korean Saison. It went on to win a Gold Medal and Best in Show at the same championship. More than any award, those projects confirmed that the way KPU taught me to approach problems actually works in practice.
In an age overflowing with AI tools and information, what matters most isn’t knowing more — it’s the ability to think critically, evaluate what you know, and apply it with judgment. That is what KPU trained me to do.

What advice would you give current KPU students who want to build a successful career after graduation?

Trust the process, and don’t skip the thinking. It’s tempting to focus on the end product — the beer, the job, the credential — but the most transferable thing you’ll take from KPU is how you learned to approach a problem. That skill will outlast any specific technique or tool.
Also, don’t be afraid to bring your own story into your work. I came to brewing as an immigrant in my mid-career, with a background that had nothing to do with beer. That felt like a disadvantage at first. But the perspective I carried — and the willingness to ask questions others might not think to ask — turned out to be an asset. Whoever you are and wherever you’re from, that is something the industry doesn’t already have enough of.