Prof. Moon Jeong Park (Chemistry) has become the first scientist based in Asia to win the Hanwha-Total IUPAC Young Scientist Award 2016 by the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

The award, which is dedicated to outstanding young scientists not older than 40 years, is granted biennially on the occasion of IUPAC World Polymer Congress since first awarded in 2004. This year, the award was presented to two awardees: Prof. Moon Jeong Park, of our own, and Prof. Brent Sumerlin with the University of Florida, USA.

Prof. Park, widely known as one of the most promising scientists in polymer chemistry, received her doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering at the Seoul National University. She was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California Berkeley before she joined POSTECH in 2009, where she is now Associate Professor.

Prof. Park was named the winner of Hanwha-Total IUPAC Young Scientist Award 2016, for the first time ever in Asia, in recognition of her significant contribution to the following areas: ionic-liquid containing polymers; design of self-assembled polymer electrolytes; organic-inorganic nanohybrides for enhanced ion/charge transport; chemical sensors based on ionic polymers; and high ionic conductivities and cation transfer numbers combined with high mechanical strength and a broad range of application. 

A neutral and objective scientific organization established in1919, IUPAC is the world authority on chemical nomenclature, terminology including the naming of new elements in the periodic table, and standardized methods for measurements, atomic weights and many other critically-evaluated data. IUPAC has over 50 national member countries, 31 associated organizations, and about 58 company associates.