Yoon-Soo Park retires from ONR, the Office
of Naval Research
Yoon-Soo Park in his ONR office
Dr.
Yoon-Soo Park, after some 40 years of career of research and service to
the federal government, has retired from ONR,
the Office of Naval Research effective January 31, 2003. He will continue
with his outstanding service to the Korean-American community in science,
religion and many civic leadership. Dr. Park is 73 years young. While
attending the Global Korea Award at the Michigan State University last
October, he was sideswiped by an errant auto making a sharp turn while he
was crossing a street, resulting in an injury to his feet. This
made it difficult for him to be making globe trotting travels to carry out
the duties at ONR. Dr. Park's service covers a wide
spectrum of science, technology, educational and many civic services to
the Korean-American community.
Dr. Park's civic activities
Dr. Park's lifelong service to the Korean-American community, both
scientific
and general, are too numerous to mention all,but some important
contributions are:
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation
(KASF)
KASF is one of the most successful KA organizations that raises fund and
distribute scores of scholarships to young and aspiring KA students.
Often referred to as "Mr. KASF," Dr. Park's tireless dedication to its
cause is credited with making KASF into what it is today. Dr. Park is the
chairman of the National Board of Directors of the Korean-American
Scholarship Fund and his work was recognized by the 2002 Global
Korea Award, annually awarded by the Coucil of Korean Studies at the
Michigan State University.
Dr. Park receiving the 2002 Global Korea Award
The Centennial Committee of Korean Immigration - Greater
Washington (CCKI-GW)
Dr. Park serves as president of the Greater Washington chapter of the
Centennial Committee of Korean Immigration to the United States,
celebrating the 100 years since Korean immigrants first arrived in Hawaii,
the start of the formation of the Korean community in the
U.S.
Dr. Park is a member of the Editorial Board of KASTN (The
Korean-American Science and Technology News) and also a
member of OKSPN (Overseas Korean Senior Professionals Network).
He served as a national President of AKPA
(Association of Korean Physicists in America) and as the founding chair
of the Executive committee of KUSCO
(Korea-US Science Cooperation Center).
Dr. Park's family
Dr. Park and his wife, Dju, were married in 1960 and they have three
daughters,
all living in New York city. The oldest,
Jeannie, graduated from Harvard University and attended Harvard Law School.
She now is an executive editor for People
magazine. Jeannie spoke at a forum of Korean-American journalists at the
Smithsonian Institution on January 23.
Mimi Park, a graphics artist who attended New York University, founded
her own company, Park Design. Lisa, who
earned a computer science degree at Columbia University, now is a vice
president
for Barney's New York.
Park's wife, Dju, taught mathematics at Cedar Lane School for the handicapped
in Fairfax County until her retirement. His
brother, Chung Soo Park, earned a Ph.D. in political science at American
University, and served as Korea's minister of
foreign affairs in 1998. Another brother is in business in New York. Park's
two sisters both live in the U.S.
Mimi, Dju, Dr. Park, Lisa, Jeannie
A Brief Summary of Dr. Park's Scientific Career
Park has published
150 professional articles and delivered 150 presentations. He holds three
patents in solid-state devices, and has been honored with many
professional awards, including the Secretary
of the Air Force Award for Exceptional Civilian Service. He is a fellow of
the American and Korean Physical Societies,
and has held offices in many other professional organizations.
Park's life, in research and outside it, has been an exciting one. In 1950
he was a student at Seoul National University, when the Korean war broke
out. The university was moved to Pusan, where
he completed work on his B.S. in physics in 1952. While at the university
he acted as president of the student Christian
federation. The Canadian Student Christian Movement provided him with
funding to move to Canada to continue his studies. Park earned his M.S. in
nuclear
physics at the University of Alberta in 1955. Park received his Ph.D. in
solid-state physics from the University of Cincinnati
in 1962, and took a position with the Air Force's Aerospace Laboratory
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1963.
Later, he joined the Avionics Lab at Wright-Patterson.
In 1968 and 1969, he lectured in physics at Berlin's Technical
University. During his service with the Air Force, he traveled to Korea
many times as a guest lecturer. From 1983 through 1986
he represented the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in Japan,
acting as a liaison with Japanese researchers.
Park came to ONR in 1987 and joined what then was Code 12, the applied
research directorate, where he managed 6.1 and 6.2 research programs in
electronics, micro-electronics, and superconductivity.
His primary focus, he says, has been in opto-electronics. His work with
discrete electro-optical and light imaging devices has led to development
of low-cost multi-functional devices for use with Navy shipboard and
airborne sensors. His research also extended to light-emitting diodes, an
area in which ONR has achieved ground-breaking
progress, and to development of infrared detectors and emitters.