Professors Kang Chun-won and Park Hee-joon (College of Human Ecology, Department of Housing Environmental Design) were jointly awarded the Grand Prize of the Korean Wood Science and Technology Award, the highest honor, at the Korean Society of Wood Science and Technology's 50th Anniversary Commemorative Seminar and Annual Conference held recently. This is the first time two professors from the same university have simultaneously received the Grand Prize.

The Korean Society of Wood Science and Technology, founded in 1972, is the country's most prestigious professional society in the field of wood science. It publishes SCOPUS-indexed journals and organizes regular conferences, symposia, and seminars. Each year it selects and honors researchers who have contributed to the development of wood science.

Professor Kang Chun-won was recognized for his contributions to wood physics and the study of the acoustic properties of wood over the past 25 years. Professor Park Hee-joon was acknowledged for his achievements in wood materials science and functional wood manufacturing technologies over the past 30 years, including outstanding research and patent registrations that have contributed to related industries.

Professors Kang and Park said, "We are pleased to receive this award together as the result of dedicating ourselves to research under the belief that wood can change the world in the era of carbon neutrality. We will strive to apply advanced technologies to the many advantages of wood so that wood can develop into a high-value-added industry."