Professor Mi-Jeong Song (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences) received the Minister of Environment Commendation for her contributions to improving air quality through conducting research projects related to air pollutants.

An expert in atmospheric environment, Professor Song used fine particulate matter measurement data to identify the physicochemical characteristics of domestic fine particulate matter and has contributed to improving the reliability of the Ministry of Environment's national emissions data for air pollutants.

In particular, since 2015 Professor Song has led efforts to address regional air pollution through her research on 'Characteristics of Fine Particulate Matter Generation in Jeollabuk‑do' commissioned by the Ministry of Environment. She has also carried out numerous research projects in atmospheric science, including the Ministry of Science and ICT's 'Observation of Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation Phenomena in Organic Aerosols and Determination of Their Impacts.'

She also clarified the emission characteristics of ammonia and fine particulate matter in the atmosphere through a research project titled 'Investigation of Fine Particulate Matter Emission Characteristics by Type of Livestock Housing Facilities and Inventory Construction,' conducted under the Rural Development Administration's program on livestock fine particulate matter occurrence and mitigation technology development. Her work was recognized as an outstanding achievement in responses to agricultural and livestock fine particulate matter reduction.

Recently, through the Ministry of Science and ICT's Northeast Asia regional collaborative project for ultrafine particulate matter response technology development, specifically the 'Study on the Physical Characteristics and Applications of Northeast Asian Ultrafine Particulate Matter' project, she has been actively analyzing the physicochemical characteristics of Northeast Asian air pollution and region-specific mechanisms of particulate matter generation in collaboration with domestic and international researchers.

Through roles such as member of the Prime Minister's Special Committee on Fine Dust in 2019, secretariat member of the Science and Technology Committee of the Presidential National Climate and Environment Council, and member of the 'Emissions Review Committee' of the Ministry of Environment's National Fine Dust Information Center, she proposed evaluations and improvements to the national comprehensive plan for fine particulate matter management and contributed to enhancing the reliability of the national emissions data for air pollutants.

Professor Song said, 'I am pleased that my research achievements related to air pollution and air quality improvement, which are pressing issues for the region and Northeast Asia, have been recognized. I will continue to pursue new research that can contribute to the nation's scientific and technological advancement.'

Meanwhile, Professor Song is a fine particulate matter expert who received her Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). She is conducting leading research on mechanisms of particulate matter formation in the atmosphere and their physicochemical properties. She has also published in top international journals in the field and in journals within the top 1% by citation index.