Eight undergraduates from Jeonbuk National University (JBNU)'s Department of Housing Environment received the Jeonju Mayor's Award at the 2025 Jeonju Distinguished Citizens Awards Ceremony.

The award recognizes their contributions to the creation of better residential environments and the promotion of community housing welfare through active participation in Jeonju's public–private–academic demonstration project to improve living spaces for vulnerable households.

The recipients were fourth-year students Hwang Jang-hyun, Jeong Hye-jin, Nam Si-hyung, Park Ji-hyun, and Ban Seung-eun, and third-year students Jang Ji-yun, Kim Seon-jun, and Kim Seul-gi. They have played central roles in the department's ongoing projects to improve living spaces for vulnerable households and to renovate community senior center spaces.

This space improvement project began in 2022 and is now in its fourth year. It is a flagship field-based experiential education and research program of JBNU's Department of Housing Environment. Students directly participate in housing condition surveys, the development of improvement plans, space design, and construction support for vulnerable households and older adults in the region. They have implemented demand-centered housing environment improvements in a demonstrable manner.

These sustained achievements have already been recognized externally on multiple occasions. The Jeonju Mayor's Award follows honors such as the Korea Housing Welfare Culture Award (2024), the Chairperson's Award of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee (2024), the Jeonju City Council Chairperson's Award (2025), and the Commendation from the Governor of North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province (2025). The award serves as another confirmation of the significance and outcomes of JBNU's Department of Housing Environment's public–private–academic collaborative model of housing welfare practice.

Miseon Jang, Chair of the Department of Housing Environment, said, 'This award is especially meaningful because it publicly recognizes the process by which students met residents directly in the field beyond the classroom and worked to solve real-life problems.' She added, 'Going forward, JBNU's Department of Housing Environment will continue to link housing welfare practice and education through ongoing collaboration with the local community.'