Sunkyu Park Named Jordan Family Distinguished Professor

The NC State College of Natural Resources has appointed Sunkyu Park as the Jordan Family Distinguished Professor for Natural Resource Innovation. Park, a professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials since 2009, is the fourth faculty member to receive the professorship. Previous recipients include Vincent Chiang, Hasan Jameel and Tom Gower, respectively. As the newest Jordan Family Distinguished Professor, Park will lead the development of lignin-based products to decarbonize the pulp and paper industry. 

The Jordan Family Distinguished Professorship was established through a generous gift from College of Natural Resources alumni Robert B. Jordan, III, Jack P. Jordan, Genie Jordan Ussery and Robert B. Jordan, IV. to allow outstanding faculty members to work with undergraduate and graduate students to build innovative research programs addressing emerging opportunities in natural resources that will impact the economy, our quality of life and environmental sustainability. It provides resources for research, equipment, graduate assistants, undergraduate support, professional development, travel, scholarly publications and other expenditures.

“Dr. Park is one of our most successful faculty members. He has not only garnered international recognition among his peers for his remarkable contributions to cutting-edge research in the biomass and biorefinery fields, but he has also demonstrated a strong commitment to mentoring and nurturing future scholars,” said Myron Floyd, dean of the College of Natural Resources.

In addition to his faculty appointment in the Department of Forest Biomaterials, Park is a University Faculty Scholar. His research covers a broad spectrum of biorefinery development for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials from lignocellulosic biomass. He has led or co-led a total of 57 funded research projects worth more than $35 million since joining the College of Natural Resources, resulting in 130 peer-reviewed scientific articles. 

Park is currently leading four multi-institutional projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, totaling over $11 million. One of the projects is supported by the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office to develop an alternative to the energy- and emissions-intensive kraft process of transforming wood into wood pulp, largely by replacing the recovery boiler that burns the chemicals and lignin residue remaining after the pulping process. The project is expected to result in a 50% reduction in carbon intensity compared to traditional kraft pulping if successful. 

With the additional resources available to him through the Jordan Family Distinguished Professorship, Park plans to build on the scope of work included in his DOE projects to further study the chemical modification of lignin — the glue-like substance that binds fibers within the cell walls of plants — to make it commercially viable for the production of materials, chemicals and fuels. 

“This initiative will not only expand our options for managing lignin produced from pulping or biorefinery processes, but also advance the transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy,” Park said. “Additionally, collaboration with other faculty members within the department will be instrumental in cultivating the best ideas and effectively guiding a graduate student supported by the Jordan Family  Distinguished Professorship. Through collective efforts, we can accelerate progress towards realizing the full potential of lignin as a valuable resource in various industries.” 

Park’s research achievements have not come at the expense of his teaching. He currently serves as lead instructor for two courses: PSE 417: Pulp and Paper Process Simulation and FB 760: Engineering Unit Operations of Biomass Conversion. Park has mentored and advised more than 50 undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scientists. He was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award in 2018. 

Before joining NC State, Park was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tennessee and then the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado. He was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor at NC State in 2015 before being named the EJ Woody Rice Endowed Associate Professor in 2017. Park also served as an adjunct professor at Seoul National University in Korea from 2011-2017. He holds a bachelor’s degree in forest products and a master’s degree in pulp and paper from Seoul National University, and a doctoral degree in wood and paper science from NC State.

Park’s personal history is deeply intertwined with NC State. Born in Raleigh while his father pursued graduate studies in the Department of Statistics, Park’s early years were shaped by the university’s influence. His family later moved to Korea, where he spent his childhood. Upon completing his studies at Seoul National University, Park chose to return to his roots and enrolled as a doctoral student at NC State. It was during this time that his first son was born, cementing his family’s connection to the area. Now, Park and his wife, Su, are raising three beautiful children. Their love and dedication to NC State truly run in their blood.