KAIST Professor Michael S. Pak’s article was made the feature article in a special issue of Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T), a world-renowned publication in environmental science and engineering. Professor Pak’s article, “Environmentalism Then and Now: From Fears to Opportunities, 1970-2010,” was part of the special issue called Environmental Policy: Past, Present and Future, which was published to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, the International Year of Chemistry, and the foundation of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

In his article, Professor Pak retrospectively analyzed patterns in environmentalism throughout history. In the 19th century, protection of the environment and environpolitics emerged as major political and social issues. However, with the outbreak of World War I, it took 50 years until the environment was once again recognized as an important topic for our society. By raising environmental awareness, Professor Pak pointed out that global warming and climate changes are examples of environmental research areas which need active support from countries all around the world.

Professor Pak also argues that making policies regarding climate change is a high-risk gamble due to scientific findings and uncertainties around them. Thus, he emphasized that more active support for fundamental research into climate change is urgent in order to minimize these uncertainties. Among 33 features, critical reviews, policy analysis and research articles that were published in this special issue of ES&T, Professor Pak’s article was the only one which was written from the perspective of a humanities expert.

Professor Pak graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in History, and received his MA and Ph.D. from Harvard University. He had worked as an assistant professor at Massachusetts College of Art for six years. In 2008, Professor Pak was appointed as an Associate Professor by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, and by the Department of Science and Technology Policy at KAIST. Currently, Professor Pak’s main research is centered on fusion study between science and technology policy and liberal arts regarding environmental issues. He is also working on developing the college system.