Kyeong Park

Learn more about Kyeong Park

Get To Know Kyeong Park

What in your life drew you to your current field of study?

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to play in the water, particularly in the ocean water. Whenever my family visited a beach, my parents had to literally drag me out of the ocean when they were ready to go back home. My love for the ocean, then not as a subject to study about but as a place to play in, grew with time. So much so that after I got a bachelor degree in the Mineral and Petroleum Engineering, I decided to go to the graduate school in the field of Marine Science. It turns out to be an excellent choice for me. I have been studying about the ocean while playing in it.

What do you hope your students gain from studying or working with you?

Memorizing facts seems pretty useless these days. You can find whatever facts you are looking for almost instantaneously using smart phones. I hence do not ask my students to memorize facts. I rather want them to learn to think logically and deliver their thoughts logically to others, both to the experts in the field and layperson. I also encourage my students to get involved in the research of multidisciplinary topics, for example, those topics related to water quality and living resources. I believe university faculty thrives on success of their students. I take a great pride in the success of my students.

What are you passionate about in your personal life?

Three things: baduk (or go), golf, and cartoons. I love to play baduk online, but as it is a real time killer I cannot indulge myself in this game as much as I like to. I am not good at playing golf (by any measure) but love to be out there for a few hours playing it. I love to read cartoons, both English and Korean cartoons, but like baduk it is a time killer I cannot indulge myself in this as much as I like to. I plan to spend a lot of time in doing these three activities once I retire.

Education

Ph.D. Marine Science, College of William and Mary, 1993
M.S. Marine Environmental Sciences, Stony Brook University, 1987
B.S. Mineral and Petroleum Engineering, Seoul National University (Korea), 1985

Courses Taught

Estuarine and Coastal Hydrodynamics
Physical Oceanography
Estuarine and Coastal Water Quality Modeling
Physical-Biological Interactions in the Sea
Oceanographic Experiences

Publications

Kuo, A.Y., K. Park, and M.Z. Moustafa (1991) Spatial and temporal variabilities of hypoxia in the Rappahannock River. Estuaries, 14(2), 113-121.

Park, K., J.-H. Oh, H.-S. Kim, and H.-H. Im (2002) Case study: Mass transport mechanism in Kyunggi Bay around Han River mouth, Korea. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 128(3), 257-267.

Park, K., H.-S. Jung, H.-S. Kim, and S.-M. Ahn (2005) Three-dimensional hydrodynamic-eutrophication model (HEM-3D): application to Kwang-Yang Bay, Korea. Marine Environmental Research, 60(2), 171-193.

Park, K., C.-K. Kim, and W.W. Schroeder (2007) Temporal variability in summertime bottom hypoxia in shallow areas of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Estuaries and Coasts, 30(1), 54-65.

Park, K., H.V. Wang, S.-C. Kim, and J.-H. Oh (2008) A model study of the estuarine turbidity maximum along the main channel of the upper Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries and Coasts, 31(1), 115-133.

Kim, C.-K., K. Park, S.P. Powers, W.M. Graham, and K.M. Bayha (2010) Oyster larval transport in coastal Alabama: dominance of physical transport over biological behavior in a shallow estuary. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115, C10019, doi:10.1029/2010JC006115.

Dzwonkowski, B. and K. Park (2012) Subtidal circulation on the Alabama shelf during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, C03027, doi:10.1029/2011JC007664.

Ha, H.K. and K. Park (2012) High-resolution comparison of sediment dynamics under different forcing conditions in the bottom boundary layer of a shallow, micro-tidal estuary. Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, C06020, doi:10.1029/2012JC007878.

Kim, C.-K. and K. Park (2012) A modeling study of water and salt exchange for a micro-tidal, stratified northern Gulf of Mexico estuary. Journal of Marine Systems, 96-97, 103-115.

Park, K., S.P. Powers, G.S. Bosarge, and H.-S. Jung (2014) Plugging the leak: Barrier island restoration following Hurricane Katrina enhances habitat quality for oysters in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Marine Environmental Research, 94, 48-55.

Graduate Students

Jiabi Du, Post-Doctorate