Mihyun Kang
- Director for Sustainability, College of Arts and Architecture
- Research Professor
103 Borland
- Email mkang@psu.edu
Biography
Mihyun Kang is the director for sustainability in the College of Arts and Architecture and a research professor. As the first administrator to lead sustainability efforts within the College of Arts and Architecture, Kang brought together faculty, staff, and students from across the college to establish the Sustainability Council and advance sustainability across the college’s teaching and learning, research, community engagement, and operations. Her efforts to build sustainability from the ground up and establish the college’s inaugural sustainability initiatives have been recognized by the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium, which named her a 2021 Campus Sustainability Champion in recognition of her work to advance sustainability at Penn State. Her continued efforts to advance sustainability and engage the Penn State community have also been recognized through the 2025 Barbara O. Korner Award for Faculty Outstanding Service from the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture and the 2026 John Roe Sustainability Impact Faculty Award for Excellence in Engaged Scholarship from Penn State Sustainability.
Kang, who holds a Ph.D. in Interior Design from the University of Minnesota, came to Penn State in 2019 from Oklahoma State University, where she was a professor and the holder of the Chris Salmon Endowed Professorship in the Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising. In addition to her teaching duties at Oklahoma State, over the years she served as graduate program coordinator in her department, advisor to student groups related to sustainability and facilities, assessment coordinator, accreditation coordinator, and internship coordinator. Previously, she taught at the University of California at Davis and worked as an interior designer at Ellerbe Becket, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Hyundai Wood Industries Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea.
Kang’s research focuses on sustainable interior design and design for special populations. It has been funded by organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, Interior Design Educators Council, American Society of Interior Designers, and International Facility Management Association. She has published widely in publications including Environment and Behavior, Facilities, Ergonomics, Housing and Society, Journal of Facility Management, and Internatinal Journal of Sustainabliyt in Higher Education co-written book chapters, and presented at national and international conferences.
In addition to holding an endowed professorship, Kang’s many honors include, at Oklahoma State, serving as a Faculty Teaching Fellow in the Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Riata Entrepreneurship Fellow, recipient of the Regents Distinguished Teaching Award, and recipient of the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award from the College of Human Sciences. Other awards include the Service Award from the Interior Design Educators Council, Outstanding Student Organization Advisor at Oklahoma State, Excellence Award from the University and College Designers Association, and many others.