Kim brings unique expertise to Penn State’s Geodesign programs

Mintai Kim joins the faculty of Penn State’s online Geodesign graduate program this fall. He will be teaching GEODZ 826 – Change and Representation. Kim is also an associate professor in the Landscape Architecture Program within the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech, and, as stated in his faculty bio: "His research focuses on environmental disturbances resulting from urbanization. He has published peer-reviewed papers and presented research at national and international conferences on urbanization's effects on stream quality, avian species distribution, nighttime light pollution and Geodesign," said Eliza Pennypacker, head of the Department of Landscape Architecture. "Mintai’s unique combination of design expertise and innovations in geospatial technology make him a perfect addition to Penn State’s groundbreaking online graduate programs in Geodesign. We are pleased he will add his depth of experience and knowledge about Geodesign to our extraordinary teaching team of national experts" Kim earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Planning and his Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley where he focused on GIS, environmental planning and design, planning methods and process, and natural factors in landscape architecture and environmental planning. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of Seoul. With more than 25 years of teaching design and extensive experience in GIS, plus a rich portfolio of research activities related to urban ecosystem regeneration and the resilience of places – current research supported by the Korean government and US National Park Service – Kim promises to bring proven experience with the practical potential of incorporating the tenets of Geodesign to contemporary challenges. At the 2017 Digital Landscape Architecture Conference in Germany, Kim presented his paper, Teaching Coastal Resilience using Geodesign: A Study of Virginia Beach, for which he garnered one of the two Scientific Excellence awards. This paper showcases the Geodesign studio he taught in the fall of 2016.