October 8, 2024

The NERCRD team is pleased to welcome the newest postdoctoral scholar, Dr. Minsu Kim, who joined the Center on October 3rd. Minsu is an energy, environmental, and urban/regional economist who focuses on topics in energy transition and urban/regional sustainability, with an emphasis on optimal policy, technology adoption, consumer behavior, and local policy implementation. While at the NERCRD, he will support the Center’s overall research mission and also engage in two specific research projects: analyzing how U.S. businesses approach decarbonization (funded by USDA NIFA) and measuring local innovation activity (funded by NSF).

Prior to completing his doctoral studies at Michigan State University, Minsu was a researcher at the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center of Korea, the country’s main research institution in climate and energy policy and economics. He performed cost-benefit analysis of energy policy in Korea, and assisted modeling for national energy use, carbon emissions forecasting, and potential emissions reductions to meet the country’s national goals. Previously, he served as the secretary for Korean Assemblyman S.J.D. Sangdon Lee, a member of the Environment and Labor Committee, where he prepared the annual audit, hearings, and briefings of the Ministry of Environment, researched legislation, and assisted the assemblyman.

Minsu holds a dual doctoral degree in economics and agricultural, food, and resource economics from Michigan State University; a master of city planning in environmental studies from Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea; and a bachelor of science in chemistry from Pohang University of Science and Technology in Pohang, South Korea. In his free time, Minsu enjoys going for a walk with his wife, Jieun, and his son, Ethan, and playing ball sports, such as pickleball, table tennis, baseball, or soccer.

Learn more about Minsu’s work on his website, or connect with him on Twitter or on LinkedIn.