Spotlight on PO Chair Young-Oh Kwon

Photo provided by Young-Oh Kwon

The PO Department congratulates Young-Oh Kwon on his recent appointment as Department Chair.  Young-Oh joined WHOI in 2006 as an assistant scientist.  Prior to that, he was a postdoc in the Climate and Global Dynamics Division at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.  His PhD in physical oceanography is from the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington.  Young-Oh’s research primarily revolves around one question, “What is the role of the ocean in climate?” More specifically, his research focuses on the variability in the ocean and atmosphere, and the interaction between the two in the extratropics on time scales of a few years to several decades. He also studies how such interaction impacts the coastal environment and ecosystem, Arctic climate change, and predictability of various components of the earth system.

In his free time, Young-Oh’s favorite pastime is to hang out with his family.  He lives with his wife and daughter, who is a rising senior in college, and he also enjoys baking, cooking and tending his vegetable garden.