National Academies Press: OpenBook

Memorial Tributes: Volume 16 (2012)

Chapter: UN-CHUL PAEK

« Previous: JORJ O. OSTERBERG
Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×

image

Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×

UN - CHUL PAEK

1934–2011

Elected in 1998

“For the practical production of optical fibers.”

BY AUDREY PAEK
SUBMITTED BY THE NAE HOME SECRETARY

UN-CHUL PAEK, a pioneer in fast optical fiber drawing technologies and a chaired professor and professor emeritus at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), passed away on May 3, 2011, in Gwangju, South Korea.

He was born in Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, in South Korea on December 2, 1934. A self-starter who loved learning about the world, he valued education as a path to a better life after enduring personal loss and hardship following the Korean War. In 1957 he received a B.S. in engineering from the Korea Merchant Marine Academy. Given his aptitude for math and his skills for complex problem solving, he was encouraged by a naval officer to apply for graduate studies in the United States. After returning to Korea to get married, he undertook graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley, where he received an M.S. in mechanical engineering in 1965 and a Ph.D. in applied physics in 1969.

After Berkeley he returned to Korea to start a family. His only child, Audrey, was born in 1970. He then decided to move his family to the United States and joined AT&T Bell Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey, where he worked from 1969 until 1991. Among his many accomplishments, he became a distinguished member of the technical staff and was named a Bell Labs fellow. Un-Chul Paek was a pioneer in fast

Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×

optical fiber drawing technologies, which enabled installation of today’s global fiber-optic networks. His primary research interests included fiber design for high-speed wavelength division multiplexing systems, specialty fiber fabrication and fiber devices, and large-capacity fiber production processes. His work included the development of a furnace for drawing fibers; techniques for high-speed drawing, cooling, and coating of these fibers; analysis and perfection of fusion splicing; and, ultimately, theory and design of clad lightguide fibers.

Un-Chul Paek later served as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, from 1987 to 1993 before returning to Korea in 1991 to become executive vice president of the Korea Academy of Industrial Technology. Rather than pursue a position in the Korean government, he returned to academia to pursue his passion as a lifelong scholar, teacher, and mentor to the next generation of graduate research students. In 1994 he became dean of faculty and a professor with the information communications department at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). He was then named director of the Research Center for Ultrafast Fiber-Optic Networks in 1995. From 2000 to 2006, he served as a chaired professor and professor emeritus at GIST.

Un-Chul Paek received many honors throughout his career for his technical achievements and publications. He was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1998 for the practical production of optical fibers. In recognition of his lifelong contribution to the development of science and technology, he received the National Order of Civil Merit—the Presidential Medal of Honor—from former South Korean President Dae-Jung Kim. He was also a fellow of the Optical Society of America, the American Ceramic Society, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, as well as a member of Sigma Xi and an associate member of the Third World Academy of Science.

His thirst for knowledge, his personal diligence and devotion to research, and his mentorship of students and colleagues were hallmarks of his career. He believed in creating a life of meaning through service. Most people will remember him as a

Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×

brilliant scientist, collaborator, and educator, who pushed not only the boundaries of one’s intellect but also the boundaries of what was possible in science and technology to positively impact society. To his family and friends, he will always be known as the consummate gentleman, devoted husband, and loving father who had great integrity, wit, and an appreciation for storytelling with amazing recollection of historical facts and an understanding of diverse cultures and languages. He will continue to live in the hearts and memories of those he personally touched in meaningful ways.

Un-Chul is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Lee; his daughter, Audrey, and son-in-law Frank; his two younger brothers, Woon-Soo (Paul) and Woon-Seo and their families; his nephew Sang Hoon and his wife Kyung Sook; and his great-nephew Yoonha (James).

Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×
Page 216
Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×
Page 217
Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×
Page 218
Suggested Citation:"UN-CHUL PAEK." National Academy of Engineering. 2012. Memorial Tributes: Volume 16. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13338.
×
Page 219
Next: JOSEPH A. PASK »
Memorial Tributes: Volume 16 Get This Book
×
Buy Hardback | $62.00 Buy Ebook | $49.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

This is the 16th Volume in the series Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and foreign associates. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and foreign associates, the Academy carries out the responsibilities for which it was established in 1964.

Under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering was formed as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. Members are elected on the basis of significant contributions to engineering theory and practice and to the literature of engineering or on the basis of demonstrated unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology. The National Academies share a responsibility to advise the federal government on matters of science and technology. The expertise and credibility that the National Academy of Engineering brings to that task stem directly from the abilities, interests, and achievements of our members and foreign associates, our colleagues and friends, whose special gifts we remember in this book.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!