Professor Sungmoon Jung stands at Torres del Paine, Chile side, during his Fulbright Scholar sabbatical to study wind, air pollution and urban heat in Santiago, Chile. (Courtesy Jung)
Sungmoon Jung, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, has been awarded the 2025–2026 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award.
He is currently in Santiago, Chile, on a four-month fellowship.
Researching Wind, Pollution and Urban Heat in Santiago
Jung is collaborating with Chilean colleagues to address wind patterns, air pollution and urban heat in Santiago—challenges with significant consequences for city life and infrastructure.
His research focuses on developing new techniques to understand how clusters of buildings across different neighborhoods interact with and reshape wind patterns. Jung brings deep expertise in modeling dynamic effects on civil infrastructure, with an established research program at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering centered on how structures respond to forces such as wind and impact.
A Cross-Disciplinary Partnership at UAI
The fellowship is hosted by Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, known as UAI, which the college describes as a premier partner with strengths in urban infrastructure modeling, data science and complex engineering systems.
Jung is working alongside Professor Gonzalo Ruz, a computer scientist at UAI, to explore how building morphology—characteristics such as shape, configuration and spatial arrangement—influences wind behavior at the city scale.
Q: What makes Santiago a good fit for this research?
“Building morphology in a large city like Santiago varies significantly across regions, making systematic modeling challenging,” Jung said. “We are currently about two months into the research and we have already made meaningful progress. The international setting is beneficial in fostering innovative research ideas, collaboration between countries and personal growth.”
Santiago’s rapid population growth and environmental policies also make it an exceptional testbed for urban climate solutions, according to Jung’s UAI collaborators.
Building Bridges Between FAMU-FSU and Latin America
Jung has received strong support from researchers in UAI’s engineering and data sciences programs, and his longer-term goal is to increase the exchange of students and faculty between the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and UAI as well as other Chilean institutions.
Lisa Spainhour, professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, sees the fellowship as part of a broader opportunity.
“As a joint college serving a diverse student body, we are excited to participate in international exchanges like the Fulbright program that foster cultural enrichment,” Spainhour said. “Despite our large graduate program, students from Chile and Latin America remain underrepresented in civil and other engineering fields and we are excited to be making new connections there.”
Q: What has the experience been like personally?
“Chile is one of the most diverse and beautiful places in the world,” Jung said. “From north to south is about the same distance as from Seattle to Miami. The scenery is unique and impressive, the professors have been supportive, and I am thankful for my experience here.”
Spainhour added: “Professor Jung’s leadership, collaborative spirit and commitment to mentoring have transformed our department. His selection as a Fulbright Scholar will catalyze invaluable academic and cultural exchanges, benefiting both his host institution in Chile and the broader university community at FAMU-FSU.”
About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and funded by the U.S. government. Governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also contribute to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries. In the United States, the Institute of International Education administers the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the Department of State.
For more information, visit fulbrightprogram.org.
Editor’s Note: This article was edited with a custom prompt for Claude Sonnet 4.6, an AI assistant created by Anthropic. The AI optimized the article for SEO/GEO discoverability, improved clarity, structure and readability while preserving the original reporting and factual content. All information and viewpoints remain those of the author and publication. This article was edited and fact-checked by college staff before being published. This disclosure is part of our commitment to transparency in our editorial process. Last edited: 05/26/2026.
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