Dr. Yong-Lin Moon (Ph.D. ’87, Educational Psychology) has been awarded the University’s 2013 Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals. Nominated by Professor Mark Davison, Dr. Moon was cited as a “pioneer in human resource development in Korea, a reformer on all levels of Korea’s education system…and dedicated to the character development of each and every student to succeed and contribute to a thriving, democratic society.”
Dr. Moon was recently elected superintendent of education for Seoul City, Korea, and is a professor of education at Seoul National University. He served as the Korean minister of education in 2000. While at the University of Minnesota, he conducted research in the area of moral development with his advisor, Dr. James Rest and Mark Davison. After returning to Korea, he directed the design of a nationwide curriculum and textbook on moral education in elementary and secondary education. Through his service as Minister of Education, member of the Education Reform Committee, member of the New Education Committee, and director of the moral education curriculum development project, Dr. Moon has had a major influence on Korean education.