Haewon C. McJeon

   
   

Haewon C. McJeon

   

Associate Professor

   

Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainability, KAIST

     

Haewon McJeon is an Associate Professor at the KAIST Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainability. His research primarily focuses on using Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) to formulate low-carbon, carbon-neutral, and carbon-negative pathways for mitigating climate change. At KAIST, he teaches the next generation of modelers how to use quantitative models to evaluate decarbonization strategies in Korea and developing Asia.

Previously, he held positions at the Joint Global Change Research Institute and the Center for Global Sustainability, where he played a pivotal role in developing the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM). In that role, he served as the lead Integrated Assessment Modeler for two White House reports on deep decarbonization pathways: the Long-Term Strategy (2021) and the Mid-Century Strategy (2016). He has published widely on topics such as the impacts of fossil fuels on climate change, decarbonization technologies, and decision-making under uncertainty. He has published over 100 papers in academic journals, including Nature, Science, Energy Economics, and Climatic Change.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Environmental Policy, University of Maryland
  • Master’s degree in Environmental Policy, University of Maryland
  • Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Seoul National University

Current Positions

  • Associate Professor (2024–Present)
    Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainability, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

  • Graduate Program Chair (2025–Present)
    Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainability, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

  • Associate Director (2025–Present)
    KAIST Institute for Climate-Environment-Energy

  • Associate Editor (2025–Present)
    Energy and Climate Change

Previous Positions

  • Visiting Professor (2023–2024)
    Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainability, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

  • Senior Economist (2020–2023)
    Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

  • Research Scientist (2012–2019)
    Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

  • Research Assistant (2006–2011)
    Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

  • Joint Affiliate (2020–2024)
    Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland