Mi Gyung Kim

Mi Gyung Kim is a Professor of History at North Carolina State University, affiliated with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She specializes in the history of European sciences (17th–19th centuries), the French Enlightenment, and the cultural intersections of science, technology, and society. Her work bridges intellectual history with material and visual culture.

Education

• Ph.D. in History, UCLA (1990)
• M.A. in Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin (1983)
• B.S. in Chemistry, Seoul National University, South Korea (1981)

Research

Kim’s research redefines the Chemical Revolution and explores the role of science in public imagination. Her book Affinity, That Elusive Dream challenges traditional narratives of modern chemistry, while The Imagined Empire examines how the hot-air balloon invention in 1783 created a mass public for science. Current projects include Republican Enlightenment and Useful Sciences, analyzing Enlightenment moral foundations for science.

Awards & Grants

• National Science Foundation grants (2000–2001, 2010–2012)
• Mellon Sabbatical Grant (2007)
• Franklin Research Grant (2004–2005)
• Residential Fellowship at Columbia University’s Institute for Scholars in Paris (2007)

Engagement

Kim has contributed to documentaries, podcasts (e.g., History Channel’s Defying Gravity and Monarchy), and academic forums on topics like astrobiology and science communication. She has presented globally, including at the Library of Congress and universities in France and Canada.