Daehyun’s research focus is bio-geophysical complexity in which spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation and soil are molded in dynamic, complex relationships with landform, climate, and hydrology. His overarching goal is to develop both conceptual and simulation models that articulate how complex systems interactions create biogeographic patterns.

He has pursued this goal through the use of geographic information systems that allowed him to analyze and visualize dynamics of natural resources observed through field-based studies. Such analysis and visualization involved predictive vegetation/soil mapping, digital terrain modeling, and spatial/multivariate statistics.

One of his ongoing research projects is the investigation of long-term dynamics of salt marsh vegetation responding to changes in environmental conditions in collaboration with David Cairns at Texas A&M and Jesper Bartholdy at the University of Copenhagen. They are in an unusual situation to work with floristic, sedimentological, hydrological, and climatic data acquired from a Danish salt marsh since the 1930s.

In August 2009, Daehyun received his Ph.D. in geography from Texas A&M University and joined the UK Geography as Assistant Professor. While planning to continue his research in the Danish coast, he is searching for new collaborators to explore forest dynamics and spatial pattern of earthquakes in Kentucky.