Research Committee

Jiwon was born and raised in Daejeon, South Korea, and holds an M.Ed. in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research interests focus on the social-emotional well-being of immigrants and refugees, with a particular passion for understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by these communities. As an international resident with cross-cultural experiences, Jiwon hopes to bring a global perspective to her work and contribute meaningfully to the field through culturally responsive and compassionate approaches. In her free time, Jiwon enjoys practicing yoga and exploring local cafés.

Jung Hwa was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She received her B.A. in Education from Yonsei University and her Ph.D. in Human Development and Quantitative Methods from the University of Pennsylvania. Her primary research interests center on the socioemotional development of Asian/Asian American children, investigating how individual and contextual factors, both independently and conjointly, influence developmental outcomes. In her free time, she loves to travel and take walks with her husband and son.

Nari Yoo is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Her research bridges community-based approaches and technological innovations to improve mental health and social service delivery for racial/ethnic minorities and immigrant populations in both the U.S. and Asia. She is particularly interested in language access, culturally grounded care models, and the ethical use of AI in social work practice. Her long-term goal is to develop technology-assisted and community-rooted interventions that are linguistically and culturally responsive. Beyond her academic work, she enjoys exploring cross-cultural perspectives through travel, literature, and documentaries.

Soe Young is a doctoral student in the Applied Human Development program at BU Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. Her research interests lie in positive youth development, critical consciousness, teaching and parenting practices, and ethnic-racial identity development. Following her passion for empowering youths in marginalized populations, she hopes to identify ways to foster resilience and purpose in young people and help them develop agency and a voice in their community.