I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and attended Ewha Womans University for my BA in English. After graduating, I worked as a legal assistant at the largest law firm in South Korea, where I began to develop curiosity about organizational members’ communication with their coworkers, supervisors, and stakeholders.
I moved to the US to pursue my graduate education in Communication. I received my MA from Kansas State University and PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where I was fortunate to work with supportive mentors who helped me grow as a scholar as well as brilliant students who helped me realize my passion for empowering others with knowledge.
After earning my PhD, I worked as an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from 2017-20, where I was recognized by students as the Most Outstanding Faculty in 2019. I joined the Rutgers Communication faculty in 2020 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2025.
I love teaching and research and feel privileged to do this work with wonderful colleagues and students at Rutgers.
I live in North Jersey with my husband, our two young children, and a dog named “Mari” who has been with me since graduate school. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring the area.
*The photo is from the PhD commencement day in 2017, one of the happiest moments I cherished as a first-gen student!