Research
My research is grounded in the belief that when students are encouraged to bring their whole selves into educational environments — and feel that their cultural, linguistic, and personal identities are valued — they are more likely to experience belonging and to thrive.
Across my projects, I focus on how students from minoritized backgrounds can be supported in ways that recognize and affirm the diverse knowledge, strengths, and lived experiences they bring with them. My work centers Korean American and immigrant-origin communities and uses qualitative inquiry to understand identity, belonging, and access.
Projects
Research Areas
Research Areas
Examines how culturally relevant and familiar food experiences shape Korean American students' sense of belonging on campus. Focuses on how food access and cultural familiarity inform students' interpretations of care, inclusion, and campus climate.
Explores how AI can serve as a supportive tool for student learning rather than a shortcut or replacement. Focuses on equity-minded approaches to AI integration that support student agency, critical thinking, and access — with presentations at national conferences and an invited talk at the Black AI: Inclusive Innovation for All Conference.
Investigated how K–12 school district websites in California communicate information about interpretation and translation services, with a focus on accessibility, visibility, and how language access policies reach immigrant families.
Explored Korean American students' experiences with racism during COVID-19, examining how self-identification as first-, 1.5-, or second-generation Korean American shaped their sense of identity and belonging during a period of heightened anti-Asian violence.