What department are you a graduate student in?  

I’m a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration and Policy.

Why did you decide to go to graduate school? 

During my military service in the Republic of Korea Army as a first lieutenant, I conducted Security Operation in the military’s border in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea.

Experiencing great uncertainties as a platoon leader and overcoming overcame two sudden national security crises when North Korea attacked in 2010, the most critical question I faced everyday was “how can I make the right decision and motivate my team to keep this country safe from the North Korean army?”

After being discharged upon completion, I decided to continue my studies in public administration for a Master’s degree (Master of Public Administration) in Korea to learn about leadership and effective public organization management. 

Did your interests change throughout your program? 

I slightly narrowed down my academic puzzles when I earned a Master of Public Policy in the U.S. During the program, I was able to cultivate my analytic skills to come up with innovative solutions for evidence-based public policy.

However, as I learned more about theories in public policy implementation, I found that public services are not successfully delivered to under-resourced communities even if policymakers introduce a sophisticated public policy. With my lifelong fascination in technology innovation, I am investigating cognitive and administrative barriers that prevent them from accessing the services even though they are eligible.

What do you want to do with your advanced degree?

I would like to work in academia as a policy expert to translate the lessens I have learned into evidence-based policy and to support tangible improvements to people’s lives into the real world. I look forward to a future where I can use my analytic skills to help policymakers design evidence-based public policy.