Biography
My research focuses on understanding the needs of immigrant students to facilitate English language acquisition and academic success within the K-12 system. I investigate how instructional technology can be leveraged to enhance learning experiences in STEM and language arts, with a specific emphasis on multimodal digital storytelling.
Throughout my academic career, I have explored the intersections of gender and immigration, formative education, and the development of professional identities for teachers. My work often bridges cognitive and sociocultural insights to create more equitable educational environments.
Global Initiatives
I am deeply involved in international educational initiatives, including representing Boston College in working groups with the OECD on the Education 2030 Project. My current projects include a hydroponic Green House initiative with Waltham schools and ongoing research with CityConnects to support emergent bilingual learners.
Academic Career
Boston College — Lynch School of Education and Human Development
2021 – Present | Professor, Teaching, Curriculum, and Society 2022 – Present | Affiliated Faculty Member, Formative Education Department 2016 – 2021 | Associate Professor, Teaching, Curriculum, and Society
Harvard University — Project Zero, Graduate School of Education
2022 – 2023 | Visiting Scholar Hosted by Drs. Howard Gardner and Wendy Fisher.
Seoul National University — College of Education
Fall 2022 | Visiting Professor, English Education Department.
University of South Florida — College of Education
2012 – 2016 | Associate Professor, Foreign Language Education / ESOL / SLA · Department of Teaching and Learning 2015 – 2016 | Core Faculty Member, Teacher Education Doctoral Program 2015 – 2016 | Affiliated Faculty Member, Department of Women’s and Gender Studies 2012 – 2013 | Director, Second Language Acquisition / Instructional Technology Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program 2006 – 2012 | Assistant Professor, Secondary Education
University of Pennsylvania — Graduate School of Education
Spring 2014 | Visiting Scholar.
University of Cambridge — Faculty of Education
Fall 2013 | Visiting Scholar Hosted by Drs. Michael Evans and Linda Fisher.
University of New Mexico — College of Education
2005 – 2006 | Postdoctoral Fellow, Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies.
Founding & Early Career
1997 – 2000 | Founder and President, Tip-Top Kids English School, Seoul Developed EFL programs, storytelling curricula, and teacher professional development serving roughly 1,500 students. Concurrently served as Chief EFL Teacher at Kwang-hee Elementary School.
1993 – 1997 | Academic Director, Neo English Academy with Lego Dacta, Seoul.
Awards & Recognition
2025 — Best Paper of the Year · Korean American Educational Research Association (KAERA) 2021 — Best Paper of the Year · AERA Online Teaching and Learning SIG 2016 — Best Article of the Year · Journal of Second Language Writing 1998 — Letter of Appreciation · 15th President of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae-jung
Certifications
1996 — International Certificate in Teaching English to Children · Heinemann Publishing Co., United Kingdom 1988 — National Certificate (Level 2), Teaching English in Secondary Education · Republic of Korea