About

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Kansas, expected to graduate in Spring 2026, and hold an M.S. in Applied Statistics from the University of Kansas Medical Center. My dissertation, Three Studies on Subjective Social Status: Changing Family Dynamics and Individuals’ Perception of Social Location , examines how family background, higher education, and lifetime earnings shape individuals’ perceptions of their social standing across the life course. Using large-scale longitudinal datasets from Korea and the United States, I apply advanced statistical and computational methods to analyze children’s views of family status, young adults’ reliance on parental socioeconomic resources, and older adults’ evaluations of status based on lifetime earnings. My work combines sociological theory with rigorous data analysis to provide a life-course perspective on inequality and mobility.

Background

Before pursuing graduate studies in the United States, I built a career in Korea as a financial analyst and policy researcher. These experiences continue to inform my sociological work, grounding my academic research in real-world policy and market contexts.

Today, I also work as a data analyst, focusing on scientific, data-driven approaches to understanding human behavior and cognition. This interdisciplinary perspective bridges sociology, economics, and data science, allowing me to explore how social structures and individual choices interact.

Research Interests

• Family demography, education, and the labor market
• Inequality and social stratification
• Quantitative and computational methods
• Subjective social status and well-being