Date: November 11, 2005 Time: 12:00PM to 6:00PM<
Place: Skylight Room, CUNY Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan (Corner of 34th Street)
Daniel Baek is the Program Director of the Korean American Voters’ Council of NY & NJ (www.koreanvoter.com), a non-partisan community-based organization dedicated to registering, educating and mobilizing Korean American voters, thereby increasing levels of informed voter participation. He also serves as the president of the Korean American Students in Action (KASIA), a law student organization that seeks to build a coalition of Korean American students in different parts of the United States to cooperatively work towards fostering understanding and unity in the Korean American community and thereby enhancing the lives of the community members.
Sunghoon Jang is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Electrical/Telecommunication Engineering Technology at NY City College of Technology of CUNY. His education includes a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from University of Connecticut. He has worked in Electrical & Computer Engineering of Georgia Tech. Program at Georgia Southern University as an Assistant Professor. He has also worked as a Research Assistant in Ophthalmology Department at University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ(UMDNJ) for a couple of years. He has published many research papers and received various research grants from national and international companies and is currently interested in working a project of minimally invasive optical and electro-chemical glucose sensor for the diabetics.
Kelly Jeong is an Assistant Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research and teaching interests include modern Korean literature and cinema, questions of the nation, gender and modernity, East Asian contemporary cinema and popular culture, Asian American literature and postcolonial studies. She is currently working on a book manuscript about modern Korean literature and film.
Jae T. Kim is an Associate Professor of Public Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He obtained his B.A. in English Literature at Yonsei University in the Republic of Korea. In addition, Prof. Kim also has an M.P.A. in development administration and a Ph. D. in public administration at the University of Southern California. In the course of education, Prof. Kim developed a dissertation known as “A Study of the Reorganization of Local Government Structure.” Prof. Kim was involved in many different professional affiliations such as the American Society for Public Administration, the American Academy of Political and Social Science and the American Political Science Association of Teachers of English.
Ron T. Kim received his Master in Public Administration from Baruch College, specializing in public and nonprofit growth. As the first Korean American Football and Track Captains at his high school, Mr Kim went on to become one of the youngest recipients of the National Urban Fellows award, an organizational management development program that existed for over 30 years. He is presently engaged in the development of a Black-Korean Collaborative effort, KoFro.com that strives toward cultural and racial harmony as cities continue to urbanize and grow more diverse.
Sunghoon Kim is a Sergeant in the Vice Squad for the New York Police Department. Sgt. Kim a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, entered the NYPD in 1995 and worked at the 81st Precinct, OCCB Vice Enforcement Squad, Housing Precinct 4, Intel, Chief of Personnel’s Office. Sgt. Kim is also the former President of the Korean American Officers Association.
Youn-Suk Kim is a Professor of Economics, Kean University (State University of New Jersey). He received BA from Seoul National University and MA and Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research (New School University). Professor Kim was former chairman of International Council on Korean Studies, former president of the Korea-American Economic Association and the Korean-American University Professors Association. He is currently Editor of International Journal of Korean Studies, an Executive Editor of Journal of Asian Economics, an Associate Editor of North Korean Review, and Editorial member of International Journal of Human System Management. His publications include six books, numerous articles, chapters in books on contemporary Korea Economy and its relations with Northeast Asian countries and the United States.
Joanne Kong is currently employed at the YWCA of Queens as the Director of Youth Programs, servicing the youth immigrant population of Queens. Ms. Kong began her career in social services at the New York City Fire Department as an Emergency Medical Technician in the Bronx. She continued her career at the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice by working with incarcerated girls ages 9-16. Ms. Kong maintained her dedication to assisting the vulnerable population of New York City by working with victims of Domestic Violence as a counselor and advocate at Women In Need, Inc. in the Bronx; she continued her commitment by advocating for appropriate educational placements for special needs children within the New York City school system and by developing a Parent Education Community Task Force, which assisted low income families become an active participant in their children’s educational needs, at Lincoln Square Legal Services. Joanne Kong graduated from John Jay College, CUNY, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology and continued her academic career to receive a Masters in Social Work from Fordham University with a specialization in Social Work and the Law.
Pyong Gap Min is a Professor of Sociology at Queens College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. The areas of his research interest are immigration, ethnic identity, ethnic business, religion, and family/gender, with a special focus on Asian Americans. He is the author of three books, including Caught in the Middle: Korean Communities in New York and Los Angeles (1996), the winner of two national book awards. He is the editor or co-editor of six books, including Struggle for Ethnic Identity: Personal Narratives by Asian American Professionals (1999), Mass Migration to the United States: Classical and Contemporary Periods (2002), and Encyclopedia of Racism in the United States (3 volumes, 2005). In addition, he is the author of some 80 journal articles and books chapters, mostly focusing on Korean and Asian Americans. He is also currently completing his book project, Religion and Ethnicity: A Comparison of Korean Protestants and Indian Hindus. He serves as an editorial board member for International Migration Review, Journal of American Ethnic History, Amerasia Journal, Studies of Koreans Abroad, and Development and Society.
Joong-Hwan Oh is an Associate Professor of Sociology Department, Director of Graduate Social Research Program, and Acting Director of Asian American Studies Program at Hunter College of The City University of New York.
Bong-joo Moon is the former Consul-General of the Korean Consulate General in New York. He attended the Seoul University International Affairs in 1972 and Georgetown University in 1977. Consul Moon joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 1975 then in 1988 he became the director of the Southeast Asia Division and the Northeast Asia division I in the Asian Affairs Bureau of MOFA. In 1978, he became the assistant to the Senior Protocol Secretary to the President. In 1994, Consul Moon was both the liaison officer to the Ministry of National Defense and the Deputy Director-General of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was the minister of the Korean Embassy to the People’s Republic of China in 1995 and the Minister of the Korean Embassy to the United States of American in 2001. In addition to all his involvement, he was also an adjunct professor in diplomacy at Handong Global University.
Bihn Seo has served as Consul at the Korean Consulate General since 2003. As a political liaison with various academic and social policy organizations in the metropolitan area, Ms. Seo’s primary responsibility has been to increase the understanding and awareness of Korea to the American public and promote exchanges between the two countries. Prior to working at the Consulate, Ms. Seo has participated in the European Division, Human Rights Division and Information Analysis Team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Korea. She received her B.A. in political science from the Yonsei University in Seoul and her M.A. in foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.
Don Shin is a Program Associate at YKASEC – Empowering the Korean American Community. In this position, he is supporting two key campaigns: Civic Participation and Immigrant Rights. He has assisted in the production of a Voter Guide for the Korean American community and has made important visits to Washington, D.C. to lobby for immigration reform. Prior to his work at YKASEC, Mr. Shin was working as a Paralegal in the field of Immigration Law.
Betty Lee Sung is a Professor Emerita and Chairperson of Asian American/ Asian Research Institute. She is the former Chairperson of Asian American Studies Department at City College, CUNY. Professor Sung has published innumerable articles and seven books on Chinese Americans including Mountain of Gold (1967), and Chinese American Manpower and Employment, which won an outstanding book of the year award for 1976.
Thomas Tam is Executive Director of Asian American / Asian Research Institute, and Chairman of Asian American Higher Education Council, taught health administration and research at Columbia University, Lehman College, and St. Joseph University. In addition, he is an avid movie maker. A recent convert to Buddhism, he has completed a documentary video, “En Route to Lhasa”, and has given a talk on “The Diamond Sutra” at the CUNY Graduate Center last year.
Lawrence Tse currently is an undergraduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. In addition, he is a College Assistant at the Asian American / Asian Research Institute. His past experience includes being a counselor at the Boy’s Club of New York. His extracurricular activities include photography and volleyball.
