Talking SSWR with Dr. Youngmi Kim
Dr. Youngmi Kim of the VCU School of Social Work is participating in six sessions at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference in Washington, D.C., Jan. 16-19.
How many times have you presented at SSWR?
I have presented since 2008.
Have you received any SSWR honors or designations?
I became a SSWR Fellow in 2017.
Why is it important to present research and connect with colleagues at a conference like this?
This is the largest conference to get connected with well-known scholars working in financial capability and related social work issues. There is so much to learn about innovative methodologies and timely social work approaches. This is a great opportunity to get feedback about my ongoing projects and studies before going out for official dissemination.
Can you talk about the importance of working with colleagues at other universities? How do these connections form and grow through collaborative projects?
I love to work with students and colleagues – whoever has common interests, regardless of where we are. It is joyful to exchange scholarly communications and learn from fresh mindsets, particularly students’, and matured expertise.
All or most faculty are also presenting with students. Can you talk about the importance of this collaborative experience, from both the faculty and student perspectives?
I was fortunate to have great mentors who generously allowed me to shadow their work and encouraged me to develop a critical thinking independently. I believe actual learning comes from application. Students are my colleagues. The most important part of my job is to share my expertise and earlier mistakes of mine with students and cheer them, so that they can grow better by finding their own ways with professional advice from someone else like me.
View a complete list of all VCU social work presentations from #SSWR2020.
Categories Faculty and staff, Research