Hyokyung Kwak
Assistant Professor
Hyokyung Kwak, PhD, University of Kentucky
she/her/hers
Hyokyung Kwak joined the College of Charleston in August of 2020 as an assistant professor. She will teach POLI 101 American Government and POLI 210 Introduction to Public Administration in Fall 2020. A South Korean native, Dr. Kwak completed her BA in British and American Literature at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and her MPA at SungKyunKwan University in Korea. Having interests in experiencing different cultures and studying abroad, she took opportunities to visit Switzerland, the UK, and Thailand, working as a student fellow or intern. She obtained her MA in Political Science at Syracuse University and her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at the University of Kentucky. Her primary research interests relate to the provision of social welfare for economically disadvantaged individuals and related politics, with a primary focus on the United States. Specifically, Dr. Kwak’s work seeks to understand political and socio-economic conditions that shape state welfare policies, the interplay of politics and institutions as they impact welfare policy making, and the ways in which welfare policy affects well-being of economically disadvantaged individuals and families. Her recent project explores the impact of second-order devolution on inequality in welfare provision within and across states. In her free time, Dr. Kwak enjoys cooking and loves to hear Soyoon, her 6-year-old daughter, talking about her new recipes. In the near future, she wants to take up painting and capture the beautiful scenery around Charleston on canvas. Dr. Kwak can be reached at kwakh@cofc.edu.