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My third APPAM (and my final one as a student) was a truly memorable experience. I reconnected with many familiar faces and also expanded my network with new colleagues. Always grateful for the conversations and community that APPAM brings together.
I presented on two panels focused on poverty and administrative burden. Both projects were part of my dissertation, and I was grateful to receive thoughtful and constructive feedback. Thank you to everyone who engaged with my work and shared insights that helped strengthen these projects!

On November 11, 2025, I successfully defended my dissertation, which examines how childhood neighborhood environments shape educational attainment in adulthood and how these effects differ by disability status and type.
I am deeply grateful to my committee—Dr. Dohyeong Kim, Dr. Richard Scotch, Dr. Eugenia Gorina, and Dr. Elías Cisneros—for their guidance, encouragement, and inspiration throughout this journey. Thank you to all my mentors, colleagues, friends, and family for their constant support and encouragement.

From October 12 to 20, 2025, I visited local health facilities and met with government officials in rural Kilifi County, Kenya, to provide policy recommendations on optimal locations for promoting health education and expanding healthcare facilities. The experience reminded me how meaningful research can be when it is grounded in local realities and community voices.
What made this journey even more special was realizing that it all began with a simple hello during a conference session, a reminder that one brief conversation can lead to lifelong connections. Special thanks to Drs. Hyewon Lee and Dohyeong Kim for making this opportunity possible!

At the 120th ASA Annual Meeting in Chicago, I presented my research, “Geographies of Unequal Opportunities: Long-Term Gaps Between Children With and Without Disabilities.” It was inspiring to engage with leading scholars in medical sociology.
I was especially honored to share this moment with my mentor and dissertation co-chair, Dr. Richard Scotch, who received the ASA Distinguished Contributions Award. I am deeply grateful to him for his invaluable guidance and steadfast support throughout my academic journey.

In the summer of 2024, I participated in a week-long workshop at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which provided junior scholars with training and mentorship to develop research ideas and draft an initial research proposal relevant to the Social Security Administration (SSA), its programs, policies, and beneficiaries.
My research proposal was selected for the JSIT Research Competition, and I was awarded a $6,000 grant. Both the workshop and the grant are funded by the SSA’s Retirement and Disability Research Consortium.
https://rdrc.wisc.edu/uw-rdrc-jsit-2024

I was awarded a travel grant from the President of the KAPS to attend the 2023 Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Conference.